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#1
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![]() Learning Rock Star ![]() Group: Members Posts: 991 Joined: 8-February 13 From: North Vancouver Member No.: 17.670 ![]() |
What is the general rule in regards to alternate picking as far as how hard you should pick the strings? I know there are different circumstances in regard to how you want it to sound but when alternate picking should you strike the pic hard on the strings or does the amp take care of that unless of course using a acoustic guitar?? Thank you
-------------------- Tomislav
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#2
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GMC:er ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2.915 Joined: 29-March 08 From: kansas, USA Member No.: 4.733 ![]() |
What is the general rule in regards to alternate picking as far as how hard you should pick the strings? I know there are different circumstances in regard to how you want it to sound but when alternate picking should you strike the pic hard on the strings or does the amp take care of that unless of course using a acoustic guitar?? Thank you THE FASTER you want to pick , the lighter you will need to pick, the trick to good alt. picking is making sure your pick angle of attack is the same on the upstroke as it is on the down. If this is not the same, you will teach your brain to pick harder on one or the other and when you try to speed up uneven picking , thats when you will notice the problem. As far as how hard, different occasions call for more aggressive picking |
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#3
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![]() GMC:er ![]() Group: Members Posts: 442 Joined: 1-December 07 From: Leeds, UK. Member No.: 3.415 ![]() |
I have to agree with the above comment. Generally speaking to pick quickly need to pick lightly. I'm not a big picker myself but I know this is the case for those who are!
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#4
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![]() Learning Rock Star ![]() Group: Members Posts: 991 Joined: 8-February 13 From: North Vancouver Member No.: 17.670 ![]() |
Thank you
![]() -------------------- Tomislav
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#5
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GMC:er ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2.915 Joined: 29-March 08 From: kansas, USA Member No.: 4.733 ![]() |
Thank you Saturday in Todds chat , he has use do a lot of double picking drills, this helps establish an even picking stroke cause you will hear if you are picking up or down harder and can adjust it till they are equal.![]() Take one of your drills(you do have drills, don't you) and try double picking , you will hate it at first, but only cause it will show you where your problems are |
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#6
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![]() GMC:er ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 16.012 Joined: 23-December 09 From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Member No.: 8.794 ![]() |
Great advice from CRSIN!!!!
![]() A lighter touch is a good idea when you speed up, try to exert the minium force needed to make the strike and use very little motion. Also, DO NOT PICK FROM THE ELBOW!!!! Or the Guitar Gods will frown upon you. ![]() MOST OF ALL DON"T TENSE!!!! Join us Saturday and Sunday for our weekly Picking/Drilling/Killing party video chat, and you will be nailing it in no time ![]() BTW: DOUBLE PICKING!!!!! All this means, is pick every note twice ![]() Todd Todd Saturday in Todds chat , he has use do a lot of double picking drills, this helps establish an even picking stroke cause you will hear if you are picking up or down harder and can adjust it till they are equal.
Take one of your drills(you do have drills, don't you) and try double picking , you will hate it at first, but only cause it will show you where your problems are This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 20 2013, 12:31 AM -------------------- NEW QUICK LICKS IN MY FORUM EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT!!! http://bit.ly/quicklickstoddsforum MY INSTRUCTOR FORUM MY SHRED JOURNEY (BOOTCAMP) LESSON NOTES/TABS MY INSTRUCTOR PROFILE @ GMC ME @ YOUTUBE.com ME @ Instagram.com ME @ TWITTER |
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#7
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 22.808 Joined: 14-June 10 From: Bucharest Member No.: 10.636 ![]() |
Todd is definitely the picking master here, but in order to add my 50 cents -> picking in itself is a form of expression, because of the dynamics you can definitely deploy strength or finesse in your picking. It is all a matter of practicing and then when the technique becomes natural, work on being more or less firm while picking in order to obtain various effects.
As Todd said - firm grip/loose wrist is the way to do it ![]() -------------------- |
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#8
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![]() Learning Rock Star ![]() Group: Members Posts: 991 Joined: 8-February 13 From: North Vancouver Member No.: 17.670 ![]() |
Thank you all, the only real drills I use for alternate picking is as of recently Hand synch from Ben Higgins and Darius waves Last lesson on Alternate picking. Great advice on the picking really helpful
![]() -------------------- Tomislav
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#9
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 5.483 Joined: 29-November 12 From: Poland Member No.: 17.069 ![]() |
Most of important things are already written in this topic. I can only add that practicing hard picking in fast tempos is also a good challenge. Most of Your playing mechanism are dependent on the amp You use. I found that playing on the multiple effects like boss zoom etc needs less attack to get same descent sound but distortion from the amps (of course not all of them) are more demanding and You could found that You need to pick really hard to get the sound You want.
Also...If You will learn to play only soft You could have problems playing live with a high volume and high distortion level from Your amp. When You increase the amp volume...usually gain needs to go down a bit (feedback issues) and it's better to be prepared for this. It's good to be able to play fast and hard. One more thing - sometimes it's good to keep hard accented notes and play softer the all notes between. It gives a feel of hard playing but still give a headroom for being enough relaxed This post has been edited by Darius Wave: Jun 20 2013, 11:07 AM -------------------- |
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#10
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![]() GMC:er ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 16.012 Joined: 23-December 09 From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Member No.: 8.794 ![]() |
I'd say join my SHRED BOOT CAMP or just work your way through my SHRED JOURNEY series one lesson at at a time. Here is the link to the Lesson Series in the WIKI.
http://bit.ly/twtgmc If you wanna join BOOTCAMP just shoot me a PM ![]() Todd Thank you all, the only real drills I use for alternate picking is as of recently Hand synch from Ben Higgins and Darius waves Last lesson on Alternate picking. Great advice on the picking really helpful ![]() Well thanks ![]() ![]() Todd Todd is definitely the picking master here, but in order to add my 50 cents -> picking in itself is a form of expression, because of the dynamics you can definitely deploy strength or finesse in your picking. It is all a matter of practicing and then when the technique becomes natural, work on being more or less firm while picking in order to obtain various effects. As Todd said - firm grip/loose wrist is the way to do it ![]() This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 21 2013, 02:56 AM -------------------- NEW QUICK LICKS IN MY FORUM EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT!!! http://bit.ly/quicklickstoddsforum MY INSTRUCTOR FORUM MY SHRED JOURNEY (BOOTCAMP) LESSON NOTES/TABS MY INSTRUCTOR PROFILE @ GMC ME @ YOUTUBE.com ME @ Instagram.com ME @ TWITTER |
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#11
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 30.524 Joined: 3-March 07 From: Argentina Member No.: 1.289 ![]() |
This is a very interesting topic. You already received the necessary feedback about this. In short I think that you have to be able to go from very soft to very hard, to master dynamics and to adapt to different situations, equipment and styles. In this case, as our old friend Malmsteen said... more is more.
![]() -------------------- My lessons
Do you need a Guitar Plan? Join Gab's Army Check my band:Cirse Check my soundcloud:Soundcloud Please subscribe to my:Youtube Channel |
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#12
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![]() Learning Rock Star ![]() Group: Members Posts: 991 Joined: 8-February 13 From: North Vancouver Member No.: 17.670 ![]() |
Thank you all for the awesome feedback.
-------------------- Tomislav
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#13
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 22.808 Joined: 14-June 10 From: Bucharest Member No.: 10.636 ![]() |
Thank you all for the awesome feedback. Always a pleasure Tom! May the wind be in your picking sails! ![]() -------------------- |
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#14
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![]() GMC:er ![]() Group: GMC Senior Posts: 3.336 Joined: 27-May 13 From: Turkey / izmir Member No.: 18.294 ![]() |
I used to pick hard and since a few months I'm practicing lighter picking and its really rewarding
![]() Nowadays I'm trying to focus on grip of pick. Besides everyones excellent comments above, I noticed when picking lower strings a little loosening on the pick (enough still not to let the pick slip) helps stability. This actually almost automaticly happens with softer picks (like speedpick HIO, nice for lesser picking noise when recording) but I don't use them cause when expression is needed they feel wierd ![]() -------------------- |
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#15
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 22.808 Joined: 14-June 10 From: Bucharest Member No.: 10.636 ![]() |
True indeed man
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#16
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 30.524 Joined: 3-March 07 From: Argentina Member No.: 1.289 ![]() |
I used to pick hard and since a few months I'm practicing lighter picking and its really rewarding ![]() Nowadays I'm trying to focus on grip of pick. Besides everyones excellent comments above, I noticed when picking lower strings a little loosening on the pick (enough still not to let the pick slip) helps stability. This actually almost automaticly happens with softer picks (like speedpick HIO, nice for lesser picking noise when recording) but I don't use them cause when expression is needed they feel wierd ![]() This is true, the pick is also important. I use heavy picks (1.5 mm) to be be able to play strong and soft and to get a more precise picking. I started to use Dunlop Tortex Sharp and I'm very happy with them. -------------------- My lessons
Do you need a Guitar Plan? Join Gab's Army Check my band:Cirse Check my soundcloud:Soundcloud Please subscribe to my:Youtube Channel |
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#17
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![]() GMC:er ![]() Group: GMC Senior Posts: 3.336 Joined: 27-May 13 From: Turkey / izmir Member No.: 18.294 ![]() |
I've been fooling around with the petrucci picks lately, actually like them for distortion but on clean sound it doesn't sound good at all specially when the pick is still angled. It sounds like I'm using a coin
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#18
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 5.483 Joined: 29-November 12 From: Poland Member No.: 17.069 ![]() |
The most common dramma of all time is that...indeed - string sounds better when the picks is straight - more tone, less sharpness but...for speed picking it's much efficient to make and angle and "shorten" distance between the strings this way. Another (my personal) dramma is...I like thin picks (Twin Peaks?
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#19
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![]() Instructor ![]() Group: GMC Instructor Posts: 22.808 Joined: 14-June 10 From: Bucharest Member No.: 10.636 ![]() |
The most common dramma of all time is that...indeed - string sounds better when the picks is straight - more tone, less sharpness but...for speed picking it's much efficient to make and angle and "shorten" distance between the strings this way. Another (my personal) dramma is...I like thin picks (Twin Peaks? ![]() ![]() Darius ![]() ![]() ![]() -------------------- |
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#20
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![]() Learning Rock Star ![]() Group: Members Posts: 991 Joined: 8-February 13 From: North Vancouver Member No.: 17.670 ![]() |
I have always preferred a heavy pick 1.2 mm always find soft picks to be well soft
![]() -------------------- Tomislav
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 24th April 2018 - 07:31 PM |