Bernth's Rebound Method

General Music Discussion
#1

Of course, I’m on a few mailing/ marketing e-mail lists due to being interested in other people’s take on picking technique among other things. Anyway, I recently received an e-mail about something called “The Rebound Method” by Bernth. And the e-mail includes a link to a paywalled video on Patreon with the provocative title “pick slanting is dead”… It appears there is a (free) video on YouTube which at least previews these ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27uT_tThm9c . Anyway, is anybody familiar with this? The name recalls some enigmatic comments from Eric Johnson about “the bounce” mentioned in the Cascade seminar which I think Troy said ultimately weren’t that useful (although I would have to find the relevant video to confirm the details). Also, I think Bernth compares his “Rebound Method” with a bouncing based method for efficient/ fast drumming called the Moeller technique. Meanwhile, Dan Wilson actually compared the Moeller technique with pickslanting itself in one of his course videos (on his George Benson influenced picking technique) I watched a while ago,

William

#2

I’m maybe missing something, but surely the feel of picking the strings with a cloth under them is going to be completely different compared to when you come to play without the cloth. Practicing without the natural feel and rebound of the strings is going to throw you off.

Having said that, I get that Bernth is out to make money and is coming up with ways that will help some players. Fair play to him for coming up with a different angle.

Also, I know that these youtube thumbnails are meant to grab attention with controversial statements, but, imo, “pick slanting” has nothing to do with what he’s talking about.

1 Like
#3

There are real benefits to practicing picking on damped strings and focusing on rhythm and power, it’s a big component of how I teach picking technique. Picking technique is directly comparable to single-stroke drumming technique.

That said, BERNTH talks a lot of rubbish in his recent video (see @milehighshred 's recent reaction video) and the comparison with the Moeller technique is total nonsense.

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#4

The first person I saw mention isolated right hand practice with muted strings was Claus Levin, and that must have been almost 20 years ago now, in the Wizard of Shred days. This is not a new idea.

Bernth is the clickbaitiest guy around.

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#5

New username now :slightly_smiling_face:
I was wondering if someone on here would find that Bernth video.

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#6

Good to know, I’ll be sure to use it in future if I intend to tag you.

Some of your recent reaction videos came up in my feed, I had them playing while I was doing some chores.

I want to say also that I really respect your honesty and integrity. I’ve really become disillusioned with guitar content online, between the algorithm chasing, engagement bait, AI slop (and the plagiarism that has affected me directly). So much of the playing we see is highly edited, mimed or completely faked.

It’s really great to see that some people out there are trying to turn that around. Keep on keeping on.

2 Likes
#7

I’m not sure if this helps; but it appears that the Patreon video is exactly the same as the YouTube (based on the identical length and the lick at the beginning anyway - I haven’t watched it) and is actually free. The course is paid for, of course. It might be interesting if somebody who has seen it could give it a review. (I don’t have a feeling that this is especially worth putting down money to investigate so far though - partly based on the response here.)

#8

@Tom_Gilroy Thank you!

Yeah, I saw some of that plagiarism stuff being discussed here. I’m glad you got that guy to admit his wrong doing. That was crazy.

@WVNicholson I’m sure there’s plenty of good material in the course, like all of his courses. I have concerns that practice “synchronized” stuff where you mute the string with a cloth will actually lead to issues once the cloth is gone and you now need to hear the notes you play. But, besides that, people could certainly benefit from other things in that Rebound course.

My biggest gripe is his lying about “discovering” the missing piece to playing fast RECENTLY. The dude has been playing that fast for YEARS. And then he goes on to claim we get string rebound, like a basketball being dribbled or hitting a snare with a drum stick, when you pick on the loose, unmuted string. This is demonstrably false. He’s spouting nonsense just to get money, and that ruins what value he actually has.

5 Likes
#9

You know you’re a shill when you can gaslight yourself “I’ve just discovered the missing secret” :face_with_monocle:

The drumming/basketball analogy has been used a bit recently and it’s absurd.

The pick passes through the string; any rebound is negated by the fact that the pick does not rest on the string and then has to return direction…what exactly is it bouncing off?

It’s the equivalent of saying you can dribble a ball equally well in a puddle of mud versus a court floor.

Anyway, I’m off to scream in space because apparently anything goes these days…

#10
3 Likes
#11

I don’t normally take the time to talk shit on the internet, but that Bernth dude is an insufferable douche nozzle. I remember some video where he played someone else’s content and basically called them out for not being cool or some shit. Dude has a real elitist air about him & seems to think he’s hot shit. I get the sense that the he likes being a “teacher” because therefore his students are “below” him. Maybe I should be sympathetic, for such egos are always build around a fragile core.

6 Likes
#13

I think what he refers to as “rebound” is a misunderstanding of how accents work. For instance, the idea of emphasizing your trapped pickstroke and just let the reverse one happen on the way back that has helped many CTC members. He seems to interpret that “reverse” pickstroke as a bounce.

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#14

Ok, the dude has discovered a way to make practice harder which is a valid way of training in a lot of circumstances. But what’s the connection with pickslanting and how does one contradict the other!?

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#15

This is a great thread with some links by @Tom_Gilroy and @Pepepicks66 to their other related posts:

This is all the stuff I am currently working on to improve my single string sync