Guitar picking question

[UncleWai]

For some reason I suck at left-right hand coordination. I can do downstroke fairly fast, but I can't do alternate picking. The rhythm will sound very uneven if I try up down picking.
Should I start over learning the basic again with alternate picking?
I've been playing a little over half a year only.

 

[KingNothing]

Alternate picking is a good skill to have, dunno if it's NECESSARY, as such.

Do you like Tool? I couldn't get the rhythm right for the main riff of H without using an up-down pick on the 5-5-5 part.

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding what your problem is...what does alternate picking have to do with left-right hand coordination?

 

[Zeeky Boogy Doog]

i'd work on it, it's good to be able to do

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

keep working at it, it will help a lot.

 

[soogiebro]

I would tell you that alternate picking is useful. In lotsa songs that you'll be learnin how to play, whether from tabs or by ear, it's a useful skill to get those fast notes in. It's worth investing, because personally, I really believe it's whether you can pick or not, and not necessarily what you can do with the left hand. The left hand can only get so fast, but the right hand, your picking hand, needs to have the speed and skill in order to produce the sound. So keep going for it. It'll help ya.

 

[thomsbrain]

if you don't learn to do it now it will be harder to learn later. and if you don't learn it, you will be seriously limiting your range of expression and speed potential, not to mention you will find arpeggios to be a major pain in the butt. occasionally a heavy metal guitarist will use all downstrokes for constant, powerful, uniform-sounding riffing, but that is the exception to the rule. if you're playing anything other than speed metal and not using upstrokes, you'll sound like... well, like someone who's only been playing for half a year.

 

[Raincity]

Why limit yourself. Get a copy of Di Meola book A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios and follow the lessons.

 

[Fritzo]

It's needed or your picking isn't going to be smooth and blend together. You'll get it, it just takes some brain training.

 

[SWScorch]

well, it helps to have it, and it only takes a little bit of practice for it to feel right, but if you really don't like it, just look at James Hetfield for inspiration. He only down-picks, and yet he can outpick almost anyone.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Yes, you will need alternate picking if you intend to play anything fast. All downstroke picking is the newbie way to do things, this should be as easy as breathing for you... its easier to learn than you think it is though, it just requires conscious effort for a little while.

Start by going back and work on keeping the rhythm even on one string with one note.

Work your way up to holding down a chord and alternate picking different patterns in it.

Then go off and play your favorite alternate picking solos.

Edit: Okay, maybe not EVERYthing fast... a few Metallica songs (Master of Puppets comes to mind) are exclusively downstroked, and played faster than most people can alternate pick. There are other examples out there too... but alternate picking should at least be a consistent skill in your repertoire. It leads to better form, more natural-sounding notes (particularly if the song was originially done with alternate picking in mind), and a huge jump in your picking speed.

 

[SuRgEoN]

You'd be amazed, once you get the upstroke your guitar playing skills will dramatically increase.

 

[Injury]

Giving up on learning one of the key elements to great guitar playing with only half a year under your belt isn't much of an effort.

Start slow and speed up. It's probably the same way you learned to play when you first started. Eventually the movements get more natural and you just feel it, as opposed to thinking about it.

Just like pressing keys on a keyboard. You start out looking for the keys, and although it may take a while, eventually you don't even look at they keys anymore.

You could do okay without it, but don't expect to get anywhere or do more than a beginner could

 

[Eli]

Well, obviously, you can't downpick everything.

Some people use downpicking as apart of their style, like James Hetfield.

Just keep practicing alternate picking, you'll get better.

 

[thirdlegstump]

Downstrokes, upstrokes, alternate picking, sweep picking, legato etc. you should learn everything to be a solid basic player.

 

[thirdlegstump]

I'm wondering since there are quite a few guitarists in this forum, should I start a little lessons page on my site? I can include video and audio clips as well as a bit of tab and technique ideas. If I get maybe 10 responces including what technique in specific you're looking to learn, I can start making them right away.

 

[Eli]

Just start out slow. As slow as you have to go to make each note solid, even if it's like 25 beats per minute.

Work up from there.

 

[aplefka]

Yes. I play bass and used to play guitar (never really took it seriously) and you want to be able to learn anything that can benefit your playing.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
Yes, you will need alternate picking if you intend to play anything fast. All downstroke picking is the newbie way to do things, this should be as easy as breathing for you... its easier to learn than you think it is though, it just requires conscious effort for a little while.

Start by going back and work on keeping the rhythm even on one string with one note.

Work your way up to holding down a chord and alternate picking different patterns in it.

Then go off and play your favorite alternate picking solos.

Edit: Okay, maybe not EVERYthing fast... a few Metallica songs (Master of Puppets comes to mind) are exclusively downstroked, and played faster than most people can alternate pick. There are other examples out there too... but alternate picking should at least be a consistent skill in your repertoire. It leads to better form, more natural-sounding notes (particularly if the song was originially done with alternate picking in mind), and a huge jump in your picking speed.

A good way to learn alternate picking is to stop thinking about it. Just do up and down sweeps on the strings, then try to get them to be more and more accurate.

 

[thirdlegstump]

The way I learned was to take groups of notes chromatically and played them in succession without flaw with a bit of palm muting. I usually practice groups of 3 notes in triplets or 4 notes in straight 16ths and when I get very comfortable with them, I go for the totally oddball counts like 5 or 7 or even 11. Always start as slow as you can play them cleanly. If it ain't clean, it's garbage. Only move up faster when you can play it perfectly. I would later apply this to scales and start skipping strings for more arpeggio kind of sounds.

 

[slightlyhuman]

/noob

ive taught myself everything i know about guitar but im a little confused on downstroking and upstroking but what exactly is that? google really didnt help me and im thinking i might just call it something else but can someone explain this to me?

thx

/noob

 

[slightlyhuman]

Originally posted by: deathkoba
I'm wondering since there are quite a few guitarists in this forum, should I start a little lessons page on my site? I can include video and audio clips as well as a bit of tab and technique ideas. If I get maybe 10 responces including what technique in specific you're looking to learn, I can start making them right away.

number 1

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: DP
/noob

ive taught myself everything i know about guitar but im a little confused on downstroking and upstroking but what exactly is that? google really didnt help me and im thinking i might just call it something else but can someone explain this to me?

thx

/noob

It is alternate picking.

As in, the first note is a downstroke, the 2nd is an upstroke, and on and on.

Text

 

[spacejamz]

I'm wondering since there are quite a few guitarists in this forum, should I start a little lessons page on my site? I can include video and audio clips as well as a bit of tab and technique ideas. If I get maybe 10 responces including what technique in specific you're looking to learn, I can start making them right away.

number 2

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: DP

Originally posted by: deathkoba
I'm wondering since there are quite a few guitarists in this forum, should I start a little lessons page on my site? I can include video and audio clips as well as a bit of tab and technique ideas. If I get maybe 10 responces including what technique in specific you're looking to learn, I can start making them right away.

number 1

I could help out with that if you want. Sounds fun

 

[slightlyhuman]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: DP

Originally posted by: deathkoba
I'm wondering since there are quite a few guitarists in this forum, should I start a little lessons page on my site? I can include video and audio clips as well as a bit of tab and technique ideas. If I get maybe 10 responces including what technique in specific you're looking to learn, I can start making them right away.

number 1

I could help out with that if you want. Sounds fun

dooooitttttttt