Secrets Of Speed Picking, "Tricks of the Trade" Options

[Todd Simpson]

As I've been working with my Soldiers of Shred in my Mentoring Bootcamp, I've realized that there are a few tips that might be able to help loads of folks who are striving to reach the next level in their precision and as a result, in their speed (In my experience, Speed is a byproduct of precision)

These are NOT END ALL BE ALL RULES, just tips to try while you are in "Practice Mode" working intently on your ability. So here are the

TRICKS OF THE TRADE


1.)Use a sharp or sharpened pick that is at least 1.0 MM thick. (Pick Flex Kills Precision, our byproduct!)

2.)Dont sit "Side Saddle" when pushing the limits of your fingers. Maintain the discipline of good posture and classical guitar position with your thumb in the middle of the neck, left foot elevated on a book, good steep guitar angle, etc. The stuff we always talk about.

3.)Focus on relaxing your right hand at speed by taking your left hand off the guitar neck. Focus only on picking for a bit. Turn the metronome up 5 BPM at a time and force you hand to stay relaxed as you progress. Once you "Train" your right hand, you can then bring the left hand back in to it.

4.)Don't make big jumps in speed, E.G. from 120 to 160. Rome was not built in a Day.

These are the "Secrets" of breaking through that Barrier between thumb/wrist picking where things get sketchy. To give you some reference, take a peek at this vid. Look at the right hand. Notice how it barely moves and never gets very tense. I'm using a bit of wrist and bits of finger movement on the right hand.



Please feel free to add!

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: May 16 2012, 04:33 AM

[Azzaboi]

JesseJ - Bend your pinking hand index finger around so it almost touchs the skin, lay the pick on top so it's only sticking out a little in over the fingernail (only a few millimeters), lay the thumb on top. Then relax it! You want as little as possible sticking out while still being relaxed. Less resistance = more speed.

The other finger can either stick out straight or curl in, however when you start off, karate chop the hand over the bridge edge of the strings to form a palm mute over all the 6 strings. Let it fold forward over the strings so the pick rests on them. Your'll notice your pick is not flat to the strings but on an angle of attack. Then relax that! You want the pick not angling upwards or downwards, but rotated forwards or backwards so your picking from the edge of it and using even less surface area to just graze the strings. Remember the rule: Less resistance = more speed.

Don't dig into the strings at high speeds. The thumb will also stop being flexable and become straight at faster speeds.

Check out Paul Gilberts technique and/or ask Todd for a better example:


Then it's a matter of learning to play very lightly and still have a solid tone. Take it slowly at first, make sure your remove your bad habits. It's the light touch, minimum resistance which makes speed build up naturally. If your not relaxing or tighting up over time, then stop, shake it out and don't play again till relaxed. Never play under pressure.

Once your got that technique, pinch harmonics and other picking tones are extremely easy as well to throw in whenever you want by just a slight rotate of the picking hand thumb. It's fun as and sounds much tighter and extreme! Syncing up the hands to both perform at the same speed in time with each other is the next challenge. Work on one hand at a time, focusing more on the slowest hand.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

This post has been edited by Azzaboi: Jun 22 2012, 10:01 PM

[Todd Simpson]

Well said AZZA! I could not have said it any better myself. Great tips and really well explained.

JESSE: Try these and see how it works for ya!

JesseJ - Bend your pinking hand index finger around so it almost touchs the skin, lay the pick on top so it's only sticking out a little in over the fingernail (only a few millimeters), lay the thumb on top. Then relax it! You want as little as possible sticking out while still being relaxed. Less resistance = more speed.

The other finger can either stick out straight or curl in, however when you start off, karate chop the hand over the bridge edge of the strings to form a palm mute over all the 6 strings. Let it fold forward over the strings so the pick rests on them. Your'll notice your pick is not flat to the strings but on an angle of attack. Then relax that! You want the pick not angling upwards or downwards, but rotated forwards or backwards so your picking from the edge of it and using even less surface area to just graze the strings. Remember the rule: Less resistance = more speed.

Don't dig into the strings at high speeds. The thumb will also stop being flexable and become straight at faster speeds.

Check out Paul Gilberts technique and/or ask Todd for a better example:


Then it's a matter of learning to play very lightly and still have a solid tone. Take it slowly at first, make sure your remove your bad habits. It's the light touch, minimum resistance which makes speed build up naturally. If your not relaxing or tighting up over time, then stop, shake it out and don't play again till relaxed. Never play under pressure.

Once your got that technique, pinch harmonics and other picking tones are extremely easy as well to throw in whenever you want by just a slight rotate of the picking hand thumb. It's fun as and sounds much tighter and extreme! Syncing up the hands to both perform at the same speed in time with each other is the next challenge. Work on one hand at a time, focusing more on the slowest hand.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!