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Posted by: vintageplaya666 Jul 10 2008, 12:12 PM

I was wondering on this riff for Master Of Puppets -

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|-----2-----3------4-----3-------2-2-----2-----3-------5\4---5\4----5\4----|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1------0-1---0-1---0-0--3\2-0-3\2-0-3\2----|

Is how do you guys play it picking wise?

Do you use strict alternate picking? Down picking? etc..

( I know the copy and pasted tab is a lil out of place, but you know what riff I mean anyway )

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Jul 10 2008, 12:14 PM

They use downpicking and it sounds better doing it that way but you don't have to. Petrucci alternate picked it I believe when they covered it. I could be wrong however. I'd try and do it down picked.

Posted by: MickeM Jul 10 2008, 12:22 PM

I think I'd alternate pick this one since I'm just not quick enough to downpick all of it. Might try to downpick all of it - Pick the loose E string and hammer on the F then downpick the A-string.

Then I'd just choose whatever works best for me.

Posted by: ZakkWylde Jul 10 2008, 12:25 PM

Downstroke EVERY note, that's what this song about and that's why everybody recommends it for downstroke stamina. It is hard at the beginning but if you nail it you'll have a palm mute riff ability from hell...

Posted by: vintageplaya666 Jul 10 2008, 12:26 PM

Yeah, I've tried alternate picking this riff, and I cant do it up to the correct speed. So I use down picking, just alot of people when they've observed me (such as my old guitar teacher) he told me to play it using strict AP.

Posted by: DeepRoots Jul 10 2008, 12:26 PM

you should play it with downpicking- i wouldnt be able to right now, but it'd be great practise.

Posted by: Rated Htr Jul 10 2008, 12:28 PM

Downpicking all the way, that's how I do and it sounds good

(Marcus: And if it SOUNDS good, it IS good)

Posted by: USAMAN Jul 10 2008, 12:31 PM

Metallica= all down strokes 99% of the time.
in an interview I saw, James confirms that.

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Jul 10 2008, 12:38 PM

Don't use AP for songs like Master Of Puppets. It is a definite down picked song. Just make sure you don't use downpicking for every song you learn. However this one AP can but shouldn't be used if you can down pick it.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 10 2008, 01:14 PM

My vote on the downpicking as well, it will sound more even.

Posted by: TheOldOnes Jul 10 2008, 01:40 PM

My wife used to complain about me not getting enough physical exercise (ie getting fat) so I set up an exercise session playing along with a number of Iron Maiden and Metallica songs using downstrokes only (at the time, I played most everything with downstrokes). Master of Puppets was the centerpiece of that workout as 10 minutes of downstroking can really work up a sweat.

The problem was that I eventually improved in minimizing hand and arm movements that the effort wasn't nearly so taxing.

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Jul 10 2008, 10:05 PM

If you want to play a Metallica riff and you want it to somehow sound like the original you will HAVE to downpick everything cause this is how James plays it.

Posted by: vintageplaya666 Jul 10 2008, 10:22 PM

Yeah, I'll remember that Marcus There are some Metallica riffs that I do use AP for, as it's alot easier such as Battery

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Jul 10 2008, 10:27 PM

Hehe, yeah, at Metallica's speed downpicking is not really easy

Posted by: Pablo Vazquez Jul 11 2008, 10:20 PM

+1

Posted by: Nazgul Jul 11 2008, 10:40 PM

James is absolutely the master of all downpicking-masters. I wonder if he ever uses Alternate Picking?

Posted by: SEANCD2005 Jul 11 2008, 10:52 PM

+1

Posted by: Oxac Jul 11 2008, 11:36 PM

my vote is practise it with up strokes as well /no, not alternating\ just because it's a strong riff where you need lots of attack, which you should be able to achieve with ups as well, great exercise fore accentuating on odd beats (by learning to accent upstrokes)

Posted by: ZakkWylde Jul 12 2008, 12:02 AM

Yes on the old school thrash songs like ''Whiplash'' he uses AP because it can not be played with downpicking...

Posted by: Dexxter Jul 12 2008, 12:11 AM

I remember some time ago when I wanted to learn it, but I couldn't do it with downstrokes. So then I started with AP, but I thought "I ain't gonna cheat on this, can Metallica do it then I also wanna do it!".
So I marked the intro, verse, chorus and took the Speed Trainer thing on GuitarPro and started at 75% or something and went with 1% more every turn. Sat with that and when it became too hard, or my arm tensed up, I went back to 75%. I sat with that for a couple of hours for 2 days or something 'til I managed to play it fully relaxed

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Jul 12 2008, 10:30 AM

Don't worry, even James does not downpick everything, he also uses ap for the fast riffs like in Fight fire with fire for example, nobody downpicks this

Posted by: Nazgul Jul 12 2008, 11:47 AM

Yeah, that would be horrible. And since downpicking sounds "harder", it would sound way to heavy and beautiful. So everyone would die while listening becuase it's so great.

Posted by: Muris Varajic Jul 12 2008, 11:58 AM

Downpicking for Master if you want it
sounding 100%, no doubt

Posted by: Nazgul Jul 12 2008, 12:02 PM

How long should one practice per day to increase the downpicking in general? I know this question was asked before, but what licks are best to practice? Like AP, no matter?

Posted by: Muris Varajic Jul 12 2008, 12:08 PM

Depends only of you I'm afraid,no deadline or som.

And since downpicking is mostly physical matter
I would say there are no specific licks to upgrade your stamina for it,
you can practice only with open low E string
or with few random notes/power chords if you wish.

Posted by: Nazgul Jul 12 2008, 12:44 PM

The answer I expected/hoped/feared. So I'm gonna choose Creeping Death and Master Of Puppets, most fun.

Posted by: Muris Varajic Jul 12 2008, 01:01 PM

Sure,nice choices

Posted by: Dexxter Jul 13 2008, 08:17 PM

Something with fast switching between PM and no PM and also position shifting could be something to practice at the same time. That helped me with the technique.

Posted by: vintageplaya666 Jul 13 2008, 10:39 PM

Yeah, Creeping Death is a good choice to improve downpicking stamina, its what I used to improve my downpicking stamina