33 year player introducing myself

Introduce Yourself
#1

Hi!

I’ve been playing since the summer of '92. Over the decades I’ve developed enough to be happy with most areas of my technique except for high speed alternate picking and I’ve decided the time has come to spend some money to finally tackle it.

I’ve been a member for a couple or months, have been watching videos, and it has helped me make some marginal improvement. In general though, I am a bit lost as to a plan for how to actually start tackling the mountain of material here. I am also realizing that decades of playing has resulted in a huge number of habits as to physical actions and muscle memory that my help or hinder me.

What I would love is some suggestions as to a sort of “curriculum” to start off with here. What should I watch or rewatch first? What should I submit to for my first few technique critiques?

I don’t have any particular targets as far as speed or anything. I don’t expect to be busting out the fastest Petrucci or Vai licks in short order or anything like that. I just want to get to the point where I don’t feel like a tense, sloppy mess when I I try to execute a high speed idea improvising or composing solos.

Thanks ahead of time for any direction the forum can offer me.

#2

Welcome!

First place to start will be to work out “how” you pick. You can do this using a Technique Critique. IIRC there are some instructions for how to do one, and what to include.

Once you know “how” you pick, you can work through the other information and courses to tailor your playing to that style.

Hope that helps.

#3

Thank you! What should I film for the first one? Should I just film trying my fastest tremolo or should I film attempts at a few different speeds?

#4

Fastest tremelo for sure! I did a couple of scale runs (at speed) for mine as well.

Do you have a way of mounting a camera looking down the neck towards your hand? There is a set of instructions somewhere about what format to take the video in.

Also, dont submit a “curated” video where youve chosen your best bits, just be open eith it. When i did mine, Troy could see where i was slipping up and it really helped me. If i had curated a video he might now have found it.