ALTERNATE PICKING: Speed Alternate Picking Tech
Sunday, 1. February 2009
THE BASICS OF ALTERNATE PICKING
Using the "SHRED" Style of guitar playing
[PLEASE NOTE: These are only Exercises for Alternate Picking Fluency/Precision and Dexterity, This is for Educational purposes only].
Hi and a very warm welcome!
I am going to list the FUNDAMENTAL Essentials for Alternate Picking in this Blog/Website. This is for all the www.alternatepickingTECH.com enquiries and anyone wishing to develop alternate picking on the guitar.
LESSON No1 "It's all about the rhythm"
Use a STRICT UP/DOWN movement SLOWLY from the wrist on the rhythm below:
The above exercise is just a monotone rhythm on one note and on one string. This is simple but essential in order to understand that "Gear" changing in terms of rhythm is they answer.
TRY THE RHYTHM BELOW, clap it first and then Pick it on any note on the guitar fingerboard. Also, try ACCENTING the first beat.
Next you need to try to get a TREMELO going and sustain it. Please start VERY SLOW and then BUILD IT up.
You might find it help ful if you ANGLE the Pick Plectrum [see below], Many guitarists prefer to use a rigid thumb grip when alternate picking both fast and slow, although there will obviously be moments when this rule is NOT adhered to.
By angling the pick [Plectrum] at 90% or at a lesser 45% you will get a "slicing" momentum. This will make it much EASIER to play "across" the strings.
YOU WILL DEFINETLY NEED ONE OF THESE: metrenome [or a beat device, drum machine etc.
So lets recap,
a] practice the rhythms above with a metrenome or drum machine at a SLOW 70 to 90 beats per minute.
b] Hear the change in rhythm between quaver note values and semiquaver notes.
c] Angle the pick [plectrum] for a slicing and more fluid approach. [Later this will become more apparent] and get a TREMELO going gradually building speed.
d] Clap out the rhythms above with the metremone and strum them with the metrenome on one chord.
BELOW VIDEO: Here is some VARIATIONS on what has been discussed. Basic guitar with METRENOME with Variations. [Although I use scales in the video we will move onto these later...this video is just to give an idea of Rhythms over Metrenome,synchronisation and much patience]
LESSON No2:
OKAY...Now we move on to crossing the strings. Play below as triplets.
[Also play as groups of six, accenting the first note of each grouping]
The above exercise is very simple BUT is brilliant for SYNCHRONISATION between the Right alternate picking hand and the left fretting hand moving across the first two strings. KEY= Focus the last note of the first string and the first note of the second string. This will give you a SMOOTH TRANSITION and sound clean and musical.
Lets Recap:
a] Play the above exercise with a Metrenome,
b] Synchronise the right picking hand with the left fretting hand.
c] Feel where any TENSION might be coming from in your body. This will tell you if your guitar technique is centered.
LESSON No3:
Here is where it gets a bit more complicated....BUT I will show where the most confusing and common problems occur.
It is all because of this!!!!....ODD and EVEN Groupings THROW alternate picking all over the place!!!! aaahhhh...it is the guitarists nightmare!!!!...BUT with a bit of analysis we CAN OVERCOME this silly problem.
Above we see groups of 4 notes this means that every time you cross the string you will land on the next string with same picking stroke that you had previously started on.
[please play above exercise to see what I mean]
Now Below we see GROUPS OF THREE [Odd groupings]
Every time you cross to the next string you will be starting with a different stroke from the stroke you started with previously.....Please play the above exercise,
OKAY HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM .
Many guitar players are MIXING the odd and even alternate picking strokes. THIS PUTS A SPANNER IN THE WORKS!!!! It is like bycycling and someone suddenly putting a stick in your spokes!!!!
what will happen is that you will play 2 of the same stroke unplanned and the phrase will collapse
so lets recap,
a] Beware of odd and even groupings and alternate picking Strokes
b] Play the exercise above with a metrenome and understand the odd and even strokes as you cross the strings.
LESSON N04: Back to Technique:
In the above exercise you will see the importance of following a straight line across all the strings and the ammount of pick [plectrum] movemnet needed. This straight line is ONLY A REFERENCE point and is best angled around 45% or the most "Natural" degree for you own personal physicality.
VIDEO BELOW; Shows "side" View of Right Alternate Picking Hand
HEALTH WARNING!!!!!
The movement comes from the WRIST. DON'T TRY TO PLAY FROM THE ELBOW AS THIS CAN CAUSESERIOUS INJURY,e,g, Tennis Elbow.
Lets recap:
a] Practice all of the above using the above "straight line" technique.
SCALES
Above is a Scale of A minor. Practice Alternate Picking this strictly with up/down motions. Again, Practice SLOWLY with a metrenome and pick up speed as you become more confident.
MIXING ARPEGGIO AND SCALE:
Again, play slowly and get each crossing of the string with the plectrum SMOOTH.
APPLY all of the aforementioned principles to the scales and arpeggios.
STRING SKIPPING:
In the first example just move the SHAPE into the correct positions. This will give you economy of motion.
In Closing I have to say that Alternate Picking technique and your progress depends on understanding ALL of the above examples in order to do it effortlessly. It is in a way a black art and is very difficult ot Teach and EXPLAIN...Especially in a website....But...THE CONCEPTS shown in here will really help you if you are dedicated.
P.S=ALWAYS REMEMBER= You are Unique and your weight, shape, physicality, height all play a part in how you hold,reach,feel and move etc when you play the guitar....BUT these are some elementry essentials that will ensure that you progress to a good proficient skill level.
Thankyou Very Much for your time and attention,
Clifford Martin
Thankyou, for visiting this Blog. There will be a New www.alternatepickingtech.com soon. This is because the current website is built in FLASH and so takes ages to upload. My aim is to make a simpler HTML site.
alternatepickingtech 2009c Clifford Earle Martin
Alternate picking essential concepts 2009c
1] Always practice SLOWLY
2] Always use the metrenome
3] Always "warm up" with chromatic odd and even exercises