weird yngwie dream - picking technique

[syan]

hi guys...

A couple weeks ago I had this *weird* dream. Like, I dreamt I was at a Blind Guardian concert and like, we were waiting for them to come onstage and start playing. But then we found out that they wouldn't be there and Yngwie was going to be there instead. Now, I admire Yngwie and think he's extremely talented. However, I was *pissed* because Blind Guardian is one of my favorite bands and *never* plays in America and here I finally had my chance, and I could actually see the stage instead of being stuck behind all the *huge *metalheads that must get paid to stand in front of me every show I go to. So I started screaming out insults and stuff. But then all of a sudden it occurred to me to go ask Yngwie stuff about guitar playing. And of course, since it was a dream, that wasn't very difficult.

So I make my way backstage. And like, Yngwie's dressing room is apparantly the same room I sometimes practice in downstairs in my house... Yeah, I don't know what my brain was thinking either. But I knock on the door and say "Yngwie?" nothing... "Yngwie?"

"What?"

cool... so I open the door and start talking to him, and like he's cool, but really, really laid back. Like, I'm not sure if he's taking my questions seriously. So I ask him a bunch of questions about picking technique, and then I ask him this one:

"So you know how like, when you do an upstroke and a downstroke they feel different? Like, a lot of times I feel like the downstroke has more control to it, like hit the string *now* and then the action is very direct, whereas I don't always feel that way with the upstroke. Do you think that's ok?"

And he said:

"Well, I never really thought about it much. I mean, if it's not giving you any trouble I wouldn't worry about it."

So I was going to ask him some more questions, but then he somehow grabbed onto rope ladder that was lowered from a helicopter and flew away.

To the other side, I imagine.

But anyway... I kind of think Yngwie was just blowing me off on that question. What do you guys think? Should the upstroke feel as... I'm not sure how to describe it... full of intent? as the downstroke, or is that just the nature of playing against gravity? Or am I the only one who knows what I mean?

thanks,

syan

[Schooligo]

LOL,

what a great story!!

I especially like the part where "Yngwie's dressing room is apparantly the same room I sometimes practice in downstairs in my house... "

it must have been a dream, Yngwie is not known for being "really really laid back" LOL again

as to your concern about the upstrokes, do you really like the feel, articulation, clarity, control, & "intent" of your downstroke, if so I would want the same thing from my upstroke.

It will take much practice for you to have that control since you(as you wisely said) are challenging gravity, but if you persevere you will be victorious.

As Steve Morse has said it benefits you to practice what are weakest at, so it is no longer a weakness.

[Lynxo]

hi guys...

A couple weeks ago I had this *weird* dream. Like, I dreamt I was at a Blind Guardian concert and like, we were waiting for them to come onstage and start playing. But then we found out that they wouldn't be there and Yngwie was going to be there instead. Now, I admire Yngwie and think he's extremely talented. However, I was *pissed* because Blind Guardian is one of my favorite bands and *never* plays in America and here I finally had my chance, and I could actually see the stage instead of being stuck behind all the *huge *metalheads that must get paid to stand in front of me every show I go to. So I started screaming out insults and stuff. But then all of a sudden it occurred to me to go ask Yngwie stuff about guitar playing. And of course, since it was a dream, that wasn't very difficult.

So I make my way backstage. And like, Yngwie's dressing room is apparantly the same room I sometimes practice in downstairs in my house... Yeah, I don't know what my brain was thinking either. But I knock on the door and say "Yngwie?" nothing... "Yngwie?"

"What?"

cool... so I open the door and start talking to him, and like he's cool, but really, really laid back. Like, I'm not sure if he's taking my questions seriously. So I ask him a bunch of questions about picking technique, and then I ask him this one:

"So you know how like, when you do an upstroke and a downstroke they feel different? Like, a lot of times I feel like the downstroke has more control to it, like hit the string *now* and then the action is very direct, whereas I don't always feel that way with the upstroke. Do you think that's ok?"

And he said:

"Well, I never really thought about it much. I mean, if it's not giving you any trouble I wouldn't worry about it."

So I was going to ask him some more questions, but then he somehow grabbed onto rope ladder that was lowered from a helicopter and flew away.

To the other side, I imagine.

But anyway... I kind of think Yngwie was just blowing me off on that question. What do you guys think? Should the upstroke feel as... I'm not sure how to describe it... full of intent? as the downstroke, or is that just the nature of playing against gravity? Or am I the only one who knows what I mean?

thanks,

syan

That's really funny! I also have these weird dreams sometimes (when I can remember them), but let's not get into that now...

Anway, to get back to your question, I don't think upstrokes are that different from downstrokes when soloing or playing melodies. When I first started out, I only did downstrokes 'til I learned how to do it the right way, and I was amazed of how much better it sounded.

The only exception to this rule is Metallica or Maiden-type of riffs, they can sound much heavier doing only downstrokes.

If you feel more comfortable with downstrokes than upstrokes, I suggest practising more on alternative picking runs. But that was pretty obivous, right?

[Padawan]

LOL, what a funny dream, I never thought about telling MY dream I had maybe 2 month ago about Yngwie but it would fit in the thread
So here it comes, by the way it didn't start with Yngwie, he just appeared at the end of my dream.
So I dreamed I was watching TV, it was the beginning of a movie that showed that famous red bridge in San Francisco (sry, forgot the name). I was fascinated and wished I could go there someday.
Suddenly I see myself taking the next plane from Germany to SF because there would be a Steve Vai concert! (I'd never fly so far for a concert, I even just saw him in Germany before I had that dream).
I really can't tell anything from the concert and I don't know were I slept that night in SF but when I was on my way back to germany, waiting at the airport in SF, he suddenly appeared: Yngwie Malmsteen. The strange thing is that he had short hair and was well dressed in a grey suit. He was even wearing a cravate and behaved as conservative as he looked! But I was sure it was him and thought I MUST take a photo of us, then I can post it at IBM and show off! When I looked at the picture, I realised that you can't see my face because he was so much bigger than me (I'm not little) but it was too late, he was gone...


To answer your question: it's important that you have control over your upstroke, it'll sound crappy when you alternate pick and the upstroke is not as clear as the downstroke. I will post a good exercise tomorrow.

Maybe we should have a dream section where anyone can post his music related dreams, this is not the first thread about a dream that we have, just read "I had a dream"
Hope my english wasn't too bad

[UKRuss]

LMAO!

That is the funniest thing I've read ni a long time. i lik the way he gave you no advice whatsoever and then flew away on a rope attached to a helicopter.

Bloody fantastic.

Well done!

[delicious]

haha thats awesome, love those random dreams:>

with upstrokes you shouldnt feel awkward doing it, but if you compare it with downstroke, downstroke will feel much more natural to do since its like the natural thing to do:>. I'd like to think of it like playing piano, your non-dominant hand will get stronger and play good but will never be as strong as your dominant hand.

[newamerikangosp]

HAHAHAHAahahahaha

kind of think Yngwie was just blowing me off on that question

[syan]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate the advice, and it was fun hearing someone else's Yngwie dream too. We should start a "Guitar Player's Dream Book"... you know, those books that are supposed to tell you what your dream meant?

I would have replied earlier, but I'm usually pretty busy during the week and I was away this weekend too. Actually, it was cool, I went to Montreal for the first time and watched Children of Bodom play at Le Medley. The first time I saw them I could hardly see anything except the keyboard player and Alexi's guitar when he raised it overhead a few times. This time I got a decent spot on the balconey though and I was waiting... *waiting* for him to play the second solo in "Angels Don't Kill". So they go into the song and I'm making little mental notes to myself like... "ooh... he plays that interlude part down *there* ... guess that powertab was wrong." and *waiting* for that solo.

Now on the balconey there's pillars here and there and the best I could get had one, like, right in front of me. but I could see everything except where the bassist was, so I figured I wouldn't miss much. But I just *knew* he'd run over there during the solo I wanted to watch, so I kind of resigned myself to missing it because he'd be hiding next to the bass player. But they make to the part leading into the second solo and he's still center stage and I'm like, "Sweet!" And then he walks over and *lies down* next to the keyboard player (Janne Warman). And I'm like... "You've *got* to be kidding me... At least run behind the pillar you *****!"

Then he stands up. YES! I'll be able to see the solo, front and center... except he angles toward Warman *just right* and then a laser light or something went on and I couldn't see the damn fingering anyway.

So I guess Alexi and Yngwie are both evil. :P

[syan]

oh yeah!

Padawan, if you get a chance to post that exercise, that would rock.

thanks

[forgottenking2]

I once had a dream where Joe Satriani did teach me something. I was at a party and all of a sudden Steve Vai shows up, but instead of being excited or anything I'm like "Hey Stevey how is it going?" so he is asking me about random stuff with my life and me of his just like if we knew each other and were catching up (of course I don't remember a thing in that conversation... I was drinking in the dream so it must be that). Then he told me that this great guitar player was suposed to show up at the party and sort of says "Joe Satriani, man you oughta listen to him" so I'm all freaking out "are you kidding? Of course I know who he is!" Anyways we find him in the kitchen... that looked like my friends house (the one where we had the party and we played and the lady flashed us... etc) Steve disapeared... probably ran to the basement to practice or something, so I start talking to Joe and this time I'm all nervous and pissed off at Steve for leaving but he was really cool so I asked him "How the hell do you do those arpeggios in Mystical Potato Grove head thing?" and he told me how, he goes "Well, the chords are m11 shapes so get used to those first, and then just hammer the entire thing" then before I could ask anything else, someone else showed up and called his attention so he goes "excuse me" and turns around to talk to some guy. Then the dream went on and it got quite interesting (it was a party after all lol) but that's all the guitar related stuff so I'll stop there.

Oh and by the way I already knew what he told me in the dream (I just didn't say it right away so it would sound freaky) but at least I heard it from Joe Satriani. I thought it was funny how Steve Vai was just suposed to be my friend and Satch was still THE Satch.

Anyways I wanted to share my dream too.

[Lynxo]

I once had a dream where Joe Satriani did teach me something. I was at a party and all of a sudden Steve Vai shows up, but instead of being excited or anything I'm like "Hey Stevey how is it going?" so he is asking me about random stuff with my life and me of his just like if we knew each other and were catching up (of course I don't remember a thing in that conversation... I was drinking in the dream so it must be that). Then he told me that this great guitar player was suposed to show up at the party and sort of says "Joe Satriani, man you oughta listen to him" so I'm all freaking out "are you kidding? Of course I know who he is!" Anyways we find him in the kitchen... that looked like my friends house (the one where we had the party and we played and the lady flashed us... etc) Steve disapeared... probably ran to the basement to practice or something, so I start talking to Joe and this time I'm all nervous and pissed off at Steve for leaving but he was really cool so I asked him "How the hell do you do those arpeggios in Mystical Potato Grove head thing?" and he told me how, he goes "Well, the chords are m11 shapes so get used to those first, and then just hammer the entire thing" then before I could ask anything else, someone else showed up and called his attention so he goes "excuse me" and turns around to talk to some guy. Then the dream went on and it got quite interesting (it was a party after all lol) but that's all the guitar related stuff so I'll stop there.

Oh and by the way I already knew what he told me in the dream (I just didn't say it right away so it would sound freaky) but at least I heard it from Joe Satriani. I thought it was funny how Steve Vai was just suposed to be my friend and Satch was still THE Satch.

Anyways I wanted to share my dream too.

Dreams are funny! They can be REALLY bizarre...wish I could remember most of mine though...

[Padawan]

oh yeah!

Padawan, if you get a chance to post that exercise, that would rock.

thanks

Sure, I'll do it...but not now, I'm so lazy and want practise those Greg Howe arp.
So I'll do it later, promised ...I need a coffee...

[jade_bodhi]

I once had a dream where Joe Satriani did teach me something.

I relayed this in another thread, but it's relevant here to:

Duane Allman claimed that he learned the tune and the guitar tuning for "Little Martha," an instrumental on EAT A PEACH, from the ghost of Jimi Hendrix in a dream. If I'm not mistaken, Duane played slide in standard tuning until he had that dream.

[syan]

hey again,

I think part of my question is tied into the overall feel of picking. Like, I was never very comfortable with certain types of chord stuff until one day I read a description of the technique where it said to play with a deliberate sweep, almost a "snap" ... Hope you know what I'm trying to say.

I am wondering now though, would you say it's the same feel for alternate picking, or is it more of a "push" through each string? Like, am I "striking" at the string, or... meeting the string and moving through it.

Hope *some* of this makes sense. :P

[Padawan]

Practise all arpeggios doing only downstrokes, upstrokes, alternate picking inside/outside. The phantom gave me this exercise, said it helped a lot and after doing this for a few times I promise it does. Try it.