lesson 6.1 picking

[JeffreyS]

I had a little interruption in my guitar playing and so have worked my way back to lesson 6.
The question I have now is should this be alternate picking?

 

[HotLks]

Griif says that the bottom line regarding picking is to do what comes natural to you. Don't obsess with alternate picking. Griff says he wasted a year or more on it for nothing. When you need to alternate pick, it will be clear to you. You won't be able to play that particular piece without alternate picking. It either won't sound right or you won't be able to pick fast enough. Of course, try to play it as specified but don't spend in inordinate amount of time trying.

See you down the road!

 

[david moon]

I guess alternate picking is one of those rules that is made to be broken. Try to do it until it no longer works for you. For rhythm playing, a strict down/up strum is usually a good idea.

 

[Paleo]

Your question is specifically about Lesson 6, Ex 1, the "Tore Down" Rhythm.

I use all down picks.

Same for 6.2, especially because you go from string 6 to 5 to 4 in order.

In 6.3, same except for after the hammer-on. Coming back down to the 5th string catch it with
an up pick on the way back to string 6.

That's just me.

I just re-watched the lesson.

Griff uses alternate picking throughout.

Guess you can take your pick.

 

[TerryH]

At the time, when I was learning that lesson I used alternate picking, but that is not necessarily the right or wrong way.

Playing fast is really difficult for me and I have to work very hard at it. I still get occasional moments of total brain fade in the middle of a fast passage. In learning some of the more complicated licks I usually experiment a lot to find the most efficient way to reach the next note. Mostly I use alternative picking but sometimes, for example going from the second string to the first I often find it easier to continue the downward stroke. I also like to use downward picking when I want to emphasise a particular note. But as somebody has already said it depends what comes more naturally to you.

 

[Kimball]

I'm working Lesson 6, too. Slow versions, I can do all down picking, but what's the point? You're going to have to move on to the full-speed versions, and I've gotta do alternate to pick that fast. I won't say rigidly alternate picking, but rather, intuitive picking. I find myself only using all down or all up for emphasis.

 

[TerryH]

I think the answer is, you can probably get away with down picking with most of lesson 6, but once you get onto the solos you will have to use alternate or economy picking in order to play them up to speed. In fact I couldn't even play the slow versions of the solos with just down picking.

 

[Larry H.]

I use all down picking on the box shuffles (uptown or downtown - what we call it). I (currently) have a difficult time producing a shuffle with alternate picking in that rhythm pattern.

 

[Jay F]

I'm glad I came across this thread. If I don't think about the picking I can play up to full speed half way decent but I know I am not strictly using alternate picking. When I try to "think about it" and force myself to strictly alternate pick it becomes a train wreck. After seeing the responses above it sounds like I can just do what comes natural. I don't do all down strokes I think what I tend to do is alternate pick depending on what direction I am going. If I going from a low string to a higher string I go down/up but when I go from a higher string to lower string I tend to up/down. Is this what is called "economy picking"?

 

[dwparker]

I'm playing it both ways, downstrokes only and alternate. Each has a different feel to it and I don't want to limit myself.

 

[RobertRoberts]

I was having a hard time remembering what to play and just in general trying to keep up with the cast version. When I switched to alternate picking it all fell into place, just my story may not be the same for the next person..

 

[dwparker]

I was having a hard time remembering what to play and just in general trying to keep up with the cast version. When I switched to alternate picking it all fell into place, just my story may not be the same for the next person..

I get this. When I learn something new I alternate pick, especially something I am having a hard time with. I started off learning picking with everything being strict alternate, and it is always the first choice. But, I know I truly have something down when I can pick it however I feel like it, alternate, just downstrokes, just upstrokes, fingers, or anything in between.