Alternate Picking Across Strings

First of all, every tab in this lesson requires strict alternate picking, and some knowledge of how to sweep pick.

You know those tabs that look like this:

            PM PM   PM PM   PM PM   PM PM       
e |--------------------------------------------|
b |--------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------------------|
A |-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6p-4-|
E |---------4-------4-------4-------4----------|
B |--0h-4------4-------4-------4-------4-------|

And everyone at one point figures "Alrighty, I'll just hold them notes down and strum" or whatever other weird solutions you may come up with. For a song like this, we do something different

            PM PM   PM PM   PM PM   PM PM       
e |--------------------------------------------|
b |--------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------------------|
A |-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6p-4-|
E |---------4-------4-------4-------4----------|
B |--0h-4------4-------4-------4-------4-------|
     d    u d u   d u  d  u d  u  d u  d  u

My rule typically is: If you can't figure something out, alternate pick it. This riff follows that rule, mostly because of the palm mutes. When you have to alternate pick between strings, you have to do a lot of pick movement to avoid hitting strings the wrong way. So I made 2 riffs to practise the motions.

Heres the first exercise I use:

e||----------------------------------------------------|
b||----------------------------------------------------|
G||-------4-----------1-----------5-----------2--------|
D||-----3---3-------2---2-------4---4-------3---3------|
A||---2-------2---3-------3---3-------3---4-------4----|
E||-1-----------4-----------2-----------5--------------| ect. ect.
    d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u

As your doing this excercise remember you're not doing chords. As you move through the notes, move your fingers as if you were sweep picking. This ones fairly tough if you're just starting out, because it uses your pinky alot.

Heres the 2nd exercise I use:

e||----------------------------------------------------|
b||----------------------------------------------------|
G||-------4-----------1-----------5-----------2--------|
D||---2-------2---3-------3---3-------3---4-------4----|
A||-----3---3-------2---2-------4---4-------3---3------|
E||-1-----------4-----------2-----------5--------------| ect. ect.
    d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u

This one is a variation of the last one, using string skipping. All of the same rules apply.

Comments

[Muppetmaster]

Not a bad lesson. A simple and clear explanation for a simple and clear concept.

[420ismybday]

Nice 'im gonna start practicing this stuff asap.

[FenderSlasher96]

awsome lesson im gonna start practicing too now

[guitarist_deth]

hehe, first riff is nevermore - born,right ? :P