- Tremolo picking
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Tremolo picking, also known as alternate picking or double picking, describes the musical technique of picking on a guitar or other string instrument in which a single note is played repeatedly in quick succession. It can be achieved either with the fingers or with a pick. In the latter case, the pick is moved up and down rapidly to hit the intended string of the guitar evenly. This technique adds sustain to a melodic line where the notes would otherwise decay rapidly. If picked fast enough, the note sounds constant.
One example of tremolo picking is Dick Dale's lead guitar playing on the song "Misirlou." Another example of this is the song "Blackout" by English rock band Muse from their album Absolution. The picking style became an element of other surf rock instrumentals, including "Pipeline" by The Chantays. The technique is also exhibited frequently in Bluegrass mandolin playing, Russian balalaika playing, death metal, black metal, flamenco, and Turkish folk music.
All notes in this picking style are even--and there is not commonly a note in a tremolo sequence that is accented. It sounds as if the player is letting one note ring, but that note is broken up in a staccato sequence.
Since the late 1970s the technique grew increasingly popular, and is used extensively by shred players along with numerous other metal and rock bands/artists. The song Eruption by Van Halen has a notable phrase of tremolo picking.
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