Alternate Picking Problem., Ideas to break a habit of a long time please. |
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Apr 25 2016, 08:29 PM
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Hello folks,
I've been struggling with Ben's Petrucci lesson and I'm struggling with the same sort of thing that I struggled with on one of Darius' lessons and I had to give that one up. I think that tonight, I may have found the problem. I remember playing one of my guitar teachers the intro to Tobacco Road by Mr Vai (Dave Lee Roth band). He watched my picking and said it was strange. Didn't say much else, didn't say it needed working on but I think it is a contributing factor in my struggle. I've analysed my picking tonight and I almost always pick in the direction of travel. There's probably a name for it but when I first picked up a guitar all those years ago, and for the many many following years, it just seemed to make sense, why go past a string that needs picking, without picking it on the way? It seemed like wasted effort and too much distance going down past a string to pick it upwards   Anyway, I need some advice to break this habit please. Or a suggestion to a lesson that will be the best for someone who has a bad habit to break. Here is a pdf of how I pick the run. I've found I really really really have to concentrate to do strict alternate picking and as it speeds up, my old habit returns. I know there are lessons on here but if there are any mind tricks to break a habit please let me know  
PICKING.pdf ( 20.03K )
Number of downloads: 133Thanks folks, I guess I won't be posting any takes in REC for a while until I've sorted this problem out, wax on, wax off 
-------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE  “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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Apr 26 2016, 06:24 AM
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Thanks Chris and Mertay,
I'm thinking economy picking, as you call it, is harder to control as you are stopping the regular action of the wrist, kinda putting the brakes on for a split second. I'm gonna need a mental soldering iron to undo that hard wiring Cheers -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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Apr 26 2016, 08:19 AM
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Thanks Scott,
Yeah, I hear what you're saying but, I've been likening it to things like darts and golf, when you throw or swing, you follow through, economy picking takes more control with the right hand because you have to slow down the stroke to hit the string on time. It may come natural to some but I think alternate is more metronomic so should be easier to control if I can break the habit. Imagine throwing a dart and slowing down at the midpoint, or taking a penalty and slowing down at the midpoint. I know we are talking much smaller movements on the guitar so the inertia effect won't be anywhere near as powerful but it will be there. Maybe, even though I've done it for years, economy picking, as I have now found out it is, it isn't really for me. Thanks for your input mate Cheers -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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Apr 26 2016, 11:09 AM
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Thanks Ben,
Know a good hypnotist?  Cheers -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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Apr 26 2016, 03:30 PM
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Hi Phil, I think that you've received the right feedback here! I first found this question at the mentoring thread and commented similar things there...
LINK HERE. And share this video from the master of economy picking: -------------------- My lessons
Do you need a Guitar Plan? Join Gab's Army Check my band:Cirse Check my soundcloud:Soundcloud Please subscribe to my:Youtube Channel |
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Apr 26 2016, 08:19 PM
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Thanks Gab,
I've never really been a fusion fan but I know Mr Gambale is incredible. So I need to go away and get this sorted out. I've only ever noodled before joining GMC but I must have always done this, so it will be extremely hard wired  If it's ok with you, I'm going to work on this lesson for a while https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Altern...king-Workout-4/ as well as practising the Petrucci lesson with correct picking. I can't believe I was doing this still while thinking that I was alternate picking. Cheers folks. See you all soon. This post has been edited by Phil66: Apr 26 2016, 09:04 PM -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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Apr 27 2016, 07:38 AM
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Yeah Scott, you got it, I also do it coming across the neck towards the bass strings, I pick up.
Cheers
-------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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May 7 2016, 09:23 PM
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He says nothing new here but saying "until the hands are talking to each other" puts a whole new spin on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NtMqpRluAY -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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May 7 2016, 10:53 PM
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Thanks Todd,
I'll try and get a video to you tomorrow. I'm struggling to break my barrier, even by one BPM. Cheers -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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May 9 2016, 11:31 AM
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Thanks,
Gab asked me to post a video of me playing it at a comfortable speed in my mentoring thread but it won't hurt to put it here as I'm sure there are many "shy" members having issues that may see it here https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&p=731847 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4gKUi3oRQ Cheers This post has been edited by Phil66: May 10 2016, 08:10 PM -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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May 10 2016, 09:51 PM
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Looks ok to me
You are muting well and not getting unwanted string noise and your picking is precise. You are not hitting strings or notes that you dont want to hit. When you bump up a bpm or few on the metronome, where do things start to fall apart? Also, I often use econ picking when going to higher strings and alternate when going to lower strings so during traverse (moving between strings) going up in pitch, econ can work really well as it takes advantage of the direction the hand is going anyway Now that we have a baseline, can you record us a quick vid of you playing it at a speed that creates the issues/problems you mentioned? At first blush, it seems like you have a command of the fretting/picking and hand synch. I suspect you may be going a pinch to fast to early if it's falling apart at high speed. You can leave the video UNLISTED if you like so folks on youtube can't see it. But I'm sure we could help a bit if we see the problems with our own eyes. I'll try to record the same lick to show you how I'd play it as well. Todd QUOTE (Phil66 @ May 9 2016, 06:31 AM)  Thanks,
Gab asked me to post a video of me playing it at a comfortable speed in my mentoring thread but it won't hurt to put it here as I'm sure there are many "shy" members having issues that may see it here https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&p=731847 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4gKUi3oRQ Cheers |
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May 11 2016, 08:05 AM
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Thanks Todd,
I think that alternate picking is better for me at this stage because with something like this, if you do economy picking, you have to slow down the pick as it approaches the next string to prevent it from hitting too early, I watched my hand doing economy picking and if the notes are evenly spaced rhythmically I kind of do a little loop (a la Hotwheels) between strings to delay the hitting of the string to enable timing to be correct. As I got faster, I am assuming this caused the problem as it is more difficult for the brain to control, at my level anyway. So for now I think strict alternate picking is the way to go. Cheers buddy. Video this evening hopefully. -------------------- SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE “Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.” Israelmore Ayivor |
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