Supercharged Guitar Slinging or How to Double Pick a Guitar

So, you want to learn the art of double picking, that magical string stroking that makes it all happen. Well, you can and it's not as difficult or mysterious as some people think. The fundamentals are fairly simple, but it takes a lot of practice and attention to detail in order to get the techniques down tight. Don't get frustrated if you can't play like Dick Dale overnight. With time and effort you'll wow and amaze your family, friends, fans and the grouchy next door neighbors.

...The Preamble Ramble

To eliminate any confusion, double picking is frequently referred to as tremolo picking and vice versa. The two terms have been interchanged over the years, but we'll opt for double pick since it's the one with which most people are familiar.

Sixteenth notes are the backbone of double picking. Pipeline, Miserlou and other great works are built around sixteenths. We'll be concentrating on sixteenths and straight time, so if you're not sure what they are, you might want to study up on your basic music theory. The examples will be based on 4/4 time, but the methods can be applied to other time signatures as well.

...Okay, let's get started

Starting with a nice slow speed of 60-80 beats per minute, play eighth notes on your open low E string using down-up (alternating) strokes as shown in figure 1. Why eighth notes? They'll help you get used to down-up picking while you build up some speed.

(Figure 1)

Be sure to play the eighths in straight time, not swing. Concentrate on playing them smoothly and accurately, with good timing. Good timing can't be stressed enough. Without good timing, everything fails. So far it sounds easy, doesn't it? You've probably done this sort of thing many times in the past, especially when you were first learning to play. Practice your eighths until you can comfortably sustain accurate up-down picking at tempos of 160 beats per minute and faster. It will help you ease into that magical realm of double pickers.

...Let's Do It

Dropping back to a slow and steady speed of 60-80 beats per minute, switch to sixteenth notes using a down-up-down-up (alternating) picking style as shown in figure 2. It helps to count as you pick each sixteenth.

(Figure 2)

Play slowly enough so that you can concentrate on accuracy and timing. Counting the sixteenths really helps to keep the picking smooth and even. At this point, you are actually double picking, albeit in slow motion. Don't worry about the speed. It will come with practice. Don't rush it. Spend as much time as you need to develop good control.

When you're ready, increase the tempo to 80-100 beats per minute. Continue counting each sixteenth as well as paying attention to your accuracy and timing. After you become comfortable with this speed, increase the tempo to 100-120 beats per minute, then 120-140 beats per minute. When you can play those sixteenths at speeds of 140-160, you'll be cooking with gas. Any faster than that and you'd best have a fire extinguisher handy.

At high velocities it's difficult, if not impossible, to count every sixteenth note. No problem because there really is no need. By the time you can play at those speeds, the mechanics will be second nature to you. Always remember, though, accuracy and timing are paramount. If you notice anything that is rough or uneven, slow down until you work out the kinks.

...Accents, the Root of All Thunder

Accents really enhance the sound of double picking. The fundamental accent is on the down beat, as shown in figure 3 (accents in red).

(Figure 3)

Practice accenting each down beat. You'll quickly notice the drive and intensity it lends to your picking. That pulse is what makes people tap their feet and want to dance. It's the thunder that pounds in your head. Just listen to Dick Dale.

You aren't limited to accenting the down beats alone. Tasty, well-placed, creative accents are ear candy. A great exercise is to emulate drum beats. Think about the basic surf, or Philly, beat. The drummer plays his snare on two, the and of two, and four. Take a look at figure 4.

(Figure 4)

When you can play figure 4 at a tempo of 130, you'll hear that distinct surf beat coming out of your guitar. Figures 5 and 6 are variations on the beat.

(Figure 5)

(Figure 6)

You can also accent the 'e' and 'uh' of a beat when the situation calls for it. As you can see, the variations and combinations are almost without limit. Try listening to a record while double picking your open low E to the drummer's snare. When you can drop in accents at will, you'll be well on your way toward some very impressive guitar slinging.

After you've gained some skill and confidence, begin practicing on all of the strings. Be sure to do some fret work in addition to picking open strings. Practice muting the strings with your palm and notice the different sounds you get as you vary your muting.

...Pipeline, Miserlou and Some Really Cool Stuff

We all love the Pipeline, Miserlou and other great surf rock music where the guitarist slides up and down the neck while dazzling us with double picking pyrotechnics. Well, now that you've learned some basics, it's time to learn how to do those double picking runs (tremolo runs or glissandos). Take a look at figure 7. The numbers above the neck are the frets from twelve down to one. Think of these frets in groups of three. Why? Well, your mission is to execute a run down the fretboard in the span of four beats. If you cover three frets per beat, you'll have a smooth run to the bottom. The brackets under the fretboard represent each group of three frets, [12-11-10], [9-8-7], [6-5-4], [3-2-1]. Under the brackets is the sixteenth note count.

(Figure 7)

Using the low E string and a speed of 60-80 beats per minute, play the first beat only. Practice until you can pick 1-e-&-uh while sliding your finger evenly down three frets [12-11-10] over the span of that one beat. It will take concentration to move your hand down the fretboard an equidistant amount in relation to each picking motion. When you feel that you are ready, add the second beat, 2-e-&-uh, and the next three frets [9-8-7]. Continue in this fashion until you can smoothly and evenly slide the entire twelve frets over the span of four double picked beats. You can gradually increase the tempo as your prowess develops. After you've gained some skill going down the board, practice going up. You do it the same way except that you begin at fret one and end on twelve, [1-2-3], [4-5-6-], [7-8-9], [10-11-12]. In cases where you want to hit the twelfth fret on the first beat of the following measure, begin your glissando with an open string, [0-1-2], [3-4-5], [6-7-8], [9-10-11].

Practice using different fingers and different strings. A really neat sound can be made by doing a run down two strings at the same time. Just bar the two strings and let 'er rip. It takes extra practice to do two at once, but it's definitely worth the effort.

After you've become proficient with your runs, you can practice covering different distances in varying amounts of time. For example, let's say you want to whip off a one beat run while covering twelve frets. Or maybe you want to spend eight beats covering the same twelve frets. Simple math will tell you how far and fast you need to slide on the board in relation to your picking. Your mind and body are amazing in that after awhile they just seem to do it automatically. It will happen for you, but it takes patience and practice.

...A Strange Practice Idea that Really Works

I might get bar-b-qued for what I'm about to suggest, but I'll make no apologies for it...at least not until I'm on a spit rotating over the hot coals with an apple dangling from my mouth. Okay, ready? Tunes like "Home on the Range", "Happy Birthday to You" and others like them are great for practicing your picking technique. They're simple songs played at moderate tempos and they're loaded with whole, half and quarter notes that are just begging to be double picked. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can develop your newly acquired skills by double picking some of those old melodies. And you'll be equally amazed at how much better those songs will sound. Try it. I guarantee it works.