Am I limiting myself by using these pick patterns?

Playing Technique
#1

Think repeated descending 6’s
On two strings
I start these with a downstroke

When ascending
I start with an upstroke

I see this sets me up for inside picking.

For some reason if I stick to a single string I start with a down or its hard to sync

Anyway should I try to start these 6’s with outside picking until its comfortable?
Or will I always be able to get away with setting things up as inside.

Since outside is so uncomfortable and I have played so long leads me to believe I have successfully avoided it so far.
Probably via a sweep or something.
I honestly couldn’t tell ya at this point.

Being new to the shreddy stuff
I just want to tackle this issue asap
If Im eventually going to need it.

#2

I think so. It’s better to have and not need than to need and not have.

#3

I’d agree. And, you’re already escaping on the downstroke in the descending version you’re picking now, so you’re alluding to the motion you’ll need anyway.

I’d guess if you go through your entire catalog of licks, you’ll find other examples of it.

#4

there is sort of a deeper question here:

“should I work on what im naturally good at…or should I work on my weak points?”

different people work that out different ways. I would think that logically we want to make our naturally strong points even stronger…push them hard even though they are easier. Make them super fast etc

But also work the weak points to bring them up to respectability so we dont have to try to avoid certain lines

me personally im starting to think a lot in terms of inside and outside type movements as being key. Sort of breaking down complicated patterns to their core movements.

So this (left hand notes dont matter here):

b--------5--------5
g----5-------5----- that back and forth starting with downstroke so its all outside picking

then just reverse it so its all inside picking starting with downstroke:
b--------5--------5-------
g------------5----------5

those are the 2 key movements (ignoring economy picking for now)

then you start to combine and eventually you work into alt picked arpeggios:

e------------------------5---------5------
b--------5--------5----------5---------5
g—5--------5--------------------------- repeat

eventually you can work up to 4.5.6 string alt picked arpeggios…which is super hard. My theory being that working on those super hard, super awkward alt picked arps then makes 3 nps stuff childs play

#5

I have the impression he wants to improve at playing 3nps type lines in particular. Unless it’s crosspicking that he’s trying to improve at in particular, I’d advise to use exercises similar to licks he wants to play - exercises that work on developing speed and coordination in both the left and right hands. Ideally the exercises will work on the speed, coordination and flexibility of all the fingers in the left hand, while also utilizing one way and two way pick slanting situations for the right hand.

#6

yeah, but crosspicking arps is 2 way pickslanting on steroids

its sort of the concept of “if you think 3nps picking is hard, do 1nps alt picked arps for a while and then 3nps scales will seem very easy”

Part of it is conceptual. if we think “omg, outside picking is soooo hard” then we have sort of set our boundaries and outside picking will ALWAYS seem hard

Rather, if we start on the A string, do outside picking to the D string, then do inside picking to the G string, then outside to the B string…all of a sudden that basic outside jump from A to D seems pretty tame

I think it has to do with string tracking. 1nps alt picked arps is insane string tracking on the fly. Makes the tracking for basic 3nps scales seem very easy

#7

Not necessarily. Crosspicking, as I understand it, is a curved motion, while pickslanting is a linear motion. Crosspicking is double escape motions and pickslanting uses single escape motions.

@charface - who are some players whose styles are similar to the style you want to develop?

#8

but look at the Paul Gilbert lick

e-------------5-----------
b—5–6--8----8–6--5

what would you call that jump to the single note on the e string and then immediately jump back to the b string. Thats just the outside movement I put in my first reply. Is it really going to be THAT different from a crosspicked string change?

isnt that double escape going from b to e back to b again?

you might be thinking more of ONE WAY pickslanting being linear. 2 way is up-down-ROTATE etc

#9

Well it will be different by virtue of the fact that it isn’t 1nps

#10

Gilbert swipes that lick.

#11

thats his problem. It would be interesting to see if Andy Wood or Martin Miller swipe that lick. I doubt it.

In any case I stand by all I said for the OP. he can take what he wants and discard the rest

#12

too bad we dont have up close film of Paul doing his string skipping arps. i know he does pulloffs etc.

I wonder if we have clips of guys doing fully picked string skipping arps. Thats gonna be double escaped all the way isnt it?

#13

I’m pretty sure PG manages that lick without swiping on occasion. Presumably he’s played it a few times since the 80s (Fuzz Universe for example).

Regardless, Plenty if players out there that could do it without swiping.

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#14

well if I understand the OP, he doesnt event want to do outside picking AT ALL…even on one way slanting licks lol.

So my theory is that if he plays with stuff like the 2 way Gilbert lick…or the pure outside string to string stuff I first posted…that he will then find the outside one way licks to be much easier

I know this is the internet so people feel obliged to find some way to disagree, but maybe we can put things on a continuum from easy to hard

for someone who hates outside picking:

easy

single string
one way inside licks
one way outside licks
two way licks
two way string skipping licks
1nps arps

hard

So if OP tries some of those harder things he might then find one way outside licks to not be super hard after all

#15

Troy shows how to gradually work into 2 way slanting here.

The Gilbert lick is pretty hard actually lol. You have to jump to that string and hit that one note them immediately jump back to the other string etc.

A slightly easier version IMO is to add one note on the top string and make it 16ths. That way you get more time between string changes

e----------------5–7--5--------
b----5–6--8--------------8–6--repeat

#16

Wow, lots of info here and I appreciate all the input.

I was more shocked than anything that outside picking was such a weakness.

I do have an interest in exploring cross picking as well.

So I guess I have no choice ultimately. Ill just integrate some outside into my routine

So are there people who choose outside picking over inside?
If so is it because their parents didn’t hug them enough or did they hit their heads a bunch?

Thanks again

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#17

its crazy but lots of people prefer outside lol

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#18

Im actually excited, maybe this will be a major upgrade