I reworked the fingerings so I could alternate pick it:
I think the intro is mostly “free time”, and that part goes between 140 and 150 BPM. I kept it at 140 because the end run feels extra bad at 150 lol. Here’s some bonus footage of those attempts:
Great idea @Pepepicks66 , I like it a lot.
I much prefer moving the A note in the first part to the 10th fret on the B string, but I think moving this pattern through different positions might require both versions.
I just gave this a try and it definitely has the huge pro of taking out the ring / pinky fingering across the G / E strings (which might be a hard stop for people). I’m personally not very accurate moving my index finger that fast, so going from 10th fret B string to 12th fret G string feels harder (I’m assuming you’d finger the 12th fret G string with an index finger, because middle finger would set it up to be bonkers hard… at least for me).
Yes, I was fretting the 12th fret on the G string with the index finger, that was my natural inclination. I think 12th fret middle is doable, but I can’t see any benefit to doing it that way at the moment.
Man, I don’t think I have the “finger independence” for that, lol. That would go middle finger 12th fret G string, then ring finger 13th fret B string? Or would you also “double” the middle finger for that one?
If I were to play the 12th fret G with the middle finger, the 13th fret B would be be the middle again and the 12th fret high E would be index. That’s doable.
I would absolutely not play the C triad notes with middle, ring, middle. That’s a nightmare scenario.
Thanks for clarifying that, because I gave it a go and I was like “this is just insane” lmao. I didn’t try “doubling” the middle finger again, I’ll try it out next time I play.
From a “meta” perspective, I always find it interesting to see how different players gravitate to different fingerings when asked to play the same frets.
This is likely based in my personal biases and preferences, but I see the most potential for variation using the fingering I was first inclined to. I think this gives the best results moving the pattern into different shapes.
Obviously, this is something which has been very interesing to me also. There are several common variations in anatomy, and I think these may be related in a predictable fashion to some common preferences we see in practice.
EDIT: This thread has inspired all sorts of arpeggiated vocabulary ideas. I’m almost afraid to stop playing while the ideas are coming.
Whenever you find a break, you should definitely post about them!
I’ll try to write up some of the lick ideas and share them.
What transcription are you working from?
@garbeaj the actual notes I’m going by memory, and the rhythm and tempo I’m going off of a songsterr transcription (which is likely very off, since the song is in free time). The fretting is just something I came up with that felt comfortable to me.
I might recommend starting from an accurate transcription or working out your own transcription by comparing several available transcriptions and using your own ear. It might actually reveal some things in the way EJ actually played it so that you don’t have to come up with any alternative workaround fingerings or picking strategies. Unless I’ve missed the point entirely…are you just doing the hybrid picking part using alternate picking as an exercise in alternate picking?
Yup, this is more or less it! I don’t like switching to hybrid picking for that part, so I figured it would be fun to play it differently to avoid it.
Quick update: feeling more comfortable with the technique at 150 BPM, just having some difficulty feeling the 6s rhythm, going into 4.
Also having fun with the end run, my issue is I’m definitely overshooting the frets; I think that’s my issue when I’m that high up on the neck.
