Alternate picking is a
guitar playing technique that employs alternating downward and upward strokes in a continuous fashion. If the technique is performed at high speed on a single
string
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
or
course
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
voicing the same note, it may be referred to as "
tremolo
In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are two types of tremolo.
The first is a rapid reiteration:
* Of a single Musical note, note, particularly used on String instrument#Bowing, bowed string instrument ...
picking" or "double picking".
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. This allows for fluid incorporation of
legato-based notes such as
hammer-ons and/or
pull-offs in the middle of picked phrases.
The technique has many advantages and some disadvantages, largely depending on the
lick
Lick may refer to:
* Licking, the action of passing the tongue over a surface
Places
* Lick (crater), a crater on the Moon named after James Lick
* 1951 Lick, an asteroid named after James Lick
* Lick Township, Jackson County, Ohio, United State ...
s the guitarist is attempting to play. For example, during fast passages, alternate picking is necessary in keeping the picking arm from tiring out. At very high
tempos, alternate picking is essentially required, since techniques like
downpicking are made not feasible.
Most
scalar runs are most easily played using alternate picking. Similarly, the complex, syncopated rhythm guitar patterns found in
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
require a good alternate picking technique to play fast and accurately.
On the other hand, large
arpeggio
A broken chord is a chord broken into a sequence of notes. A broken chord may repeat some of the notes from the chord and span one or more octaves.
An arpeggio () is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played ...
s (especially those spanning more than one
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
) 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 (e.g.
Glenn Tipton,
K. K. Downing,
Frank Gambale &
Mario Parga). Similarly, some kinds of licks are easier when played using such specialized techniques as legato,
economy picking (a hybrid of alternate and sweep picking) or
tapping.
Despite some of the well-known disadvantages of the technique, some guitarists (such as
Al Di Meola
Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his works in jazz fusion and world music, he began his career as a guitarist of the group Return to Forever in 1974. Between the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as ' ...
,
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.
Alternate picking can be heard in almost all styles of picked guitar music, from
jazz and
bluegrass, to
heavy metal.
Victor Wooten uses his thumb for alternate picking, as displayed on his DVD ''Super Bass Solo Technique''.
See also
*
Guitar picking
*
Downpicking
Further reading
*
External links
Alternate Picking Explained
Guitar performance techniques
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