Any develop DBX picking who didn't do it naturally?

Playing Technique
#1

I experiment with pick grips. Too much, probably. I can do DSX and USX picking at about equal speeds. I think DSX is more natural to me, but USX is what I would prefer. (All things being equal, I’d rather start with a downstroke and more of my favorite players use USX picking AFAIK.

I like guitar fingerings which were not designed for optimal speed. Some call them “CAGED” fingerings; I learned them from Jimmy Bruno as “the five fingerings.” They are a mix of 2- and 3- note per string patterns. They are not optimized for DSX or USX picking. (They weren’t designed with picking in mind.)

Blah, blah, blah: anyone here deliberately (and successfully) develop DBX picking? I think that would be the best thing.

#2

Sorry if I’m a bit dense, but I’m confused.

You think DSX (downstroke escape) is more natural for you, and that would be the best option for you. However, you want to be a USX (upstroke escape) player so you can start on downstrokes and emulate your favourite players. Even though you can do both at roughly the same speed and neither fit your preferred scale fingerings.

However, you want advice on how to develop DSX (downstroke escape). That is, the one that’s more natural for you.

Do you mean you want to develop double escape picking? Why is playing scales so important? Would you not rather play lines within those fingerings which conform to a single escape?

EDIT: In any case however, the answer is definitely yes. Both in my own experience and in teaching.

2 Likes
#3

Well by naturally I would have to say that I was too damned stupid to understand how things worked and had to enlist a coach to translate and decipher the right hand for me. That’s an ongoing thing, but it’s really starting to bear fruit now and it’s pretty cool. So yeah, I am a “new” (to me) DSX-er, although I probably should have ran with that decades ago. DOH! Idiot!

DSX just seems to be where I am gravitating towards and honestly, I would be happy with anything I can get. USX or DSX, I don’t care as long as I can successfully play the notes i want to - and I am realizing that although I need to make some tweaks hear and there in respect to the arrangement of the notes sometimes; the notes don’t care. Play 'em in whatever location works as long as they sound good and are rhythmically intact. The audience won’t care either, just sound awesome!

As far as scale fingerings go, those fingerings that you are talking about are called “traditional” scale fingerings and are the ones present in the Berklee books by William Leavitt, and other books a la Mel Bay etc. Great for position-based sight reading, not great for extremely fast sequential playing, however they “can” work out just fine if you use Bruno’s economy/sweep picking. Obviously they work great for Jimmy, right? Frank Gambale’s REALLY got that stuff dialled in and utilizes the 3nps scales as his source of ammunition and has said he found those traditional “in position” shapes too restrictive for what he wanted to create.

Personally, I just know where the notes are and can find 'em in and around a 4 frets for 4 fingers type area no sweat. BUT I don’t really like just playing (or listening) to pure up/down scalework in music - mine or otherwise so I’d argue/present that maybe being married to one particular fingering system may not be conducive to one’s goals? Note awareness as opposed to drilling in a scale fingering habit? I hope that helps, man. (Keep in mind that I am nobody lol)

3 Likes
#4

YIKES! I made a mistake in my initial post. I meant to type DBX, for double escape picking.
Sorry for the confusion. I feel like Homer Simplson: Doh! :man_facepalming:

#5

I am still working on some things, but I made some good progress on dbx last year

1 Like
#6

I am an idiot - I don’t even have the first clue how to DBX. Sorry - I misunderstood - I thought the topic was downstroke escape. Apologies for confusing this.

I AM however a master stringhopper.

#7

You’ll get there, just think how much progress you’ve made recently.

On topic, my answer is still yes. I have students who have successfully developed double-escape form later in life.

1 Like
#8

I did after being a USX player. I detailed the cues I used and how I systematically learned wrist USX, then wrist DSX, then mixed escape (what you’re looking for, it sounds like), then DBX, coming from USX Gypsy rotational picking, in my comment here:

1 Like