Question(s) For The Chuggers or Metal Guys, DT Fans, Whomever...

TSJMajesty

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1) I'm playing 2 16th notes followed by an 8th note: dududah, dududah, etc. (alt-picked, 130-150 bpm)
2) Play 3 16th notes and a 16th rest. Same exact picking, but you get the rest by choking the 3rd note with your fretting hand.

When I play either example above, I try to keep my alternate picking motion consistent, and in the 2nd example, just lift, or slant, the pick slightly, so as to not actually play a 4th 16th note, and have my pick ready for the next downstroke.

But when I do the 2nd example, my brain wants to tell my picking hand to STOP after playing the 3rd note, at the same time it's telling my fretting hand to mute the string, and then I have to rush to get my pick back into position to hit the downstroke to start the pattern again, and my timing suffers.

I realize that in both examples, my picking strokes should never change. Just add the fret-hand mute.

But then I thought, What about doing the 1st 3 notes, down/up/down, stop, then, up/down/up. Repeat. But I'm much more fluid playing 3 alt-pick strokes, when I start with a downstroke, than the reverse of starting with an upstroke. But it seems like it would help.

So which would you do, and why? (There's a deeper question coming later)


And here's another scenario:
1694903879003.png


This is from Dream Theater's Fatal Tragedy. I find it easier to keep my downstroke aligned with the '1' and the '&' of the beats, and keep my upstrokes aligned with the 'e' and the 'a' of the beats (counting 16th notes, 1e&a, 2e&a, etc.) Which means essentially, I keep a consistent alt-pick going, clear the string during the rest stroke, and get the fret hand mute in-time. But again, I thought about playing it by stopping my pick motion at each rest, so I wouldn't have to bother clearing the string, and the signal my brain is sending to my hand to mute the string (input: STOP) wouldn't "conflict" with the one telling my picking hand to KEEP MOVING.

So which do you use? Stop your pick motion at a rest, and just resume on whichever stroke was next in line, thus meaning the accents occur on alternating pick strokes..., or keep your pick moving at all times?

And this applies only to rests that are the same amount of time as the notes. If it were 2 16th notes followed by an 8th rest, that's a totally different scenario/feel sort of thing. (And may show up as a new question later in the thread! :rofl )

TIA
 
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So my bigger question involves this riff from Fatal Tragedy
1694960957695.png


Essentially, this is 4 16th notes followed by 2 8th notes, that starts with just 3 16th notes. If it were simply, dadadada duhduh, dadadada duhduh, it'd be easy. But it's

dadada duhduh da
dadada duhduh da

So if I align my pick strokes to what generally feels more comfortable- down on the '1' and the '&', and up on the 'e' and the 'a', it's easier to keep in time (I mostly start on a downbeat with a downstroke, but I realize some people tend to start with an upstroke), but my technique slows down 30 bpm than recorded (140)

So I guess what I'm wondering is, if a pattern is easier for you to play starting on your preferred stroke, but the pattern is "shifted" so that the timing is also a factor, would you keep to aligning your pick strokes with the same rhythmic divisions you tend to align them to, or would you switch and try to sync it up?
 
This is what I landed on, as far as practice goes, strict alt picking starting on a downbeat. But it still feels awkward, except for the first 3 notes! haha
Guess that's why it's called PRACTICE!
1694962736933.png

-↓-↑--↓--↑----↓---↑--↓-↑--↓--↑----↓---↑
(Dashes don't mean anything. Had to add them to keep the arrows somewhat aligned like I HAD THEM!)
 
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First one I’d start with a downstroke and let the pick rest after that last note, it’s already in position to go back down for another downstroke.

2nd one, that’s the shrink and grow section! I alternate pick it up until the repeated open E’s, which I downpick both then resume alternate picking for the rest, but I can’t think of a specific reason why. I think after I finish “Cliffs Of Dover” I’m going to tackle a DT song next, this would be a good one.



This helped me with that whole section more than any tab ever did! Also, if you wanna hear some alternate mixes of SFAM, check that DVD out. I‘m not sure if they’re the Botrill mixes or not, but you hear a few different things popping up you don’t hear on the album, mostly vox and key stuff.
 
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Not sure I follow all of that, but I almost never string mute with my fret hand. For me, I simply rotate my right wrist a little, thereby lifting the pick away from the strings and placing the edge of my palm against them. But, I’m just a chug-hack and certainly no guitar technique teacher…
 
I guess it depends for me. When I’m playing 3 16ths per beat (either pattern) I tend to use downstrokes for all the 8th notes with an upstroke for the 16th note in between).

When I play the first line from Fatal Tragedy you showed I use straight alternate picking but I start each measure with a downstroke.

When I play the second line from Fatal Tragedy you showed I use straight alternate picking throughout
 
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