Speed Picking......

[Fiber-Optics]

Re: Speed Picking......

I don't know if it is just me but I never found a reason to be picking extremely fast except when doing the tremelo thingies. Which I don't do very often, but I think I am competant in it. I use up down up down and if I need to go up I strum up if im going down a string I stum down. I just do it as habit because it was the way I learned how to play lol.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Speed Picking......

Go and sweep your backyard
Let's hear a shredder do some country then

Go get some John 5

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

i liked the 'moster licks and sweep picking' video by frank gambale .. very useful in developing sweep picking as part of my playing .. i say 'part' because i also use alternate picking when appropriate ... none of the 'sweep' guys are 100% sweepers .. it's just another tool in the toolbox ... also, you have to have your LEFT hand chops in top shape to sweep AT LEAST as much as your right hand in order to sweep well ... it's all about fretboard palcement for the notes you choose

good luck
t4d

well, sweep picking doesn't mean you just sweep across the strings for everything, but every time I switch strings from low to hi, I hit the next string with a down stroke- anytime I go backwards from hi to low, i start the next string with an upstroke. Notes on the same string are alternate picked- you only sweep if you change strings. It is not nearly as hard as it seems- just some hand training- I don't even think about it now.

 

[Boston Joe]

Re: Speed Picking......

Sweeping and alternate picking are essentially two varying approaches that offer different textures: Sweeping is more legato, rather like a violin :kabong:; more gentle. Alternate picking, which I mostly rely on, is more versatile-- assimilates more readily, allowing a player to switch from one style to the next; it's more aggressive in approach :chairshot . And sweeping CAN be found in Country Music. Hammer ons and pull offs seem to offer a fusion of the two styles.

If you're looking for inspiration, check out Charlie Parker or any of his disciples. :smokin:

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

dunno if it is more versatile, since it doesn't allow for arpeggios without a lot of work. honestly, just listening to someone who is really good, it is impossible to tell how they pick. I tend to pick every note, but using sweep picking. other approaches may be just as valid, but i move a lot less

 

[Fiber-Optics]

Re: Speed Picking......

well, sweep picking doesn't mean you just sweep across the strings for everything, but every time I switch strings from low to hi, I hit the next string with a down stroke- anytime I go backwards from hi to low, i start the next string with an upstroke. Notes on the same string are alternate picked- you only sweep if you change strings. It is not nearly as hard as it seems- just some hand training- I don't even think about it now.

Oh thats what sweep picking is?
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: Im dumb that is exactly what I do when I play.

 

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Speed Picking......

I love how how everyone agrees to disagree on this, but I do a fair amount of shredding in my 80's Metal Tribute and sweeping is only good for 1 thing: Arpeggios. Anything with 3,4,5 or 6 string , one or 2 notes per string, should use sweep picking.

Alternate picking has a better sound for everything else, better attack, dynamic control and translates to any type of music, lead or rhythm playing. Gambale does it great, but listen to his pick attack on a scale run compared to someone like DiMeola or Gilbert. Theres no comparison. Alternate gets it done. Anything faster than Gilbert or Dimeola is a waste of time so physics don't apply here guys. In the real world you will use alternate picking.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

dunno, yngwie uses sweep picking for everything. thats pretty fast and accurate. I don't see the point in working too hard if the results are the same.

 

[Forbes]

Re: Speed Picking......

To compare, Steve Vai uses alternate picking, while Satch uses economy picking.

Hm not really, they both use both techniques dependant on what song they are playing.

Amen to that!! The whole sweep thing is like cheating, you know, like using a whammy bar instead of finger vibrato, or using a volume pedal to do swells instead of your vol. knob... just my 2 cents.

Its a totally different technique, and a whammy bar can come up with a very different sound to finger vibrato, and sometimes u have to use a volume pedal instead of the knob because its impossible as both hands are in use.

All these things have thier place IMO.

And for what its worth id go for some of these instructional videos also, i find paul gilbert very easy to watch, and petrucci, while a very informative vid i find a little.....boring.

 

[Skullkrusher]

Re: Speed Picking......

Alright fellas. It's a toss up. Should I go with Paul Gilbert's Intense Rock or Petrucci's Rock Discipline? They both look good, but I'm not sure which to get.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Speed Picking......

well, sweep picking doesn't mean you just sweep across the strings for everything, but every time I switch strings from low to hi, I hit the next string with a down stroke- anytime I go backwards from hi to low, i start the next string with an upstroke. Notes on the same string are alternate picked- you only sweep if you change strings. It is not nearly as hard as it seems- just some hand training- I don't even think about it now.

Actually sweep does mean that. your describing Economy picking, just a combination of sweep and alternate,Alot of players do use that but they suggest that if you wanna master it you should really master strict alternate first.IMO its like practising on acoustic,If ya can shred well on an acoustic you sure as hell can shred on an electric (within reaason of course :laugh2: ) and getting down a high speed and very fluent alternate picking should make it so you've got a better base to build on, so to get economy picking down all you need is the co-ordination as your fingers already have the speed for it

I've never seen the gilbert videos but ive heard that there great, I can only vouch for Petrucci's. Petrucci's sounds like what you want tho, theres a big section on it about speed building and whatnot.Also gilberts doesn't come on dvd unfortunatly :smack:

 

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Speed Picking......

dunno, yngwie uses sweep picking for everything. thats pretty fast and accurate. I don't see the point in working too hard if the results are the same.

What?! Yngwie does NOT use sweep picking for everything,, LMAO. Why would you even say something like that.. or comment if you really don't know that?


Paul Gilberts intense rock is a better video I think.

 

[Guitar_Dope]

Re: Speed Picking......

You're pick moves a greater distance if you are alternate picking string-switches. Sweep picking, the pick moves less of a distance, and therefore takes less time. It's faster.

Nothing to do with practice.

Can you explain sweep picking? I have been using almost all alternate picking and am at a plateau.

Thanks-

 

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Speed Picking......

The best way to describe sweep picking is in a practical application, heres an AMaj arpeggio thats perfect for it with a little diminished flava to resolve..

Start on a downstroke and continue ascending. The key is to use one fluid right hand movement that perfectly coordinates with your left hand, thus the term "sweep". Practice this with a metronome and ideally play through all arpeggios diatonically in every key until you get it down. For example if you like the AMaj, play all the arpeggios built off the diatonic triad off each scale tone.

A Major
B minor
C# minor
D Major
E Major
F# minor
G# Diminished

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

Actually sweep does mean that. your describing Economy picking, just a combination of sweep and alternate,Alot of players do use that but they suggest that if you wanna master it you should really master strict alternate first.:

Huh?? Economy and sweep picking *is the same thing*...watch the Frank Gambale video...

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

What?! Yngwie does NOT use sweep picking for everything,, LMAO. Why would you even say something like that.. or comment if you really don't know that?


Paul Gilberts intense rock is a better video I think.

Yeah he does..I have sat down in front of him, and talked to him about it. In fact, that is what he calls it. I think you are forgetting that most people consider sweep picking and economy picking the same thing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Speed Picking......

The best way to describe sweep picking is in a practical application, heres an AMaj arpeggio thats perfect for it with a little diminished flava to resolve..

[G# Diminished

This is a good example, however, sweep pickers still alternate pick on single strings..it is only when they switch strings that they sweep.
Still, it is the most logical, graceful, way to pick everything. You use less arm, wrist, and finger movement.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Speed Picking......

Huh?? Economy and sweep picking *is the same thing*...watch the Frank Gambale video...

I was under the impression that economy picking employs the use of the fingers of your pickhand in addition to the plectrum...

 

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Speed Picking......

Yeah he does..I have sat down in front of him, and talked to him about it. In fact, that is what he calls it. I think you are forgetting that most people consider sweep picking and economy picking the same thing.

Right, so when hes doing pedal points and double-triplets hes sweep picking them....?? No, hes alternate picking them. Like I said he sweeps his arpeggios and does some economy picking, but most is alternate picking. I think some of the less informed here are confusing the original question so I'll quietly bow out of this thread now,, LMAO. Have fun.

 

[Guitarist]

Re: Speed Picking......

Come to think of it, I use my pick and fingers at the same time a lot, it's like having two or three picks going at once.

It's called hybrid picking. Neato!

Skullkrusher, Rock Discipline by John Petrucci is a good buy. You can get the DVD version for just a little over $30 on amazon.com. Another, much easier and cheaper way, is simply listen and play along with lots of speed metal. It's how I started out, and it's like it is when you're learning anything - sometimes you improve gradually, but most of the time it'll just hit you, and you'll think to yourself, "Damn! I got it!" Practice, practice, practice.