# Curious about Yngwie's picking - when not to pick



## 777 (Nov 10, 2020)

Ive been listening to a lot of Yngwie Malmsteen lately, as well as watching many videos. I realised how wrong I was about how he picks his fast lines.

When I was growing up, I thought he picked every note of his lines, however the more I listen, the more legato I hear in between. What Im trying to figure out now, is how I can replicate this myself.

Is there a particular time he uses only picking and then a mix between legato and picking? Im sure there are some die hard Malmsteen fans on here so hopefully someone knows.

Im linking a video of a guy who did some Yngwie style licks, and if I wasn't watching the video Id swear he was alternate picking most of it but it looks like he doesn't really pick at all.


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## tedtan (Nov 10, 2020)

There is a specific method to Yngwie's legato. He only uses sweep picking on ascending lines, not on descending lines. So what he does on descending lines is to use a pull off in situations where a descending sweep would work.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining that clearly, but Troy Grady breaks it down in his Pickslanting Primer video series, and you can sign up and watch for free.


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## Lorcan Ward (Nov 10, 2020)

Its been a long time since I learned any Malmsteen but he often starts a descending line with a beat of legato and then starts alternate picking on the second beat. See Far beyond the Sun for a prime example.


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## donniekak (Mar 9, 2021)

He only downward pick slants. On descending licks you have to end every line with an upstroke before you go to the lower string. Ascending works either way because you can either alternate pick or hit the next string with a sweep (economy picking).


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## NoodleFace (Mar 19, 2021)

I'm far from a professional but I hear a lot of economy picking in yngwies playing


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## HungryGuitarStudent (Mar 20, 2021)

777 said:


> Ive been listening to a lot of Yngwie Malmsteen lately, as well as watching many videos. I realised how wrong I was about how he picks his fast lines.
> 
> When I was growing up, I thought he picked every note of his lines, however the more I listen, the more legato I hear in between. What Im trying to figure out now, is how I can replicate this myself.
> 
> ...




Cracking the Code has a number of videos and lessons on Malmsteen’s picking. I’d go there if you want in depth analysis.


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## Drew (Mar 24, 2021)

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> Cracking the Code has a number of videos and lessons on Malmsteen’s picking. I’d go there if you want in depth analysis.


Yeah, this. Though, maybe start by reading their forum and watching some of their newer videos before going back and watching the Yngwie stuff, since in the last couple years their understanding of, and in turn the terminology they use for, the methodology to this kind of picking has changed a little bit - as a ready example they've abandoned any discussion of a pick "slant" to instead focus on which part of the pickstroke the picki "escapes" the plane of the strings. 

But, yes, while Yngwie himself probably has never really thought about this - he says he hasn't, and I believe him - there's a very distinct system to when he uses legato notes in his playing, and they're all based around how he changes from string to string. A short version is when desceding from a high string to a low one, he'll use a legato note on the last note on the higher string whenever he would otherwise be playing a downstroke on the final note of the string, but the technical reasons for why this is the case are incredibly important - his pick moves at an angle to the strings, so downstrokes get "buried" within the plane of the strings. From there it's easier to move low-to-high with an economy/swept note, but high to low is basically impossible at speed so a legato note allows his pick to not get trapped and hung up on the strings.


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## Robslalaina (May 6, 2021)

Session legend and guitarist extraordinaire Dann Huff also has a way of not picking every note but making it sound like he does, typically by picking only two notes per string instead of three. You might want to check him out with Giant, whether or not you like AOR.


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## USMarine75 (May 6, 2021)

Has anyone recommended Troy Grady / Cracking the Code yet?



https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=troy+grady+yngwie


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