GMC:er Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This is a nice improvement! It's ok that it's fretting out because of the mute. I really just want to isolate the picking technique. sometimes you got to go back to the start, to go forward. Focusing this much on re learning picking is probably distracting you from listening to the metronome and making it very hard to play on beat. As you mention the beat is drifting from your picking but that's ok for now. The good news is you are planting your palm, and not over extending your thumb. You have long fingers which is a great benefit for left hand work. it can be a bit of a problem in picking though as the fingers start to take over for work that should be partially done by the hand. This is a very good step in the right direction. Maybe bend your thumb just a pinch more. You've got a solid foundation here. Try this same drill again. This next time, see if you can focus on keeping good technique and synch to the click.
QUOTE (JohnMathew @ Nov 16 2020, 05:03 AM)
Hi Todd,
I have recorded a video with really slow picking. Sorry for the humming. I have muted the strings because I think this way it is easier to listen to the ping. By the way, in some parts time is totally off.
GMC:er Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Also, For your next vid take your left hand of the neck and find a center place to mute the bridge. Keep the thumb bent and play from low E to high E and back to make sure your mute is solid. Try not to lift the palm mute. Just turn the angle.
This is NOT easy. It's entirely different from your current technique. If you can get this down, you can play licks that use open strings and play quite fast without every using the wrist. Once you reach shred speed, the wrist comes in to play a bit as in the third video. Let me know if this makes sense
I'm moving the reference vids to the end of the thread. Review them for visual reference on technique. Notice how little effort is involved in the picking. This is the secret sauce. Reduce the amount of pick pressure, use a shallow picking technique, keep a solid palm mute, use the thumb/finger part of the hand at slower speeds and add the wrist a bit a higher speeds without lifting the palm. Keep the thumb bent always.
Example 1. Notice how the amount of pick wag decreases as I speed up. Also notice the pick angle. The angle of attack/address is important as it sets up an optimal position for the hand.
In example 2, notice that my palm stays planted on the bridge. I don't lift or shift. I'm using thumb/finger articulation and using part of my hand and just a pinch of wrist. I've isolated to a single note.
In examle 3, I go through all the strings. Notice I keep a good solid palm mute and dont lift my palm off the bridge. Also, I"m keeping the same slanted forward pick angle. In addition, notice that my pick hand never tenses up. Even at speed, I keep the picking hand somewhat loose. This is key to stamina. Tensing up will kill your ability to play fast for extended periods.\
I have recorded a new video with the drill. I think this time is much better in time. Anyway there are places were I slip bit. When playing slow my hand is much more rigid that when playing fast.
As you know my elbow is a bit swollen, so I can't play too much.
GMC:er Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Progress!! You are on the right path Soldier!! Solid work. You doing a nice full palm mute covering all the strings. Your not over articulating with your thumb, which is great, and your timing is solid.
Tension in the hand is a very hard issue to overcome but it can be done. What's more, the lighter you can pick, the less strain it will create on the hand/elbow/etc. To wit!!
Let's move on to the next Mission and try to incorporate what you've learned so far. Also, add a bit more distortion/gain to your signal. it will show you where your mute gaps are as it increases the audible level of any string noise. Focus on keeping your picking hand as loose as possible. Try to use a minimum of pick pressure. The sharper your pick, the better.
Can you give me a close up of your guitar pick in the next mission?
Onward!!
Sarge
QUOTE (JohnMathew @ Nov 21 2020, 03:40 PM)
Hi Todd,
I have recorded a new video with the drill. I think this time is much better in time. Anyway there are places were I slip bit. When playing slow my hand is much more rigid that when playing fast.
As you know my elbow is a bit swollen, so I can't play too much.
GMC:er Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
In Mission 7 I'm using traditional alt picking mostly from the wrist. My thumb is bent in the traditional way and it stays like that so I"m not using finger articulation here. It's straight ahead, alternate picking from the wrist forward. I'm keeping my palm mute but my entire hand is moving from the wrist. Later on, we will do Missions where it works better to plant the palm and just use the fingers to articulate the pick. For this one, it's wrist based alt picking without lifting the mute so that picking hand is just sliding back and forth a bit on the bridge. You can hear that I vary the mute. Some times it's heavier sometime lighter. You can create dynamics by how hard you mute. Just don't go too far and choke out the strings. Here is a close up. Notice that the pick angle is nearly vertical. This is crucial. You have a habit of picking almost horizontal to the string. A dull pick almost forces this to happen. That's why a scalpel pointed pick is key for these drills. If the pick is sharp enough, you can hold it straight up and down perpendicular to the string and it won't matter.
GMC:er Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Thanks for this! A couple of things to try.
1.)Your Thumb is almost straight. Try to bend the thumb a bit more. Take another look at the reference videos I shared previously. Notice how my thumb is bent just a bit more than you are doing here. I want you to try to get away from playing with you thumb mostly straight/unbent.
2.)Center Strategy: Try to find a place to rest your hand on the bridge to where you don't have to move your hand up and down when you change strings. ideally, you hand should just tilt to reach the top or bottom string. This is not always possible, but it's a goal worth shooting for. Your guitar is probably too low on the strap for this to work. You will need to raise your guitar up a bit. Ideally, the position your guitar is in when you sit, should be the same position it is in when you stand. Also, try to put your guitar on your left leg when you sit to play. This is called "classical position". Put something like a stack of books under your left foot to raise it off the ground about 6 or 7 inches. Then the guitar should be at the proper angle and position. Simply pull it in to your chest and stand up. That is the spot the guitar should be at when you stand, so just adust the strap to make it stay there. Your sitting and standing position should be the same. At least for the duration of bootcamp.
These two things will feel odd at first. But, they will help you as you progress on your journey.
Onward!! Sarge
QUOTE (JohnMathew @ Nov 16 2020, 05:03 AM)
Hi Todd,
I have recorded a video with really slow picking. Sorry for the humming. I have muted the strings because I think this way it is easier to listen to the ping. By the way, in some parts time is totally off.
