Members silverbullet Posted May 4, 2004 Members Share Posted May 4, 2004 I got my first guitar and started playing roughly a year ago. Aftre about four months I decided to get a teacher. My teacher was shocked to find that i can naturally economy pick with almost no problem, but i cant strictly alternate pick for {censored}. Does anyone else have this problem(actually its almost a blessing). I dont understand why if im actually trying to alternate pick i cant, but if im not focusing at all i can sweep and alternate pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members edeltorus Posted May 4, 2004 Members Share Posted May 4, 2004 Originally posted by silverbullet I dont understand why if im actually trying to alternate pick i cant, but if im not focusing at all i can sweep and alternate pick. Silverbullet, That's because you have practiced eco and little sweeps in the past, but you haven't dedicated the same time into alternate picking. Do you still remember how strange it felt to pick at all when you started to play guitar? Now the stuff you've practiced has now become easy for you (guess you don't even think about how to move your pick, right?), but the stuff you haven't practiced is still hard. In other words: You don't suck at alternate picking, you've just haven't put enough time into it. I suggest that you stick with your picking style for some time and concentrate more on the music than on a second technik. Right now you play guitar for a year, and I think there are more important and exciting things to learn for a starting guitarist than a second picking style. (get into improvisation for example.. or learn how to turn notes into music). It could even be bad and you'll lose some of your playing ability if you train your right hand for different technik to soon. Think about it: if you want to do alternate picking you have to "unlearn" the economy picking motion first. If your economy picking is not solid as a rock you might loose a part of it. btw, sweeping and eco picking isn't more difficult than alternate picking, it's not better or worse, it's just different and has different applications. my two cents, Nils oh.. btw.. it's the same here, I play much better when I don't think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted May 4, 2004 Author Members Share Posted May 4, 2004 I guess its true that i havent dedicated alot of time to alternate picking. I havebeen trying a lot of improv, ad even have been playing some with a local band. I think that its helping my ear out alot, as well as my timing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members edeltorus Posted May 5, 2004 Members Share Posted May 5, 2004 Playing and jamming is fun and the best thing one can do in my oppinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nickdel Posted May 5, 2004 Members Share Posted May 5, 2004 Definitely. If possible, never give up an opportunity to play with other people, especially live. When in front of others, it forces you to play the best you can, or fail trying. As far as alternate picking, I slightly disagree with edeltorus. I think it's ok to learn new techniques even when the other isn't solid yet as long as you don't stop practicing the first technique. Try spending the first half of your practice sessions doing one picking motion, and the last half doing the other. Or go through some scales one way and then the other way, and then do the next scale and so on, alternating techniques as you change the scale or arpeggio or whatever. Getting good at one of them will take a bit longer (if you start both at an even skill level), but I feel that this method will help you be able to incorporate the two far more easily a little later down the road. You'll be able to switch back and forth, using both techniques when you feel you need to, without having to think like, "ok, now I want this sound so I have to throw in some sweeps." I remember about a month into playing, I was talking to a friend and he said I should learn to alternate pick. So I practiced and couldn't get it for nothing. I tried and tried and couldn't get it. Then one day I stumbled on a little drill to practice (scales weren't cutting it). It goes like this: E|------0------0---0------0-----0--0----------| B|0------1-------1---2-----1-----1------------| Let every note ring out. It helped me because it was immediately recognizable. I was alternate picking literally in 10 minutes. Within a day I was alternate picking without even thinking about it. And I wasn't putting in much more than an hour or so per day. I think it's just that I found something myself and it was so gratifying that my mind latched onto it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted May 5, 2004 Author Members Share Posted May 5, 2004 I was just playing that little practice lick you posted alternate picking style, its very simple. Took me like a minute to alternate pick it easy and quick. I like it. I think that starting something simple like that is the best way to learn any technique. When I started economy picking and sweeping I was digging through Rising Force and Naked Vamps and {censored} like that looking for good peices to practice, it made it really tough when I first started learning. Thanks everyonefor your replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassmantele Posted May 7, 2004 Members Share Posted May 7, 2004 I'm a natural economy picker too. I've been playing for near four years now, and I've never seen a reason to do anything else. I would only bother with alternate picking if you have a specific reason for using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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