Gypsy Picking Technique vs. Alternate Picking Technique

geoff

Do any of you try to master both techniques? or do you just master one?

Django obviously only used the gypsy technique (unless i've been misled over the years!). I noticed Andrea's Oberg only does alternate picking cuz picks like that even on a manouche guitar. Bireli Lagrene on the other hand has mastered both techniques. He gypsy picks when he plays a manouche guitar, but he alternate picks when he straight ahead jazz and fusion.

to me they both have their advantages and disadvantages, therefore I'm trying to learn both. At first my alternate picking technique sucked, that's why I picked up the gypsy technique. I'm pretty good at it now, and it's definitely become my second nature. It's even awkward for me to alternate pick now, but I've come to a lot of music where it would make more sense to alternate pick, especially music that requires an electric guitar.

I'm ready to "re-learn" alternate picking. i was just curious about all your thoughts on gypsy picking vs alternate picking. suggestions would be nice too.

thanks

geoff

MichaelHorowitz

Hi Geoff,

If you can do both all the better! I totally abandoned alternate picking and over the years have found I can do just about anything I want with rest stroke picking. Usually all it takes is the right fingering to make it work.

The super fast swept arpeggios are the only thing that I do that falls outside of the normal rules for Gypsy picking.

Andreas actually does a lot of rest stroke type picking....like Bireli, he has a hybrid style

'm

geoff

Michael Horowitz wrote:

Hi Geoff,

Andreas actually does a lot of rest stroke type picking....like Bireli, he has a hybrid style

'm

hmm... a combination of two techniques... i never really thought about that for some odd reason! when i first started the gypsy technique i really discipline myself NOT to break the rules! but that's cuz i didn't feel secure about gypsy picking then and it wasn't my second nature yet. now i feel pretty secure on my gypsy technique. and maybe for now i won't start combining both techniques yet before I get good at alternate picking again. cuz now my gypsy technique is ahead of my alternate picking technique and before I find a balance between the the two techniques, maybe i shouldn't combine them right away! haha

thanks for the insight michael! it's good to hear that you can play everything w/ the gypsy technique. i remember u said that on your "gypsy picking" book ; )

geoff

rafapak

geoff wrote:

Do any of you try to master both techniques? or do you just master one?

Django obviously only used the gypsy technique (unless i've been misled over the years!). I noticed Andrea's Oberg only does alternate picking cuz picks like that even on a manouche guitar. Bireli Lagrene on the other hand has mastered both techniques. He gypsy picks when he plays a manouche guitar, but he alternate picks when he straight ahead jazz and fusion.

to me they both have their advantages and disadvantages, therefore I'm trying to learn both. At first my alternate picking technique sucked, that's why I picked up the gypsy technique. I'm pretty good at it now, and it's definitely become my second nature. It's even awkward for me to alternate pick now, but I've come to a lot of music where it would make more sense to alternate pick, especially music that requires an electric guitar.

I'm ready to "re-learn" alternate picking. i was just curious about all your thoughts on gypsy picking vs alternate picking. suggestions would be nice too.

thanks

geoff

geoff, did you use michael horowitz book for learning gypsy picking? Are there any websites in the internet where exercises are shown that help you to learn gypsy picking?