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Introduction to Crossover Picking – Lesson 38

Ezequiel Romanko

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Nov 11, 2019
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What would you recommend as an acceptable target speed for these exercises?
i think 120-150 bpm in sixteenths can be an acceptable speed but you should work it slowly (starting from eights notes), because crossover picking can be a really annoying thing when you have to play at highs speed and that makes your playing at higher speeds sound wrong and it tends to desynchronize you.
 

idssdi

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Nov 11, 2019
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Ugh, I just realized that I have always naturally economy picked licks like this. Time to roll back the metronome and start over.
There's really nothing wrong with economy picking. It's all about the kind of sound you want to go for. If you want the attack to be more aggressive alternate picking is probably the one you would go for. If you want your picking to be Abit more subtle economy picking is your friend.
 

Bellah83

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Nov 11, 2019
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There's really nothing wrong with economy picking. It's all about the kind of sound you want to go for. If you want the attack to be more aggressive alternate picking is probably the one you would go for. If you want your picking to be Abit more subtle economy picking is your friend.
I kind of do both, depending on what I'm playing. Lead stuff is naturally economy style, but heavier rhythm riffs I seem to alternate consistently.

What do you think about exercises and development wise? I feel like I should relearn all of the Alternate picking etudes to perfect that cross over part of it.
 
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idssdi

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I kind of do both, depending on what I'm playing. Lead stuff is naturally economy style, but heavier rhythm riffs I seem to alternate consistently.

What do you think about exercises and development wise? I feel like I should relearn all of the Alternate picking etudes to perfect that cross over part of it.
Its really up to you, it's great for your development as a player to do so but if you're comfortable economy picking it you'll be fine too imo. For me whether I economy pick or alternate pick entirely depend on the type of lick it is. Basically, Alternate picking 1 is economy picked for me and once it starts string skipping I kinda automatically alternate pick because I have to.
 

idssdi

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Damn, It´s true that is tricky but i have a question, does this crossover techincs, will help us to make better fast guitar passages, or what?
Not by definition. You can literally pick any technique you want and okay fast things with it. This is fundamental alternate picking so if you want to alternate pick you got to learn how to do it.
 
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Imactuallyadrummer

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This question really could have applied this to any previous lesson, especially the pentatonic scales, but this stuck out the most on these exercise: Say for example the sequence on the 4th string "4 - 5 - 7", is there a difference to individually fingering each fret, as opposed to just using three fingers and holding each fret as the notes progress? (Such as holding 4 - then both 4, 5 - then all 4, 5, 7 and then letting go) That was hard to explain and I hope that made sense. Not sure if there's a specific term for this? Just trying to scope out if there are any particular good or bad habits to pick up and/or avoid while it's all fresh!
 

idssdi

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This question really could have applied this to any previous lesson, especially the pentatonic scales, but this stuck out the most on these exercise: Say for example the sequence on the 4th string "4 - 5 - 7", is there a difference to individually fingering each fret, as opposed to just using three fingers and holding each fret as the notes progress? (Such as holding 4 - then both 4, 5 - then all 4, 5, 7 and then letting go) That was hard to explain and I hope that made sense. Not sure if there's a specific term for this? Just trying to scope out if there are any particular good or bad habits to pick up and/or avoid while it's all fresh!
In principle you should use a finger per fret. For example, if you play 4 5 7 on the D string you use pointing finger, middle finger and pinky. Just using the pointing finger will slow you down. As far keeping them there in principle you slightly release the pressure if you stop playing the note.
 

Imactuallyadrummer

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In principle you should use a finger per fret. For example, if you play 4 5 7 on the D string you use pointing finger, middle finger and pinky. Just using the pointing finger will slow you down. As far keeping them there in principle you slightly release the pressure if you stop playing the note.


I'm not fully understanding your reply, which makes me wonder if maybe I didn't explain what I was trying to convey very clearly haha. So I just made a quick video to show what I was trying to say. Apologies for the atrocious clicking, I use my phone to keep time and didn't think it'd be so loud. By the third note of every bar I have my index, middle and pinky fingers on all 3 frets in this video (as opposed to letting go as I go along) My question is - is there any particular method that's more efficient than the other method in different scenarios? Anything that would be considered a bad habit, good habit, or situational?
 
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Adin Shepherd

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I would say there is no hard and fast rule, it is really dependant on what you are playing and what works best for you. If you are playing the same group of notes forward and back (eg, frets 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 on a single string) it may be more efficient to leave the 4 and 5 anchored until you come back to them. If you are playing a sequence of 4 5 7 4 5 7 4 5 it is more efficient to lift the 5 to make it easier to jump from the 7 to the 4, the 4 can remain anchored ( or, if you are like me I would lift the 4 too, moving that finger, even just a little, helps me keep time).

Hope that makes sense.
 

Dominik Gräber

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    Just watched this lesson first time. It's funny, I am a natural economy player. I can do alternate picking but it feels a little weird.

    My tip to add to @Brian Haner Sr. lesson: if you are very self aware and had some practice with the exercise you want to learn, it CAN be benefitial to practice with distortion. Because what you focus on then is actually playing very clean and proper muting. If you only play on the clean channel and switch to the distortion you may notice just how much unwanted noise there is while playing. So muting is a beast that definetly needs to be tackled too when practicing speedy licks!