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Economy Picking

The document provides examples of arpeggio patterns using economy picking technique. It introduces different types of arpeggios adding chord tones like the 7th, 9th and 11th. It progresses from basic to more advanced patterns, discussing picking technique and encouraging experimentation. The final section provides a short etude applying the techniques over a chord progression.

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Joao Pedro Rodrigues Ferreira
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338 views5 pages

Economy Picking

The document provides examples of arpeggio patterns using economy picking technique. It introduces different types of arpeggios adding chord tones like the 7th, 9th and 11th. It progresses from basic to more advanced patterns, discussing picking technique and encouraging experimentation. The final section provides a short etude applying the techniques over a chord progression.

Uploaded by

Joao Pedro Rodrigues Ferreira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Similar to the economy picked licks of Marty Friedman, the

phrasing of the arpeggios in EXAMPLES 2A, 2B and 2C


adds a pull-off to the end of the previous examples and ups
the speed quotient with an absolute minimum of added
effort. Keep the duration of all of the notes even and
rhythmic, and dont rush the pull-offs!

Kicking things up a notch by adding some alternate picking


to the mix (as well as making things a little more
harmonically interesting), EXAMPLE 3 adds the 7th (the
scale tone below the root note of each chord) to each of the
above arpeggios. As such, EXAMPLE 3A is an Am7,
EXAMPLE 3B is a C Maj7 and EXAMPLE 3Cis a Bm7(b5).
Now that were using 7ths there is a fourth type of chord in
the key, so EXAMPLE 3D is the Dominant 7th chord found
in the key of Am: G7. Be sure to emphasize the swing of
your right hand wrist as you combine the alternate picking
strokes with the economy picking sweep motion.
EXAMPLES 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D are the same notes as the
previous example, just shifted relative to the beat. This
melodic relationship to the rhythm is one often used in the
shred-era playing of Gary Moore as well as in the solos of
Nuno Bettencourt, Kirk Hammett and Synyster Gates. And
while these obviously work well with arpeggios, try
experimenting with any and every 2 string/4 note (2 notes
per string) fingering you can think of. Youll be amazed at
some of the lightning fast, intervallic-ally exciting licks youll
come up with.

Continuing, the shapes in EXAMPLES 5A-5D add a slightly


exotic flair to the proceedings with add9 arpeggios. Dealing
with the standard shapes found in most keys, EXAMPLE
5A is an Am add9 arpeggio and EXAMPLE 5B is a Cadd9.
The Bm(b5)addb9 arpeggio in EXAMPLE 5C and the Em
add b9 in EXAMPLE 5D round out the other types of add9
shapes in Am, here emphasizing the two half-step scale
relationships between B and C and E and F in the key.
These shapes sound particularly cool due to the close
proximity of the 9 to the 3rd in the arpeggios and can give
your pinky quite a workout. Start slowly, pay attention to the
evenness of your left hand articulation and feel the flow of
your right-hand motion.

The previous examples have added more chord tones to the


arpeggios on the B string, but EXAMPLES 6A-6D add the
11th to the mix and switch things up mechanically with the
extra E string note. In these cases, the add11 note pulls off
to the 3rd, adding an easy means of achieving even greater
speed with simple means. The motion of the pick hand is
switched up as well, and youll find that this set of examples
will feel most similar to straight alternate picking at high
speeds.
EXAMPLE 6A and EXAMPLE 6B are the basic minor add11
and major add11 (Am add11 and Cadd11, respectively),
EXAMPLE 6C is the Bm(b5)add11 and EXAMPLE 6D
rounds out the types of add11s in the key with the Lydian-
flavored Fadd#11 arpeggio. As with the above examples, try
varying the examples with different arpeggios in the key and
with other scale types and fingerings (with one note on the B
string and three notes on the E), using the examples as a
template for your experiments. These sound particularly
cool with wide stretch pentatonic and blues scale fingerings!
Finally, EXAMPLE 7 is a short etude following an A
harmonic minor (A,B,C,D,E,F,G#) progression: Am-Bmb5-G-
Am-F-G-E7-E7 (E7b9 in this casea G#Dim7 chord
superimposed over E). Ive used the add9 forms here to
give the maximum left hand workout and for an exotic flair in
the harmony, but be sure to try the same progression with
the other types of arpeggios found in the previous
examples. Note that for the final two bars Ive expanded the
picking to include full-on three-string sweep picking, thus
increasing the challenge of maintaining pick control by
combining alternate, economy, and sweep picking in the
piece. Note that youll start the whole etude on an upstroke
to maintain the continuity of the picking on subsequent
repeats.
Ive only scratched the surface here with what is possible
with the utilization of economy picking, but these examples
should serve as a great primer for those unfamiliar with the
technique as well as being excellent refinement exercises
for experienced players who may not use the skill very
often.
As always, use the above examples to get comfortable with
the technique, get creative with your own variations and look
to seamlessly integrate them into your own individual style.
Happy shredding!

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