Help with Shredding

[CustomX]

Hey guys, Im self taught so I dont really have any kind of formal training but I feel like ive been progressing pretty well so far. Can you guys help me out with some sweep picking exercises and anything that will increase my speed both right and left hands? I'd really like to take my ability up to the next level and so anything you guys can offer would be incredibly appreciated. Heres a link that really inspires me...

http://www.guitarwar.com/sounds/MAJICSoulII.mp3

[darial]

Hey guys, Im self taught so I dont really have any kind of formal training but I feel like ive been progressing pretty well so far. Can you guys help me out with some sweep picking exercises and anything that will increase my speed both right and left hands? I'd really like to take my ability up to the next level and so anything you guys can offer would be incredibly appreciated. Heres a link that really inspires me...

http://www.guitarwar.com/sounds/MAJICSoulII.mp3
Check out Troy Stetina's book Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar - it covers everything you're asking about in a totally comprehensive way. It's arguably the bible of playing electric guitar fast. Be sure to work with a metronome.

[CustomX]

Can I snag that off Amazon or something similar?

[Tom Gross]

Sheets of Sound is pretty good:

http://www.sheetsofsound.net/

[CustomX]

God, even his son is really good (The Zucker guys). I just don't get how to pick that fast, everytime I pick that fast I feel like Im using my entire arm when I should just be using my wrist. I feel like I have that speed, maybe faster, I just dont have the control to move around vertically on the fretboard.

[darial]

Can I snag that off Amazon or something similar?
Yup. Somethimes they even have it in a combo deal with another cool book. I got Stetina's book on playing Randy Rhoads & Jake E Lee stuff essentially free that way.

[darial]

Sheets of Sound is pretty good:

http://www.sheetsofsound.net/
I've heard good things about that book.

[Tom Gross]

I've heard good things about that book.
Well, the coolest thing about it is you can jump in anywhere - you don't have toi do it in order, just flip to pentatonics or arpeggios and find something cool.

The only possible negative is he teaches a sweep non-alternate picking method, like Gambale uses, so for some of us it's a challenge to change your way of picking.

[darial]

Well, the coolest thing about it is you can jump in anywhere - you don't have toi do it in order, just flip to pentatonics or arpeggios and find something cool.

The only possible negative is he teaches a sweep non-alternate picking method, like Gambale uses, so for some of us it's a challenge to change your way of picking.
That's cool that you can jump in anywhere. I'll have to pick up a copy. I'm burried in stuff I should be practicing though.

As far as economy picking vs. alternate, I like that SMFLG teaches both, and tries to make a real distinction between when you're using one vs. the other.

[Dan Desy]

Well, the coolest thing about it is you can jump in anywhere - you don't have toi do it in order, just flip to pentatonics or arpeggios and find something cool.

The only possible negative is he teaches a sweep non-alternate picking method, like Gambale uses, so for some of us it's a challenge to change your way of picking.
Jack's picking pattern is as far as I was able to make it in the book :)

Mind you, I haven't had time really, but I thought the first thing would be to pick properly... I still can't do it!

[CustomX]

OK for anyone who is familiar with Creed's first CD My Own Prison, the song titeld "Pity for a Dime" has one sweet solo. My question is that Tremonti plays a part in that solo that sounds a tad palm muted yet sweep picked, or just fast as hell picking. Can you tell me the technique that he is using to get that distinct sound? The tab for it for the section I'm curious about is..

slight P.M.
|................................................. ...................
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------13-14-16-14-13--------------------------------13-14---
-14\-----------12-14-15----------------15-14-12--------------12-14-15---------
------12-14-15----------------------------------15-12--14-15------------------

Just listen to the song, you'll hear it in the solo, its palm muted. Sweep picking? Quick alternate picking? HOW!!!!

[darial]

OK for anyone who is familiar with Creed's first CD My Own Prison, the song titeld "Pity for a Dime" has one sweet solo. My question is that Tremonti plays a part in that solo that sounds a tad palm muted yet sweep picked, or just fast as hell picking. Can you tell me the technique that he is using to get that distinct sound? The tab for it for the section I'm curious about is..

slight P.M.
|................................................. ...................
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------13-14-16-14-13--------------------------------13-14---
-14\-----------12-14-15----------------15-14-12--------------12-14-15---------
------12-14-15----------------------------------15-12--14-15------------------

Just listen to the song, you'll hear it in the solo, its palm muted. Sweep picking? Quick alternate picking? HOW!!!!

Ok, I'm not seeing any useful sweeps there - usually a sweep involves at least three strings in succession with the pick moving the same direction. Normally the kind of line in the tab would be played either legatto (hammer-ons and pull-offs) or alternate picking. If he's palm muting, legatto's out so it has to be alternate picked.

You could do sort of a mini-sweep on the first three groups and play it V^V V^V V^V^V... but then after the group of five you have to alternate pick/string skip to go back to the lower strings. I wouldn't bother with economy picking on this though - it'll screw up the whole palm mute business. Just alternate pick it.

[CustomX]

I'll give it a try. Regardless, the lick is one of my warm up exercises that I do, pretty nifty.

[Bruce O'Donnell]

Ok, I'm not seeing any useful sweeps there - usually a sweep involves at least three strings in succession with the pick moving the same direction. Normally the kind of line in the tab would be played either legatto (hammer-ons and pull-offs) or alternate picking. If he's palm muting, legatto's out so it has to be alternate picked.In a recent interview Tremonti admits he's just getting comfortable with incorporating sweep into his solo's. His first recorded attempt is this passage from the solo of One Day Remains:

|-------14-19p14-19p==14---------14-19p14-19p==14-----------14-19p14-|
|----16-----------------------16-----------------------16-----------------|
|-18-----------------------18-----------------------18---------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------14-19p14-19p==14---------14-19p14--------------------------------|
|----16-----------------------16----------16-----17b19r(17)b19r==(17)-----|
|-18-----------------------18----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

After Weathered he started working on his shredding with Troy Stetina. It definitely shows on Alter Bridge.

[CustomX]

What's Troy's telephone number? Haha...

I wish I had a teacher or a mentor to show me what Im doing right and wrong. I thought swqeeping was always just, sweeping over the strings, but you guys are talking about sweet alternate picking and economy picking. None of the guitar places around here seem to have anyone that teaches the styles im after like Petrucci, Tremonti, and then blues rock (im sure there are lots for blues, but I want to combine quickness blues and metal).

[Drpcr]

Troy has several books, check them out.

[CustomX]

Well I be able to understand them? I have little to know knowledge of music theory.

[Drpcr]

Yeah, with tabs and the books are very well written with CDs.

[Mike Dresch]

Get Paul Gilbert's videos entitled Intense Rock I and Intense Rock II. Absolute must have for the would be shredder. I can't tell you how much I learned from these two videos.

[CustomX]

As odd as this may sound, its my RIGHT (picking) hand that is unable to keep up with my LEFT fretting hand. Is this a common problem, Ive always thought it was the opposite. I can play things legatto much faster than trying to pick them.

[darial]

As odd as this may sound, its my RIGHT (picking) hand that is unable to keep up with my LEFT fretting hand. Is this a common problem, Ive always thought it was the opposite. I can play things legatto much faster than trying to pick them. This is the case for many if not most players in my experience.

Get SMFLG!

[CustomX]

Whats SMFLG?

[darial]

Whats SMFLG?
Speed Mechanics...

[Peter]

Get a teacher...personally I have found it nearly impossible to self-teach myself anything mechanical, like sweep picking.
The best way to improve your playing is by buying more gear, of course, but I think a good teacher is a close second.:D

[CustomX]

Get a teacher...personally I have found it nearly impossible to self-teach myself anything mechanical, like sweep picking.
The best way to improve your playing is by buying more gear, of course, but I think a good teacher is a close second.:D
ALready workin on that! Just bought a Dual Rectifier!