Developing 1nps chops

Playing Technique
#1

Hi fellow guitarists,

Since I started with Cracking The Code I had a long journey in which I was able to develop a RDT motion, and I am able to play double escape licks like 3nps scales. It is still a work in progress, in terms of syncronization and cleanliness but I’m sure the movement is already right and I am able to pull some phrases in the 180bpm benchmark. Also, I am able to practice these licks using chunking.

However I’m at a loss on how to practice 1nps phrases. It feels that I cannot force a fast movement for chunking, it feels really awkward. Do you have any tips on how to practice these kind of lines and how to get your hand to make appropriate movements?

I will share two examples, in both all notes have the same value:

------------------------------
-------0--------0------------
----0--------0---------------
-2--------2--------2---------
-------------------------------

| -15-----------14-------------13--------------
| ------14-----------13-------------12---------

----------13------------12-------------11-----
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks in advance!

#2

Could you share a video of this? Do you mean DBX as in your pickstrokes are curved where downstrokes and upstrokes escape or do you mean Mixed Escape where you have a single escape motion and you employ a helper motion for escapes that don’t fit your single escape motion?

1nps is one of the most difficult things you can do on guitar, what helped me is REALLY locking into my DBX over a series of months and working on phrases with no regard for the escapes. After a while I got to a point where I can strongly feel the flexion/extension portion of the motion and focusing on it during 1nps and just letting the deviation portion happen seemed to help it flow better :slight_smile:

(it almost feels as though the DBX motion isn’t evenly split between flexion/extension and deviation, more like 70% flexion/extension, 30% deviation)

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#3

Idk if you already do this, but this is what I’d do for the two lines you posted.

If you were to do more complex 1nps then full alternate is really the only way I know of to be even in your picking.

For the first line you posted it would be the inverse of my example. So Up Down Down. Instead of Down Up Up.

But being a usx player I Struggle with Up Down Down etc… as my hand is resting in a supinated position.

#4

I feel your pain. I am diving into a lot of post-bop in the vein of Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw and so on, and guess what: Fourths galore!

I’m currently working on “Freedom Jazz Dance”, which is not that fast, but still hard. I feel like when playing those kinds of figures I easily fall into stringhopping territory, so I have to be conscious of thinking of a “flat” motion when going over 3+ strings. But other than that, I don’t have much advice, only shared pain!

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