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Posted by: Jonas Tamas Feb 21 2013, 09:05 AM

Hi, if you are new to hybrid picking, then this exercise could be really useful for you.


As you can see in the video, I have used the G minor pentatonic scale throughout. Start with a downstroke on the A string, then hammer on fret 3 and then fret 5. After that, there is the hybrid picking movement (use your 2. finger's fleshy tip of the right hand), and pick fret 3 of the G string.

Then repeat the whole sequence, but instead of G string fret 3, pick G string fret 5, and so on, as the TAB shows.


Questions:

1) who is your favorite hybrid picker guitarist?
2) what are your own experiences with hybrid picking?
3) do you plan to develop this technique for yourself?

Posted by: DeGroot Feb 24 2013, 02:16 AM

Hi Jonas,

1) Greg Howe
2) No experience... I play some simple finger style acoustic picking.
3) I'd like to dedicate more time with hybrid picking. With some isolated licks like this I will give it a try!

When hybrid picking do you find it better to pluck with a fingernail or tip of finger?

Posted by: zoom Feb 24 2013, 03:55 AM

Sounds like a cool lick .

1. not sure....maybe Brian Setzer
2. I play one song "White noise" by the Living End where there is spot with it but I prefer to use just fingers cause the notes sound more even sounding.
3. So far this year I've spent alot of time on sweeping and now doing tapping so maybe after next month could be hybrid picking.

Posted by: Jonas Tamas Feb 24 2013, 03:31 PM

Hi Joe, Greg Howe is one of my biggest inspirations, he is such a great artist. I'm glad that you are interested in hybrid picking. For me it's been one of the huge breakthrough techniques, my playing style and lines has become fresher and more melodic thanks to the hybrid approach.

I always use the tips of the fingers (I use the 2nd and the 3rd finger as well for hybrid stuff), and I always make sure that my fingernails are short so that they never touch the strings. Most of the hybrid pickers use their fingertips, too.




Thanks, I'm glad you like it! This technique can give a boost to even the 'simple' pentatonic scale.

I'll post more lessons on this topic soon.

As you live in Australia, I recommend you one of my biggest influences, the Australian player Brett Garsed. He is one of the most innovative and exciting guitarists out there. He's got the complete package - feel, style, own trademark sound, great melodies, songwriting - and he is a nice, humble, kind person. He has been a judge in my guitar competition here in Hungary.

An excerpt from his instructional video, where he talks about hybrid picking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UDNkPUUXjc

One of his songs (amazing!) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWNwYBDu0U

Posted by: ConnorGilks Feb 24 2013, 09:43 PM

Nice man! I dig this a lot.

1) I'm a big fan of Brett Garsed (rather unusual technique, but very cool) and Dave Martone. This lick is very Martone as well, rad stuff.
2) Developed it naturally a few years back, I pull it out once and a while
3) It comes out sometime in my improv but I really only use it in country and blues stuff, I don't like the twang it has when doing jazz or metal stuff. Maybe a bit in jazz fusion. I need to work on using it like Brett Garsed where it sounds exactly the same as his pick attack, then I'd use it all over the place probably.

Posted by: zoom Feb 25 2013, 06:32 AM

Wow! Brett is awesome. I've checked him out a bit but yeah he is a really tasty player. Thanks for the refresher. I'll check out his instruction stuff too.
You know I actually have been using this technique quite a bit now I think about it. Especially for arpeggio stuff. One issue I have though is
going from ap or struming into it. I have to re position my pick sometimes. That's why in the above song I mention I have this problem and I find it easier to tuck the pick away and go with fingers.

Posted by: Jonas Tamas Feb 25 2013, 01:22 PM

I'm glad you like Brett Garsed, his music is simply unbelievable. I really dig Dave Martone as well, he has his own distinctive sound and he is a very cool, down to Earth guy too, I have changed emails with him about a possible collaboration.

Yes, you are right, in metal the hybrid technique can sound a bit out of place sometimes. That style needs the heavy strokes of the pick. However, I've recently seen Andy James doing hybrid licks in pure metal settings, and it sounded great. So the solution is exactly that you mentioned: fine-tune the hybrid picking's sound, so that it has the same attack as a regular pick stroke.



By pick repositioning do you mean a segment when you have to string-skipping with the pick?
In some cases, it is indeed a good solution to tuck the pick away and using only the fingers. But soon, when the hybrid attack sounds the same as the pick's attack, then you will have complete freedom to choose between pick-only, fingers-only and hybrid approach.