The Guitar Gym
ALTERNATE PICKING
ONTHE CD
TRACKS 2534 9
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GT RATING
MODERATE
L Playing in need of a serious workout? Then Shaun Baxter's new
7 Guitar Gym series can take your technique to another level..
“it’s possible
to make huge
= "ALTERNATE
technique if
you practise
“= PICKING
type of
exercise.”
Guitar Gym, a
YOUR GITUTOR
ocmore led
on all the Jt eutors
pick them in to different
inside’ picking), by playing the A note with a down
possible to make relly with an upstroke, thus staying
technique if you pr
This approach may of
veer the two strings. Or you could do
p called ‘outside’ picking). ‘Inside
these aren licks you'l i ying mid-solo — picking is more ceonomie than ‘outside’ picking
will allow you to g
ALTERNATE PICKING
Were going to cover lois in
ently by establishing some basic rules 1
right hand technique. Alternate pickin
picking a series of not
by alterna
(64 Guitar Techniques sums4er 2002@ PICK OFTHE PICKERS
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
‘THE ACKNOWLEDGED
MASTER of alternate picking is
jazz fusion maestro Al DiMeois
‘who plas scarily fast but wih
{iigneening precision. Ocher
{reat pckers are Paul Gilbert
(Me Big), Steve Morse (eolo and
‘with Deep Purple) John
McLaugh (oo) Adj Petrace (Drea Theater).
Top Pick
MAL DiMeola ‘Casino’
VIDEO NASTIES?
Now ‘ou wil own celebrity instructional videos
The problem with many of these is that,
hey’re made by players wh
playing, not for their teaching. Se
ks elose up can be fun and
ee, but with vital issues like open
aaa
IPTION, | have recommended
eed
Berroa ae
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Be
Peet at
err bees
Sea et
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paren
fee alee
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or
Pernt
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isi
at
MS
ring noise and how to practise to a metronome often
ignored, there's a limit to what you can really eam, Yet
tllerea are « couple of exceptions, one being Paul
Intense ideo (REH), The contents of
this on
that should be
are essential ~ standard licks
aed, at some time 6
aspiring rock player ~ and Gilbert isa
video, then, though (looks at varkou:
didn’t have had time to
¥ of the pick stro tions that { suauest in
each exercise are the exact opposite to these sugested
by Paul and, you may ask, who am Ito question him?
Wel, the answer is that we're not all superhuman players
ike Paul He can tackle exer face-eying
and often t
benef
ficult way. In the Guit
of us mene taortal
everything that [il be cov
tf you look at each on
ach string b
Right, let's look at five key
concentrate on
tim
the other
should have to put up withthe sound of
behind you when
Pernod
Peet
Beyer
are
ieee
ir
eres
eee
crear
Beret
(ith
he easiest option each time, Cons
icing (see PROTIP). Th
Js month's workout all have to be alternate picked!
arefully, youl se
taking the most
WORKSHOP
that the
ings we nocd t
as
Ered
pens
eee
ae
following chimer string)
vag rena)
eat
summer 2002 Guitar Techniques 65WORKSHOP
ey
should be resting on guitar body, again, using the side of
your picking hand This pare ofthe hand should always
serve asthe fulerumpivot for your picking setion, which
teu rt nCose Dee cet cay
ere rae ener
our pi
ornate)
Perey
HOLDING THE PICK
oon user ge nas
ee ee ce
eee ecient
ee ete et cee rs
especially during extended picking sequences) why not try
ees rar eee enn
eco antec
eee te tee
ee een ee cea ae
Dore headset Cees’
agains the strings when you come to apply dow sweeps
‘(when we look at sweep picking youll seo that down
eee ee ete rect}
cote ta eee ea eres
several reasons for ths that will become apparent in the
Sea eer oe as
neighbouring bas string withthe side ofthe thumb every
‘ime that you pick This wil mute che idle bass string being
eee ae nea ee)
ee er et ae ts
Per ee
cee
ee ek tes
ees
aty noise, ay
your frst fger
cross al strings
CONQUERING STRING NOISE
ine erent ae as
oe er a ee ee
66 Ghuitar"Techiques sureR 2002
@proTiP
IFYOU HAVE
PROBLEMS with the
pick sipping out of your
hand curing extended
picking sequences. try to
stablize your grip by
‘sing wo fingers (che
{stand the 2nd) 3s well
235 the thumb,
iat across them,
Seay
ett
Porn
Coes
een
cece
eter
nee)
een
eae
ener
ee ee ee eS
ere co set eee nti
Eas
Sera ee eee
iellls che adjacent bass string chine you have just piyed and
Sree eLetter Ce kt
eens
Cee eee ae
Eretereceeerniaer pears
Finally. 35 another form of insurance agpinst open string
Reena eta get ea ae Ro
Pee eee ee aed
SC res
i ee ae a)
a8 this has the effet of prising the side
‘of the hand away from the idle bass strings immediately
Se ee
susceptible to open string nose
DO PW a ici Ca
Ie is imperative that you can play each exercise
Serene cc en ne
Sen eee ete)
Pope ety arent
Cee ea ene
ee ea
Ce eet een ees
eee
Furchermore, its importane that you can tap your foot to
See eet perce ore
Pore eee Eo estes ner ey
the quarter note because you are being
cree mttes
eee et
Peer
your foot (instead of the
cera
pee ee een
Pee heaate ee)
faeces
Boe
pene a cere oa
Caeeoree
per keene
aren eater
recognising rhythmic groups
eee cere
oc enens
Ce een
Seer
eer eset)
Seco
Brick Road” ces_& ONTHE CD tracks 254
FSS
BECAUSE YOU ARE ALTERNATE PICKING this example involves playing the st
should be using ‘up-down up sega
Also, remember tet, when you get tothe end of the run, you should end up wi
the side of your hand resting on the guitar body
Most players think that its ong to play withthe thumb ofthe fretting hand
sitting on top of the neck, whereas, infact, this isthe best position ~ as I mention
ry recent vibrato lesson (GT July 2002) ~ a8 a h
When the thumb squeezes towands the fingers when bending a string, a
hhumb has to reluctantly disappear behind the neck when making wie stretches
din
‘house between two extremes
d when th
With EXERCISE |, the fretting hand should be held in a more ‘classical- st
position, with the thumb behind the neck for the first two strings. I st at the
fend of the run, your hand should be angled with the thumb on top of the neck
you try to maintain the same thumb-behind/-the-neck position throughout the tu
ic wall cause the inside of the Lst the fretting hand to lose contact with the
inside of the underside ofthe neck and the whole hand position to drop away from
the neck (towards the focr). Ths is a bad position, because itis impractical for
bending and vibrato, The key here isto keep the inside of the fist finger of the
fretting hand in contact with the underside of the neck.
This acts as a natural hinge du transition between one hand position and the
other. As a transition point, vour thumb should appear as you move from the & string
to the D string.
Finally. another common problem with the fretting the Ist and 2nd
fingers to start
You should aim to encou
the angle ofthe frst finger, or
Dbecome ‘glued together atthe joint in the middle of each Anger
between those two fi
rs without compromising
1 placing the thumb behind the neck
PICKING ECONOMICS,
In order to adhere to the principles of economy picking, BAR 3 starts off with an
upstroke. This ensures that, when alternate picking, you meet each new string head
on with an upstroke each time, rather than having to hook around each string first in
order to start with a downsiroke. Don't be concerned by the fact that you have to
start with an unusual stroke lke tis (most players automatially start everything with
‘a downstroke). Ultimately, when you've dane enough economy picking exercises, sou
will automatically play a sequence lke th
using an upsweep dur
starting with a downstroke, and then
fist string change. From then on, youll be alternate
picking all the way. Until we look at sweeping, keep to the pick stroke
(60 (80) (100
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sumer 2002 Guitar Techniques 67CNT
EXERCISE 2 is just a variation on the then
Again, BAR 3 starts off with an upstroke
et up in Bxercise 1
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EXERCISE 3 is based on a 12 note sequence u
Paul to ascend any 3-note-persizing pattern.
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EXERCISE 4 (see notes on p69)
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68 Guitar Techniques summer 2002PUTT AAS NSN
EXERCISE 4 is one of those examples in which [have written out the complete
‘opposite strokes to the ones used by Paul Gilbert, As I mentioned earlier, by the time
that weve done enough sweep picking exercises, youll find that you!l automaticaly
start this sequence with a downstroke. Youll then alternate pick before using an up
sweep for the first string change. For now though, make sure that you start with an
upstroke: this will ensure that you take the inside’ option when alternate picking,
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AFTER YOUVE LEFT THE GYM...
For those of you wht can already play the fast version and are contemplating world
domination. Your long-term target for sixteenth note triplets is anything between 144
land 160bpm, Good luck with this workout, Next month, in the Guitar Gym, we're
Boing to look at a how you can speed up you playing by practising
to the metronome. a