I love alternate picking. That being said, I would say that precise alternate picking is the hardest (lead guitar) technique to master. Master alternate picking and you can play all those great picking lines by Malmsteen, Gilbert, Petrucci, etc. Recently I’ve been working on two-note-per-string licks a la Rhoads and Wylde. Hopefully I’ll be able to put up a cover of the lead section from “No More Tears” soon…those are some bloody fast sextuplets.
I spent some time learning “Bullets” by Creed today as it randomly popped up on iTunes and that distorted intro riff is oh-so-catchy (it’s in D Phrygian for all you music theorists). I found that playing the riff up to speed is a great way to practice elementary alternate picking on two strings. Here is the riff I’m talking about (tablature stolen from http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/c/creed/bullets_tab.htm):
e----------------------------------------------------------------- b----------------------------------------------------------------- g----------------------------------------------------------------- d----------------------------------------------------------------- a-----------------15--------------13------------------------------ d-13-12-0-12-0-12----12-0-12-0-12----12-0-12-0-0-13-12-0-10-12-0--
The verse riff has a slight tail variation and is played with all notes palm-muted (incorrect in above tab link, the version below is correct):
e----------------------------------------------------------------- b----------------------------------------------------------------- g----------------------------------------------------------------- d----------------------------------------------------------------- a-----------------15--------------13------------------------------ d-13-12-0-12-0-12----12-0-12-0-12----12-0-12-0-0-13-0-10-0-12-0---
This isn’t too difficult for guys who have been playing for a couple years but I think its a great intro exercise. The switch from open strings to muted strings with the intro->verse change is excellent for developing flexibility and control in the right hand.
Go learn it!
