Tremolo picking across strings
Each note picked four times in 16ths, but the melody moves across three strings, G, B and high E, through E minor, D, C and a B major chord that leads back. Black metal melodies are played this way, and the hard part is the string change: the stream of picking can't stop or stumble when the next note is on another string.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 120 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 120 bpm
- Starts at
- 72 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Keep the picking motion going through the string change and move the whole hand, not just the pick.
Every note is picked four times in 16ths, one note a beat. The melody arpeggiates chords across three strings: E minor (E at the 9th fret of the G string, G at the 8th of the B, B at the 7th of the high E), then E minor with C and B on top, D and C over two strings at a time, and B major with D sharp and F sharp.
The string changes happen on the beat. Keep alternate picking going straight through them: the four notes before a change and the four after are one unbroken stream.
Use the edge of the picking hand on the low strings to keep them quiet, and let the fretting hand move to the next note just as the beat arrives.
Mistakes to watch for
- A gap or a doubled stroke at each string change.
- Picking from the elbow, which gets tiring and can't change strings quickly.
- Low strings ringing in sympathy because nothing mutes them.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 72
- 78
- 84
- 90
- 96
- 102
- 108
- 114
- 120
That's 16 loops and about 3 minutes before you're playing at 120 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Tremolo picking across strings?
The goal is 120 bpm in 16th notes, which is 8 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 72 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
How do I make tremolo picking faster?
From the wrist, with a very small motion and a loose grip. Speed comes from relaxation: when the forearm tightens, slow down. The player's speed ramp builds it up a few bpm at a time.
Should tremolo picking be in time?
In metal, yes: four or six notes a beat, locked to the drums. Unmeasured tremolo, as fast as you can, is used too, but measured tremolo is what makes riffs tight with a band.
More metal exercises
All 21 metal exercises · Scales on the neck · All 107 exercises