This piece ( part from Suite Golden Down on the Midnight Sun album) hunts me for years…I seem never be able to play it correct multiple times in a row, always some little mistakes.
It is so difficult to me because you have to go from strumming into dampening 16th into 16th triplets Pfff…
Who can play this correct and maybe have some advice for me?
So I checked this piece. There are no triplets in this bit 
Here’s what I got down.
I think at least one of your problems could be not keeping even rhythm in right hand. It breaks down on first two single notes after the chords. You do a bit of economy picking there and then continue on alternate picking.
On the other hand, Troy has showed us in the Volcano that mixing economy and alternate pickings can be perfectly fine 
That reminds me of some episode of Cracking the Code. Have you checked if your pickslanting? Does it stay the same (or same pattern) during each repetition?
Or perhaps you just need to play it slower few times…?
thnx a lot for your reply.
You wrote it down wrong though. I agree on the the triplets, they are more 32ths
The piece is in 4/4, That first chord you wrote should be on the 4 of the previous beat, which starts with the open Low E followed biy the strum part, and should be: 6th fret on the D string and 7th fret on G B and E strings; an E7/9 chord
I play it the way Al does it ( saw it live long time ago). He also speaks in his instructional vid of the up up down movement on three note chord arpeggios.
So that is what i do, its not economy picking but two seperate upstrokes followed by a downstroke.
I tried it with staying in the alternate motion but that is difficult also.
Of course i practiced it slow. But as soon as i get to this tempo there are always some mistakes…
Oh yeah, totally. I didn’t pay any attention to time signature or key signature. It’s just a rough sketch.
And the chord, it should definitely be wrong! 
I suck at chords. I just got the melody note and then added whatever.
All in all, I just wanted to show that I don’t hear any triplets there and to learn that fast line myself.
I personally don’t find this phrase to be overly difficult. I start the single note line with UWPS on upstroke. Then I change pickslanting on G note on second string and the rest falls neatly in DWPS until we reach last four notes. I can play all this as fast as I play my usual stuff (which is not fast at all).
Ah, ok, understood. It just looked like economy picking to me. My bad 
Maybe i should practice it again with staying in the alternate motion, that up-up-down Dimeola motion is realy difficult to perform at that speed.
He can It at realy high speeds.
Check from about 2:45 where he starts speaking about it and showing it.
Pffff…!
Oh, I know this video. I remember being able to play that “impossible” line I’m sure that virtually every single bluegrass player can play that impossible passage.
Anyway, the lick you’re trying to perfect is not the same as what he speaks about here. The beginning of your lick has two notes on the first string and looks more like Yngwie’s arpeggios.
Actually, now that I thought about it, you could play most of it like Yngwie would: upstroke on e10, pull-off to e7, upstroke on b8, downstroke on g9 and the rest is alternate picking (except last four notes).
I think whatever approach you choose, seek for consistency in your technique.
Or perhaps you just trying to play it too fast. Synchronization could be your problem.
Some more experienced members might give you some better advice 
By the way, since you corrected me on that chord, could you be kind enough to write down other chords in that passage? 
I’d like to learn this whole bit. Just write them in XX6777 fashion - it’s quick and easy.
These arpeggios towards the end are much easier to play using crosspicking. I think at the time this video was shot there was very little info on picking mechanics.
I know that the first two notes are on the same string. But after the first note you have a three note arpeggio over three strings which Al would play like that.
Well, i would like to see someone play that piece fragment of “Short Tales Of The Black Forrest” as fast accurate as Al does with this up-up- down motion using alternate crosspicking. You can play it with alternate crosspicking but it will never sounds as accurate and staccato as this.
Listen at 39 sec.
Here’s a slow version so you can see what is going on
Awesome! 
Thanks a lot! This helps.
I might be wrong but it looks like you tense up on these faster notes. Perhaps that could be at least a part of your problem?
Yes i know, try to give it that extra volume there but that includes extra tension.
Just now i am trying it without tension it is is smoother but does not have that sound.
It is also because i practice it without amplification. I will do another clip with amplification later on, trying to play the whoole thing without tension.
Thnx for you input!
Now with amp. It is getting better :’)
That first one was almost perfect.
Cool stuff. Those little triplet bursts are a stumbling block on Al’s stuff for me too. I was transcribing “The Wizard” the other day and there are one or two little licks like that and I am rarely able to play them correctly in one shot.
Cool! Feel free to share if you feel the desire to do so
Yeah those are a pain in the ass! despite all those newer generation alternate picking monsters, there are still things only Al di Meola can execute that clean and fast in my opinion.
