# What are some good alternate picking exercises? (I'm about to enter the woodshed...)



## TheBotquax (Jun 6, 2011)

I always hear stories about people spending 2 or 3 months playing 6 hours a day on a strict regiment and emerging being twice as good as when they first started. Is this really a good way of practicing? Summer is approaching and I'm planning on spending every single day playing at least 5 hours a day to a little right hand picking/shredding regiment I made for myself (complete with a metronome!), but I don't want to waste my time with something that isn't going to help in the long run. 

What are some good exercises that you know of that are hard as crap but will help me improve? (Keep in mind that I'm a fairly good player, but I'm hoping that this will help turn me into a GREAT player!)

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Overtone (Jun 6, 2011)

Metronome time is definitely going to help. I would say the exercises matter less than your actual approach... focus on playing the exercise with the best possible technique first. Then gradually scale up the tempo. Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci both have a plethora of great exercises... check out the dvd's they have out.

That said, working on your technique and speed is only half the equation... the other half is to really feel the music. Too many guitarists focus on what their hands have to do to the point where they forget to spend any time getting the brain involved with what you are doing.


----------



## epsylon (Jun 7, 2011)

Playing Tumeni Notes by Steve Morse.


----------



## Maniacal (Jun 7, 2011)

Yeah, Tumeni Notes is an excellent exercise. As is Flight Of The Bumble Bee.


----------



## SirMyghin (Jun 7, 2011)

Tumeni is the epitome of 1 note per string arpeggios alt picked. For something a little easier start with Glasgow kiss, the intro riff is also great exercise for that. I relish the day when I can actually play Tumeni notes.. about 50 BPM to go....(and that is just for the first 2 themes ) I am definitely a better player for trying though.


----------



## Solodini (Jun 8, 2011)

I think what makes a great guitar player, as opposed to a good guitarist, is being aware of what notes you're playing. I use the chromatic scale, using no more than 2 positions per string, saying each note as you play it. That helped me lots. What also works well is to take whatever you're playing and alternate pick it but starting with an up pick instead of a downpick or vice versa. Helps with odd groupings where your picking will reverse with each group.


----------



## penguin_316 (Jun 8, 2011)

Honestly, if you want to get some solid chops it takes more than picking exercises. I would recommend just going for it and learning entire songs so you learn to incorporate the techniques.
Learn some Steve Vai stuff, that should keep you busy. Anything off of Alien Love Secrets. Older stuff from him, but packed with techniques, including difficult alt picking runs.


----------



## TheBotquax (Jun 8, 2011)

penguin_316 said:


> Honestly, if you want to get some solid chops it takes more than picking exercises. I would recommend just going for it and learning entire songs so you learn to incorporate the techniques.
> Learn some Steve Vai stuff, that should keep you busy. Anything off of Alien Love Secrets. Older stuff from him, but packed with techniques, including difficult alt picking runs.



Yeah I forgot to mention that I'm already a very clean sweeper and legato-er, but when I try to alternate pick those fast, petrucci style runs, it's so sloppy its almost funny (ALMOST). And I do intend to devote some time to sweeping and legato to clean it up to necrophagist cleanliness, but for now it's just the alternate picking that I REALLY need to concentrate on.


----------



## TheBotquax (Jun 8, 2011)

*just listened to tumeni notes*

 BRB TAB

*looks at tab* 
 FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

I'll be able to do it one day!


----------



## CD1221 (Jun 9, 2011)

^

same here.

sad now.....


----------



## Overtone (Jun 9, 2011)

Try out Technical Difficulties by Racer X. It actually incorporates legato and alt picking (PG shows you in a lesson vid, for the fills it's down hammer hammer on the lower string and up down up on the next string). Anyway, it takes good technique to play it up to speed, but it's not as daunting a task to actually learn the song at a lower tempo as tumeni notes would be.


----------



## right_to_rage (Jun 9, 2011)

One thing that helped me a lot with alternate picking is improvising with the intent of alternate picking every note. It turns the whole experience into a musical exercise. Every once in a while I'll start trem picking a single note line just to stay loose while pushing my speed. Other than that, things that are difficult to me now I'll either take and play at various slower speeds, or I'll isolate one section and loop it until its comfortable.


----------



## SirMyghin (Jun 9, 2011)

Overtone said:


> Try out Technical Difficulties by Racer X. It actually incorporates legato and alt picking (PG shows you in a lesson vid, for the fills it's down hammer hammer on the lower string and up down up on the next string). Anyway, it takes good technique to play it up to speed, but it's not as daunting a task to actually learn the song at a lower tempo as tumeni notes would be.



At the end in the long run yes, but when he is playing the main riff he picks all those notes. But yes, it is a very good practice song as you have multiple rhythmic patterns and such.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES1RypBww_g 

You can see it here pretty clearly.


----------



## Overtone (Jun 9, 2011)

Good call. It seems like a few times he's doing it w/ hammer ons (and most of those high fills descending are pulloffs), but it definitely looks like he picks all the notes in most of the lower string runs. Maybe even PG's hand gets tired playing that song!

Speed bursts is a great alt picking exercise too... try a low tempo like 60 bpm in 3/4 and play 8 sixteenth notes followed by 8 32nd notes, and repeat the rhythmic pattern.


----------



## SirMyghin (Jun 9, 2011)

Overtone said:


> Good call. It seems like a few times he's doing it w/ hammer ons (and most of those high fills descending are pulloffs), but it definitely looks like he picks all the notes in most of the lower string runs. Maybe even PG's hand gets tired playing that song!
> 
> Speed bursts is a great alt picking exercise too... try a low tempo like 60 bpm in 3/4 and play 8 sixteenth notes followed by 8 32nd notes, and repeat the rhythmic pattern.



Yeah the higher ones are pulloffs on the first 3 then picked as you said.


----------



## TheBotquax (Jun 9, 2011)

Actually, I have some of the arpeggios of tumeni notes down good at 150 bpm. Alt picking one note per string runs is how I began my venture into sweep picking lol


----------



## justreleased09 (Jun 10, 2011)

So how is Paul playing the last long run(covers all 6 strings)? all picked?


----------



## Overtone (Jun 10, 2011)

He's not... that's the part that is all Down hammer hammer up down up

YouTube - &#x202a;Paul Gilbert Technical Difficulties Lesson&#x202c;&rlm;

And like I said, in some parts of the main riff he does it (on some of the ascending ones too) but I'm not sure if that's just him not being super strict about when he picks and when he hammers or if the song is supposed to go like that.


----------



## BWalter123 (Jun 13, 2011)

If you really want to master alternate picking, purchase Rusty Cooley's Shred Guitar Manifesto, take the alternate picking workout and play 10-15 of the exercises for 5 minutes a day. It covers single and multiple string patterns, forward, reverse, in 5's, 3's, 6's, 7's etc. If you dedicate yourself to it, mastering alternate picking will not be an issue.


----------



## failshredder (Jun 13, 2011)

Single-string licks in weird groupings -- say, C B A B C B A (sevens) or C B A B C | A B C B A (fives/tens) really helps. String changes, though, I can't really help you with, heh.

Oh, and do this one: A C B C (repeat ad nauseum). REALLY tricky to get up to speed.


----------



## FarBeyondMetal (Jun 14, 2011)

Get Petrucci's Rock Discipline. Done deal.


----------

