Songs, Riffs or specific exercises for DWPS learning

Playing Technique
#1

I think the title is pretty self explanatory, but are there any songs, riffs or specific exercises that “force” the hand to take a DWPS approach in order to play them?

For example I saw some Teemu Mantysaari clips from Wintersun songs, there are segments that can’t be played otherwise. Do you have any examples for me so I can force my hand to play like this?

I find it difficult making the DWPS motion because I’m a natural UWPS for all my guitar playing life, so any suggestions would be more than welcome.

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#2

I mean, any lick or riff that you start with a downstroke and has an even number of notes per string will work way better with a DWPS/upstroke escape (though a crosspicking/two-way escape mechanic would work, too). It’s probably easiest to just make up riffs and licks that work this way.

For example, try playing a pentatonic box, something basic like an Em box at the 12th fret, from the low E to the high E, 12-15, 12-14 etc, and then when you get to the 12-15 on the high E, loop it back downwards 15-12, etc back down towards the low E. Simple, doesn’t take much thought, it’s a pattern you already know, and to really blaze through it, you have to be escaping on upstrokes.

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#3

Especially when I’m going from e to E with 2nps I use UWPS and feels really sticky so this is a good starting point! Thank you for your time Drew!

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#4

first two bars of Mozart’s Turkish march )) Easy to play, since you have 4 notes on one string then 1 note on next and a pause to rest.

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#5

A good dwps exercise is double picking: take any phrase you want and play it repeating each note 2 times, starting with downstroke.

If you do the same starting with upstroke, you got your uwps exercise instead!

You can also repeat each note 4 times, or 3 times if you want to train switching between uwps and dwps, and so on!

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#6

That’s brilliant! I’ve been practicing Bark at the Moon for the past month and the only part that I still can’t get right are those double picked notes on the chorus. No wonder why…

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#7

Just curious, does it feel easier if you start with upstroke?

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#8

Here is this weird thing. Even thought every teacher I had always suggested starting everything on a downstroke on patterns like this -and so I did- , your suggestion almost instantly felt easier.

Also tried it with this Yngwie sequence and instantly felt better and smoother.
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#9

Really think the discipline of constant application of a new technique to a variety of material will help more than a particular exercise—which is not to say exploration of fun and musical exercises is bad!

No matter the style, most songs of significant complexity have a challenging musical move in them somewhere. I’d say it’s more about will and honest discipline about the same more than any “‘force’ the hand.”

The musical puzzles may be found anywhere. Doesn’t need to be a guitarism, could be a fragment of a bass line, a sequence of chord roots, or a vocal melisma. Practicing the creativity to find things at hand to practice may be really eye and ear opening!