# Starting with an upstroke or downstroke



## distressed_romeo (Dec 27, 2006)

With alternate picking, do you tend to start with a downstroke or upstroke?

I know picking masters like Greg Howe, Paul Gilbert, Michael Angelo and Shawn Lane found certain lines easier to play this way (Lane tended to start most of his picking this way according to his first REH video).
Personally, I always tended to start with a downstroke, but the past year or so I've found I tend to start certain things with an upstroke (the infamous Paul Gilbert lick for instance), even if ascending, and my technique's become far more fluid and natural as a result. This happens a lot when I'm mixing picked and legato notes, which is happenning more and more in my style.

What's everyone else found?


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## OzzyC (Dec 27, 2006)

i tend to start with downstrokes most of the time

i dont really pay attention to the exact way i pick most of the time though
id say i probably start on upstrokes occationally too


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## DDDorian (Dec 28, 2006)

Generally speaking, I'm more of an upstroker, as my downstroking is pretty atrocious so I get more pleasing sounds from upstrokes for accents and things like that.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Dec 28, 2006)

I always start will a down stroke. Going up without going down first feels wrong to me (mainly because I never do it).


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## Leon (Dec 28, 2006)

perhaps it's making your playing better not because of the mechanics of it being an upstroke, but for the psychological effect that you're paying more attention to your picking technique?


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## distressed_romeo (Dec 28, 2006)

Leon said:


> perhaps it's making your playing better not because of the mechanics of it being an upstroke, but for the psychological effect that you're paying more attention to your picking technique?



That's possible actually...interesting point. However there are some patterns where it's undoubtedly mechanically more efficient to start in that way.


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## Seedawakener (Dec 28, 2006)

I usually only start with downstrokes. But my teacher tells me to accent all of the notes (one at a time) in maybe a lick or riff. In that wy I dont learn to start with upstrokes but to accent them. And tht makes them clearer. I think its the same psychological thing as Leon said. You pay more attention to the definition of the upstrokes.


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## JoryGriffin (Dec 28, 2006)

I normally do downstrokes because again it feels strange starting with an upstroke, but then again i just bought Rock Discipline so thats going to change soon


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