Advanced Plectrum Technique
Outline: This lesson gives the basic principles of more advanced picking techniques. It is useful to know information and techniques for these special types of picking to get a grasp of more advanced ways in which professional guitarists play, but it is not immediately necessary to learn these techniques unless you already have a firm understanding of the basic mechanics of the guitar.
Introduction to Sweep Picking
Sweep picking is a highly advanced and technical picking style which, with lots of practice, can become a powerful tool in any advanced guitarist's arsenal. Used by advanced neo-classical or progressive guitarists such as Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, sweep picking is basically a method of playing one-note-per-string arpeggios or chord patterns, in one pick motion, and separating the notes so they sound consecutively.
Sweep picking is achieved as the guitarist picks through consecutive adjacent strings, and fingers a note on each of them separately. This creates a simulation of an extremely fast, arpeggiated scale. Of course, to perfect this, the guitarist has to have a very good handle on the different types of picking, and how to pick in one fluid motion. The guitarist must also be educated in the ways of arpeggios, etc. to be able to pick out single notes on each string as fast as possible, without thinking twice. The hardest part of sweep picking, however, is actually physically separating each note. Instead of playing a traditional chord by sounding multiple notes at once, the guitarist needs to stop each previous note from sounding before the next. This is what gives it that "sweeping" effect: not letting the notes bleed into each other. Sweeps are usually done on 4-6 strings on the guitar. Take this example:
D D D D D D U U U U
U <-- Sweeping Pattern
e-----------------15-------------------
B--------------15----15----------------
G-----------16----------16-------------
D--------17----------------17----------
A-----17----------------------17-------
E--15----------------------------15----
You can see from this that the strokes are done in one fluid motion, much like economy picking, in which consecutive strings are played in one hand stroke. However, the trick to this is to separate each note, by lifting the finger off the previous note before striking the other, making the previous note stop ringing. If the notes blend together, they would be like this:
D
e-----15-------
B-----15-------
G-----16-------
D-----17-------
A-----17-------
E-----15-------
You can see that this produces a standard G Major chord instead of a swept arpeggio. Make sure you lift the fingers when playing arpeggios. With the picking hand, make sure that you don't glide over the strings as if playing a chord, but instead drop the pick naturally from string to string, separating each individual one and hitting each one before plucking it. To develop this skill further, listen to songs with complex sweeping, and try to work on some of their methods. Work on the physical aspects of playing them, by making sure you're playing note-by-note, not meshing the notes together. This is the key behind this.
Introduction to Hybrid Picking
A very unique, innovative way of picking, this sort of picking was pioneered by country and rockabilly guitar players like Chet Atkins, but was later used by a variety of players, such as Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, and Randy Rhoads. It involves the use of the entire picking hand for playing complex fingerpicked passages. The difference from hybrid picking and fingerpicking is that hybrid picking utilizes the flatpick, as well. The pick is held conventionally, between the thumb and index finger, and the middle, ring, and pinky fingers (the picking hand pinky is rarely used in guitar applications, but is used in hybrid picking) are used to pluck the treble strings, 1, 2, and 3. For many jazz guitarists, the pick is used to play the bass line on the low string (sometimes played with 7 string guitars) and the fingers are used to play the melody lines. This can be tricky, but interesting if used correctly and in the right musical situations.
Take
the photo to the left into consideration. The pick handles the top (thick)
strings, and the rest of the fingers are free to pluck the rest of the strings.
The pick strokes down, much like the thumb in fingerpicking situations. The
pinky, ring, and middle fingers pluck the strings upwards.
Take a look at this hybrid picking application:
D U U U U U D U U U U U D <--
Hybrid Pick/Finger Pattern
e----------------------------------------
B------------3--------------3------------
G----------2---2----------3---3----------
D--------0-------0------0-------0--------
A----------------------------------------
E----0--------------0--------------0-----
P M R p R M P M R p R M P
In this tablature, the letters below the staff describe what is used to pluck this note. P stands for Pick, M stands for Middle finger, R stands for Ring finger, and the small p stands for the Pinky finger. Notice their pattern, and how the farthest notes are picked in relation to which finger most easily accesses that string. The pinky, although it is used in this situation, is only used occasionally. Notice how the pattern above the staff shows the downstrokes and upstrokes. The pickstroke is downwards, followed by upstrokes made by the individual fingers. Try playing this pattern, and see if you can apply hybrid picking into some of your everyday arpeggios or riffs. It can add an interesting touch to any melody.
Tremolo Picking
Tremolo picking is a technique which can come rather simply if one has good physical control over his or her alternate picking technique. It simply involves playing a note repeatedly for its entire value, using a fast note division, such as 32nd or 64th notes, depending on the tempo and time signature of the song. The term "tremolo" refers to the rapid reiteration of a single note. Tremolo picking is used in certain rock soloing situations, in speed metal and the like. It can be helpful in order to increase the pacing of a song, and can prove to be an easy way to add an amount of frantic fervor to the song.
