Clarification on "902" or "904" or "10-0-4"

Playing Technique
#1

Maybe this has been discussed earlier but I’m not sure I fully understand the “902” analogy. Assuming you are lightly supinated (Andy Wood) , wouldn’t you be tracing a “904” path. To me the path the pick traces almost looks like a mirrored ‘J’ … ᒐ.

To me the pick always ends towards the bridge of the guitar after a downstroke . So it feels like “904” or even “10-0-4”.

Maybe my reference point for the clock is incorrect or its because i play pronated and hence different “time-zone”

Additionally, does it mean that once you use a “902” motion you are purely switching strings using this pathway only? I know that TWPS terminology is not used in the same manner as before, but where would “Down-Up Rotate (escape), Up-Down-Rotate (escape)” style playing fit into this context?

Cheers

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#2

Hey @jmath90, I hope this picture (kindly provided by Troy) addresses your doubts re: clockface terminology. (In this example we’d have a 10-4 motion).

image
image1920×1080 189 KB

More practically, what problem are you exactly trying to solve? Our experience suggests that the best way to solve mechanical problems is always to post a video showing the issue… so we’ll be waiting for you in the Technique Critique section if you feel like doing that :slight_smile:

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#3

Than you Tommo. I think I confused myself. I wanted to understand how Andy Wood or Anton Oparin escape motions traced a 9-0-2 path. In my head, the path should be some other clock-face motion. This has been clarified through Troy’s new 2.5hrs series on “Identifying your motion”.

The mistake I made with this clock face analogy was with my visualization i.e not “rotating” the orientation of the clock based on your arm tilt. I visualized the clock as per the picture above as absolute’ no matter the arm tilt. This is why I got confused on the path the pick traces.
That particular series helped me conceptually understand what was going on and maybe the best instructional video yet on this platform.

I’m primarily a DSX player and tend to place the thumb heel as the anchor point (Grier). Besides wrist, elbow also kicks in every now and then and I swipe instead of doing any double escapes. I also can play using elbow +USX which is the mystery motion of Zakk Wylde , Tommy Emmanuel where there maybe contributions of the rotator cuff etc. This can get tiring on the arms. If I attempt USX, the elbow kicks in. Trying to do USX with wrist and pinky heel seems weird.

Additionally, I never realized that you could anchor on the pinky heel and make the Al+Mike Motion. This was mind blowing. To me DSX motion was always firmly planting on the thumb heel. Who knew such minute details made a big difference. Good to learn Grier’s way of double escape motion as well which is the inverse of Al+Mike. I will be working on this.

Anyways, my problem in conceptualizing the clock -face analogy has been solved. Now to practice.

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