Just very recently I tried practicing economy picking and I find it more comfortable and more sound-appealing (string switches) for me. I also like how I can play different complex licks!
However, I’m much faster with alternative picking since I have been practicing that thus brings thebelow question into my mind.
At this point that I’ve decided that economy will be my main technique, shall I stop practicing alternative picking and focus on economy picking or do both?
Thanks!
I would say try to develop as many techniques as you can handle. But don’t overload yourself, and if you are playing electric doing both will be fine as it is more noticeable sound wise on an acoustic or classical in terms of pick motion.
There’s still a whole bunch of alternate picking in the sweep/economy styles, plus you can always switch back and forth; whatever works!
Thanks for the replies!
Due to my limited practicing time, I was wondering if I would ever need to alternate pick between strings from outside for example if I would solely be doing economy picking. For example the Yngwie system.
Maybe I should also mention that my main point is building speed here such as speed 3nps runs etc…
Yngwie uses USX alternate picking and USX economy and both use legato escape hatches when necessary, I don’t think he ever really does the Frank Gambale style where he switches between two pickslants for different escapes, though he does use the occasional outside picked note 
My advice would be to get really fast on one string, look at what escape motion your making and then start applying the motion to everything you’re doing with the appropriate escapes in mind. You should have easy access to all the speed you want from the start but it will take time to gain control of it - you do this by applying it to simple phrases to begin with and building up more complex lines over time.
Thank you Jack for your reply and suggestions.
However, I’m not asking how to get fast. I’m merely wondering if I would be doing economy mainly, would I need to also heavily practice alternative picking runs taking in mind limited practice time.
Thank you
I don’t understand, what is your goal? And what type of economy picking do you mean, the Gambale style or the one way economy style? Alternate picking is inevitable with both approaches so you wouldn’t really have to pracrice it specifically unless you wanted to get good at mixed escape playing
There are a few different types of economy picking.
One way usx, one way dsx and two way economy.
The two way, could flip between each one way system, or, it could completely eliminate outside picking, and follow a strict always switching strings with a downstroke when ascending, and the opposite when descending.
So it really depends on what system you want to practice? In every system, there will be alternate picking. Only one of those systems can eliminate outside picking. That one was a nightmare to control for me personally.
So maybe I should’ve explained better, my bad!
I’ve been doing alternate pickng since I’ve picked up the guitar so that feels natural and comfortable already, but once I tried USX (already been doing USX) and economy ascending runs, although am way slower, but it feels very natural and more potential to grow for me, atleast thats how I feel.
I’m mainly thinking of adapting the Yngwie system for descending have the pull off of last night so that always I land on a down stroke.
So since I have a big gap between the speeds of my alternate picking and newly adapting economy-ish, I’m feeling worried of completely dumping my alternate picking practice routine but in the same time I feel I’m wasting my limited time when I can spend more time on the economy style and improving it more.
I’m just raining my thoughts and was hopeing someone who is already having economy as main style to be able to assists in this!
Cheers
The Malmsteen usx one way economy is what I use mainly.
I would suggest you post a video of things you feel you are struggling with, as it is difficult to understand where the problem is by text.
Controlling the timing of the sweeps can be challenging, is that where you are struggling?
Maybe post a video of a fast tremolo on one string, no fretting hand needed. Then a video where you are struggling with the economy aspect.
Yngwie style USX is pretty much my main technique, although I love trying all kinds of ways to play the guitar.
It may seem like there’s a lot of rules to this technique, but it feels really great to me and actually feels like less effort than it should be, thanks to the sweeps and occasional legato.
It also leads you to different phrases from what you would typically play with strict alternate picking, so it’s an artistic choice as wel as a mechanical one.
Saeid, Che khabar? I honestly don’t think you have to worry about it too much in terms of making a drastic decision to give up one for the other. My personal opinion, and this is coming from someone who very much found themselves in your shoes - who also was primarily an alternate picker for most of my guitar history, but started integrating more economic techniques half way through it - is that there is no reason why you can’t work on and maintain both even on a tight practice schedule.
In my case I focused on maintaining alternate picking through most of my practice, but gradually worked in more directional economy practice. The thing is, that once you get the initial feel of it down, as slow as it may seem at first, it starts to creep up on you just how fast this mechanic develops, and how well you can integrate both. It’s not like relearning the guitar, and you likely won’t have to change anything about how you normally play the guitar like switching your whole right hand technique, rather than just being more cognizant of the subtleties between them.
This isn’t an issue; you can always pick up where you left off with your “strict alternate picking”! Especially if it means you can develop some cool new string changing tactics! yeah! Do it! 
Merci! your words makes sense!
Thanks!
Thank you everyone for your kind replies and input here! Really appreciate it.
I think I will continue to practice alternative picking but give more weight to economy atleast for some more time and then re-evaluate again 
Wow! so it’s been 1 year passed since I started practicing my Economy and specifically Yngwie style journey,after I had kinda left playing guitar for 10 years! I never was able to play fast or arpeggios or anything that yngwie does before a year 
I had to change my picking motion few times, suffered tendonitis (still), alot of ups and downs but Here’s few clips of my 1 year progress! still messy but I’m getting there!
https://youtube.com/shorts/DNysEl-B2iw
Damn! You rip! Love the pick attack on that tone, real aggressive, great stuff man
Hah! thanks!! the attack just developed naturally nothing intentional
Great work Saeid! It’s definitely coming along.
Thanks! more work to be done!