What's So Difficult With Fast Picking |
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What's So Difficult With Fast Picking |
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May 7 2019, 09:24 AM |
This topic fascinates me - why is fast picking so hard?
Here is the lesson I am referring to in the video. To me - the hard thing with speed picking, is the string crossing motion. It requires control...and a practicing strategy! Are you struggling with alternate picking? And if so, why? |
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May 8 2019, 03:21 AM |
My fave topic! It took me quite a long time to figure out that the tone/style of fast picking that I really wanted to go for was a very palm mutey type of picking ala paul gilbert/yngwie etc. This required that I learn to keep a full palm mute while articulating the pick with my thumb and firrst finger. Once I got this down, all of my picking finally got to where I wanted it to go.
I see so many people get trapped in to picking from the elbow (this is a very bad way to go about it imho as it limits your speed and and kills endurance) and or locked in to only picking alternate or only picking econ etc. I found that just letting the notes guide my picking strikes helped me quite a bit. To wit, I created this quick workout. It uses alternate and econ in the same lick and uses the palm muted picking technique Im talking about. Also, the most critical element is not over committing to any one pick strike. I'm using a pointy thick pick with ZERO flex/bend in it. This is the secret sauce to speed. The Mathas Guitars "IMPALER" is my current weapon of choice. Some folks, even paul gilber himself, use thin picks. That's fine, to each his own Doesn't work for me at all but that's all part of the game. You gotta find what works. I"m using Alterntae Picking dddd This topic fascinates me - why is fast picking so hard?
Here is the lesson I am referring to in the video. To me - the hard thing with speed picking, is the string crossing motion. It requires control...and a practicing strategy! Are you struggling with alternate picking? And if so, why? |
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May 9 2019, 02:15 AM
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Have you seen Troy Gradys videos on the mechanics of picking? And why string traversing is such a weird motion?
After doing a ton of tests on some of the best alternate pickers in the world he breaks down what the movements of fast alternate picking looks like when it works. Find it hard to believe that you haven't seen them though! Inside alternate picking is probably where I do worst: DUDUDUDUDUDUDU -X- X- X- X- X- X- X- X --X- X- X- X- X- X- X- This topic fascinates me - why is fast picking so hard? Here is the lesson I am referring to in the video. To me - the hard thing with speed picking, is the string crossing motion. It requires control...and a practicing strategy! Are you struggling with alternate picking? And if so, why? -------------------- "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." -Leonard Bernstein
"The only love affair I have ever had was with music." -Maurice Ravel "There's no such place as dumb question." -Dose One |
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May 9 2019, 09:54 PM |
I have seen students struggle endlessly with Strict Alternate Picking. I remember when I "broke through" and it became second nature for me. I"m always trying to lead students to that same moment. To wit, this is an alt picking drill that requires very little effort and sounds like one is picking using an electric drill when done correctly. The burden on the hand is very small. It's a very basic shape over three frets and two strings. I"m going to make a quick lick out of it. If a student can play this one drill at speed, any other strict alt picking should be well within reach. Have a look
alt.gp5.zip ( 1.04K ) Number of downloads: 73 As I"m always saying "There is no one right way". There are better and worse ways to go about playing guitar, just as there are better and worse ways to go about just about anything. As instructors, we try to suggest approaches that will serve the students. Sometimes those approaches are similar to what we use ourselves, sometimes not. Sometimes, as you mentioned with Marty, very bad technique works just fine for a given player. Of course, these are typically exceptions that make rules, not break rules. That said, every student is different. The only thing that is always the same is the desire to play guitar and play well. As instructors that is what we seek to service. I do share my personal experience and what has worked for me as I have the most knowledge/practice on those things which I've embraced. So it makes sense that I would teach those things as a guideline as I've got the most material available on the bits that I use the most often and that worked. I do however, try to teach toward the student instead of trying to have the student learn towards me, whenever I notice that the needs of the student are different than the path I'm trying to walk them through. This idea is why it's good to have more than one instructor/mentor. To be able to absorb different things from different instructors allows a breadth of technique to be available to the student so that they can pick and choose what works best for them. and here is the trick , everyone's muscle differ slightly , so to say one way is the right could lead students astray. Every shredder has subtle differences and students need to find out , thru trial and error , which works best for them , yes there are some general guidelines . I broke my left arm and the doctor set it wrong ( i can not turn my arm to get chording so I had to switch to play left handed, but thru this I can't pick like you guys , my arm literally hurts and aches ( badly not boldly). Look at Wylde and Freidman with what I would consider horrible technique but it works for them and I bet they could not play with " proper Technique". Todd you use a thick pick whilst Gilbert uses a thin one and I think this is part of the process that comes with learning any technique .
Learn the general guidelines , but make it work as easy as possible for you This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: May 9 2019, 10:05 PM |
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