Would someone please explain economy picking to me?

[j_airic]

Would someone be kind enough to explain economy picking to me in fairly in depth terms? Thanks everyone in advance!
Jake

[Zatz]

j_airic,

Welcome to IBreatheMusic!

Please read a great article on economy picking by Bizarro:
http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/130

Also, search through the forums content - we've had discussions on this topic.

Zatz.

[underfaced]

that still doesn't tell me what it is.....i am also curious what it is........so explain what it is.

[rmuscat]

as the name implies economy picking (EP) involves using less picking to you your playing. Picking is generally the major failure point for speed since in many cases it turns out to be inefficient and requires extra movement. For some people like paul gilbert this is not true. LOL he picks faster than my EP.

So when you economy pick you use the MINIMUM picking possible. This will lead you to more use of legato and sweep picking.

So for example you want to play through the major scale using economy picking, 3 NPS.

Pick the first note on each string and play the next two using hammer ons. Going back you would play the first and pull off the next two.

Pick, Hammer on, Hammer on
New String
Pick, Hammer on, Hammer on etc etc

Also to make EP a major part of you style you need to find out when its best to start on an upstroke rather then a downstroke (well this is also true for normal picking but you get my point).

obviously it takes a great deal of practice to get fluent in it. I'm sure you're using EP already in some cases.

[Arpetude]

i percieve alternate as.


DOWN-UP-DOWN-UP . no matter what. even through lots of strings you still keep that down-up system. you have to get used to the motion of 'inside' + 'outside' of 2 or more adjacent strings in order to be able to rip through solos like vai.
i know john petrucci + yngwie uses this technique (as do i).

economic as.

when you have the chance, you 'sweep' down - or up if you descendnig to the next string - when ascending to the next string. THIS IS NOT 2 consistant down or up strokes. they are sweeps.

i have provided a powertab with 3nps scales which has the two different picking techniques.

any more questions. then just post!...hope this helps:)

[Bizarro]

Yeah, my article assumed you knew what economy picking was before you start... :(