string skipping help

I need some help with string skipping and hope i can get some advice. I've been working on playing more efficiently in hopes of increasing my speed. When ever i skip strings when i play faster i seem to hit an extra string or two. I'm pretty sure it's my picking hand that is having problems.

I've gone back to basics and just pulled out the Guns N' Roses Sweet Child of mine opening riff.

I just tabbed it out uber quick and set the picking direction D for down U for up. Is this the best way of playing it picking wise?

   D   U   U   D   U   D   U    D

-------------------15------14-------|-----------------------------

-------15---------------------------|-----------------------------

-----------14--12------14------14---|-----------------------------

---12-------------------------------|-----------------------------

------------------------------------|-----------------------------

------------------------------------|-----------------------------

Thanks in advance for any help

Often times, one of the largest problems with people who struggle to string skip is the way they hold the pick. You should be able to move the pick and the fingers holding the pick independently from your entire hand. If you can do that, it is just a matter of practice.

As for your tab, try:

   D   D   U    D   D   U   D  U

-------------------15------14-------|

-------15---------------------------|

-----------14--12------14------14---|

---12-------------------------------|

------------------------------------|

------------------------------------|

Hope that helps.

Rock on!

I prefer your technique of econo or sweep picking Guitarslinger. However, some of the purists may suggest strict alternate picking which is always down up down up whether you're skipping strings or not. In all my years of playing, I just can't dot it!

I now sure I quite understand what you mean there. For example do you mean picking down when your hand is doing is moving in a upward motion?

I get that practice is key I just wanted to confirm that I'm practicing correctly. I'm already recovering from bad habits.

You're probably right - but I like to make life easier.



What I mean is... When you hold your pick it'll probably be with one of these combinations:

Thumb - Index
Thumb - Middle
Thumb - Index - Middle

Right?

Now, when you are holding the pick this way, try and rotate the pick in tiny circles simply by moving the joints on the fingers holding the pick; DON'T MOVE YOUR HAND.

Apply this technique of picking with your instrument. It takes some time, but you should be able to pick simple by moving the pick in little circles, and not moving your hand.

Once you get that down, work on finding when it is best for you to pick with with finger movement, pick with hand movement or pick with both.

Learning these basic and fundamental picking techniques, I believe, is essential to playing any picked string instrument.

Oh I see what you mean (LIGHT BULB) brilliant my friend!!!

Sorry bout all the silly questions on picking but I have another one.

I hold my pick with thumb and index finger, normally I like the tip of the pick and my index finger so it points directly toward the body of the guitar. This is something I've been working on since I'm really pretty sloppy player.

When i do the little circle trick, my pick wants to tweak at an angle vs the normal straight into the body. is that ok?

Really, it's all about what works best for you. When I play, my pick tends to be canted at about a 45 degree angle either forward or backwards depending on what I am playing. When I tremolo pick for example, my pick slants forwards for less friction and that also allows me to get closer to the strings, thus minimizing movement. When I am riffing though, the pick slants backwards - which has the same effect on friction and motion, but this way allows for easy pinch harmonics.

It's all about the little things.