Marty Friedman and his trusted tech, Alan Sosa, who handles all effects switching manually during the show, showed us the goods.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Getting in Shape
Not every guitar model looks good on every player. Could Friedman pull off Dimebag’s Dean machines? He doesn’t think so. But a Les Paul body is universally agreeable. “If an accountant picks up this guitar, he’s going to look really cool,” says Friedman. That’s why he went with the LP-style mahogany body on his signature Jackson Pro Series MF-1 with a cracked purple mirror finish. The design, of course, has a “Jacksonized” headstock and Friedman’s logo to set it far apart from its Gibson counterparts.
The guitars come loaded with Friedman’s signature EMG MF passive pickups, and Friedman strings his with D’Addario NYXL .010–.046s. He plucks with Dunlop picks.
On deck in case of emergency is a Jackson X Series Signature Marty Friedman MF-1, a budget-conscious alternative to the flashy Pro Series MF-1.
ENGL
Another signature piece, this ENGL Marty Friedman INFERNO Signature E766 is a 100-watt firebreather that Friedman designed with the German amp makers. Friedman says they started from the company’s Steve Morse signature amplifier, then pared back the elements he didn’t use, resulting in a cheaper but still incredibly powerful product.
Marty Friedman's Board
Friedman asked Sosa to build him a board based on his needs, and Sosa delivered this no-frills stomp station, which he operates backstage during the show. First, Friedman’s signal hits a Revv G8 noise gate which the tech dubs the most important pedal; he has his hand on it the whole show, tweaking its settings for different parts. After, there’s an MXR M87 bass compressor for clean tones, Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter, MXR Analog Chorus, MXR Phase 90, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a Boss DD-500. Friedman runs to his board via a Shure GLXD6+ wireless system, and a Boss ES-8 switching system helps simplify Sosa’s job.
Settings and effect applications can change from night to night. Sosa will try out different things during the set, and afterward, he and Friedman will decide what worked and what didn’t.
Rethink your approach to pentatonic shapes by pushing the limits of your picking.
Advanced
Beginner
• Visualize different string groupings for pentatonic scales.
• Understand the basics of economy picking.
• Learn how to create lines in the style of Eric Johnson, Shawn Lane, and Joe Bonamassa.
When I first heard about economy picking, the simplicity intrigued me. The concept is relatively straightforward: After a downstroke, if you're moving to a higher string, you make another downstroke. If you travel to a lower string, that requires an upstroke. Many beginners often intuitively do this. It wasn't until a bit later that I adopted a regimen of strict alternate picking for scales and sweep picking for arpeggios. But the idea of economy picking echoed in my mind. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have one picking style that could fluidly transition from arpeggios to scales? As time went on, I explored players like Django Reinhardt, Frank Gambale, and George Bellas, and economy picking naturally found its way into more of my technique.
I want to preface this lesson by saying this picking option may be a useful addition to what you do, but not necessarily replace your picking style.
Picking can be related to drum sticking, where your upstrokes and downstrokes are similar to a drummer's right and left drum strokes. In a fill, the drum strokes aren't always going to alternate, and other sticking patterns are common to make the most efficient movement around the drum kit. For the audio examples here, I am playing everything on a nylon-string Martin 000C miked so that you can really hear the percussive attack, but the ideas in this lesson can be used on electric guitars and in any musical style.
Even early on in my economy picking exploration, I wanted to apply this technique to phrases built on pentatonic scales, which are typically played in a two-note-per-string (NPS), alternate-picking style. Consider this: Arpeggios are often associated with sweep picking, and they're often played in a one-note-per-string style. Major scales and modes typically use a three-note-per-string fingering. The examples presented in this lesson focus on combining these NPS numbers into what we'll refer to as "string groupings." All the examples in this lesson use the A minor pentatonic scale (A–C–D–E–G), so it should be familiar territory for you.
For Ex. 1, instead of playing the minor pentatonic as you commonly would with two NPS, we will play a string grouping that we'll call 2+1. That means we will play two notes on a string, then one on the next, and so on. Pay close attention to the picking directions here and think of it as a sweep picking effect, where the pick simply lands on the next string, ready to play it, without having to jump over it first or change direction.
As for the fretting hand, we'll use a bit of a rolling technique here: If two notes are played by the same finger on different strings, you roll your finger (from tip to pad or vice versa) to fret the next note. It's like a mini two-string barre chord, but the notes sound one at a time, rather than ringing out together.
Ex. 1
Ex. 2 has a different grouping: 1+1+2, i.e., one NPS, one NPS, then two. This will give us an even four-note phrase to ascend string sets, then descend. Also, notice how I tend to start with a downstroke but as the phrase continues, the next pattern starts on an upstroke. In the beginning, you have to really be mindful about the pick direction. But at some point, your hands will develop a synchronicity where your right hand naturally follows the notes that your left hand is playing. This requires less attention than alternate picking, and it allows you to just focus on the notes you're playing.
Ex. 2
Next up is a five-note phrase based on a 2+1+2 formula (Ex. 3). I've always been drawn to the rhythmic accents that phrasing in five gives you over a 16th-note subdivision. Also, pay attention to the left-hand fingering where you roll your index finger across strings. You don't want the notes to ring into each other; instead, strive for a clean separation when transitioning from note to note.
Ex. 3
Ex. 4 features another grouping of five. This example is a string grouping of 1+2+2 NPS. This has a similar sound to licks by Eric Johnson or the late Shawn Lane. Although both these players mostly used alternate picking for pentatonic scales, they would use economy picking to play phrases consisting of odd groupings.
Ex. 4
Ex. 5 delves into playing patterns across four strings at a time. This one uses a string grouping of 2+1+1+2 NPS. Notice that there is a string skip as the pattern begins on the next string set. For that leap, travel in the pick direction of the leap—this often yields two of the same pick directions in a row. Practice slowly and eventually this movement will become very natural.
Ex. 5
Now let's move into some three-note-per-string pentatonic scales. Ex. 6 includes all the notes of a pentatonic scale, but in a grouping of 3+1 NPS. This may be a bit of a stretch, but the sounds and sequenced patterns available in this approach are really captivating.
Ex. 6
One of the patterns achieved from this stretched-out pentatonic shape is found in a string grouping of 3+1+2, as shown in Ex. 7. Hopefully you can hear the smooth sound economy picking offers you. While you could play these same exact notes using two-NPS alternate picking, that would yield a different sound from how it's notated here.
Ex. 7
Now for a fun seven-note grouping: Ex. 8 uses a string grouping of 3+1+3. When you have an odd pattern of notes like this superimposed over a steady current of 16th-notes, it creates an interesting sound. Now, instead of isolating the ascending and descending versions, try playing each grouping up and then back down. Invent your own combinations!
Ex. 8
Since we have stretched to this wider scale shape, let's try it with some of the previous string groupings. Ex. 9 uses the three-note-per-string pentatonic stretch, but only plays the outer two notes. This example is with a 2+1 string grouping that gives you some interesting interval leaps—some notes are far apart and others close together.
Ex. 9
Our last example (Ex. 10) uses a wider stretch in a 2+1+2 string grouping. It moves around vertically in its five-note phrase. Notice how this is more like arpeggio sweep picking than some of the previous examples.
Ex. 10
Take the ideas presented here and elaborate on them. Imagine these economy picking examples transposed into the four other pentatonic shapes and into other keys. Another approach I love to play with is side-slipping a fret higher or lower in and out of key. Also, instead of playing long streams of notes without pause, try isolating each grouping with sustained notes between them, or use different rhythmic subdivisions, such as triplets. One of the cool things about economy picking is how a specific combination of pick directions can yield a cascade of notes from one smooth movement. Happy picking.
This article was last updated on August 20, 2021
One of modern rock’s most buzzed-about shredders shares his insights on an often-misunderstood topic.
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Develop proper sweep-picking technique.
• Learn how to move across two, three, and four strings.
• Create diatonic shapes that move up and down the entire fretboard.
Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
This lesson is about my bittersweet relationship with sweep picking. To be honest, sweep picking has always scared the ever-living crap out of me (and it still does). For whatever reason, it has taken years for me to find any use for it. It’s only recently I’ve found myself applying the technique here and there, kind of like a loose light bulb flickering on and off.
Well, I finally put on my big-boy pants and started tackling it, or rather, it started tackling me.
When you adopt a new technique, it all comes down to context: where you learned it, how you learned it, and the application. For me, the neo-classical art of sweep picking, although pivotal in its contribution to rock and metal music, has never been quite enough to get me off my feet. I never really found a use for that super-rapid sweeping motion for my sound or phrasing. It just didn’t stick in my ear. But arpeggios are essential in writing and playing, and now—who knows why—sweep picking has become an itch I need to scratch.
So I devised a way to make use of those same good ol’ 5-string patterns and sweep them in a way that compliments my sound. In the space allotted for this lesson, I can’t get into too much depth with every way I’ve found to use sweep picking, but I can show you how it all started. You are getting the very first preview ever of my growth as a soon-to-be-sweep-picking fiend … but from what I believe to be a more modern take on this technique.
Let’s begin.
First, I’ll give those of you who may be unfamiliar with sweep picking the lay of the land. Basically, you want to play each note of the arpeggio as cleanly as possible by pushing the pick through each string. If you do this at a fast-enough pace, either ascending or descending, you generate a nice sweeping motion.
Ex. 1 is a simple D major (D–F#–A) arpeggio that rotates through a triplet rhythm at a medium tempo. Use this warmup exercise to get a feel for the sound and structure of this picking approach. As you play through this example, notice how each note occurs on a new string until the pattern turns around on the 1st string. This is what allows you to push across strings 5, 4, 3, and 2 using one continuous downstroke or upstroke.
Click here for Ex. 1
In Ex. 2, we move to the F#m triad (F#–A–C#), which is still diatonic to the key of D major. This shape stretches out your hand a bit more—especially on the top strings—so focus on being as relaxed as possible to prevent your muscles from becoming strained.
Click here for Ex. 2
Now we’ll move to the diminished triad, which for our purposes will be G#dim (G#–B–D). This might feel odd at first, but will serve us well in our upcoming examples.
Click here for Ex. 3
In this next section (Ex. 4, Ex. 5, Ex. 6), we’ll divide up the same three arpeggios and practice them using subdivisions to increase speed. We’ll start out playing quarter-notes, quarter-note triplets, eighth-notes, eighth-note triplets, 16th-notes, and then reverse the order.
Click here for Ex. 4
Click here for Ex. 5
Click here for Ex. 6
This next part is how it all began for me. I needed a way to play these arpeggio shapes up and down the neck in a way that adheres to my sense of legato. Here, I lay out how to move through the neck diatonically over three strings (Ex. 7), four strings (Ex. 8), and five strings (Ex. 9). Using diatonic or functional harmony is super-important for songwriting and can be equally useful in practicing technique.
The idea here is to connect the arpeggios together one after another. In my opinion, this creates more of a continuous legato sound when sweeping, as opposed to the rapid neo-classical sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Click here for Ex. 8
Click here for Ex. 9
Now let’s sweep through a pair of triads using inversions. In Ex. 10, we’re moving between a D major triad (D–F#–A) and an E major triad (E–G#–B), both in 1st inversion. An inversion is simply the same notes in a different order, and in this example, each shape has the 3 (F# for D major and G# for E major) in the bass.
Click here for Ex. 10
Naturally, we’ll move to the 2nd inversion of these triads for Ex. 11.
Click here for Ex. 11
Our final opus (Ex. 12) takes us through all inversions of the D and E major chords across five strings up and down the fretboard. It’s a heck of a workout.
Click here for Ex. 12
That’s all folks. Thanks for stopping by. Go shred some heads!