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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Alternate Picking.....
Posted by: fatstrat Feb 28 2008, 10:48 PM
So I just started really getting into guitar about a month ago. I've been playing for 3 years now and decided I wanted to get serious. I picked up a practice routine (legato, AP, vibrato, etc...). My main source of frustration is alternate picking. First I started by playing with both the left and the right hands at the same time....didn't work out so well. So, I'm trying to train my right hand to keep a consistent and constant up down up down....I guess my question is how long did it take everybody to get their right hand technique down?
My AP practice routine consists of single string triplets, sixteenth, and sixteenth triplet notes and trying to build my speeds up that way....
Posted by: superize Feb 28 2008, 10:55 PM
My AP practice routine consists of single string triplets, sixteenth, and sixteenth triplet notes and trying to build my speeds up that way....
I dont know how long it took for me just think whenyouare learning an alternate pincking pattern to first memorice the pattern and play it very slow at first and then if you keep practise it slow speed will come eventually
Posted by: Capt.Z Feb 28 2008, 10:56 PM
its been about three months, i haven't really practiced that long 
Posted by: fatstrat Feb 28 2008, 10:59 PM
am i doing the right thing by training my right hand (picking hand) first?
Posted by: superize Feb 28 2008, 11:01 PM
Yes you are doing the right thing but try to put in some easy patterns and play it at very low tempos
Posted by: DeepRoots Feb 28 2008, 11:14 PM
sure training your right hand first is okay for a short while just to get the right hand feel.
just try alternate picking the same note over and over.
Try and figure out how you feel comfortable holding the pick and how you like to position your hand.
Kris's 101 video should be all you need to start off your AP:
http://www2.guitarmasterclass.net/membersonly/speedpicking1-video.htm
Posted by: inertia Feb 29 2008, 06:49 PM
Two things that really helped me a lot:
1) I wasn't holding the pick properly, after watching a Paul Gilbert video, and hearing some advice on this board, I learned that it's best to hold the pick at about a 45 degree angle.
2) I started practicing simple patterns and built up into more complex patterns, I started basically on one string doing 3 note per string patterns, such as 1-2-4 and 1-3-4, and also chromatic picking 1-2-3-4. Then I started doing multiple string patterns after I had these basic ones down, Kris has a good intro video that gives you a couple of patterns to start. I'm sure others would also suggest starting slow and use the metronome and slowly increase your speed to ensure accuracy.
Posted by: RIP Dime Feb 29 2008, 06:53 PM
I think it was right after Pavel started teaching lessons here, when I realized that I was kind of randomly picking, or economy picking badly. So I just knuckled down and did nothing else besides eat, sleep, and practice alternate picking for about a week, then I had it down pretty well. I just practiced all the things that I already knew, but with alternate picking.
Posted by: superize Feb 29 2008, 07:04 PM
I realised the same thing a while ago when i was practicing alternate picking one. I noticed that i used economy picking on it... i played down, up down and then on the next string i continued with down, up down but that i have fixed now it it isalot easier to play AP now
Posted by: SinoMan Mar 1 2008, 04:58 PM
Well, I've been doing from the very first day I started to play guitar, so it's probably the only thing I'm quite good at 
My advice is: turn the metronome on and just do it on open strings until it feels comfortable. Then try doing some really simple scales and gradually increase the difficulty.
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