ok, technically I would say stringchanges should happen AFTER an upstroke…or u can say u go to a new string WITH a downstroke
for strict 3 note per string scales u have a few options.
-
yes, if u r going to keep strict dwps then you will be economy picking like Yngwie
-
or u can do as u said “become an upwards pickslanter for every second string change”. This is known as “2 way pickslanting.” I much prefer this for flexibility even though its cool to also have the economy picking worked out.
of course, once u learn to slant both ways then you can throw out the “after every second string change” because youd just do it whenever u needed it. Like on an ascending 3 note per string run youd simply go DUD and do that first string change with an upslant. No need to start on an upstroke etc.
and, yes, usually u can gradually change the slant over the course of the 3 notes or whatever. of course on some very difficult licks like “the Paul Gilbert Lick” you are basically changing slants twice on that one note. That’s super advanced.
In the long run Id say its best to work out 2 way slanting and also be comfortable using either dwps and uwps.
Also there is the strategy of “one way licks”…in other words u work out licks where u just have the same slant the whole time. for example a really cool 16th note uwps ascending lick.
G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------7–10–7--8–10–etc
A---------------5–8--5–7--8–7--8–10-------------------------------------
E----5–7--8-------------------------------------------------------------------
or just repeat notes for a simpler dwps ascending run:
D-------------------------------------------5–7--9–5--7–9 etc
A-----------------------5–7--8–5--7–8
E–5--7–8--5–7--8
there are rules of thumb for example if u have an odd number of notes then you will have to change the pickslant on the string change. if u have an even number then the slant stays the same etc
so if u want to use all dwps u can come up with little combinations like this:
B-------------------------6–8--10–8--10–12
G---------4–5--7–8----------------------------
D–5--7------------------------------------------
my fave for working on 2 way slanting would be something that gives u plenty of time to change slants back and froth like this…starting with uwps:
A--------------5–7--8–7--5
E—5–7--8--------------------8–7 loop
so u start with uwps and then as soon as you get up on the A string you can gradually start changing back to dwps because youll need dwps to go back to the E string. Once u get back on the E string u start changing back to uwps to get back onto the A string etc. This can be slightly awkward for some people because its 10 notes so some people have a hard time trying to count it etc lol. But its easy because u get plenty of time to make your slant changes
Then a slightly advanced version is this:
A---------------5–7--5
E----5–7--8-------------8–7
its an easier rhythm since its just plain 16th notes (count 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4 etc) but as u see u dont have as much time to change slants but its still not that hard once u get the hang of it.
The REALLY nasty one is the infamous “Paul Gilbert lick” (triplets)
A-------------5--------
E–5--7–8------8–7 loop
So u see there its uwps to get that one note on the A string but simultaneously you are changing back to dwps to come back to the E string. Very stout challenge but also very doable. Basically a matter of combining picking with string tracking in the right amounts.
IMO its also helpful to not use huge amounts of slant. U only need to slant a small amount to clear the string anyway…so why overdo it??
to make things more complicated, u can also throw in a pull off or hammer on to sort of prearrange your pickstrokes to line up to whatever slant u want to use etc. This is sort of what Yngwie does when descending
lets say I did this descending run and i want to strictly keep dwps:
E–15–14–12–10------------------------------------------
B-----------------------12–10--------------------------------
G---------------------------------12–11–9------------------
D----------------------------------------------12–11–9-----
A------------------------------------------------------------12
ok I start with a downstroke and everything is lined up correctly until I get to the 3 notes on the G string. if I go DUD then there is a problem because im now trapped on the wrong side of the G string when I need to be going to the D string. So instead of going DUD I go DU pulloff. That way you go to the D string with your needed downstroke. Then you do the same again since u have 3 notes on the D string. U go DU pulloff and you are set up to go to the A string with a downstroke etc.
In summary, 2 way slanting is the most flexible but you can also use other methods if u want to strictly stick with 1 particular slant. Its best to learn all of the methods since each has its benefits and also drawbacks and each has its own unique sound
peace, JJ
