alternate picking

[artCROSS]

Ok, I've been playing guitar for 10 years, but I never took a lesson in my life...and now i'm beginning to realize how debilitating it has been. So I decided to take "lessons" online on soloing. One very newbie and amatuer question I have is when dealing with alternate picking, do you do it through all the strings or just one? For example, If I pick downward on the E string, would I need to pick upward on the A string? Or does it just concern notes on the same string? I'm sorry for such an amatuer question, just thought you could help. Thank you

 

[danobi]

depends on what note you wanna hit... you would be up-stroking on the (e) string if you were playing this:

[a]------------------------------------------
[e]---0-0-1-0-0-3-0-1-0-0-1-0-0-3-0-1------

or you would be up-stroking on the (a) string if you were doing this:

[a]---1---3---5---------------------------------
[e]-0---1---3-----------------------------------

....depends what you're doing.

 

[artCROSS]

cool, thanks for that. I'm trying to learn the blues scale for soloing right now. Everywhere I go says I need to use alternate picking when practicing the scale and just wanted to know if every note was supposed to be on a different stroke (for example, in open E blues scale:: E downward, G upward, A downward, A#upward, B downward, D upward, etc.)

 

[tkingen]

cool, thanks for that. I'm trying to learn the blues scale for soloing right now. Everywhere I go says I need to use alternate picking when practicing the scale and just wanted to know if every note was supposed to be on a different stroke (for example, in open E blues scale:: E downward, G upward, A downward, A#upward, B downward, D upward, etc.)

You got it right.

 

[wiresix]

yep, try to do "down up down up down up" on everything you play unless your doing sweeps. another thing that will help you when you are practicing is starting on both a down stroke and an upstroke, and get used to both of them. so if you were playing:

[E]-----------5-9-------------------------------
---------5-----5-----------------------------
[G]-------6---------6---------------------------
[D]-----7-------------7-------------------------
[A]---7-----------------7-----------------------
[E]-5---------------------5---------------------

you could start by playing starting with an upstroke on the E string. it might seem wierd at first, but it will help in the long run, and help it to feel more natural for your fingers to do what ever you want them to.

and if your feeling like having a lot of fun, try alternate picking stuff like this where you skip stings:

[E]---------------5-9---------------------------
-----------5----------5-----------------------
[G]-------6-----6-----6------6------------------
[D]---7-----7--------------7------7-------------
[A]-----7-----------------------7---------------
[E]-5--------------------------------5----------

and pretty much do anything that feels wierd for you to do, as long as you think the movements might be useful for something. and remember, when making up drills, you dont have to stick to a scale. make anything up you want, and practice it all the way up and down the fret board

I know this wasn't quite your question, but I hope it helps you in your quest for mastering alternate picking