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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Speedpicking Help

Posted by: rockman Feb 15 2008, 08:02 PM

Hi Guys,

I am struggling with my picking and hoping you could offer some advice on this subject.

I am trying different types of picks and I think that is part of the problem but not the entire solution.

I started with Kris's neoclassical lesson and with some hard practice I was able to do the main lick on the E string
at the same speed and do it pretty consistently. But moving across the strings is very hard and my playing is sloppy and too slow. Here are my questions.

1. Should I be moving my wrist up and down or my whole arm or just my finger and thumb?

2. Should I hold the pick loosely or tightly? How much of the pick should be exposed past my finger and thumb?

3. Are there certain guitars/strings that make shredding easier? ( I am using a Les Paul Deluxe)

4. Are there exercises that I can do to strengthen my hands?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rockman

Posted by: Jakub Luptovec Feb 15 2008, 10:13 PM

Hi buddy

As I can see, you just joined, so I guess you are pretty much a beginner For speedpicking, I strongly reccomend you to run whole Kris's beginer kick-off course and then skip on his Speedpicking series There are great advices for your picking.. but to summarize it:

Basicaly, the movement should go from your wrist, at higher speeds (which you SURELY wont be playing now trust me;) ) you will use your arm to get more speed, but for now, practice ASAP - As Slow As Possible, straight alternate picking using your wrist.

By Alternate Picking, I mean, that you ALWAYS play down, up, down, up, down, up - even if you are changing string and you are temtped to play the next string with downstroke, play upstroke. It will feel very unnatural and strange to you, but believe me, its the fastest way to get to SHREDing, which you want as I see

Also, Shred is VERY ADVANCED discipline (or guitar playing style) - one of the hardest in fact:) So dont expect to play like Michael Romeo or Alexi Laiho (or who is your favourite shredders ) in a months. This takes a really long time my friend, but YOU CAN MAKE IT;)

The first thing you need, in order to play fast, is to practice slowly, with metronome and speed up very carefuly and slowly... Cleanliness of your playing is most important, if you want to became REAL SHREDDER

To summarize:

1) Movement from wrist
2) With pick.. find what suits you.. There are already lots of threads about holding a pick a right way:)
3) The thing, that makes or brakes shredder is CLEANLINESS OF HIS PLAYING. Remember this forever Its the only way, to make your friends jaws fall to the ground
4) Exercizes.. I can advice you Dejans Farkas Pinky workout lesson, its in Exercises. Its really nice sounding and not that hard and I guarantee you, that it will help your stamina and strenght

5) Play SLOWLY and maybe even SLOWER, so one day, you will play lightingly fast The thing is, that in slow mode you must learn your muscles PRECISELY that movement, pickin etc. so at faster speed, you dont have to even think about playing:) And your playing will be so clean, fluid and fast, that everyone around you will envy you

I promise;)

Practice, pracitce, practice, that is the key to art of SHREDDING Thats how all our instuctors did it And we all can to!

Jakub "phoenix" Luptovec

EDIT: Typos

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 16 2008, 03:06 PM

+1 for pure practice my friend. DOn't expect to see some wonder results in short time periods. Just take your time and practice everything with patience. You guitar is great, don't worry, the heavier pick at a bout 1mm is generally good enough, the tip of the pick should not picking out very little, and the hand should be moving however do you like it, just don't tense it up.