Want to know a picking concept that sounds great, looks great and is quite practical too?
Linear picking passages.
By linear picking I mean picking up or down a single string.
Two master of this technique are Yngwie Malmsteen and Al Di Meola.
Playing along a single string offers phrasing options that aren’t as readily available in a standard scale position.
As well as sounding great and looking really dramatic, linear picking passages are a great way to move up or down the neck towards higher or lower phrasing options.
That being said, they’re not without their pros and cons.
The good thing about them is it’s relatively easy for the picking hand – all it needs to do is repeatedly pick the same string.
The bad thing is it’s a lot more work for the fretting hand.
The hardest part of linear picking is training the fretting hand to move up and down a single string quickly and accurately.
It can also be a bit of a challenge to synchronise both hands at first because the picking hand tends to play faster than the fretting hand can move.
That being said, it’s a really cool technique that sounds great. If you like linear picking passages they’re well worth the practice investment.