Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique, used only by pick users, that employs strictly alternating downward and upward picking strokes in a continuous run, and is the most common method of plectrum playing. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Often called a pick or plec, a plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. Often called a pick or plec, a plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. If this technique is performed on a single note at a high speed, then it may also be referred to as tremolo picking. Tremolo picking or double picking describes the musical technique of picking on a Guitar or other String instrument in which a single note is
'Good' alternate picking involves a continuous down-up or up-down motion of the picking hand, even when not picking a note (except when the gap lasts longer than one full up-down motion). In this manner, an up-beat (such as an even-numbered eighth note or, at faster tempos, sixteenth note) will always be played with an upward picking stroke, while the down-beats are always played with downward picking strokes. A beat is the basic Time Unit of a piece of Music; for example each tick sounded by a Metronome would correspond to a beat In Music, a sixteenth note (American or "German" terminology or semiquaver (also occasionally demiquaver, British or "classical" This allows for fluid incorporation of legato-based notes such as hammer-ons and/or pull-offs in the middle of picked phrases. In Musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning "tied together" indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly Hammer-on is a Stringed instrument playing technique performed (especially on Guitar) by sharply bringing a fretting-hand finger down on the Fingerboard A pull-off is a stringed instrument technique performed by plucking a string by "pulling" the string off the Fingerboard with one of the fingers being used
The technique has many advantages and some disadvantages, largely depending on the licks the guitarist is attempting to play. In Popular music genres such as rock music a lick is "a stock pattern or phrase" consisting of a short phrase, or series of notes For example, most scalar runs are most easily played using alternate picking. In Music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all Similarly, the complex, syncopated rhythm guitar patterns found in death metal require a good alternate picking technique to play fast and accurately. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics
On the other hand, large arpeggios (especially those spanning more than one octave) are very difficult to play using pure alternate picking and almost impossible to play at great speeds, which is why many guitarists choose to employ sweep picking to play these arpeggios (eg. In Music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the Notes are played or sung in Sequence, one after the other rather than Ringing out simultaneously In Music, an octave ( is the the use of which is "common in most musical systems Sweep picking is a technique used on the Guitar in which a 'sweeping' motion of the pick is combined with a matching fret hand technique in order to produce a specific K.K. Downing, Frank Gambale & Mario Parga). Kenneth "K K" Downing Jr (born 27 October 1951 in Yew Tree Estate Hill Top in West Bromwich, England) is a Frank Gambale (born December 22, 1958) is an Australian Jazz fusion Guitarist. Guitarist Mario Parga, born in Lytham, Lancashire, England on 7 August 1969, came into the spotlight during the late Similarly, some kinds of licks are easier when played using such specialised techniques as legato, economy picking (a hybrid of alternate and sweep picking) or tapping. Economy picking is a Guitar -playing technique for a Guitarist who uses a pick. Tapping is a playing technique generally associated with the Electric guitar, although the technique may be performed on almost any String instrument.
Despite some of the well-known disadvantages of the technique, some guitarists (especially Al Di Meola and Steve Morse) emphasize the near-exclusive use of alternate picking, even in situations where another technique would be easier, claiming that pure alternate picking leads to a more consistent sound and allows for greater control of tone. Al Di Meola (born Al Laurence Dimeola July 22, 1954 in Jersey City New Jersey) is an Italian American Jazz fusion and Latin jazz Steven J Morse (born July 28, 1954 in Hamilton Ohio) is an American Guitarist, best known as the founder for the Dixie
Alternate picking can be heard in almost all styles of picked guitar music, from jazz, bluegrass, to heavy metal. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. It is also very often used in a subgenre of heavy metal, thrash metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression
Victor Wooten uses his thumb for alternate picking, as displayed on his DVD "Super Bass Solo Technique". Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an electric bass player
Dick Dale is famous for his fast alternate picking technique. Dick Dale (born Richard Anthony Monsour on May 4, 1937, in Boston, Massachusetts) is a Surf rock guitarist,
External links
| Guitar shredding techniques |
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| Alternate picking - Economy picking - Hammer-ons - Hybrid picking - Legato - Pull-offs - String skipping - Sweep-picking - Tapping - Tremolo picking - Wide intervals |
| Shred Genres |
| Classical - Bluegrass - Country - Flamenco - Hard rock - Heavy metal - Instrumental rock - Jazz - Jazz fusion - Neo-classical metal - Progressive rock |
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