Alternate Picking Options

[El gran orejas]

Hi Muris;
I´m new in GMC and also new in seriously studying guitar.
I´ve been playing guitar by myself for ten years and I suppose that I have developed a way of playing that surely has a lot of defects.
I´m practicing your "Alternate Picking - Thirds" lesson and one of those defects, I realized, is that when playing scales I use to play (when it´s possible) Downpick(D)uppick(U)Downpick(D) and I seize that I´m going down with the pick hitting down again the next string. (Going sharper).
I understand that Alternate picking suggests to hit the next string Uppick (or simply just the opposite of the note before), and that makes it, for me, harder to play, slower and noisy.
So the question is, when you change the string you´re playing, which are the benefits of this technique?
May I spend some time practicing this only just like an exercise for my fingers or my right hand or are there some times in which this technique can make me go faster or more clean or something?
Maybe the question is stupid, but I have less theorical idea about music than I should.
If this is not the suitable place to ask this kind of things, please let me know. As I said I´m pretty new here and the last thing I want is to disturb.
Thanks anyway for your answer.
PS. Incredible shredding in Dean contest. That velocity seems to be unreachable for me no matter how many years I practice.

[El gran orejas]

Ok sorry Muris;
Reading other posts I realized that this topic has been fairly discussed.
So as one of my options says, the question was stupid .
No need to answer.
Thanks anyway.
Best luck in Dean contest.

[Muris Varajic]

Pardon me for answering this
but your question isn't stupid at all.

The technique you're using when playing 3nps
is called Economy picking,you do kind a one downstroke
to play notes on 2 different strings,or one upstroke when descending.
It is not wrong technique,many players use it,me as well.
I use it specially for very fast AND floatings runs when I want to get fast notes
but without too much effort,that's why its called Economy.
These runs sound really smooth and best way to do them IS using Economy.
On the other hand,pure Alternate Picking has more attack
so you should practice it as well,do not leave Economy behind,
just focus yourself on Alternate for a while to get comfortable with it,
with those 2 picking techniques in your pocket you'll be able to play many things.
It is hard tho to switch from Economy to Alternate and opposite
so do it wisely and also be sure what are trying to play,
if you wanna Alternate then do it Alternate,
wanna Economy,then do it Economy.
You can take same lick and play it with both technique,
to get the difference in picking as well.

Hope this helps a bit and thanks for your kind words!

[El gran orejas]

Thanks a lot for the answer!!! It helps a lot. It was only that when I posted it i didnt see that this has been discussed in other forums. I don´t want to make you waste your time in answering the same questions that other people already posted.
Anyway, it´s incredible hard for me not hitting down the second string, but I will go on practice to catch the difference.
and thanks again for answering me an already discussed topic.

[Muris Varajic]

This is never ending topic so we can always talk about it,
you're very welcome.

[midnight]

Edit: I posted in the wrong forum. Still learning the ropes.

This post has been edited by midnight: Aug 23 2008, 12:54 AM

[Muris Varajic]

Edit: I posted in the wrong forum. Still learning the ropes.

No probs.

[intemperateContr...]

This is never ending topic so we can always talk about it,
you're very welcome.

Hi, Muris. Not only do you have a great intuition and ear for sound, as well as speed and pick control, but you also maintain great musicianship when you project your own mastery as a guitarist in my opinion - I am a real student of your teachings for this reason. But today, It is the pick control I want to ask you about. MY tapping is mediocre at best (still working on that), but I too have discovered a method of picking that I wanted to ask you about - just to get your opinion. I have been playing for about 7-8 years - not in a row, but those years are scattered over about 15 years of playing off and on. I am definitely a serious student these days. About 12 years ago I was practicing guitar when I noticed the tip of my pick had worn down so dull that it was like playing with a circular piece of plastic, so I used scissors to sharpen it to its original tip (I lived so far out in the country at the time I couldn't get another pick that evening but still wanted to practice). Anyway, I accidentally made the tip as sharp as a knife, and have been using that method every since - it gives me great ease of control and intensity with little effort. Pinch harmonics, added intensity and speed with barely a touch, etc... I mean, When I play with a regular pick now it is almost too easy - my speed just goes beyond haywire with no effort. The sharpened pick required some getting used to at first, but in my opinion is a great tool for more intimate control with my picking technique... My question to you is, Am I the only one who sharpens my pics? Or, Am I eccentric? If you have never tried this, try it and let me know. I will try and bookmark this page after I make the post so I can look for your answer. If not, please respond to me via PM. Thanks, dude...

[Muris Varajic]

Well I'm not sure if you're the only one,
I guess there are some other people out there who sharpen pick too.
People like all type of picks, thick, thin, sharp, flat etc.
I prefer all kin of picks more or less, depends of guitar and style that I play.
Each type of pick has different feel and tone
and very often we make some kind of compromise
between tone and feel when we pick certain pick.