Alt picking/tremolo picking

[GuitaRR]

Whats the difference guys? when i see players like yngwie pick fast licks it seems like theyre tremolo picking but with tremolo picking i dont seem to have control over the left/right hand synch...and it seems impossible to get to that speed using alt picking...

so if you guys dont mind elaborating on the two id really appreciate it

[Oakleaf]

When I think of tremolo picking I think more about people like Django Rheinhardt than Yngwie. Tremolo is more about the stylistic effect than alternate picking. Meaning, you don't really count pick strokes when tremolo picking, where it would be of much greater importance when alternate picking.

The best way to approach tremolo I've found is to first make sure you're approaching the strings with your arm almost parallel to the strings, in more of a classical position. When you tremolo pick, what you're actually doing is more like massaging the string with the very tip of your pick, then actually digging in and giving full pick strokes.

Hope some of this helps.

[MJK]

What Oakleaf said about not counting strokes is more what I think of as well. To me, trem picking means speed picking as fast as I can, but there is a definite artistic touch to it.

Alt picking and economy picking pretty much cover most shred playing I think... i.e. Yngwie.

[graypianoflying]

Alternate picking is simply picking using alternating up strokes and down strokes.

Tremolo is defined as one note repeated rapidly, therefore tremolo picking is picking one note as fast as you can.

[GuitaRR]

it seems impossible to get to that speed using alt picking though :( i mean my trem picking sounds closer to wht theyre playing

[graypianoflying]

Trem picking is not a different technique. It is just alternate picking one note. Obviously, most people will be able to do this faster than playing more than one note because they don't to worry about fretting notes. You just need to work on synchronizing your picking and fretting hands. It might also help to do some exercises focusing on the fretting hand if that is what's slowing you down.

[tedmaul]

it seems impossible to get to that speed using alt picking though :( i mean my trem picking sounds closer to wht theyre playing

Unfortunately that's simply because they are technically way better than you and I. That's why these guys are as famous as they are.

They are not tremelo picking those runs, they are using a strict alternate picking approach where they have precise control at all times and their left and right hands are perfectly synchronised.

As you can imagine, to be able to do this at that level takes a LOT of practice. But there's no way around it. If you want to pick like that you have to put hours and hours into practicing your picking, slowing it down til you make zero mistakes. Concentrating on accuracy and efficiancy, not speed.

This is what all good pickers have done to become as good as they are.