Picking Technique

[Ball&Chain]

Ive been kinda recently looking more indepth into how I do things picking technique wise. Ive noticed that when I move from strings low to high, I tend to want to start the next string on an upstroke and when I move from hight to low its the opposite. It seems kind of uneconomical to me.Im kinda curious on how other people approach certain picking situations.I was hoping I could get some ideas, so feel free to post some tab or description or both and explain how and why you go about playing it. Ill post a few examples here also.


E ------12----------------------------12------------------------
B 15b---------15p------12------15b-------------15p-----12-------
G ----------------------------------------------------------14b-


For a simple pentatonic thing like this Id start with a down stroke on the 15th fret bend on the B string, followed by 2 upstokes on the 12th E str and 15th B str. A mini sweep I guess. Then pull to the 12th then pick down again on the 15th fret b string bend. Rinse and repeat, maybe alternating the bend on the 15th b with a bend on the 14th g. I can think of other ways to pick this, but for some reason, thats the most comfortable way for me.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Picking Technique

It depends on the rhythm of the piece that you're playing, but with runs that have the same note length I find it's often helpful to play a piece through without pulls/hammer-ons, alternate picking every note. With the piece that you have there that would lead to straight alternate picking throughout (down up down up down up down up down)

Then add in the legato and get rid of the picking for those notes. Now you get (down up down - down up down - down). This is usually a pretty efficient way for me to pick stuff at higher speeds, and it helps to keep my rhythm where it should be.

I'll occasionally break this rule for sweeps across a few strings, but with what you posted that's probably how I'd learn it.