Economy Picking - Guitar Or Bass - A Picking Method

Economy picking is a picking method for those guitar or bass players who use a pick. It is used by guitarists such as Frank Gambale, Joe Satriani, Paul Hanson, and many players with 3 note per string scale modes and arpeggios, jazz guitar, rock guitar, and in many soloing and lead playing situations. The term economy picking refers to specific method of picking from string to string with the use of a pick.

The other picking method, alternate picking, is generally done by default when picking a single string, that is the pick changes direction from downward to upward each time the single string is repeatedly picked or vice versa. With economy picking you keep the pick in the same direction when moving from string to string. Such as down, down, down or up up up, as opposed to down up down up.

So really where you will come across the concept of economy picking is in regards to a very specific and prescribed method of moving across the guitar or bass fretboard from string to string.

Whether or not a player uses economy picking exclusively or not as their picking method, generally he or she will also use other picking techniques as well.