Alternate picking Vs Economy alternate picking

[miller]

sometimes alt picking just feels right..........like it blends in with the song

[Bob From Accounting]

I feel it's hard to switch back and forth between EP and AP... you're in a groove with EP, takes some time to get in n out of it. You're using 2 different ways of playing, i sorta understand what he means with ruining the syncronisation. I am just so bad at complete AP one more than one string.

[mastershake]

if i just play that's what happens. I get lost with alt. "hmm is the next one up or down?"

look at racer x technical difficulties:

G------------------------------------
D-----4-----5-----4------5-----4h5--
A-3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3------ etc
E-----------------------------------

the only way i can play this with some speed is up-down-down...

and guess what paul gilbert is BIG on alternate picking only....I like economy. when I try alt i think about my picking too much, it should be that way...

[kalapoka]

do whatever you find MOST comfortable, and keep doing it over and over and over and over until you don't have to think about it...focus on the music and not the means to it ... so many great players have "non-efficient" technique but still is so ridiculosly good on what they do .... it makes me think all this 'correct' technique stuff is just focus destroying...

[kalapoka]

I think the whole idea with AP is that yes, it is difficult, but once you have it down, you never have to think about picking again, in many ways. For instance, with strong AP skills you can play whatever is coming out of your head right there on the spot (because everything is always D/U/D/U...) whereas with economy picking you kind of have to analyze the lick first to figure out who you are going to pick (i.e., which pattern of D/U or U/D is simplest for you to play).

--- I disagree...because when you have whatever style that you pick completely ingrained with your right hand, be it AP or EP, you dont have to think any more at all....even if you EP, you learn the notes only, but your right hand automatically figures out the correct picking motion...

[DocNrock]

When I first started playing, economy picking came naturally to me. Unfortunately, after playing for about 7 years, I decided to take some lessons. Lesson number one was alternate picking. That was 18 years ago. Now that I've got alternate engrained in my noodle, I can't do economy to save my soul.

[broken_fusion]

I think you need to be proficient at both and be able to use what works best in each situation. Check out Frank Gambale if you want an in depth lesson in economy picking.

[broken_fusion]

I think you need to be proficient at both and be able to use what works best in each situation. Check out Frank Gambale if you want an in depth lesson in economy picking.

[Spivonious]

I don't think about it and just play the picking pattern that feels the most natural.

[phill_up]

I don't think about it and just play the picking pattern that feels the most natural.

+1

[blackendvampire]

Heres the trick, Tremelo pick, then try to slow yourself down to a normal speed while still using the exact same technique you would for tremelo picking, aka alternate picking, Just learn how to go between slow medium and fast with as little jump in speed as possible, you have to make it sound like your boosting a metronome one bpm at a time. Then try to find your midrange point where your picking not full out, but not quite as you would slow, it starts to feel weird, you just learn the technique that way, thats what I did. Its like you can start out alternating slowly, then gradually go fast, and then back to slow, then do it as a string skipping pattern without hitting the string in the middle, it should start to become alot easier. The trick is to give your tremelo picking some extreme accuracy. Try Tremelo/Alternate picking a sweep arpeggio, thats a good way to learn how to change strings cleanly. I still dont see a huge difference between alternate and tremelo picking, they both use the same muscles in your wrist, and the same updown pattern. And Economy picking is sweep picking as I recall.

[levantin]

I think you need to be proficient at both and be able to use what works best in each situation.

+1000

Two totally different feels that may or may not work in different situations.

[Jacksons Shred]

Hm.. This is always a fairly interesting debate. I think you should learn the concept of Alternate Picking to get through the strings with ease, and use the motion of your hand to your advantage. With that said, I notice that I sometimes will do two ups on a string if the lick is odd, so I guess I Alt Pick 98% of the time.

[Newc]

Heres the trick, Tremelo pick, then try to slow yourself down to a normal speed while still using the exact same technique you would for tremelo picking, aka alternate picking, Just learn how to go between slow medium and fast with as little jump in speed as possible, you have to make it sound like your boosting a metronome one bpm at a time. Then try to find your midrange point where your picking not full out, but not quite as you would slow, it starts to feel weird, you just learn the technique that way, thats what I did. Its like you can start out alternating slowly, then gradually go fast, and then back to slow, then do it as a string skipping pattern without hitting the string in the middle, it should start to become alot easier. The trick is to give your tremelo picking some extreme accuracy. Try Tremelo/Alternate picking a sweep arpeggio, thats a good way to learn how to change strings cleanly. I still dont see a huge difference between alternate and tremelo picking, they both use the same muscles in your wrist, and the same updown pattern. And Economy picking is sweep picking as I recall.

Tremolo picking is more of a notational mark than a technique, like Coda, Repeat, etc.

Alternate picking literally means you alternate between up and downstrokes rather than using all up or all downstrokes. Notes can be tremolo picked using all ups or downs, if you're playing Classical fingerstyle.

Sweep picking is economical, but is not Economy Picking. Economy Picking in some instances is actually just as much "work" as Alternate Picking, because you still have to cross one string without touching it in order to maintain the Economy mode for the succeeding notes.

However, if Alternate Picking is "work", you aren't doing it correctly.

[VitaminG]

Alternate picking literally means you alternate between up and downstrokes rather than using all up or all downstrokes. Notes can be tremolo picked using all ups or downs, if you're playing Classical fingerstyle.

but no one here is talking about fingerstyle. The entire discussion has been about picking, not plucking.

Tremolo picking, as a picking technique is alternating up and down, as it is the rapid sounding of a note. You can't economy pick a succession of the same note on the same string. The methodology described in blackendvampire's post is the same approach that Troy Stetina prescribes as a means to ensure that your picking technique at slower speeds is the same as your technique at your fastest.