Michael D Ricketts "Alternate Economy Picking"

[theguitarwiz]

Hey Frankpaws

Cool! Thanks for the comment.

Mike

[seanSHRED87]

I angle my pick when I sweep and especially when I palm mute.

[AppleFender]

can you just have the camera on the body so I can see....:S

[bitcheznhos]

Ricketts is a cool last name

[izephyrmor]

now I'm confused... ( x __ x )

[rasuk]

so basically what is economy picking -_- i don't get it

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Its about economy of motion. In other words, if you can play two notes with one motion in theory you should be able to play faster than playing two notes with two motions. It is not the best technique for everything, it has its place in sweeping and the like.

Best

Mike

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Make sure we are talking about the same angle first. Imagine this . to be the string and this / to be the pick angle.

./ not good

.\ not good

.- good

Now from there you can twist the pick to get less resistance albeit at the expense of a little attack.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[frankpaws]

Paul Gilbert, Buckethead, Marty Friedman and many others play with their pick angled.

Gilbert said his is about 45 degrees.

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Yep they do but thats not the angle Im talking about.

Check out the other replies.

Best

Mike

[BeatBay]

@frankpaws thats true!! but i personally must say that i can pick very fast with flat alternate picking. the 46 degree works for me only with fast metal muting on the e string. really lightning fast shredding is for me only with a flatpicking possible. even if nearly all shredders told me the 45 degree technic. but i only can hold up with them with the flat pick

[Dreamdancer11]

@frankpaws it depends on the plane you are angling it....if you hold it perpedicular to the strings and the twist it...like you twisting a screw...then you have your 45 degree angle Paul is talking about.And you absolutely need that if you want your pick to glide across the strings and not get caught.I think he is talking more about angling the pick towards the floor when ascending and away from the floor when decending..which is bad.But perpendicular in all planes is simply unplayable.

[Shun101010]

can this be used in place of speed picking or is it just something to add to my arsenal?

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Really its just a tool in your arsenal. For me, I use a combination of, this, alternate, and hammering and pulling.

I dont think about it at the time, its kind of whatever it takes to fit what I am playing.

Thanks for watching.

Mike

[boblong101]

If angling your pick is improper technique, then boy, do many professionals have it wrong -_-

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

There is more than one way to angle the pick. The one referenced in this vid is angleing it so that it impeads your playing when coming back up across the strings. Another angle is when you twist the pick to creat less resistance. If you are a shredder, twisting the pick is the thing to do to pick up the speed. Its a 3D world and the angle referenced in the vid is just one of them.

Best

Mike

[1kydde2]

I knew angling the pick was a bad idea!!! my guitar teacher said otherwise but i knew it was a bad idea!!

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Yes angle-ing is not good. Twisting the pick however is used by shredders to slice across the strings so the pick is less likely to get hung up. You do lose a bit of attack from it though. When you are in a loud band, pick attack and a clean tone will get you heard!

:-)

Mike

[boedonaldson]

I cant believe I hadnt discovered economy picking earlier. This has severley slowed my technical ability down by years. Thankyou so much for this lesson, its a god sent. Time to start back from square one. down, up, down, down up down

[oOoMagicFingersoOo]

I never used economy picking before but if it helps me Im gonna switch to it.

Thanks for the vid, very usefull.

[40laceration]

i was economy picking i didnt even know it......but when asceniding, i still use down strokes when trasitioning instead of up strokes

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Cool, economy picking, alternate picking, hammering and pulling, and some combination of all three, I figure you can play just about anything!

Keep on pickin:-)

Mike

[SHAWNMCDUFFIE]

somw people use this when they dont even  no they are

[theguitarwiz]

Hey

Yep, thats when you got it. When you just play and your hands just do what they need to with out thinking about it.

Best

Mike

[russthearms]

cheers Mike and kudos for the vid

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Cheers to you!

Stay tuned :-)

Mike

[russthearms]

MAB, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane etc. So my question is, do these guys use alt picking all the time? For example when doing an ascending/descending run across the fret board with 3 notes per string? Because to me, doing this particular pattern of lick at these high speeds is attainable using economy picking yet using alt picking seems impossible! I know with other patterns eg 6 notes per string it is simpler as you will end on an up stroke if ascending and therefore alt is the obvious choice

[theguitarwiz]

Hi Russ

This is just a tool in your toolbox. I cant think of a player out there that uses alternate economy, straight alternate picking, or hammers and pulls exclusively all the time. To be a virtuoso you have to be a master of all three and then use what you need to get the job done. In what I do it always ends up being whatever is easiest!

Stay tuned :-)

Mike

[trevskiw2008]

i have always used alternate picking for any lick and economy picking seams so wierd to me quite hard to switch to eonomy picking after doing alternite for such a long time.

i think shawn lane did use alternite all the time but i am not sure.

and he is so wrong about beinding the pick gilbert and shawn lane does it!!!

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Picture this line - as the pick and this period . as the string. This angle -.90 degrees, lets you play up or down the guitar without twisting your wrist. If you angle the pick like .\ or /. you would have to twist you wrist every time you changed direction. I saw Paul play at GIT back in the day and he would twist the pick so it sliced across the strings.

Totally different angle that what Im talking about?

Think 3D:-)

Cheers

Mike

[0ptriX]

I guess it all depends on what style you want to play really.

Shawn Lane mainly played with an extreme sideways angle for a super fast and smooth attack. And trevskiw2008, Lane didn't *really* use economy picking in the normal sense, it's just that in some of his playing he'd sweep the first two notes then pluck the next with his middle finger. The rest was mainly alternate picked and legato/hybrid.

Btw, nice playing, Mike. :]

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Absolutely! This is just one tool in the box and using them all is what makes it so cool to see what a picker can come up with. Exactly as well about slicing the string versus hitting it flat on. Its all about doing what you need to do to get what's in your head out.

Thanks for the compliment :-)

Mike

[russthearms]

Hi Mike, I've a question to ask regarding alt and econmy picking. I am self taught and have always naturally used economy picking from the start. Only on picking up a few guitar mags did i find out that a lot of top shredders use alt picking.

I know guys like steve Morse always do it strictly and as far as i am aware never use economy picking. If I practised enough maybe i could reach his level of speed and accuracy one day.

However there are guys with blinding speed such as Cooley,

[trevskiw2008]

i have never used economy picking and i play all lane gilbert and malmsteen stuff you do not need it!!!!

[HillbillyMachinist]

... angling the pick is a mistake???

... tell that to Paul Gilbert ... hehe

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Picture this line - as the pick and this period . as the string. This angle -.90 degrees, lets you play up or down the guitar without twisting your wrist. If you angle the pick like .\ or /. you would have to twist you wrist every time you changed direction. I saw Paul play at GIT back in the day and he would twist the pick so it sliced across the strings.

Totally different angle that what Im talking about?

I love that name, Hillbillymachinist :-)

Cheers

Mike

[wackid89]

It's like a cross between alternate picking and sweeping

[theguitarwiz]

Hi wackid89

It sure is! Between this, straight alternate picking, and hammers and pulls, I think you can play pretty much anything you want to:-)

Best

Mike

[IntoleranceVII]

Good video, but the beginning...YEAH your micheal d ricket, we get it.

[theguitarwiz]

Hey There Intolerance VII

Yeah If I could remake these vids I would definetly shorten up the intros. Glad you liked the vid though.

Best

Mike

[Silhouette87]

When I practise slow I prefer resting the pick on the top of the next string while ascending and on the bottom on the next string while descending (towards the sky) while sweeping or economy picking.

I think this is a good way to practise rather than resting the pick in between strings, try to be as "economic" as you can with your picking, always practise slow as you want your picking to be while playing fast.

Good video!

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

If you do this right, there wont be any time to be resting on the strings or in between them for that matter! This was just slowed down for the camera man and explanation.

Stay tuned :-)

Mike

[PestVic]

LOL angling the pick is an error? HAHA WOW... even yngwie angles his pick...

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

I get allot of comments on that. There is a difference between angleing the pick (which would hang you up depending on which way you were picking) and twisting the pick (which is what the shredders do to slice the string for less resistance). I dont think I said anything about twisting the pick.

Best

Mike

[PestVic]

yeah ok i get it now. angle as in straight pick and an angle. but twisting the pick was what i meant. cheers!

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Ubet

Take care.

Mike

[megajames3000]

it's just alternate picking with out sloppiness

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Yep, you could say that!

Best

Mike

Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

[FatSlim666]

???

[YaoiLover11]

this is what i've always done

i had no idea i was using a technique

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Very cool, its allot easier to do it than to learn it!

Best

Mike

Check out Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

[SumduMediaPresident]

So I was right about not using an angle! I'm sorry, more of an Alternate picker, economy is just too efficient for me. :>

[Worshipsatch]

I feel more comfortable with economy picking than alternate...., but can you play EVERYTHING with economy picking?

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

The economy picking works best for the scalar stuff. I use to practice it allot but now its just kinda natural to play that way. It doesnt work for everything I but I do find that when I am playing down the strings I start with a down stroke and when I am playing up the strings I start with an up stroke so I guess some of that practicing found its way in to the way I play today.

Hope this helps.

Best

Mike

Check out Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

It rocks:-)

[Gosukusan]

When I first began learning guitar, I was under the impression that economy was simply the best way for all speed playing. I practiced it constantly and now there isn't a single thing I play that doesn't use it. Is this a bad thing? should I be practicing regular alternate picking in certain songs or exercises? What is the best way to determine the right choice of picking style? Is it just personal preference or is there more to it?

[theguitarwiz]

Hey there,

IMHO, the work that you put into alternate economy picking will serve you well regardless of what you are playing. Your habit is to start with an upstroke when playing up the guitar and a downstroke when playing down the guitar. That in itself sets you up for the next note you are going to pick and does so in the most efficient manner. Like playing pool, its not just making the shot its setting up for the next one that wins the game!

Best

Mike

Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

[Gosukusan]

Thank you for the quick reply. If you don't mind, I have a couple other quick picking questions.

When I practice fast picking, I notice that I do a decent amount of picking movement with the thumb and index finger holding the pick, instead of using my wrist alone. This includes me extending my thumb and index a bit to do so(mostly with adjacent strings). Is this a bad habit? I pick faster doing it.

Second, is it OK to rest my wrist on the other strings or the guitar for support when picking?

[Gosukusan]

To add on to my last comment.

I just watched myself moving my thumb and index finger while picking and it appears that I don't move the pick more than a couple millimeters without help from the wrist. The extension of my index and thumb appears minimal.  Still, I am worried to continue practicing this way if there's a possibility of it being detrimental to my picking.

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

No worries. If what you are doing is allowing you to play across the strings in either direction without getting hung up, your cool. What your doing sounds allot like something that Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, heck even Van Halen does.

The alternate economy technique is just one of many that people use to get it out there.

Just keep after it.

Best

Mike

Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

[Gosukusan]

Thanks again for the great responses, you've been very helpful :)

[iowngh3]

is this really michaelricketts?!?!?!

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Yep its me:-) Someone told me there is another guitarist out there that has the same name but I have never heard of him and dont know anything about him.

Best

Mike

Check out Clark Pauken Ricketts "Reactivated"

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Boy I have gotten allot of grief over that comment.

For what I do, keeping it flat yields the control and attack I am looking for.

Works for me, should not have called it an error though.

Best

Mike

[theguitarwiz]

Hey Nix

Twisting the pick is something that allot of players due to smooth things out. When I say angle, I am refering to holding the pick in such a manner so that you dont have to shift your wrist when you change direction. (picking down the strings and then coming back up) Its about economy of motion, the less things you do different, the better you will get at the things you do consistantly.

Best

Mike

[CavallinoSilver]

I think he means that it's an error when they angle it unintentionally.

[BigCarpFoxRiver]

michaeldricketts, thank you so much for posting good videos. I learned alot.

[theguitarwiz]

Hi

Puts a smile on my face to hear that.

So glad it helped you.

Take care.

Mike

[5starcomment]

my god...holding the pick with less hanging out is the best advice i've ever got, and my playing has literally improved out of sight in the last ten minutes...

i'm amazed that such a small adjustment has produced such stunning results in both speed and accuracy and clarity...aswell as consistency...i used to get about one out of five runs the way i wanted them, now it's every time...

thank-you Michael...

[mpm1900]

he said dont angle the pick when Gentaro angles his pick when he play to see what im talking about see type in neo classical sweep or check my profile and see it and someone explain this to me im just a beginer.

[Worshipsatch]

that was for economy picking, not alternate picking which gentaro samura does if thats who u are talking about....

[Ruens07]

i remember a while back ago i used to only pick downwards. then it took a while to learn the economy picking if thats what its called

[scarydude]

Hmm, I've been playing for about 1.5 years now and I strictly use alternate picking as I have been learning from Paul Gilbert's Intense Rock Vol. 1 and 2. I can't get much speed outta my picking even though I practise his chops everyday without fail. Do you think it's wise for me to switch to economy picking? Because I did try and I usually unconsciously switch back to alternate while doing scales. =/

[theguitarwiz]

Hey Scary Dude

Paul Gilbert is an absolute master of picking, alternate, economy, sweep, etc as well as left hand pulling and hammering . And being a master, he incorporates all of the techniques to end up with a seamless performance. To do what he does you need to work on all that is mentioned above. If you are working on his exercises, really pay attention to what he is saying, and do it that way. But give equal time to the other techniques as well.

Best

michaeldricketts dot com

[megadethown]

yah if u really wanna shred u have to use economy otherwise u can just legato if ur lazy lol

[BlowBackBenny]

I did this when I learned to 'alternate pick' from an 80's yngwie lesson - Should I learn to alternate aswell? I find economy is much more natural for me...

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy,

Absolutely! You do whatever it takes to get what you hear in your head out. Sometimes it takes alternate picking, sometimes it takes economy picking, sometimes its all hammers and pulls. Work on everything so that you dont have to think about technique when you are playing.

Best

michaeldricketts dot com

[alvagingra2]

i was doing this economy picking naturaly and i thougth it was an error to do that unless than regular alternate picking :/

[theguitarwiz]

Howdy

Thats cool that it was natural for you. Its called economy of motion and its not unique to guitar playing. The concept besides saving un-needed movement is that the less you have to do, the better at it you will become at it.

Thanks for posting.

Mike

[jose044]

angle the pick is not an error

[theguitarwiz]

Hey there

Your right its not an error. It has its place. I guess I should have said its easier to angle the pick but at the expense of attack. Its much harder to play quickly and cleanly with the pick flat but the attack is there and its easy to hear the difference. If you can play with it flat, angleing it when you need to is effortless.

Best

Mike

michaeldricketts dot com

[jongpilyun]

To be honest, I like the tone from a ~45 degree pick better than a perfectly flat. Especially when going for a slightly palm muted scalar run, it sounds like a mix between a machine gun and detache.

[dl0]

Purists are helarious. I suppose its bad technique when Van Halen puts down a six pack of tallboys and plays guitar for 10 hours.

He's too drunk to know if his pick is angled or not. And he's using his index finger for tapping. I mean is this guy lame or what? Everyone knows its more versatile to tap with your middle finger!

So... *I* think that Eddie would improve drastically by eliminating the six pack of tallboys and making sure he's tapping with the middle finger.

?

[theguitarwiz]

No I dont play everything with the pick flat, (heck I dont even pick every note for that matter) and sometimes when I cant find my slide, I use the empty corona bottle that I just finished. I practice technique at 100% so that maybe, just maybe I can perform live at 75% of my ability.

And this video has nothing to do with right hand fingerboard technique!

Did you mean this post for another video?

Mike Ricketts

michaeldricketts dot com

[dl0]

No, I was just being a smart ass. The best pickers out there specifically angle the pick because it allows greater speed and articulation due to the "nudging" of the string rather than trying to rake the flat edge of the pick over the string.

Your comment about practicing with perfect technique is great. I believe that is very important. I guess I was in a bad mood yesterday when I felt like being a smart ass about picking techniques.

[theguitarwiz]

No worries dude. These vids are far from know all end all, I was just hoping they might give new players that have nothing to go on a place to start.

Keep rockin.

Mike

michaeldricketts dot com

[Juan2611]

to angle the pick is a natural thing to play and Paul Gilbert recommends it! so... I guess it's not an error as he said...

[theguitarwiz]

Hello

Yes you can angle the pick and it makes it easier to sweep the strings. However if you need attack in your style of playing, you need to be able to keep the pick flat as is shown in the video as well.

Have a good one.

Mike

michaeldricketts dot com