After re-watching the “Skip Fives” chapter of the Cascade seminar, I decided to put a lick that had eluded me for years under the microscope and see if I could find a way to do it. It’s one of the classic 2nps Mahavishnu/Zakk Wylde - style pentatonic sequences, and I’d never been able to get it past the speed threshold it needed to sound cool. I’m not a strong picker, but when I do attempt such things I default to UWPS. Even though this lick is perfectly suited towards that approach (starting with an upstroke), my problem was always one of stamina/endurance. Even if I could get it up to speed, my right arm would burn out after 2-3 repetitions. After a little experimentation, I tried playing the 4 note sequence as DOWN, UP/UP (sweep), pull-off. With some practice, I found I could get it where I wanted speed-wise and keep it going as long as I needed without fatigue. I lost 1 picked note (25%), but now use 50% less picking movement. That was a compromise I could live with. Not revolutionary I realize, but I was pretty excited to find a path to something that seemed impossible for a long time. The idea of finding these sorts of solutions has been my biggest takeaway from the CTC/MIM material, so thanks Troy!!
Here’s a short clip of me doing those pentatonic sequences with a Top 40 band on a Tiffany classic :)
