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Posted by: JoePower22 Mar 31 2008, 09:03 PM

Marcus,
I joined GMC a few months ago and so far its been great. I especially enjoy your lessons and I want to say thanks because they've been really helpful for me. I have 2 questions for you:
1- Seeing as you're really into shred, I feel I should ask you what you think about the advantages or disadvantages of circle picking. I notice that you seem to use a pretty standard alternate picking form that is quite effective (kind of like Yngwie). The reason I'm asking is because one of my favorite players is Takayoshi Ohmura. If you're not familiar with him you should check him out on youtube. He's great. His technique is amazingly smooth. Speed picking really requires some kind of set form to become comfortable with right?. I've been reading a lot about this topic (pros and cons... wrist vs forearm vs thumb and index; open hand vs closed hand etc) but then I realized that I should just ask you! Any insight that you can give me on your picking hand or just right hand technique in general would be extremely helpful.

2- My next question is actually about the left hand. I loved the instructor plays instructor lesson with you and Muris. In that lesson you mentioned that Muris plays more with his pinky than you do so you altered some of the fingerings. This may be a dumb question but is there any set rule that you use when fingering a particular lick? I am sometimes unsure about what to do because an instructor may play something one way (with his pinky high up on the fret board for example) and I just find it more comfortable to play without my pinky especially when I'm that high up (I guess that's like you). Is there any real reason to play it one way or another or is it just preference?
Thanks a lot- Joe
P.S. Sorry about the long questions. lol

Posted by: seagull Apr 2 2008, 03:31 PM

I'll try to give some advice even though I'm not Marcus.

You should play with the fingering that is easiest for you. IE, the fingering with which you can play it in the right tempo and making it sound tight. Just because Muris uses his pinky a lot it doesn't mean that it is better that way. As you saw in the video with instructor plays instructor, Marcus nailed Muris lesson regardless of the fact that he doesn't use his pinky as much.
But if you're considering it as an exercise it is a good idea to use the pinky. So I would recommend you at least use the pinky sometimes to keep it in training for when there is absolutely no other way than pinky'ing the notes.

Hope this helps.

Posted by: Matt23 Apr 2 2008, 04:40 PM

I know i'm not Marcus either but my guitar teachers always told me to have not much of the point of the pick showing, keep your picking movements very small, have the pick parallel to the strings and move your hand along the bridge whatever string your playing so you can keep the pick parallel. I'm not sure how you should have your hand but keeping it relaxed really helps. Also don't roll your wrist so the pick tilts, pick straight up and down. I've noticed a lot of guitarists don't move their hand along the bridge when their playing. I reckon they have a reason for this so i suppose moving your hand doesn't matter much, it does help me though.

About left hand technique I don't know but i agree with seagull.

Hope this helps

Posted by: lavendell Apr 3 2008, 07:21 AM

Great answers from seagull and Matt23. Thanks guys!

Yeah, you should use the fingering that feel most natural to you. I don't have any rule other than that it must feel natural. This is not something I think about a lot because It just goes by itself most of the times. Some guys like to use the pinky a lot, but I don't. And that's just preference. There's isn't a right or wrong way, imo. Both ways work fine

About the picking. The only thing I can add is that it's very important to be relaxed.