Melody using alternate picking
With
Tommy Webb
What's in the course
50 lessons (1h 52m) · 1 free
01. Intro to the Indie guitar sound
Free lesson2:09
02. Melody using B&C notes
3:45
03. Melody using B&C notes (performance)
0:55
04. Melody using alternate picking
You are here2:36
05. Melody using alternate picking (performance)
0:55
06. Melody using alternate picking & D note
2:47
07. Melody using alternate picking & D note (performance)
0:51
01. Melody using B C & D notes
4:16
02. Melody using B C & D notes (performance)
0:58
03. Melody using E note
2:08
04. Melody using E note (performance)
0:46
05. Rhythm part using C chord
2:00
06. Rhythm part using C chord (performance)
0:48
07. Parka Life bars 5-8
1:57
08. Parka Life bars 5-8 (performance)
0:50
09. Summary of Indie section
0:21
01. Intro to Pieces
1:00
02. Rock City
5:51
03. Rock City (performance)
0:50
04. Party People
7:20
05. Party People (performance)
0:46
06. Road to Nashville
6:08
07. Road to Nashville (performance)
0:47
08. Lead Boots
6:33
09. Lead Boots (performance)
0:49
10. Parka Life
5:01
11. Parka Life (performance)
0:43
12. Represent
5:23
13. Represent (performance)
0:46
Lesson transcript
Alternate Picking Test
Example two, we have a test with our alternate picking. As we mentioned before, we've got the down, up, down, up motion.
Notation Symbols
Here you can see on the notation we have symbols to tell us which way to pluck:
- The table-looking symbol indicates to pluck down.
- The arrow going up indicates to pluck up.
It's a little bit confusing, so I remember this as opposites pretty much:
- The table going down,
- The arrow going up.
Practice Advice
As we mentioned before, you should pause the video and try and work on that alternate picking motion. Start by going through all the strings.
- Take it really, really slowly.
- It's all about building good habits and good techniques.
- The speed will come, but for now, we want to get that motion really smooth.
Make sure that all the motion is coming from our wrist; we don't want it in our fingers or arm‚ all in the wrist.
Breakdown of the Phrase
Looking at this phrase, we're playing quarter notes in the first three bars and finishing off with a whole note.
- This means the first three bars are all alternate picked.
- You can see the pattern: down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up.
Picking Rules
Another rule in this course and in this book is that if we're alternate picking, beat one should always be plucked down, which means:
- Beat two should always be plucked up.
Notes and String Movement
We're going from C (the new note we have) to the open B string.
- We have three Cs and one open B.
- That translates to: down, up, down, up.
So that second up is going to be the B.
1, 2, 3, 4.
In bar two, we go to the G string where we have A twice and G twice. We have the same movement but up a string in bar three.
- Looking at the second fret on the D string to the open D, finishing on that second fret as a whole note.
- 2, 3, 4.
Slow Practice
So we'll go through that really slowly, ensuring we're playing down, up, down, up.
So here we go:
- First fret on the B string.
- 1, 2, 3, 4.
- 3, 4.
Try that out for a second. Slow it right down and build up gradually.
In a second, I'll see you in the backing track to try and keep up with the music.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Tommy Webb is a London-based guitarist who completed a BA(Hons) Degree in guitar at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, studying under Sandy Beales (One Direction, Wheatus) and Nicolas Meier (Jeff Beck). His own playing moves freely across rock, pop, indie, hip-hop, country and metal - the exact ground his guitar methods cover.
Tommy has worked with a wide range of artists and bands across the country, including Jarki Monno and Indira May, sharing stages and sessions with guitarists Paul Murray (Jess Glynne, Zak Abel) and Adam Chetwood (Paolo Nutini, Mark Ronson), and drummers Alex Woodward (Black Honey), Luke Robinson and “Bambi Music” (N-Dubz, Lethal Bizzle, Wretch 32, Tinie Tempah).
On stage, he has performed at the Jazz Cafe opening for soul singer Jocelyn Brown, plus venues and festivals including Ronnie Scott's, Troy Bar, The Watford Colosseum, Camden Assembly, Kensington Roof Gardens, Notting Hill Arts Club, Meraki Festival and Sundown Festival.
On record and radio, Tommy has played live sessions for BBC Three Counties Introducing, Vibe FM and Pulse 88, with tracks featured on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. He has recorded at studios including South Lanes Brighton, Hempstead Road and Titan Studios with producers such as Steph Carter (Gallows, Lyoness) and TMS / Froe Barnes (Lewis Capaldi, Dua Lipa).
In his guitar methods, Tommy passes all of that working-musician know-how on to you - teaching the techniques, tones and feel behind real styles, from rock and pop to indie, hip-hop, country and metal, so you can play the music you actually love.
