WoodyTone! » John Petrucci http://www.woodytone.com WoodyTone = ToneWoody Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:34:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.woodytone.com http://www.woodytone.com/wp-content/themes/zoxengen/favicon.ico WoodyTone! Sweep-Picking: Are You For It or Against It? http://www.woodytone.com/2010/01/27/sweep-picking-are-you-for-it-or-against-it/ http://www.woodytone.com/2010/01/27/sweep-picking-are-you-for-it-or-against-it/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:37:52 +0000 admin http://www.woodytone.com/?p=1558 Petrucci_John_shred_purple

Sometime back I started a thread on thegearpage.net titled “Outlaw sweep-picking?” and I meant it – sort of. I meant it in the sense that 9 out of the 10 times I’ve seen or heard sweep-picking in the rock arena, it’s been pure “wankage.” It may even detract from all-important TONE.

There’s no feeling associated with these uber-distorted notes buzzing by at the speed of sound, same as you can’t appreciate the look of a hummingbird when it’s zipping by. Or maybe it’s along the lines of, “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.”

Whatever the case, the folks at thegearpage (some of whom got pretty passionate about it!) made some good points – like how certain people use sweep-picking tastefully, notably jazz dudes. Okay, fair enough. But I’ll bet that when most folks hear the words “sweep-picking,” they think of out-and-out shredding. They don’t think of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani or Frank Gambale.

They might be more likely to think of John Petrucci, a man of monster technique who in the following Guitar Center video teaches people how to sweep-pick (bear in mind that John is a highly-regarded player, and deservedly so). I’m not a sweep-picking fan, but I like some of Dream Theater’s stuff so I watched the vid.

The two-note thing is kind of cool. Beyond that I confess he lost me. Totally. (No offense to John – not intending to pick on him here at all. Just thought it was important to see someone “of stature” doing it.)

After watching it, I ask you – should sweep-picking be outlawed? Maybe on a warning system – three infractions of tasteless or unnecessary wanking (recorded, not live?) and get a one-year suspension?!
]]> http://www.woodytone.com/2010/01/27/sweep-picking-are-you-for-it-or-against-it/feed/ 5 On the Other Hand/Finger http://www.woodytone.com/2008/10/22/on-the-other-handfinger/ http://www.woodytone.com/2008/10/22/on-the-other-handfinger/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:08:08 +0000 admin http://www.woodytone.com/?p=54 On the subject of switching your picking from thumb/forefinger to thumb/first two fingers — well, you can go the other way too. Paul Gilbert used to play with two fingers and a thumb, but switched to thumb/forefinger, apparently just to get a cooler, cello-like pick attack — and because of a little thumb pain.


Here’s what he says about it on YouTube. (I feel a little bad about posting this since it seems to have been appropriated from an instructional vid, but….) He also goes into how pick attack produces different sounds.

As an aside, I saw Paul on what I believe was the most recent G3 tour, in NYC. His tone was awesome, his playing was awesome, his band was awesome. Was his tone woody? I can’t say a wholehearted yes, but it was clear and raw. No processing, unlike John Petrucci of Dream Theater, who was the second guitarists in that show (Paul opened, Satch closed).

Regardless of your opinion of Paul’s tone, he’s awesome.
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