Different Alternate Picking Methods, If You even thought You do something wrong You'll be more confused Options

[Darius Wave]

Hey folks! Many time we were talking about the picking about the elbow, forearm, wrist, fingers picking methods. I just wanted to collect a few vids that will show ...taht NOTHING is quite sure (especially which one is best) when we deal with some huge players playing absolutley different and all having total results in this so:


John Petrucci: as You see all the hand is "frozen" - He plays with his whole arm:

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Yngwie Malmsteen - based on the wrist (look how the wrist is angled and at his resting point). It looks like he uses pretty straight pick to strings angle and sometimes he uses also arm foaccents:

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Paul Gilbert - uses mostly wrist but his hand rests rather on the "fat" part of the palm. He also changes angle of his pick while going from low to high strings. He use huge pick angle and get's pretty harsh tone.

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Steve Morse - That's a weird situation. Need no comment - just look at those long fingers and pick between thumb and the FLAT part of index finger.

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Marty Friedman - looks like he doesn't mute low strings at all (look where is the resting point of his hand...how low. Anyway...You can't hear too much noises so...he probably plays so damn hard...that he doesn't need to mute that much . To be honest it look very weird but indeed this position is comfortable. You can use full range of wrist movement (up and down):






Those are probably 4 most diffrent picking methods. You can add Yours - please try to post only the "different ones" if You have something in Your mind Also add some description

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This post has been edited by Darius Wave: Sep 14 2013, 10:27 AM

[Nimrandir]

I'd add Michael Angelo, his technique seems to be quite different from the others. It looks like he uses mostly fingers in the picking motion and moves the whole locked arm to position it on the correct string (although I might be wrong) :

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[jstcrsn]

and none of these are workin for me

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

and none of these are workin for me

Maybe you should try this then:

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[DeGroot]

Tosin Abasi picking style is odd to me. Seems like he mostly picks from his wrist. But, it is even more strange to me that his thumb seems to be contorted on a 90 degree angle on a couple of the close-ups (maybe he is double jointed). If I tried to mimic his picking method I would not be able to play well at all.

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[PosterBoy]

I see he's not a thumb over the top of the neck player

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

Tosin Abasi picking style is odd to me. Seems like he mostly picks from his wrist. But, it is even more strange to me that his thumb seems to be contorted on a 90 degree angle on a couple of the close-ups (maybe he is double jointed). If I tried to mimic his picking method I would not be able to play well at all.

I don't think he's double jointed as such. Quite a lot of people have thumbs that bend over like that (maybe not quite as much). Maybe they're all double jointed then and I'm the only one who's not!

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[Darius Wave]

I'd add Michael Angelo, his technique seems to be quite different from the others. It looks like he uses mostly fingers in the picking motion and moves the whole locked arm to position it on the correct string (although I might be wrong) :

Good Add! Indeed another, different example

and none of these are workin for me

Because no matter which of those You would choose, it's still a lot of hard work and regular practice to achieve and keep the technique. yOU COULD EVEN PLAY WITH yOUR LEGS (IT WAS PROOVEN) if You would spend enough time on practice. The main problem = You need as much time...as You need. Different amount for any of us. Sometimes people change the technique after years of playing so it's very hard to judge at the beginnig stage do any of these work for You. I hope You'll get to the point You want someday but...it's just gonna take some time

Maybe you should try this then:

Indeed needs a lot of practice for sure

Tosin Abasi picking style is odd to me. Seems like he mostly picks from his wrist. But, it is even more strange to me that his thumb seems to be contorted on a 90 degree angle on a couple of the close-ups (maybe he is double jointed). If I tried to mimic his picking method I would not be able to play well at all.

Another good example...He looks like he doing and exact opposite than most of us...pick angle with extremely shaped thumb

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[Darius Wave]

So anybody knows some more different approaches to picking ?

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[SteveGuitar]

That Paul Gilbert Vid was awesome

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This post has been edited by SteveGuitar: Oct 5 2013, 03:12 PM

[Darius Wave]

That Paul Gilbert Vid was awesome

Love his killer sense of humor

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[Cosmin Lupu]

I notice Guthrie when he somehow puts out his right hand fingers when picking - it looks like he is always ready to hybrid pick if he needs to - what do you think guys?

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[Darius Wave]

Very interesting vid. Thanx for sharing Cosmin!

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[Hajduk]

What about Sarod picking?? What's up with that!

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[Darius Wave]

Ha ha That's what I use very often but I call it "circle picking"

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[Britishampfan]

Ha ha That's what I use very often but I call it "circle picking"

Before I knew about all this stuff way before the internet and the vast knowledge of it, my natural picking style is circle picking, my teacher tried to break me of it!

Fast forward 15 years and I was soloing at a gig, and some dude afterward was going, Dude you circle pick! I`m like yeah ok, he says oh man Eddie and other great shredders do it.

I`m like ok?? I never tried to learn it.

I have a bunch of different picking styles now but when I need speed it goes back to circle. ha ha

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[Darius Wave]

I found that for me the wrist and circle combo works best:




but I add circle picking only at higher speeds.

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[Ben Higgins]

I notice Guthrie when he somehow puts out his right hand fingers when picking - it looks like he is always ready to hybrid pick if he needs to - what do you think guys?

Guthrie plays with a very parallel hand position. In my experience this gives the most control over tone and the brightest, fullest tone. It can be difficult for crossing strings, especially in an 'inside' picking situation but easier for 'outside' picking.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Guthrie plays with a very parallel hand position. In my experience this gives the most control over tone and the brightest, fullest tone. It can be difficult for crossing strings, especially in an 'inside' picking situation but easier for 'outside' picking.

To me, it felt like a great way of switching between hybrid/chicken picking and strictly plectrum based techniques. There is something more - have you noticed how 'organic' Guthrie's techniques sound? They somehow don't have anything 'machinal' or mechanical in them. I guess this must be the main reason for which I like this guy's playing so much..

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[Ben Higgins]

To me, it felt like a great way of switching between hybrid/chicken picking and strictly plectrum based techniques. There is something more - have you noticed how 'organic' Guthrie's techniques sound? They somehow don't have anything 'machinal' or mechanical in them. I guess this must be the main reason for which I like this guy's playing so much..

Yeah I agree. I think it is the best strategic hand position of them all in terms of how much control you get and how easy it is to switch to other techniques like sweeping.

Guthrie, well... the guy is a monster player - what can we say ??

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