The Guitar Gym ALTERNATE PICKING ONTHE CD TRACKS 2534 9 x 2 x x 2. a i i x 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 eae Be Peet at err bees Sea et ea) paren fee alee eee ai tn or Pernt erent nee oni re ener ee 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 65WORKSHOP 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 sysvsyr mymymy 9-10-12-910-12+ 12-9101 BN BMT yp ag-8-12-40-8—— sumer 2002 Guitar Techniques 67CNT EXERCISE 2 is just a variation on the then Again, BAR 3 starts off with an upstroke et up in Bxercise 1 yey EL 19-10-412-19-12-10 See (600 100 * - el AVA VA VAY AYR Vnyminymi yi av : 0-19 10-1279. ‘ 10-90 $ 1210-9104 i ee 10-8102 tt TO VAYRV AVA 0 2101108 42-9-10-12-10-5. 2810-12108 521012108 EXERCISE 3 is based on a 12 note sequence u Paul to ascend any 3-note-persizing pattern. (60) (20) 100) vay vRy my 5210-9104 Ca oo 08 8109 10-8104 used by mYAVAYyAyAy A my mV ni my 40-12-19-10-12-13. Cerereterers CUENTA TASTE EXERCISE 4 (see notes on p69) (60) (20) (100), my Mey my my ae 68 Guitar Techniques summer 2002PUTT 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, MYRMYRV AV RVR 110-991 TOO STO 120-8 e108 HOT 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