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NickD · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 6:34 am Post subject: Alternate picking

Is it something you do, if so do you alternate pick all the time (on single note/lead paying) or only use on occasion?

I realised recently that if I am playing some kind of improvised lead, I will alternate pick, but not all the time but if I am learing a solo or a riff, I will play it with downstrokes only. I'm trying to relearn some stuff using alternate picking, either strictly or where it makes sense/is more efficient, but I reckon its more difficult than learning the piece in the first place? The way I was playing them sounded good, but may not have been the right way.

So, thoughts - on a hiding to nothing or worth persevering?

NickS · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:27 am Post subject:

Basically I only use alternate when it's too fast for down-stroke, e.g the solo in Tom Petty's "American Girl" or mandolin-like scrubbing, like on Rory Gallagher's "Brute Force And Ignorance". And I've never seriously looked at sweep picking either.

NickD · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 9:07 am Post subject:

That's interesting - the only thing I am playing in strict alternate picking is Crossroads, it seems to help with the timing on the main riff, everything else it is the odd upstroke where it helps keep the rhythm/increase speed.

singlepup · . Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posts: 4150 Location: San Diego

I sometimes use altenate picking when playing arpeggios, especially when the arpeggios are mixed with strumming. Feels sort of natural. Riffs are always down strokes for me. I suppose that one could relearn any riff with alternate picking, but I tend to stay with whatever feels natural.

Freddy V-C · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:09 am Post subject:

I use alternate picking occasionally, but most of the time I actually exclusively play with upstrokes. I never noticed this until somebody pointed it out to me. Weird, huh?
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Doog · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 12:03 pm Post subject:

I mostly alternate pick. Mostly.

I was practising some of the new Casa Bonita stuff last night and realised I can only do this one tricky run (in 'Misadventure Time', future fact fans)with downpicking.

I think because the tuning is pretty weird, the lack of normal tension means the string is in a different position when I'm trying to up-pick. Pretty weird realisation that I'm automatically compensating for dat slack

edit: no wait! It's in triplets, so I'm going down-up-down, down-up-down, rather than down-up-down up-down-up. So even odder. Fascinating.
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George · . Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 20945 Location: UK

yeah i do it quite a bit but not with any intent to play fast or shred. its just less effort and work than downstroking all the time and frees up more possibilities

sweeping ive never really bothered getting good at. learning the various runs and triads and what have you that come with typical exercises are very usfeul to learn though

nowadays im all about the chocolate fingers, but i dont play fast riffs or anything so that might be why

NickD · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 2:15 pm Post subject:

All good information, I'm learning some more challenging stuff and trying to move my playing along and wanted to get an idea of whether my mainly downpicking style, especially for riff based pieces, was me just doing it wrong. Happy to see the concensus is IDWAW, but I'm going to think more about picking style when I'm learning something I reckon.

Nice Newt reference Doog - Mrs NickD's old car was named after her.

Josh · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 2:57 pm Post subject:

I mostly alternate pick or finger pick anymore. Haven't done ANGRY PUNK ROCK DOWNSTROKES since high school.

I can't sweep pick cause I'm not metal enough.

markleton · . Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 315 Location: Ipswich, UK

I mostly use 'economy picking', up or down depending what's easiest or easiest. A total cop out- I usually flail around arpeggios like my fingers are made of jelly.

Gabriel · . Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 3168 Location: NYC

Everything I play I always automatically alternate pick, I'll also economy pick sometimes too. I think if you work it into your playing enough it just happens without thinking making everything a little more fluid sounding. There's a bunch of lessons I posted on ways of practicing picking somewhere on this website if anyone is interested.
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Bacchus · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 6:35 pm Post subject:

I don't really think about picking anymore. I alternate or economy pick and will often break from any sort of strict approach for effect.
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toez10 · . Joined: 23 Dec 2009 Posts: 329

I've been using a lot more alternate picking lately - starting with an upstroke.

JJLipton · Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 12:45 pm Post subject:

CapriOrange · . Joined: 18 Feb 2016 Posts: 6

Try playing La Grange without upstrokes....it just sounds so wrong.

Now play it with upstrokes, and....voila!
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NickS · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:51 pm Post subject:

Just listened. I can't hear a viola.

BearBoy · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:20 pm Post subject:

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