Alternate Picking - String Skipping, How do you do it? Options

[dairwolf]

I have a problem with changing strings. When I go from one string to another, I always hit the next string on the wrong side. So for example, if I do an upstroke on the high e string and want to do a downstroke on the b string, I´d hit the outside of the e string and the inside of the b string in one move, even though I want to go over the b string in order to hit it on the outside with a downstroke.

I already noticed that there are two aspects of the picking motion, one of which being the right-left-movement and the other being an up-down-movment. I noticed that the right to left movement in the above case is too big, so that I accidentally hit the next string on the wrong side. I tried limiting the right to left movement, which I actually succeed to do, but then the problem is that the pick doesn´t get far enough so that it gets over the string in order to hit it with a downstroke.

I actually found a Paul Gilbert video where you can see how he does it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJNUGHxC3M

At around 6:00mins there is a closeup of his picking hand. You can see how he lifts the ball of his hand (the lower part of his thumb that is facing his face) in order to get the pick in a certain angle so that it gets over the string. What irritates me about this again is that he doesn´t do that movement as exaggerated when he is picking fast.

Can anyone explain to me how I can get the pick in the right angle so that it goes over the next string? Do you have to keep the ball of the hand up, so that the pick doesn´t lower down? And how does it "feel" when you are picking? Does it actually feel as if you are doing side to side movement, or do you actually feelt it as if you are going from side to side AND lowering/ raising the pick?

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[SpaseMoonkey]

I'm not an expert on this as I'm trying to get better with Alt and String Skipping. But I have been working on this lately maybe this will point out somethings I've done to help myself get better. When I started I played some what like this.

Downstroke E, Jump A, Upstroke D. When I started going man I need to work on this I almost felt like I was picking then jump a hurdle lifting my hand up and over A just to hit the D. Which works but when you try and speed up it fails horribly and gets super sloppy.

So I started working this exercise.

0-0-0-0-0-0-
-0----------
---0--------
-----0------
-------0----
---------0--

And I would watch my hand closely and play it slower than honey dripping from a cup!

I tried to play it like I was just picking the same string. So I would watch my hand and make it move away from the strings as little as possible. In time you can start to speed up. I noticed with the exercise that some of my other playing was better because I was picking tighter to the strings for everything not just string skipping but alternate picking in general.

Also my pick angle is pretty close to flat I don't care much for the scrapped string sound I want that nice tight feeling and tone. Just do what feels the most relaxed way of picking when it comes to holding the pick. Everyone is different. I've changed my picking so many times it's not funny, it's just like everything else. It may work for so long then it needs a slight tweaking and then your good to go again just need to work on being relaxed and not tense, that's what hurt my playing for years.

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[korblitz]

I have a problem with changing strings. When I go from one string to another, I always hit the next string on the wrong side. So for example, if I do an upstroke on the high e string and want to do a downstroke on the b string, I´d hit the outside of the e string and the inside of the b string in one move, even though I want to go over the b string in order to hit it on the outside with a downstroke.

I already noticed that there are two aspects of the picking motion, one of which being the right-left-movement and the other being an up-down-movment. I noticed that the right to left movement in the above case is too big, so that I accidentally hit the next string on the wrong side. I tried limiting the right to left movement, which I actually succeed to do, but then the problem is that the pick doesn´t get far enough so that it gets over the string in order to hit it with a downstroke.

I actually found a Paul Gilbert video where you can see how he does it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJNUGHxC3M

At around 6:00mins there is a closeup of his picking hand. You can see how he lifts the ball of his hand (the lower part of his thumb that is facing his face) in order to get the pick in a certain angle so that it gets over the string. What irritates me about this again is that he doesn´t do that movement as exaggerated when he is picking fast.

Can anyone explain to me how I can get the pick in the right angle so that it goes over the next string? Do you have to keep the ball of the hand up, so that the pick doesn´t lower down? And how does it "feel" when you are picking? Does it actually feel as if you are doing side to side movement, or do you actually feelt it as if you are going from side to side AND lowering/ raising the pick?

The video you posted....he doesn't talk about string skipping per se...

The riff/exercise at minute 6 is what the youtuber said:

A- 7------------------
E--- 10-8-7-8-10-

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[Opetholic]

AP + string skipping is my favorite guitar technique. I also just finished a GMC lesson featuring this technique which required a lot of work and a lot of time.. I think as with every guitar technique the one and only trick to mastering it is to practice very very slowly. I can give you one very unorthodox suggestion though:

You can actually practice string skipping via an exercise that doesn't involve string skipping. Sounds strange right? Consider the following (start with a down stroke and use AP all the time)

e|-------------------
b|-------------------
g|-------------------
d|--4-------3--------
a|-----2-2-----2-2---
e|-------------------

(Play all notes as sixteenth note triplets)

The idea here is that you end up switching between inside and outside picking on the d string and this kind of switching gets your muscles used to a motion where your picking hand has to first travel a short distance and then a long distance and so on...

Try it, it helped me a lot, may help you also
Good luck...

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[Todd Simpson]

Can you shoot a quick video up close of your picking hand so I can get a better idea of what's going on?


I"m sure I could help you through it


Todd

I have a problem with changing strings. When I go from one string to another, I always hit the next string on the wrong side. So for example, if I do an upstroke on the high e string and want to do a downstroke on the b string, I´d hit the outside of the e string and the inside of the b string in one move, even though I want to go over the b string in order to hit it on the outside with a downstroke.

I already noticed that there are two aspects of the picking motion, one of which being the right-left-movement and the other being an up-down-movment. I noticed that the right to left movement in the above case is too big, so that I accidentally hit the next string on the wrong side. I tried limiting the right to left movement, which I actually succeed to do, but then the problem is that the pick doesn´t get far enough so that it gets over the string in order to hit it with a downstroke.

I actually found a Paul Gilbert video where you can see how he does it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJNUGHxC3M

At around 6:00mins there is a closeup of his picking hand. You can see how he lifts the ball of his hand (the lower part of his thumb that is facing his face) in order to get the pick in a certain angle so that it gets over the string. What irritates me about this again is that he doesn´t do that movement as exaggerated when he is picking fast.

Can anyone explain to me how I can get the pick in the right angle so that it goes over the next string? Do you have to keep the ball of the hand up, so that the pick doesn´t lower down? And how does it "feel" when you are picking? Does it actually feel as if you are doing side to side movement, or do you actually feelt it as if you are going from side to side AND lowering/ raising the pick?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

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