# Should i learn economy picking?



## Cadavuh (Mar 30, 2009)

for playing fast lead lines. i already have pretty fast and clean alternate picking technique but im not quite where i want to be with it yet. do you guys think that learning economy picking will give me that little extra nudge?


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## Maniacal (Mar 30, 2009)

No, keep working on alternate picking until you are happy with it. 

Economy picking will not improve your alternate picking speed but will help improve your pick hand control. 

Only learn economy picking if you are actually going to use it.


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## Cancer (Mar 30, 2009)

Maniacal said:


> No, keep working on alternate picking until you are happy with it.
> 
> Economy picking will not improve your alternate picking speed but will help improve your pick hand control.
> 
> Only learn economy picking if you are actually going to use it.




^^= Although I'm not sure if I agree with the sentiment that "Economy picking will not improve your alternate picking speed". If you're using 3NPS techniques, then practicing 3 note grouping (ie. DUD or UDU) is a great way to to isolate and eliminate problem areas with 3NPS. Now, if you're talking DiMeola style alternate picking then I could see, as many (not all, but many) of his passages start with a downstroke.


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## distressed_romeo (Mar 30, 2009)

Don't neglect alternate picking, as economy picking is really an extension of good alternate picking more than it is a new technique. Start off with some simple two or three-string economy picking patterns in conjuncture with your usual alternate picking practice, and then maybe start investigating longer scales and arpeggios. That way, even if economy picking ends up suiting you better, you won't have lost anything and will still have alternate picking in your arsenal.
It does open up a lot of possibilities, but don't assume it'll turn you into a master shredder overnight.


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## Maniacal (Mar 30, 2009)

I dont see how a totally different motion such as economy picking would increase your alternate speed. But yes I can see how it would help eliminate possible problems and help encourage small movements.


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## Cadavuh (Mar 30, 2009)

^i think you misread mang. i wouldnt be learning economy to improve my alternate, i would be switching over to economy.


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## Maniacal (Mar 30, 2009)

Oh ok.

Then I would suggest you dont. 

Alternate picking has far more uses than economy and you can easily play fast enough with alternate to ever bother with economy. 

Of course there are uses for economy but there are far more uses for alternate.


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## vontetzianos (Mar 30, 2009)

I don't know if you're doing yourself any favours by neglecting alternate picking and working on economy picking if your alternate picking isn't there yet. For me, economy picking is easier and more natural, but because it is easier (to me, at least), it really isn't going to provide much of an accuracy improvement, but rather encouraging smaller movements. 

Its like doing pushups; the more difficult ones always give you more of a workout. I suggest you work intently on alternate picking, paying strict attention to crossing strings such as in arpeggios, because its a lot harder to play them alternately.


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## ShadyDavey (Mar 30, 2009)

Many people who are tremendously good at economy picking (Frank Gambale being a very notable case in point) developed that technique on top of a very solid foundation in alternate picking so I would suggest that you never stop working on your alternate picking even if you choose to incorporate economy into your style.

They're both simply tools in the bag to provide you with the ability to express yourself musically and as such each provide different benefits to the lines you're endeavouring to play. Having the ability to change your techniques to suit the style of music is a massive benefit to developing phrases that aren't predictable. I was a diehard alternate picker for a very long time indeed and even after learning economy picking I found that switching between the two as the situations demanded was better than simply focussing on one or the other.

Its only mechanics, get them out of the way and concentrate on the notes 



Cadavuh said:


> ^i think you misread mang. i wouldnt be learning economy to improve my alternate, i would be switching over to economy.



Remember - there are a lot of situations where you simply can't economy pick and alternate picking is incredibly important when it comes to rhythm


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## Cadavuh (Mar 30, 2009)

^yea i would only really be using economy for fast runs and some phrasings.


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## ShadyDavey (Mar 30, 2009)

Cadavuh said:


> ^yea i would only really be using economy for fast runs and some phrasings.



In that case, definately learn it - just keep up your alternate picking as well


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## yingmin (Mar 30, 2009)

Why not? I can't imagine there ever being a benefit to NOT learning a particular technique.


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## jimmyshred (Mar 30, 2009)

The more techniques you can use the better,
It all helps you add to certain aspects of your music, 
I find economy is great for tearing down simple patters but harder to use when you need to change or skip strings sometimes in weird positions, 
But as everyone has said, dont completely stop alternate picking because there are going to be some patterns where economy wont work and alternate picking will be perfect,


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## ShadyDavey (Mar 30, 2009)

String skipping is one of those areas where economy can fall down for sure - if you've left your previous string on a downstroke then you need to move the pick over the adjacent string(s) rather than through them and adding another motion to your picking hand defeats the whole purpose of economy picking  

There are some nifty repeating licks you can cycle at insane speeds while taking advantage of the odd/even thing to turn around rapidly, and if you get chance to have a look at some of the Frank Gambale/Derryl Gabel stuff (I saw a couple of tabs on the net) you can absolutely _burn_ some passages - the odd thing is that I found that while I could play some licks faster with economy picking, because it imparts that legato feel to your playing if I alt-picked the same thing it sounded more "White Knuckles" so I didn't use it that often.

I guess if I were more of a fusion or jazz head I would


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## Luan (Mar 30, 2009)

IMO, don't waste the time you can practice alternate, on economy picking.
Alternate and sweep as different techniques ftw


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## AgentWalrus (Mar 31, 2009)

jesus are you guys kidding me. 
yea dont practice this dont practice that.
practice whatever the fuck you want, its not gonna make you any worse.


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## Luan (Mar 31, 2009)

lulz


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## S-O (Mar 31, 2009)

I'd say learn both. I need to work on my alt picking, for rhythm, because it sounds like shit for certain riffs when I use econ picking.


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## freepower (Apr 3, 2009)

Economy picking is certainly useful in many situations, having a bit of a handle on it is very useful but it won't give you a nudge up the metronome.


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## TonalArchitect (Apr 3, 2009)

Maniacal said:


> Oh ok.
> 
> Then I would suggest you dont.
> 
> ...




Complete and utter agreement. 

My thought has been for a while: whatever you can do with economy you can do with alternate picking, and many things you can do with alternate, economy is unable to facilitate. 

It makes some things easier, but in my opinion, they tend towards widdling up and down scales, and I think that the runs have to be rather extensive to make the eased effort significant.

Now keep in mine I've also dumped sweeping as a technique because I can't see using it musically-- Note that this is for me and I speak for no one else. 

I see alternate picking (and legato) to be more versatile and thus more useful-- for me and what I want to do.


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