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Arpeggios and Alternate Picking


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Posted

I dug out my copy of David Mead's book 10 Minute Guitar Workout (not the exact title). In one of his exercises he has you play an open C arpeggio using strict alternate picking. Now, I'm fairly comfortable with alternate picking when applied to solos or other fast riffs, but I can't see the benefit in alternate picking an arpeggio like that unless it's meant purely as an exercise to build up chops in alternate picking whilst moving from string to string...it just seems inefficient to me, and feels awkward when I try it. Example 1 is how he wants you to play it, Ex 2 is how I would default to playing it.

 

A little googling has revealed something about guitar playing that I didn't realize. I found lots of threads on strict alternate picking vs sweep or economy picking etc. And I discovered Steve Morse apparently alternate picks everything, wouldn't have known that. Some of the discussions were quite heated!

 

At any rate just wanted to see what you all thought about it, if there's some hidden benefit to this method I will work it into my practice routine.

 

Thanks!

 

c_arpeggio.jpg

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Posted

There is some sound difference between the styles but it's purely subjective.

 

Sweeping may be a bit faster.

 

You might like to practice both ways.

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Posted

Yep, personal thing.

 

I'm mostly an alternate picker and alternate pick arpeggio's, now I don't spend much time at all on the "up and down major and minor arpeggio's" everyone was doing in the 80's.

 

But, there are plenty of times when I sweep, or rake the strings. Just depends on whats happening at the time. And, many times when I'm playing a melody to a horn-type tune I'll need to rake pick due to the high tempo of the tune...but the particular line is the reason for raking, not because I'm crossing strings. I can cross strings at a pretty good speed using alternate picking.

 

For decades I've always lived with the rule that you should be able to play things as many ways as possible, as it helps you to respond to what's going on quicker.

  • Moderators
Posted

 

For decades I've always lived with the rule that you should be able to play things as many ways as possible, as it helps you to respond to what's going on quicker.

 

 

+1, +2, +3

 

Options, we all need options . . . . maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but sooner or later you'll want to have the option of being able to play any line any number of various ways . . . it's called building chops.

 

cheers,

  • Members
Posted

 

For decades I've always lived with the rule that you should be able to play things as many ways as possible, as it helps you to respond to what's going on quicker.

 

 

Great advice.

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Posted

The only argument I really know for strictly alternate picking is that it helps to develop your rhythm skills. By moving up on the half beat and down on the beat you can train yourself to play rhythmically. It can be more difficult to learn to play with a precise rhythm with sweeping, raking and economy picking, especially to a beginner. If your rhythm skills are lacking, then I would say this is one of those times that learning to play by the rules first, and then breaking them a little later, is a good idea.

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