C Major in Open Position and Alternate Picking
This lesson explores the key of C Major in open position, designed to really drive the fingering and notes into your head. We can then learn the technique of alternate picking, an essential technique for melodic playing, and a precursor to strumming technique for chords.
Contents
PreReqs
Open Position C Major Scale
Remember these figures from earlier lessons? Good. We're about really nail this home. This is tab for one octave of a C Major scale.
E------------------------- B--------------------0--1- G--------------0--2------- D-----0--2--3------------- A--3---------------------- E------------------------- C D E F G A B C r o m r o m o i
Here are all the notes in the C Major scale for open position.
E-------------------------------------------0--1--3-- B----------------------------------0--1--3----------- G----------------------------0--2-------------------- D-------------------0--2--3-------------------------- A----------0--2--3----------------------------------- E-0--1--3-------------------------------------------- E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G o i r o m r o m r o m o i r o i r
Here's the one octave scale repesented by a scale map.
-||-|-|-|-| -||-|-|-|-| o||x|-|-|-| o||i|-|-|-| o||-|o|-|-| o||-|m|-|-| o||-|o|o|-| o||-|m|r|-| -||-|-|x|-| -||-|-|r|-| -||-|-|-|-| -||-|-|-|-|
And here's all the notes as a scale map.
o||o|-|o|-| o||i|-|r|-| o||x|-|o|-| o||i|-|r|-| o||-|o|-|-| o||-|m|-|-| o||-|o|o|-| o||-|m|r|-| o||-|o|x|-| o||-|m|r|-| o||o|-|o|-| o||i|-|r|-|
Play those scales up and down until you're bored. Then play them some more. Get comfortable playing it.
Alternate Picking
The idea of acquainting yourself with the above scale 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:
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 -0--0--0--0-|0--0--0--0-|1--1--1--1-|2--2--2--2-|3--
The d's and u's represent down and up strokes. Normally tab doesn't include these. And professional tab where d/u is indicated use something like ? for up and v for down - notice these are rough approximations.
Notice the strict alternation. Count along to your playing.
d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d E-------------------------------------------0--1--3-- B----------------------------------0--1--3----------- G----------------------------0--2-------------------- D-------------------0--2--3-------------------------- A----------0--2--3----------------------------------- E-0--1--3-------------------------------------------- E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G
The Upstroke
So far we've only been using downstrokes, and you probably feel like you're starting to get the hang of those. To review from Basic Technique, your pick stroke should come from your wrist or your elbow, and the motion should be parallel to the face of the guitar, so the pick is pushing through each string. The pick itself should be pointing directly at the face of the guitar - think of the pick like a screwdriver. It should not be angled so that it hooks under or effortlessly slides over the top of the strings. Yet the pick may be rotated so that only one edge of the pick touches the string during a downpick.
For an upstroke, the opposite edge of the pick will make contact with the string. You are simply doing the exact reverse motion of a downstroke. It will feel different because before you had to push down through the strings, but now you are pulling up through them. The main point, though, is to avoid trying to "set up" the upstroke, by changing the way you hold the pick or otherwise taking valuable time to angle the pick differently.
The biggest issue a beginner has with an upstroke actually originates from an incorrect downstroke. He angles the pick during his downstroke, so that the tip of the pick lags behind the top of the pick, causing the strings to easily slide off the pick without having to push through them. This may lead to a loss of power and expression during downstrokes but isn't a huge problem in itself. The problem is when holding the pick at the same angle during an upstroke leads with the pick tip, hooking under the string and causing it to slide up the pick towards the right-hand thumb and index finger holding the pick. The pick angle must be altered mid stroke, or the stroke strength must be increased to a ridiculous level. The end result is that downstrokes are easy while upstrokes take far more effort. This will prevent decent alternate picking technique, where each note has consistent dynamics and timing.
Economy Picking
Be careful. Many beginner players get sucked into economy picking as follows:
d u d d u d d u d d u d u d d u d E-------------------------------------------0--1--3-- B----------------------------------0--1--3----------- G----------------------------0--2-------------------- D-------------------0--2--3-------------------------- A----------0--2--3----------------------------------- E-0--1--3-------------------------------------------- E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G
Notice this carries downstrokes over from one string to the next - you are using one pick stroke for 2 notes. Economy is generally good; however, if you start getting into this habit, your real (or strict) alternate picking will suffer because you aren't practicing it. My advice is to focus on strict alternate picking. If you later feel like you need more speed and want to develop economy picking, you can do so then. But alternate picking tends to be easier to keep consistent rhythm and dynamics and really strengthen the picking hand.
I fell into the economy picking trap on accident. After I realized I was always economy picking, I thought it was simpler and easier than true alternate picking. But after recording my playing and listening to how off my rhythm could be, I knew that I had to break the habit. It took a solid month to completely reverse all the bad habits I had unwittingly used for almost a year. But my rhythm and dynamics consistently improved quite a bit.
Also, alternate picking will tend to keep you on the beat better. Check out this example:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 d u d d u d u d u d u d u d u d A----------0--2--3--2--3-|---------0--2--3--2--3-| E-0--1--3----------------|0--1--3----------------| E F G A B C B C E F G A B C B C
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:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 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----|
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:
1 2 3 4 1
--3--
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, marked above by "--3--"? 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 beats). 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. A drummer gets the same effect by playing alternating left/right hands. Depending on the context of tone desired, alternate picking may or may not be desired. For instance, Metallica likes to only down-pick their rhythms to give it a repetitive percussive sound. Rockabilly players, in contrast, like to alternate pick to get a kind of swing sound.
Of course, tone only matters if you can actually play it different ways. If a passage is fast, it may require to be alternate picked vs. strict down or up picked. There's no firm cutoff point where you should say, "This is fast, so I'll alternate pick." So long as there's no tonal requirement, the choice is totally yours - you may be more comfortable alternate picking even a slower passage. Usually a song will have a common note duration, like quarter or eighth notes. If I'm comfortable downpicking them, I will, saving alternate picking for anything faster than that. The downpicking helps ground your rhythm to the beat, which actually helps you alternate pick in time by having the downstrokes line up on the beats.
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.
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-|
We have 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. However, the deceptive secret here is to make sure you get enough power on each stroke. If you use the same motion as on a single-string, you'll find your stroke isn't long enough to jump the first string and pick the second with solid force. Focus on making big, powerful, sweeping figure 8 motions, starting slow and then building speed as you get more and more comfortable with the motion.
Cross-String: Outside
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 one side (or outside) of both the two strings. As you pick each pair of notes, you are making a figure 8 type pattern where you pluck the string then jump the next one, reverse directions and pluck it. Once you pluck that one, you again have to jump the next string, reverse directions, and repeat.
This motion is a little tough to grasp at first. Time to train!
Homework
- Practice the C Major scale in open position, ascending and descending, for both one octave and the entire open position.
- Practice upstrokes - make sure you aren't hooking under the string or otherwise doing things that make the upstroke more difficult than the downstroke.
- Practice transitioning from down to upstrokes. Make sure you aren't changing your grip or making other noticeable adjustments that will slow you down and hurt your confidence.
- Play all the exercises on this page. Yes, all the exercises. Play with a metronome.
- Everytime you change exercises, change the pair of strings you use. Remember to start slow and gradually build speed. You want full control, not to feel like you're tensing up and bouncing or vibrating.
- Take care to make sure you are exercising strict alternate picking between strings, rather than economy picking or a hybrid of the two.