1nps: The hardest thing of all

Playing Technique
#21

How does planting work for high speed 1nps alt picking? Can you show me video of your form for this?

#22

Hi @hamsterman. Hmm. Short of me rehashing his lesson materials poorly, what’s your working definition of “planting?”

Planting refers to isolating preparation for a pick stroke from the execution, prep, pick, prep, pick, etc., incorporating moments of repose prior to exertion. You won’t necessarily see that someone has used the approach at tempo, because it’s more a process than a mechanic per se.

Graham touches upon the broader concept in the following video.

#23

What is the difference between “planting” and a “rest stroke” (from gypsy jazz)?

#24

@RockStarJazzCat Thanks… Yeah, I’ve watched that video a couple times, and I do something sorta similar as part of my picking warmup, and it’s helped me improve my positioning, especially on outside transfers. But when I alt-pick double-escape at moderate to higher speed, I can no longer do it. but who knows, maybe that will change in the future.

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#25

Rest stroke is when the pick ‘rests’ on the next string after picking through the sounded string, planting is consciously and immediately getting the pick in position for the next intended pick stroke as soon as you’ve picked the previous note.

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#26

Aha! Thanks!

So does planting make sense in a world of strict alternate motion? Would it entail start/stop/start types of movements (in the same direction)?

#27

Anywhere a prep may precede an action. So yes.

You see him demonstrate exactly that in the video.

#28

Then doesn’t this defeat the reasoning behind alternate movements (one side of a muscle pair per stroke)?

#29

It’s a process, not a mechanic. And yes it runs counter to certain CtC principles in certain ways, but that doesn’t make it less valuable.