That’s a great video, but it only works with motions that escape the string after an upstroke. The fastest motions you’ve shown us are the opposite of that, so you’d need to play a pattern like Ben’s starting on an upstroke.
I thought I was using downward pickslanting all this time. My pick is pointed down towards the floor. As far as I can tell with an upwards escape motion. So I don’t understand why you say that.
And I don’t understand why in the previous posts people are recommending using hammer-ons and pull offs to play that run that I posted of myself. What do the hammer-ons and pull offs do? Why do you need them for?
I want to pick every note preferably.
This is a pretty typical USX phrase, doesn’t hurt to try it out.
In general, I think it’s easier to build up speed with small fragments that you can loop, not a very long phrase. Here’s a video I made with some small lines you can loop.
Edit: changed DSX to USX
This is a USX phrase. It changes strings after upstrokes, not downstrokes.
You’re right, he does 6 then repeats. I autopiloted to 3, 6 repeat (which is DSX).
I would maybe go back an read a little more about the steps @joebegly is recommending and NOT start with a multi string lick. If you want a full comprehensive lick, and not just a fragment to start, I would do a simple single string diatonic 16th note sequenced lick. It can sound pretty neo classical, and might get you moving in the right direction.
Actually I have learned some single-string diatonic sequences that sound very Malmsteen like. I have worked hard on them trying to get the speed up and it’s been tough going. I’m okay with trying some two string looping ideas like that guy posted in the video.
After watching his looping video it seems to me that he is playing A-B-C-D-E-F across the B and E strings and doing it repeatedly. Because he is only playing 3 notes on the B string it’s down-up-down. So it would be downward escape motion. Changing strings after downstrokes.
I’m not sure which of your videos you’re referring to, you’ve done a lot of them. I’m only interested in the one where your elbow was driving it. It was the second video in this post here:
That was the fastest thing you showed us, it had potential with some tweaks. The elbow, on its own, will only change strings after a down stroke. It doesn’t matter which way you slant your pick. I was mistaken and went down that path, don’t waste your time like I did. If you get bored, read through this TL DR thread:
I was trying to go fast using my elbow and I misunderstood something fundamental about a ‘pickslanting’: if the joint you’re using only allows for a one-way escape (and the elbow is THAT joint), you can’t change that by altering your pick slant. So the important thing is the path the joint motion makes. The slant is secondary to that. If you try to shoehorn in a slant that doesn’t make sense, you’ll make it even worse.
I really think the steps I outlined in the other post will get you to where you’d like to be. They aren’t my steps! lol! I’m just parroting what I’ve read Troy tell many many people on here. Get a fast motion, play stuff with it on one string with good hand sync, figure out if it changes strings on upstrokes or downstrokes and play phrases that conform to it. All the other things like wanting to be able to play phrases that change after an up or down stroke or phrases that are all 7’s or all 5’s or even numbers…that’s all a distraction. You need to form a solid core and work outward from there.
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I would still stick with a single string and until you really nail it, then I would move on. If you still have trouble playing single string licks and syncing with them, or they are difficult like you indicated, I wouldn’t move on to the two string fragments, you may just have more trouble with those even if they are shorter fragments. I also wouldn’t worry about getting anything “up to speed”, I would worry about them sounding correct and locked in first.
It’s not the speed that makes any lick sound impressive, speed on its own isn’t hard to achieve-it’s how rhythmically locked in it is, or how it’s timed, that does, and is harder to achieve.
I just watched the video where I am tremolo picking using the elbow and you can’t see the pick at all. You can’t tell which direction it is slanted. But if you say the elbow is a joint that will only change strings after a downstroke then I guess that’s the way it is.
I’ve been trying some of that fellow’s looping exercises. The one exercise where he is playing A-B-C on the B string and then hitting the D note on the high E string is more difficult. My D note does not always sound as clear as the other notes.
Right, I couldn’t see the slant. You mentioned you had a downward slant throughout. And yeah, the elbow will only do downstroke escape on its own though, check this out:
usually when people play with an elbow based mechanic, they find it easier to have the pick either neutral or slanted slightly upward. Otherwise it tends to snag on the string.
I picked up Chris Brook’s Alternate Picking book and started working out of it tonight. I noticed with me if I try to pick from the wrist using an arc, hand swings down towards the floor on a downstroke and back up the other way on the upstroke, I have a hard time making it sound good.
Mostly what I hear is the note on the downstroke. The note on the upstroke sounds weaker.
What I notice I do more by habit or by nature is push the pick at a diagonal through the string. There is less string resistance this way. In other words I’m picking through the string at a diagonal going towards the lower horn of the guitar.
And the thumb and forefinger approach works well for this direction.
I just don’t know if I can learn to just use my wrist and move the pick in an arc downwards and then back upwards.
Can I get some feedback on this from you guys?
This would work better with a video showing the issue you’re having, but it sounds like you’re picking more or less with a similar style that I am, using fingers to go at a diagonal into the string? I’ll have to analyze myself more to see if I’m doing this (waiting on a certain something).
By the way, you don’t have to only use your wrist. It’s totally fine to use other parts of your arm in combination (including your fingers).
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I’m glad you kind of know what I’m talking about. I tend to use the fingers to go at the string at a diagonal towards the lower horn of the guitar. Last night I tried to incorporate my wrist as well. Something else I notice I do is if I begin my practice session with my right hand resting on the bridge, as time goes on my hand creeps up and I end up picking not over the middle pickup (on my Strat) but I end up picking between the neck pickup and the middle pickup. For me to always be resting my right hand on the bridge does not feel natural or that comfortable.
Well explain that a little, uncomfortable as in the saddle adjustment allen screws poking into you, or uncomfortable in another way?
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It just doesn’t feel natural for me to be resting my hand on the bridge. And when I swing my wrist back and forth I don’t feel like I can get much speed that way. I feel limited. As far as my right hand goes when playing a Strat, I’ve always noticed holding my hand closer to the middle picking so my right hand is actually floating above the strings instead of being anchored on the bridge. And I end up picking the portion of string between the neck and middle pickups.
Well how much pressure are you using when planting your palm on the bridge? You shouldn’t be using much, just enough to keep the strings muted that you don’t want ringing out, and not so much that it’s preventing your hand from moving freely.
I don’t think I’m using much pressure at all. When I play a Les Paul I do rest my hand on the bridge, but with a Strat no. My hand usually as I said floats above the strings.
If it feels comfortable for you to do that, and you don’t get a lot of extraneous noise, then I don’t see the issue