I've talked loads before about how important it is to look at your picking hand position to see if it's working well for you or if it's holding you back.
Often, all it takes is just a bit of physical adjustment and things start falling into place. It's not a substitute for hard work - you still need to practise hand coordination and economical picking movement but the bottom line is: Technique is how you do something and if the how is not allowing the results then maybe the how is the problem.
Bear with me a moment. I'm going to try and look at this a different way.
Let's think of alternate picking not as a technique.
Alternate picking is just alternate picking. Technique is
HOW you perform alternate picking. Ok ? So, if your alternate picking is very good or if it's very awkward it is still alternate picking. It's the technique you apply to alternate picking that needs attention.
So, my first port of call when helping people is to look at how their hand sits, how they hold the pick and how the pick is meeting the strings. Generally speaking, unless someone has an incredibly dexterous thumb joint, the hand angle will determine the direction in which the pick moves toward the strings.
Now, I've always talked about hand position or hand angle but Troy Grady's come along lately and produced some excellent and extensive material and as a result, people are using the term 'pick slanting'. I'm not talking about angling the edge of the pick so it carves into the strings at an angle, I'm talking about the flat side of the entire pick. It's hard to explain with words so behold my awful child like pictures that I've hurriedly bashed out in Paint.
If you were looking at the strings and pick from the side then, depending on your hand angle your pick may be angled one way or another. It may even be more neutral and be more parallel along the string. I'm going to borrow Troy's terms here (I hope he won't mind). Upward pick slating would be if the widest end of the pick, where you grip it, is aimed more towards the top of the guitar, or the lowest strings.
Downward pick slanting would be if the wide, gripped, end of the pick is aimed more towards the floor, or the highest strings.
Depending on which direction the pick is aimed, it will effect the ease with which you pick across the strings.
Try playing this lick. Firstly, start it by using a downstroke and maintain strict alternate picking. Now, try it by starting it on an upstroke.
Now, depending on how your hand sits against the guitar you'll find one easier than the other. In theory, this is how it should go....
If you're a downward pick slanter then starting that lick with a downstroke should be much easier. After playing the 2nd note on the E string, you've just hit an upstroke so your pick is poised in the ideal position to pick the B string with a downstroke. You've got the clearance to cross the string easily without getting tangled up.
If you're an upward pick slanter then you should find it easier by starting the lick on an upstroke ? Why ? It's all to do with where you pick is poised when it's time to change to another string. After playing the 2nd note on the E string, which would be a downstroke, your pick edge should be pointing out and away from the guitar so that gives you clearance to miss the E string when you need to move to the B string with another upstroke. Still with me ? After hitting the 4th, and last, note of the sequence you will have just played a downstroke which just put your pick in the ideal position to move to the underside of the E string and start the sequence again with an upstroke.
In truth, it's much easier if you don't worry about the details and just try it for yourself.
There may be times when you need to be able to use both string crossing motions.. we can't always work everything to our advantage can we ? Well, why not, I ask ? Why not give yourself the best chance of working with yourself and getting the best results ?
If you use one of those two hand angles (which I admit is exaggerated for effect) then you may find it beneficial to work out what pick strokes to start particular licks on and if you compose then you have every right and every chance to make it work for you.
Many people have a very neutral picking position. From here you can work both motions but chances are you will still favour one over the other.
I've only used a 2 note per string pentatonic lick as an example. You'll have to figure out how it all works again with 3nps patterns as well. But rather than getting too bogged down with it all, just remember it's mainly to do with what pick stroke you've just played BEFORE you cross the string. That will affect what direction your pick is facing and where it is poised. This will determine how easy or difficult the next stroke will be.
It's all good fun - so go, experiment !
Tell us which works best for you, let's have some feedback here !
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This post has been edited by Ben Higgins: Jan 13 2015, 12:20 PM
It is a very comfortable way of playing but it can be tricky to move to a new string after an upstroke.
The only place it feels ok for me at all is on the lowest string where there are no other strings above it for the side of my thumb to push down on.
