A conversation with ChatGPT

Off-Topic
#1

User
How can I learn to alternate pick like Yngwie Malmsteen?

ChatGPT
Yngwie Malmsteen is known for his incredible alternate picking technique, characterized by his lightning-fast speed and precision. Here are some steps you can take to learn and improve your alternate picking technique like Yngwie Malmsteen:

Start Slow: Building speed and accuracy takes time. Begin by practicing alternate picking at a slow, comfortable pace. Focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm and picking motion.

Use a Metronome: Practicing with a metronome is crucial for developing precise timing and speed. Start at a slow tempo and gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable.

Focus on Economy of Motion: Yngwie Malmsteen’s technique is efficient, with minimal unnecessary movement. Pay attention to your picking hand and aim to minimize excess motion. This will help you play faster and more accurately.

Practice Scales and Exercises: Work on scales such as the minor pentatonic, harmonic minor, and natural minor scales, which are common in Yngwie’s playing. Incorporate exercises like three-note-per-string patterns to improve your alternate picking across strings.

Isolate Problem Areas: Identify any areas of weakness in your alternate picking technique and focus on them during practice sessions. Break down difficult passages into smaller sections and practice them slowly before gradually increasing the speed.

Study Yngwie’s Playing: Watch videos of Yngwie Malmsteen’s performances and study his picking technique closely. Pay attention to his hand positioning, picking motion, and overall approach to the guitar.

Experiment with Pick Thickness and Angle: Yngwie Malmsteen typically uses a thick pick and holds it at a slight angle to the strings. Experiment with different pick thicknesses and angles to find what works best for you.

Stay Relaxed: Tension in your hands and arms can hinder your playing speed and accuracy. Focus on staying relaxed while practicing alternate picking, and take breaks if you feel any discomfort.

Be Patient and Persistent: Developing proficient alternate picking technique takes time and consistent practice. Be patient with yourself and stay dedicated to your practice routine.

Seek Guidance from a Teacher: If possible, consider taking lessons from a guitar teacher who can provide personalized guidance and feedback on your alternate picking technique.

Remember, consistency and focused practice are key to improving your alternate picking technique. Keep challenging yourself and don’t be afraid to push your limits, but also listen to your body and avoid overexertion. With dedication and persistence, you can develop a formidable alternate picking technique like Yngwie Malmsteen.

User
What about Troy Grady’s advice to “start with speed”?

ChatGPT
Troy Grady, known for his “Cracking the Code” series, often emphasizes the importance of starting with speed when learning picking techniques. His approach focuses on understanding the mechanics behind fast playing and then building speed gradually. Here’s how you can apply this approach to learning alternate picking like Yngwie Malmsteen:

Analyze Technique: Before diving into practicing at slow speeds, spend some time analyzing the picking technique of Yngwie Malmsteen and other fast players. Pay attention to their hand positioning, pick slanting, and motion mechanics.

Identify Efficient Movements: Look for the most efficient movements in their picking technique. These are often subtle motions that allow players to generate speed with minimal effort.

Practice at High Speeds: Once you have a good understanding of the mechanics, start practicing at relatively high speeds. This might feel challenging at first, but it helps to develop a sense of rhythm and timing conducive to fast playing.

Focus on Accuracy: While practicing at high speeds, prioritize accuracy over everything else. Make sure each note is clean and articulate, even if it means slowing down slightly.

Gradually Increase Speed: As you become more comfortable with the mechanics and develop greater accuracy, gradually increase the speed. Use a metronome to track your progress and challenge yourself to push beyond your comfort zone.

Integrate Slow Practice: While starting with speed can be beneficial, it’s also important to incorporate slow, focused practice into your routine. This allows you to refine your technique and iron out any inconsistencies.

Break Down Difficult Passages: When practicing fast passages, break them down into smaller segments and focus on mastering each segment individually. Then gradually piece them together until you can play the passage seamlessly at high speeds.

Record and Analyze Your Playing: Use video recordings to analyze your picking technique and identify any areas that need improvement. Look for ways to refine your mechanics and make your playing more efficient.

Stay Relaxed: Tension in your hands and arms can hinder your speed and accuracy. Focus on staying relaxed while playing and experiment with different techniques to minimize tension.

Seek Feedback: If possible, seek feedback from experienced guitarists or teachers who can provide constructive criticism and guidance on your picking technique.

By starting with speed and gradually refining your technique, you can develop an alternate picking style that’s fast, accurate, and efficient, similar to that of Yngwie Malmsteen. However, it’s essential to balance speed with accuracy and incorporate slow, focused practice to refine your technique and ensure long-term progress.

User
Doesn’t this contradict your previous answer?

ChatGPT
I see how it may seem contradictory, but both approaches actually complement each other. Let me clarify:

In the first response, I provided a more traditional approach to learning alternate picking, which emphasizes starting slow, focusing on technique, and gradually building speed over time. This approach is often recommended for beginners or those who are new to alternate picking because it allows for a solid foundation to be built before attempting faster speeds.

On the other hand, Troy Grady’s advice to “start with speed” is based on the idea of understanding the mechanics of fast playing from the beginning and using that understanding to develop speed more rapidly. This approach is often favored by those who are already comfortable with basic alternate picking technique and are looking to specifically improve their speed and efficiency.

In reality, both approaches have their merits, and the most effective method for an individual may depend on their current skill level, learning style, and goals. Beginners may benefit more from the traditional approach of starting slow and gradually building speed, while more experienced players may find Troy Grady’s approach of focusing on speed from the beginning to be more beneficial.

Ultimately, the key is to find a balance between speed and accuracy, as well as to incorporate elements of both approaches into your practice routine as needed. Whether you choose to start slow and gradually build speed or focus on speed from the beginning, consistent practice and attention to technique are essential for mastering alternate picking like Yngwie Malmsteen.

2 Likes
#2

I’ll never get over ChatGPT’s ability to consistently sound like a college student that didn’t study, had to cram on a subject they don’t truly understand, and is leaning on the hack method of redundantly defining something in a piece of writing to stall while they get the word count to the bare minimum.

3 Likes
#3

On the Doctorow “What kind of bubble is AI?” article, someone posted a ChatGPT-generated response in the comments. In a followup to that, an expression someone used in discussing typical characteristics of ChatGPT-generated comments was “bland exposition”, and I thought that was a perfect choice of words.

3 Likes
#4

yeah, that’s very apt

#5

Claude 3 Opus

Yngwie Malmsteen is known for his incredibly fast and precise alternate picking technique. Here are some tips to help you develop your alternate picking skills:

  1. Start slowly: Begin by practicing alternate picking at a slow tempo, focusing on accuracy and consistency. Gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable.

  2. Use a metronome: Practice with a metronome to develop a strong sense of timing and rhythm.

  3. Practice regularly: Dedicate time each day to practicing alternate picking exercises and drills.

  4. Focus on your picking hand: Pay attention to your picking hand’s technique. Keep your wrist loose and use small, controlled movements from your wrist and fingers.

  5. Practice different string combinations: Work on alternate picking across different string combinations, such as moving from the low E string to the high E string and back.

  6. Incorporate chromatic exercises: Use chromatic exercises to build speed and dexterity. Start with a simple chromatic pattern and gradually increase the complexity.

  7. Learn Yngwie Malmsteen’s licks and solos: Study and practice Malmsteen’s signature licks and solos to understand his phrasing and technique better.

  8. Develop your legato technique: Incorporate hammer-ons, pull-offs, and legato playing to add variety to your playing and give your picking hand occasional breaks.

  9. Be patient: Developing advanced alternate picking skills takes time and dedication. Stay motivated and keep practicing consistently.

  10. Seek guidance: Consider taking guitar lessons from an experienced instructor who can provide personalized feedback and help you refine your technique.

Remember, the key to mastering alternate picking like Yngwie Malmsteen is consistent, focused practice and patience.

#6

I asked Claude 3 what Troy would suggest if one were to copy YJM. This is interesting to put it mildly.

Troy Grady, a guitar educator known for his “Cracking the Code” series, has extensively analyzed Yngwie Malmsteen’s picking technique. According to Grady, there are several key elements to Malmsteen’s technique that you can focus on:

  1. Pickslanting: Malmsteen uses a downward pickslanting technique, meaning he angles his pick downward toward the floor when alternate picking. This allows for efficient string switching and reduces the pick’s resistance against the strings.

  2. Downward escape motion: After each downstroke, Malmsteen allows the pick to “escape” downward and away from the strings. This sets up the next upstroke and helps maintain a smooth, continuous picking motion.

  3. String hopping: Malmsteen often uses a “two-way pickslanting” or “string hopping” technique, where he changes the pickslanting direction when moving between strings. This allows him to maintain efficient picking mechanics across multiple strings.

  4. Wrist motion: Malmsteen’s picking hand wrist is the primary generator of his picking motion. Focus on developing a fluid, relaxed wrist motion for faster and more accurate picking.

  5. Chunking: Grady suggests practicing “chunking” exercises, which involve playing short bursts of notes followed by a brief pause. This helps develop the muscle memory needed for fast, accurate picking.

  6. Two-note-per-string scales: Practice playing scales using two notes per string, as this is a common pattern in Malmsteen’s playing. Focus on maintaining a consistent alternate picking motion throughout the scale.

  7. Rhythmic variations: Incorporate different rhythmic patterns and accents into your alternate picking practice to develop greater control and expression.

To integrate these concepts into your practice routine, start slowly and focus on maintaining proper technique. Gradually increase the speed while ensuring that your picking motion remains relaxed and efficient. Incorporating these elements of Yngwie Malmsteen’s technique, as analyzed by Troy Grady, can help you progress toward playing like the iconic guitarist.

1 Like
#7

I’m in tears here. Plus it said that Yngwie is a generally a downstroke-escape player!

5 Likes
#8

Beats the conversation I had with ChatGPT 3.5 a while back:

You

Teach me how to sweep pick

ChatGPT

Sweep picking is a guitar technique used to play fast, fluid arpeggios. Here are the steps to perform a basic sweep pick:

  1. Start with the right hand: Make sure your right hand is positioned correctly on the strings, with the pick angled slightly towards the floor.
  2. Choose an arpeggio pattern: Start with a simple arpeggio pattern, such as a major or minor triad.
  3. Strum in one direction: Using a downward motion, strum all of the strings in the arpeggio pattern in one sweeping motion.
  4. Change direction: Repeat the strumming motion in the opposite direction, this time using an upward sweeping motion to play the notes in reverse order.
  5. Practice accuracy: Focus on playing the notes cleanly and accurately, without any extra noise or string buzzing.
  6. Increase speed gradually: Once you have the basic motion down, you can gradually increase the speed at which you play.

It’s important to note that sweep picking takes a lot of practice to get right. Start slow and work on accuracy, then gradually increase the speed as you get comfortable with the technique.

You

Write a short melody with arpeggios

ChatGPT

Here’s a simple melody that uses arpeggios:

Verse:
C - G - Am - F (C major arpeggio)
F - C - G - Am (F major arpeggio)
G - Am - F - C (G major arpeggio)
Am - F - C - G (A minor arpeggio)

Chorus:
C - G - Am - F (C major arpeggio)
F - C - G - Am (F major arpeggio)
G - Am - F - C (G major arpeggio)
C - G - Am - F (C major arpeggio)

This melody uses basic arpeggios in the key of C and alternates between C major and A minor. Feel free to play around with different chords and arpeggio patterns to create your own unique melody!

You

What is the tab for that song?

ChatGPT

Here’s the tab for the simple melody using arpeggios I mentioned earlier:

Verse:

e|-0---3---0---1-|
B|-1---0---1---1-|
G|-0---0---2---2-|
D|-2---0---2---3-|
A|-3---2---0---3-|
E|-0---3---x---1-|

Chorus:

e|-0---3---0---1-|
B|-1---0---1---1-|
G|-0---0---2---2-|
D|-2---0---2---3-|
A|-3---2---0---3-|
E|-0---3---x---1-|

Each line represents a string on the guitar, and the numbers indicate which fret to play. The first line is the high E string and the last line is the low E string. You can use sweep picking or alternate picking to play the arpeggios.

1 Like
#9

This is great, and exactly what I was talking about in the now-deleted thread. This could absolutely change with time, but testing ChatGPT or some similar tool with a subject you DO know a lot about is a valuable benchmarking exercise. This is a decent “generalist” summary of alternate picking, but even the Troy Grady summary isn’t really that insightful into how and why “starting with speed” works.

Whoever described this as sounding like a college essay for someone who didn’t really read the material is spot on. And, like, let’s be fair to ChatGPT and binge-studiers everywhere, for some applications this is absolutely going to be enough.

But, it’s not a replacement for expertise, and that likely won’t change for a LONG time.

Thanks for a really great post!

1 Like
#10

I think sweeping and economy picking may be exceptions to starting with speed though. So I don’t think that description is actually that far off