economy picking

[MetalRevolution]

I understand that economy picking is a break from alternate picking, but I can't make sense of how to go so fast with this technique. Does anyone have any helpful hints about it?

Heavy metal till the end.

[cyberfret]

Economy picking is another term for sweep picking. Other than playing arpeggios, I personal think that economy picking is very limiting (personal opinion). You have far greater control using alternate picking. Jazz fusion guitar player Frank Gambale is someone who has taken this to a very high level.

Frank would play a basic major scale like the example below. Since the last picking direction on the 5th string was a down, he would start the next string with a down pick. So the idea in theory is that you can go faster because you are using an economy of movement. The economy picking purist would say that you are make unnecessary movement by picking the 4th string up (which is what you would do with strict alternate picking).




E:------------------------------------------
B:------------------------------------------
G:--------------------------4--6--7---------
D:-----------------4--6--7------------etc..-
A:--------4--5--7---------------------------
E:--5--7------------------------------------
d u d u d d u d d u d





Actually picking direction has a lot to to with the rhythms that are being played. Therefore the advise to pick with strict down and up picking would also be incorrect. But for scales and lines that are keeping a consistent rhythm, strict alternate picking is what I would suggest. For arpeggios, you can actually play some things much faster using sweep picking.

Here is a lesson on basic sweep picking to check out.
http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/sweep-picking/index.htm

--Shawn