So I Just Did Something Automatically That Surprised Me

[TSJMajesty]

I'm working on this DT triplet riff, that has 1-note rests, and it's on the 3 lowest strings, all palm-muted, all alt-picked, and every so often it pauses on a power chord, which I like to be in position to hit with a downstroke. Always, if possible. Which it is, if I plan my starting stroke.

This one part of the riff "wants" to start with an upstroke, but then I end up at that power chord with an upstroke, which I don't want.

Well I just now kind of naturally did an economy motion to hit the chord on a downstroke! YES!!

And when I'm palm-muting, I have a really hard time doing string changes with an upward pick slant. I don't have a lot of flesh on the side of my palm, and since the bridge is so flat, my pick just leans downward. So I finally figured out I can also use a couple other economy strokes within this riff, to allow me to keep to a downward slant. (Or I could grab the LP... )

I love that I'm still learning how to play this damn guitar!

 

[storming heaven]

Just curious, which DT riff is that?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Just curious, which DT riff is that?

 

[storming heaven]

Oh, I see. I believe even Petrucci upstrokes some of the power chords, if I' m not wrong. Or even maybe pull of some of the notes so that you land on the downstroke for the power chord.



But as always, it's best to find one's own way of playing things comfortably.

 

[0XI0]

i like to treat picking direction like two drum sticks and do paradiddle patterns, down up down down, up down up up, it really opens up how u can string skip when you get used to spreading the pattern out slow across snare and toms, hat and ride, low strings and high strings

 

[TSJMajesty]

i like to treat picking direction like two drum sticks and do paradiddle patterns, down up down down, up down up up, it really opens up how u can string skip when you get used to spreading the pattern out slow across snare and toms, hat and ride, low strings and high strings

Do you mean to relate the 2 Rt Rt hits of a paradiddle as a downward economy stroke across 2 adjacent strings? I guess I can understand how it would relate.

But I don't practice anything unless it's an actual riff from a solo. So rather than practice something that would force my picking strokes to match a paradiddle, I just figure out what makes playing the riff the easiest, and most fluid for me.

And if that means mixing alt-picking with a few, deliberately-placed economy strokes, then so be it. Iow, it may never be like an actual paradiddle (whether 5-stroke, 7-stroke, etc.), but rather down up down up down down up down down up down..., whatever the riff needs.

And I've had some riffs, where after I started getting them at a decent speed, I find that I want to put one note on a different string, which then could change my pick strokes from that point on. I still have one JP riff where I practice it 2 different ways, and can't figure out which way will allow me to progress the tempo.

 

[0XI0]

true economy picking pattern is determined only by the presence of a string skip

u isolate where in the pattern a string skip is required and (on a downward string skip) do an extra upstroke (if needed) on the bigger string to set yourself up for two downstrokes in one movement to get down, likewise (on an upward string skip) do an extra downstroke (if needed) on the thinner string to set yourself up for two upstrokes in one movement to get back up

the economy part is u never have to think about anything other than down up down up until a string skip, then with proper setup you can always play both notes of the string skip in one motion without having to change direction in between. otherwise you end up trying to string skip down coming off an upstroke or string skip up coming off a downstroke, when tempo increases u realize there's a reason it feels impossible to play all tangled like that.

that's where the picking paradiddles help allot especially up down up up (since up is way weaker) that last two repeat picks are both notes of the 'economy' string skip going to a lower string

 

[JiveTurkey]

@TSJMajesty ; I am always glad you are continually fighting the good fight in the quest for playing betterment. I wish I had that kind of drive

 

[TSJMajesty]

@TSJMajesty ; I am always glad you are continually fighting the good fight in the quest for playing betterment. I wish I had that kind of drive

Thanks!
Idk where it comes from, but I'll take it. Like I've said, I lost all motivation to play, at all, for about 5 years. And it didn't even bother me!

But now when I see licks coming together, at tempos that I never would've thought possible for myself, it's a great feeling. I just love it. I couldn't care less about the G.A.S., about having more guitars..., but I am getting a bit obsessed over certain things that I really want to be able to play, that are still out-of-reach.

And don't even care if I ever play in a band again. (Especially when I read threads here that remind me of the things about bands that drive me crazy. hehe)

 

[JiveTurkey]

Thanks!
Idk where it comes from, but I'll take it. Like I've said, I lost all motivation to play, at all, for about 5 years. And it didn't even bother me!

But now when I see licks coming together, at tempos that I never would've thought possible for myself, it's a great feeling. I just love it. I couldn't care less about the G.A.S., about having more guitars..., but I am getting a bit obsessed over certain things that I really want to be able to play, that are still out-of-reach.

And don't even care if I ever play in a band again. (Especially when I read threads here that remind me of the things about bands that drive me crazy. hehe)

You saw my thread (singular) on technique. That one time.

 

[la szum]

(Especially when I read threads here that remind me of the things about bands that drive me crazy. hehe)

I promise to continue to try and help.