I have a question for the group which I could not find after a bit of searching on the web as well as in the GMC forums. Maybe I am not using the proper terminology or technique name. I have been on GMC for awhile (Although not lately) and recently went to a live teacher to see if I could get some live help and sort tsome thing out in my playing


One of the first things he is trying to get me to do is to use my right hand ring finger(4) and middle finger(3), along with the pick at the same time when doing scales and such. Even picking 2 strings at same time with this method. I know there are many players who do this but it is completely foreign to me as I have been taught day one to just alternate pick, so I am having a hard time sorting it out while learning the other stuff I am focusing on with the scales. Is this a preferred technique or something I should try to develop and any lessons on this technique, or could this just be this teachers personal opinion. Is there a preferred way to do this (like always use your ring finger for high e string, middle for b string and for the other 4 strings use the pick.

Any guidance would be appreciated .

Michael

Well, this technique is called "hybrid-picking", as it is used in this example. You need it for some cool Chords, but personally I never practiced it until now.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Chord-Melodies/

But one of the Instructors will be able to post a better answer for sure

Hey mate - Hybrid picking it is called indeed and in order to get more acquainted with it, you can take a look over the following lessons:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/hybrid-picking-beginner/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Violins-Hybrid-Picking/

You can also try the one that Terence suggested, but that one is a bit difficult maybe at the moment

I think your teacher is just trying to show you one of the methods. There are many of course and what you develop yourself is your own personal preference. Hybrid picking is very useful...but so are alternate picking and other picking techniques. If your teacher says that you must use that with scales...then I think its HIS personal preference. I added this answer as I don't think anyone understood your question.

That's correct - it's hybrid picking Check out Damjan Pejcinoski - he uses it a lot

Can I ask you: What were asking him to help you with ?

If he's showing you hybrid picking to use with some licks then I think it's ok.. it's just another technique to get a different kind of sound.

But if he's trying to re-programme you to use hybrid picking for everything, including scalar runs then I think it's a bit weird. But we can't really form an opinion until we know why he's doing it

Ben is right - if he is only trying to teach you a new technique, it's cool, but it's not cool to make you use that one exclusively, especially if you don't like it

Here's another iconic guitar piece that uses a lot of hybrid picking!

I'm learning and drilling the hybrid picking technique into me at the moment.

whilst I'm a fairly good fingerstyle player, it still has me back to the basics and taking things slowly.

For scales it's really useful if you want to incorporate open strings, and then you've got all the country stuff like chicken pickin' , banjo rolls rhythm playing and double stops etc

I was about to suggest that first lesson.

On another note Rick Graham uses it a lot too:

those are great examples by Rick!

As the other guys said, this is a great technique to add to your playing, but you don't necessary have to use only this technique for everything. In this lesson you will find how Ritchie Kotzen uses it:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Killer...-Richie-Kotzen/

This piece made me love that technique


This post has been edited by Jouve: Sep 19 2013, 07:31 PM

Thanks for all the posts - Yeah I never realized that it was called Hybrid Picking (which I have heard of but never looked carefully into) - I never got that far. I started watch Kris' videos back in the day when it was just Freelicks.com and his DVDs (which I still have) and he always pushed alternate picking for everything (at least as a starting point) so that is always what I used to this day.

The teacher is trying to help me with applying theory to the fretboard to make more meaningful scale runs, licks and riffs, and build more chords wit the different interval degrees. Picking the right/best notes to go over chord changes, so it is a lot of going back and studying the degrees rather than just memorizing a shape. Its a bit humbling, as it seems like basic stuff but I never got a good handle on it. The Hybrid picking was just mentioned but there was not too much direction from him on exactly how to use it, like which fingers for what string and how many strings to use it on. Because it isn't even what I should be focusing on this week it is a bit overwhelmingto try to learn it wit hthe other stuff I am working on.

I am amazed how fast some of those players can go with it - I will check out the lessons on it.

thanks again,
Michael

As long as you don't plan on walking up the stage and using it tomorrow, I think it's ok to incorporate it in your practice and let the mind and body adapt to it slowly. Think of it as a new arrow in your quiver, that needs practice to become a deadly weapon Practice slowly, don't become impatient, try the lessons we have posted in this thread and by all means, ask away if there's anything you wish to know.

Another amazing player that made me fall in love with this technique:

Thanks - Yeah I figure its going to take time so I will not be able to use it for awhile in performing. I briefly reviewed Muris' beginner lesson and its cleared up a bit of my confusion. I was thinking on Hybrid picking you would be using 2 addl fingers, such as middle and ring, along with a pick, but it looks like most players just commit to one finger to use along with a pick. Another thing it cleared up is that the use of it changes - For some reason I thought that a finger would be assigned to certain strings (Like in fingerpicking), but it look like it just varies, such as always the closest string being used below where you are using the pick.

Thanks again for the help.

Your conclusions are clearly a great way to discover that the more you play, the more experience you gather in each, aspect of your playing and needless to say, you will become more and more proficient. Here's what I suggest: select your favorite hybrid picking lessons here on GMC, at a level close to yours and start learning them. If you have trouble, of course, we are here to help