EXERCISE 1
ECONOMY PICKING: PART I. Economy picking is a combination of Sweep picking and Alternate picking produce the These techniques are applied in conjunction with each other in order to works, this how nd understa to order In possible. pattern most economic picking we must study each of these techniques individually.
ALTERNATE PICKING
Alternate picking is the most economical way of playing more than one note on the same string, and involves alternating between down-strokes and up-strokes (a different stroke for each note). Let’s take an A note on the 5th fret of the high E string, and an F note on the 6th fret of the B string. If you were to repeat these two note (A, F, A, F etc), it is possible to alternate pick this pattern in two ways. Firstly, you could use a down-stroke for the A note and an up-stroke for the F note. Secondly, you could do the opposite. Both methods use alternate picking, but one is more economic than the other. The first of these methods demonstrates the old adage, “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line”. Here, the pick works within the gap between the two strings (this is known as ‘inside ‘picking); whereas, in the second example, the pick has to pass over each string in order to pick from the ‘outside’ each time. This involves far more work with the right hand. So, from this, we can see that there is a simple rule that ensures maximum economy when picking; ‘Always move the pick directly to each new string’. In other
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words, always move from a fat string to a thin string with a down-stroke and vice versa. In order to apply this rule, you need to be able to sweep pick.
“Always move the pick directly to each new string.”
Sweep picking
Sweep Picking is a technique that involves picking more than one note with a single continuous stroke of the pick. This can only be done when changing from string to string. In the future, we will see that sweep picking can also be used with scales, but, for this lesson, we are going to confine our study to arpeggios.
When trying to get to grips with a particular technique, it’s often a good idea to keep things short, so that you’re not distracted from the job in hand: in this case, to master a mechanical movement, not a piece of music. This first exercise looks like it has three strokes for each of the three notes being repeated, one down-stroke and two consecutive up-strokes; however, each consecutive pair of upstrokes should be played as one continuous stroke (sweep). This way, you get to play all three notes of the repeated pattern by only using two strokes. Remember, when you try this, you should only hold one note down at any one time when changing from string to string, in order to prevent the notes from running into each other. There is a common trap into which many players fall when trying to learn this technique for the first time. The problem starts when trying to sweep more than one note with a single continuous pick-stroke. Until the correct degree of control has been developed, the notes in question tend to be rushed. In an effort to keep everything in time, it’s common to end up playing each sweep as separate strokes.It’s vital that you commit to the sweep, because, if you don’t, you won’t be able to practise it and, therefore, refine it as a technique. If you are not sure whether you are using one continuous sweep movement or not, you could try a few different things:
Try cranking up the tempo. With sweep picking, if you encounter a point on the metronome, which is medium paced, and yet feels like a brick wall, it’s usually an indication that you have been splitting all of your sweeps into separate strokes. The ‘brick wall’ is the speed at which you can no longer play the sweep as separate strokes. The secret here is often to speed the metronome up even further still. At the faster speed, you have no option other than to sweep pick.
“At the faster speed, you have no option other than to sweep pick.”
Some players find it easier to think of a sweep as a succession of classical-style rest-stokes, whereby every stroke follows through and comes to rest on the next string. This way, it becomes easier to see how sweeping can also be done very slowly, not just fast.
Check your pick ACTION In the mirror
Rush the sweep in Exercise1 with one unashamed up-strum. This shouldn’t feel any different to what you were doing before. If it does, you weren’t sweeping.
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