Strictly Alternating Picking

[UKRuss]

Remember Friar!Not a competition, it's about improvement. Post it at whatever BPM you get, then next month when we see that improvement you will feel success instead!

[tucker97325]

Ok, as long as it's not a competition, and you don't hold me to that "clean" claim. Here it is. (Now, this was done on my new 'lectric guitar. BTW, did you know that the knobs get in the way, if you aren't used to them being there?)

[tucker97325]

Paaat, Russ. You've exceeded you PM limit.

[UKRuss]

PM sorted, apols.Very clean Friar! I hear the strat tone too! Pleasing.

Nothing wrong with that at 75BPM, what's your target for next month.

I'm going to try and aim for 5bpm a week improvement so hope to be at 160BPM next month.

....I'd love to hear Thorsten's take soon.

Just so we know how AP is really done when you put in the practice hours!

[Stratosaurus]

Strats are notorious for the knobs being in the way. You'll learn not to accidently turn it down eventually. Some people wire them backwards... or so I've heard. So if anything they'll accidently turn it up.

Don't be ashamed of 75bpm. In an article Jamey Andreas wrote says something sort of like: "Learning an instrument is like climbing a mountain. You look ahead and you can't see very far, but you keep moving anyway. Sometimes you can stop and look back, and will be surprised at how far you've come. Just don't forget to look ahead and keep moving forward again."

My (and Jamey's) point is: In a few months you'll have a good chuckle at your 75bpm mark. But rest assured. Nobody is laughing at you, man. We all have our strong points and weak points -- and 75bpm could be a lot worse.

Keep that sweet Strat tone coming man.

[MattW]

"Learning an instrument is like climbing a mountain. You look ahead and you can't see very far, but you keep moving anyway. Sometimes you can stop and look back, and will be surprised at how far you've come. Just don't forget to look ahead and keep moving forward again."

The problem I've found is that I used to keep thinking I could see the top of the mountain, then when you get there you realise you have hardly even begun, I guess that reaching the top is a relatively futile task since the mountain could be said to be infinitely high, or just gets bigger the further you climb. I suppose the aim is then to get as high up your own personal mountain, make the most of the view you have earned and not to try and race or compare yourself to someone who is climbing a completely different one of thier own.

I like analogies.

[Stratosaurus]

Yeah. It's a great analogy. Jamey goes on with it, eventually coming to a point that you can never reach the top of the mountain. The part between 99% and 100% is infinite... and each step further is that much harder than the last.

In my opinion what you just said, Matt, is dead on. I couldn't have said it better myself (even though I did jack Jamey's analogy.)

[Apple-Joe]

Don't dismiss legato as cheating! It's just another technique to reach a desired effect, to play complicated legato lines and not just simple runs up and down is actually particularly difficult, probably harder than picking the same lines in a lot of cases. It's just a matter of using the right technique to achieve the desired sound is at any particular time.

With regards to me probably being rubbish at this, the main reason why I'll find it quite tricky is because of the SAP rule (and not just 'cos I think I suck at picking). I can alternate pick the main chunk of the run not that badly, but when it comes to changing direction (at the end of the 9 note section) I don't always think in SAP terms, it's not so much that I'm making mistakes because of it, it's more that I'm breaking the rules, it'll just be a matter of getting out of the habit for this excersise.

Maybe I was harsh on the legato style. Anyway, let me try to re-phrase the sentence. At the time one is about to reach a satisfactory level regarding legato style solos; it's time for playing a few solos without incorporating the legato style at all. Only picking. Compare, see if it sounds equally good. See if one can master it. I certainly forgot about real picking myself, but I'm working on it now.

Another example when it comes to fast playing. Anyone can practice 1-string speed picking and legato, then combine both and by speed picking a note as well as pulling it off. It will sound fast. However, how much practice does this require, compared to the practice needed in order to obtain a pleasing level of fast, structured, alternate picking?

I'm not dismissing the legato style; I might have used too strong words. Reality is just that I am aware of what may happen when you 'forget' about real picking.

[tucker97325]

AJ - IMHO opinion, the difference between picking and legato may not be as much about speed as it is about the feeling each bring to a piece. But that's just my opinion.

Now here's a question, for anyone. I'm finding myself stumbling over the this pattern as I move from the 3rd srting on to the 2nd string and back. I think I may be using the wrong fingers of my fret hand. Anybody want to share how they are doing this section?

[Apple-Joe]

AJ - IMHO opinion, the difference between picking and legato may not be as much about speed as it is about the feeling each bring to a piece. But that's just my opinion.

Now here's a question, for anyone. I'm finding myself stumbling over the this pattern as I move from the 3rd srting on to the 2nd string and back. I think I may be using the wrong fingers of my fret hand. Anybody want to share how they are doing this section?

I hear you about feeling, but what I'm trying to say is that sometimes legato may lead to a too laid-back style. I'm speaking of experience.

That said, I know it's possible to combine. Just listen to Satriani and Vai, for example, who do both techniques brilliantly.

[tucker97325]

I hear you about feeling, but what I'm trying to say is that sometimes legato may lead to a too laid-back style.

HA ha ha, is there such a thing?

[UKRuss]

Here's my fingering for it Friar, interesting to see if anyone does it different:

[tucker97325]

Thanks Russ, that's how I'm doing it. Maybe it is the picking that's getting to me.

Edit: Oops, that's how I do it when I'm paying attention to how I'm doing it. When I'm concentrating on the clicks I keep the IRM thing going. I guess that's what I need to work on.

[Santuzzo]

Ok, I practiced the exercise yesterday and today.
Right now I got it up to 130 BPM.
Also played/tried it faster (like 140 or 150 BPM) but then it got a bit sloppy. So I'd rather play it slower and cleaner.

Lars

[tucker97325]

Yeah, I did it at 240 yesterday, but I missed a few of the notes too.