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== Open Position C Major Scale ==
Remember these figures from earlier lessons? Good. We're about really nail this home.
|x|x|-|x|-|
0 1 2 3 4
Figures 1 and 3 feature one octave of a C Major scale. Figures 1 and 4 feature all C Major notes for open position.
Play those scales up and down until you're bored. Then play them some more. Get comfortable playing it.
== Alternate Picking ==
The idea is to get good enough so that you don't need stringent focus on your left-hand. We're about to start some alternate picking. All that means is we alternate from down stroke to up stroke for each note. Let's see what I mean:
e f g a b c d e f g a b c d e f g
=== Economy Picking ===
Be careful. Most beginner players get sucked into economy picking as follows:
fig. 7
See how economy picking switches the way the down/up strokes line up to the beat? In the first measure beats 1 and 2 are played on downstrokes. All other beats are played on upstrokes. Alternate picking keeps the downstroke on the beats and uses upstrokes between beats. This can help ground you rhythmically, as you feel the beats line up to your downstrokes.
=== Rests and Unequal Note Duration ===
What about rests or notes with longer duration? In strict alternate picking, these do not change how the downstrokes and beats line up. It's like you are continuing to alternate pick, but you are simply not picking the string. Here's an example:
---0--0--0-----0--0--0----|0--0--0-----0--0--0----|
See the u's in ()'s. It's basically like you are trying to upstroke but missing the string. Keep that pick going up and down, back and forth like a metronome. This would be the case when there are rests or sustained notes. An unusual and off-putting issue arises with triplets: fig. 10 1 2 3 4 1 d u d (u) d u d u d ---0--0--0-----0-0-0-0---|0- Notice how there are 3 notes in the 3rd beat? That's a triplet, which can be a bit tricky to time, especially this early. Not only the timing, but also the picking pattern is disruptive. Notice how if we alternate pick, we end up with an upstroke on the 4th beat? That's just something we have to deal with. Notice how we go back to using downstrokes on-beat in the next measure. This is favorable if possible, as you will likely get used to "grounding" yourself to the beat with downstrokes. But sometimes, we don't have the opportunity to do so (such as if there was another note in between the 4 and 1). We have to roll with the punches so to speak until we catch a break and can re-focus. This is unusual, however. Triplets tend to either come in pairs or before an emphasized note. === When to Alternate Pick ===Alternate picking serves two main purposes: tone and speed. The tone of alternate picking differs from straight down-picking simply because downstrokes and upstrokes have a slightly different tone. This gives alternate picking a kind of A-B-A-B sound, vs. A-A-A-A or B-B-B-B. Depending on the context of tone desired, alternate picking may or may not be desired. For instance, Metallica like to only down-pick their rhythms to give it a repetitive percussive sound. Rockabilly players, in contrast, like to alternate pick to a kind of swing sound. As for speed, == Practice ==Here are some practice exercises that focus on the most common obstacles you'll face when alternate picking. === Single String ===Alternate picking on a single string is rather easy. The main thing to focus on is inter-hand synchronization. And make sure your hands aren't simply in sync with each other but in-time as well; practice with a metronome. fig. 11 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u -0--1--3--1--0--1--3--1-|1--3--4--3--1--3--4--3-|3--4--6--4--3--4--6--4-|4--6--8--6--4--6--8--6-| Figure 11 consists of 4 measures. Each measure focuses uses a different left-hand position as well as fingering pattern. Make sure that as you slide up positions you stay in time as well as inside the measures. Start slow. === Cross-String: Inside === d u d u -0---0--- ---0---0- If you play the above example, you can see that your pick always starts its motion from between (or ''inside'') the two strings. As you pick each pair of notes, you are making a figure 8 type pattern where you pluck the string then reverse directions moving the pick over that string and coming back down inside the strings to pluck the other one. Once you pluck that one, you again have to reverse directions and move the pick over the string just plucked to get it back between the strings and repeat. Of the two cross-string variations, this seems to be the more economical and easiest to master. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -0-0-0-------0--|----0-0-0---0-0|0---0---0---0--|--------0---0--|0-0-0-0-0---0--|0-- -------0-0-0---0|0-0-------0----|--0---0---0---0|0-0-0-0---0---0|----------0---0|--- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -4-5-4-------4--|----4-5-4---4-5|4---4---4---4--|--------4---4--|4-5-7-5-4---4--|4-- -------7-5-7---7|5-7-------7----|--7---7---7---7|5-4-5-7---7---7|----------7---7|--- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -4-6-4-------4--|----4-6-4---4-6|4---4---4---4--|--------4---4--|4-6-7-6-4---4--|4-- -------7-5-7---7|5-7-------7----|--7---7---7---7|5-4-5-7---7---7|----------7---7|--- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -4-6-4-------4--|----4-6-4---4-6|4---4---4---4--|--------4---4--|4-6-7-6-4---4--|4-- -------7-6-7---7|6-7-------7----|--7---7---7---7|6-4-6-7---7---7|----------7---7|--- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -4-6-4-------4--|----4-6-4---4-6|4---4---4---4--|--------4---4--|4-6-8-6-4---4--|4-- -------8-6-8---8|6-8-------8----|--8---8---8---8|6-4-6-8---8---8|----------8---8|--- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d -4-5-4-------4--|----4-5-4---4-5|4---4---4---4--|--------4---4--|4-5-7-5-4---4--|4-- -------7-5-7---7|5-7-------7----|--7---7---7---7|5-3-5-7---7---7|----------7---7|--- Here's some practice for you! The first one uses open strings to let you focus on strict alternate picking. The rest are the exact same pattern just with different left-hand fingerings. It may seem tedious but it's all about getting perfect left-right hand synchronization. === Cross-String: Outside === === All Together ===