Why Crosspicking?

[Niels]

Hi @Jack_B

Using upstrokes is a question of economy.
Try to play with only downstrokes, and you will realise that most of the time (such as when you are staying on the same string) you are doing an upstroke between every downstroke anyway – just to get the pick in place for the next downstroke.
So by playing on upstrokes as well you can double your picking speed.
That you cannot hear a tonal difference between the up and down stroke is just an advantage.

Wikipedia quote:

“Crosspicking is a technique for playing the mandolin or guitar using a plectrum or flatpick in a rolling, syncopated style across three strings. This style is probably best known as one element of the flatpicking style in bluegrass music, and it closely resembles a banjo roll, the main difference being that the banjo roll is fingerpicked rather than flatpicked.”

Crosspicking is often, but not necessarily, done using alternate picking,.
In this week’s daily practices Tony often use the down-down-up crosspicking technique, which is not alternate picking.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by  Niels.

[Michael-K73]

+1 to @Niels

😉

-M

[Jack_B]

Thanks, @Niels.

Your single string example make sense. Still seems a little odd and uneconomical in a situation like down on the A, up on the D, down on the G, and up on the B.

Maybe the benefit will become clearer as I improve and get faster.

Thanks again for your response.

Jack

[Alfred]

For me (and this is clearer to me because I gave uke lessons at lunch last night on the subject of rhythm strumming) the up and down correlate to the rhythm of the bit. Like counting numbers and the & when teaching strumming down on the number up on the &
Learn the rules then learn when to brake them kind of thing. For now I am still learning the rules for cross picking.

As far as plain old alternate picking, I think the rule is to end up heading toward the next string you intend to pick, while this doesn’t precisely apply to cross-picking, the rhythm theory seems to.

I could be wrong, I have been before and will be again.

[AttyTJ]

Love when and explanation is so clear. Thank you @Niels . +1 for assisting understanding.

[JohnV]

@jack_b, there is no right or wrong way for crosspicking. The tonal difference is marginal but it is there. Tony Rice (RIP) had an odd cross picking style but seemed to favor the down down up method. Molly Tuttle favors the alternating method. I’m not that good at it and often mix the two or get them mixed up. Currently I’m cleaner with the down down up method. But the alternating method is faster. It’s like anything else, as you get better at it, it will become automatic and you won’t even think about it.

Here is a lesson by Molly tuttle. It’s a bit long but she also goes over a song Tony teaches in the song vault. Tony mixes the two styles but Molly used alternating only.. https://youtu.be/sHT4HibXPeA

[Jack_B]

Thanks, John.