is this good technique?

[danglybanger]

I've always had trouble with my right hand...

Somewhere I got into the tendency of, say when I'm playing an arpeggio, alternate picking as I move up and down the strings, rather than... sweeping the pick down for lack of a better term. It seemed less lazy to do it that way at the time, so that's how I decided to do it.

I still trip up more than I'd like to. What's the "correct" thing to do? sweep, or alternate? Am I making this way harder than it needs to be, or is this just something I need practice with?

It's too ingrained in me to do anything but alternate now, so it would take serious practice for me to find out if sweeping was indeed easier, and if I found out it wasn't I would just have messed up my perfectly good (developing) technique

Slade

[bigheadood]

With that alternate picking style, it is going to be much more difficult, if not impossible to do Paul Gilbert style arpeggio runs. The sweep picking style is much more economical, at least for '1 note per string' arpeggios.

[Jay 77]

Alternating is pretty tough for certain fast runs, so yes, sweep picking is more efficient. The problem I have with sweeping is that it doesn't feel natural so I have a hell of a time trying to do it. I really want to nail it though because it sounds so damn cool.

[Loserchief]

i've tried doing it in alternate picking style and imo it slows you down once you're trying to get up to real speed and secondly imo it makes sweeps sound more mechanical and the phrasing of a sweep is seriously changed by it.
I'd try to get the sweeping motion down since it's way more economical and it leaves more room for phrasing

[MikeS]

I have a tendency to really trip up when sweeping over an arpeggiation. Unless it's too fast for me to possible play with alternate picking, I almost never sweep my arpeggiations. In fact, long ago I began as a self-taught and swept my arpeggiations until I began taking lessons 10 years ago and was broken of the habit.

[Fretology]

I learned to do both very fast so that both feel natural.

[bigheadood]

I learned to do both very fast so that both feel natural.

Still working on that. It would certainly help for the more odd 2 or 3 note per string arpeggios.

[neosadist]

If you have to, learn all new riffs with the sweep pick. Practice them very slowly at first so that you un-train yourself on the old method. It sucks. I've been there, done that. I had a piano piece I was learning for like almost a year only to find out that one part I was playing wrong. That wasn't fun, but hey, it's life, live, learn, practice, rock out.

[HamerPlyr]

It all depends on what you want to hear and what sounds right to you. Personally, I don't sweep because I want to hear a clear, defined attack with each note that I can only get by picking it. It's probably better to practice both, but I'm far too lazy to practice the crap out of something that I would very rarely use.

[tone4days]

i'd say stay with what you got if it is giving you what you want ... no need to introduce doubt unless you need a different result from what you are getting .... i think that what you are describing is one of the subtle things that contributes to giving each player his unique voice .. play it the slade way!

i mostly sweep arpeggios 'cus i was a wee bit too influenced by frank gambale

t4d

[danglybanger]

Thanks for the advice Honestly, I've been practicing the **** out of things the slade way lately after a bit of a playing dry spell, which was probably why I was a bit sloppy... working on technique and theory in one of my bursts of enthusiasm.

I'm getting more on the ball with the alternate picking, so I suppose I can keep doing that. Rob's right, I do like the cleaner, more defined attack rather than something more flowing.

Trying to get my playing/writing up to par to justify a custom guitar. I really should get a band started while I'm at it...

Slade

[firebirdVII]

Thanks for the advice Honestly, I've been practicing the **** out of things the slade way lately after a bit of a playing dry spell, which was probably why I was a bit sloppy... working on technique and theory in one of my bursts of enthusiasm.

I'm getting more on the ball with the alternate picking, so I suppose I can keep doing that. Rob's right, I do like the cleaner, more defined attack rather than something more flowing.

Trying to get my playing/writing up to par to justify a custom guitar. I really should get a band started while I'm at it...

Slade

OK, now that you've got that sorted out, tell me when you can play the intro to this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGA3vjMLgE

[YJM_Rocks]

OK, now that you've got that sorted out, tell me when you can play the intro to this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGA3vjMLgE

If anyone on this forum can play that song all the way through, I will bake them cookies.

[danglybanger]

the intro? you mean hitting the e string a million times? sure

Slade

[cream123]

yeah, i have band and i suck. you should have a band
here's our soundclick if you want to listen . this was before the nomad. i recorded through a condonser mic on a tape player, but who cares.

[danglybanger]

I should dig out my stoner bass player (who's been in our impromptu "band" formed 4 years ago that never actually did anything) out of bed for a couple days, so at least I'll have something louder than my metronome

Can't count on him to be reliable though. Vaguely remember actually having a gig at one point years back, then just... getting stoned instead. That was first year of college and I think I'd just discovered the bong and the power chord, so probably for the best for our audience

Since given up both

Chops, you and B2D, I must admit, are the instigator for my recent enthusiasm. Not to cement your status as being idolized by retards I was intimidated by both of your playing.

Slade

[Bludave]

I've always had trouble with my right hand...

Somewhere I got into the tendency of, say when I'm playing an arpeggio, alternate picking as I move up and down the strings, rather than... sweeping the pick down for lack of a better term. It seemed less lazy to do it that way at the time, so that's how I decided to do it.

I still trip up more than I'd like to. What's the "correct" thing to do? sweep, or alternate? Am I making this way harder than it needs to be, or is this just something I need practice with?

It's too ingrained in me to do anything but alternate now, so it would take serious practice for me to find out if sweeping was indeed easier, and if I found out it wasn't I would just have messed up my perfectly good (developing) technique



Slade

The correct way to do it is to find the way you can execute it correctly! There is no right and wrong. As long as it sounds good thats what matters!