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Posted by: Tjchep Feb 19 2008, 02:29 AM

Well, heres my problem.

I've been practicing alternate picking quite a bit lately and I've run into a problem. I can move my fingers as fast as they can move using legato so thats pretty quick, but when I alternate pick the same pattern my picking seems to slow me down, so I can pick as fast as I can with alternate picking (Across the strings) but probably half as fast as my fingers can go. Is this curable with practice or am I just a loser who cant pick that fast?

tj

Posted by: Stevie·Ray·Vaughn Feb 19 2008, 02:30 AM

Im in the same problem, you just have to practise more synchronization between your left and right hands

Posted by: UncleSkillet Feb 19 2008, 03:52 AM

Dude your not a loser who can't pick. You got some chops. It's a technique you just need to practice. I would say most people pick up Legato quicker because your left hand gets strong and wants to take over. Plus you want to play some things fast so you work with that. Nothing wrong with it. Legato sounds cool. I know you like Satch.

Just relax your hand, don't grab the pick to hard, pick a pattern working with 2 strings, close your eyes and go.

You’re not alone. I have to force myself to alternate pick sometimes as well because it is so easy to just want to pull off, hammer and repeat.

By the way, nice new Avatar.

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 19 2008, 05:18 AM

Hah, friend was over today..

some funny pictures he took . I look semi retarted in that picture.

Thanks for the words man.

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 19 2008, 10:39 AM

Hi TJ,
Ok first off, you DONT suck I can promise you. One of the core teachings I learnt of kris is that control is the name when it comes to alternate picking, and not speed. ( Or control first speed later )

What you need to do is spend many hours practicing these runs / licks to a metronome at a slow pace. Soon, you will notice your hands syncronise correctly, you actually feel In control of what your doing and it will sound clean - then speed comes naturally.

When you see instcutors playing fast but CLEAN runs you know they have spent many many hours practicing slowly before they got as fast and clean as they are today. I myelf have been practicing runs slowly for many months on end, today I really feel in control of what im doing

Why not pick an alternate picking lesson from the archive and start your practice session of with that? Linear runs are a great place to start (although they can get boring). You can always mix one of these exercises up with something more fun too

I hope this info helps even just a little, remember the key to success is time, control and patience !


Good luck

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 19 2008, 06:23 PM

I never play faster than I can clean.

And I feel I have full control over the lick's that I have burned into my fingers.

But Its just when I try to pick up speed, the one that I can never get up to my fingers speed is my right hand. So It looks like I'm off to practice .


And I never ment it harsh to my self that I'm a loser who cant pick, a smile would have been appropriate there .

Posted by: DeepRoots Feb 19 2008, 06:45 PM

have you tried practising to a metronome? It may seem like sow progress but increasing the metronome by 1bpm a day will give you a 7bpm increase over a week, 30bpm a month, 365 bpm a year ?!?!?!?!

doesnt seem like such slow progress anymore

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 19 2008, 07:05 PM

Beep, Beep, Beep.

Nah, never gave it a good chance.

Mabye I should. Say I'm working on Speed bursts, what do you think I should start it at? 40 bpm? Cause it has 16th notes and 16th note triplets.

Thats 4 notes perbeat and 6 so 40 does sound like a reasonable starting place right?

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 19 2008, 10:11 PM

The problem is not in you left hand, but in your right. You must focus more on the right hand while practicing. For example stop watching the left hand and start looking at the right one all the time during practice and concentrate to do the right moves.

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 19 2008, 10:17 PM

Ahh well, the metronome IS your key to success - You may benifit from listening to kris's words about the metronome on his 101 vids. Everyday I turn my metronome on and practice for many hours, it allows you to learn good timeing / keeping the beat, control, and of course eventually speed.

Dial in as low a bpm as you need, then work up slowly

P.S, Check out http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/Jimmy-jam.htm video of Kris and his student, it explains how to approach learning correctly !!

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 19 2008, 10:49 PM

Wow, didn't see that

If you wanna play the guitar you have to use a metronome! It goes without saying. Just start off from Kirs's lessons about metronome, or search the word metronome tips on the forum, you can find a lot of tips how to practice. CHeers man! w

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 20 2008, 04:12 AM

I understand that I need to..

I haven't really been playing, or for that matter soloing for that long.

So I'm recently, (past 2 months) Been trying to get into to "shredding" as you would call it. So I guess ill go and get a metronome..

Can't wait for that, but I'm sure I will drastic improvements in my playing and technical abilities.

Posted by: SLASH91 Feb 20 2008, 04:17 AM

Yup, like everyone else already said, you will never get to shred speeds (180 bpm+ ) with your AP if you don't use a metronome. I know it's incredibly boring, but it's one of those necessary evils.

Posted by: Batista Feb 20 2008, 11:10 PM

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I have a question about this - or, it's the exact opposite of this actually. I don't have any problems with my right hand speed, but my left hand is way too slow, when I'm not using legato. Is it suggested for me to use the same methods as the thread starter? I can get speed up with legato, but when I'm using alternate picking all the way my right hand goes way faster.

Again, sorry for hijacking the thread, but I found it better than to start a new one about the almost same subject.

Cheers,
Batista

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 21 2008, 02:36 AM

Well, you just have to sit with a metronome at really slow speeds and make sure you hit every note, not missing one or anything, hitting every single note.

sounds like your right and left hands are not synced up correctly.


But, heres a question, when ever I practice to a metronome at a comfortable speed, my pick always moves after like 2 minutes and I always have to fix it.

Is there something up with my pick grip? Or should I hold it tighter, or try out other picks? Using Jazz III btw.

Posted by: Muris Feb 21 2008, 04:32 AM

I'm fixing the pick all the time,nothing wrong there.
Let's say you have 3 bars of 32th notes,one 8th notes and then more 32th.
Use that 8th note to fix the pick,just an example.
Actually,try to move your pick around a bit while playing slower lines,
it'll give better fell of pick and some cool sound variations.

Posted by: Tjchep Feb 21 2008, 05:34 AM

Ok.

I usually do fix it when playing the slower parts, but just making sure my pick grip isnt messed up or something.

Thanks for the words .

tj

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 21 2008, 10:15 AM

Yes aboslutley. Members often say one of there hands is not in sync with the other The point is, it dosent matter which hand is faster or slower, that person needs to practice plenty of alternate picking exercises slowly under a metronome, pushing foward when you feel you have control at that level The brain then learns this new habit (correctly)and you start to build solid technique.

I will spend quite literally MONTHS and months on one exercise, lick or technique under the metronome

If you practicing the correct way, even if it seems slow your reaching your goal FASTER

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 21 2008, 10:17 AM

I use a Dunlop 1 mm nylon with a grip, it really helps! Alot of pics slide around in your hand easy, especially when you have sweaty hands

Posted by: Batista Feb 21 2008, 11:41 AM

Thanks to Mattacuk and Tjchep for the answers on my question

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 21 2008, 01:12 PM

No worries!! Just remember, the slow path is the quickest way to success