When DWPS, if during the pick escape there is slight noise because the pick hits another note during the escape, what is the cause and how is it corrected?
This sounds like you’re not doing the movement correctly. I know that sounds vague and I apologize! It’s hard to be more specific without a video clip. Which movement, you ask? Good question! Whichever one you are attempting. The “Intro to Picking Motion” talk is our best single reference for this currently.
Generally speaking, you want a more vertical motion path, so the pick leaves the strings without hitting anything. If the path is too flat, then you’re not really escaping, and not really “doing” dwps, even if your pick appears slanted. In other words, the pick appearing slanted isn’t the thing - it’s the motion moving at angle that matters most. We’ve spoken about this a bunch here on the forum, but in general we’re probably going to stop using the term “pickslanting” to describe picking motions because the slant of the pick isn’t what causes the escape - it’s the joint motion that causes the escape, in combination with the arm position, be it supinated, pronated, or anywhere in between.
What motion are you attempting, and can you post a clip? If so, we’ll move this over to “Technique Critique”.
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https://share.icloud.com/photos/07xXL77Ce0vDCtt-JjUdc2c3A
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0I4_xYWM1jWxJu5W0U4zXo7aA
Getting close to my daughters bed time so no amp noise but the motion is there.
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Any thoughts on the 2 videos I posted? I am beginning to think the string noise is caused by the fret hand when moving to the next string.
Hey! in the second video, your default picking trajectory seems similar to mine, i.e. with “escaped downstrokes” but trapped upstrokes (formerly known as UWPS). Indeed you seem to change mechanics before moving to the next string. I think this is because you are trying to dodge that lower string which would be in the way of your default pickstrokes.
In short, you may be actually doing the opposite of DWPS or “escaped upstrokes”! Note: this would not be a bad thing in itself, it just means that you’d have to arrange licks so that the last note played on each string is a downstroke (unless you are sweeping of course).
What happens when you do the same pattern but starting with an upstroke on each string? does the noise disappear?
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Thanks for the feedback. Will try your upstroke suggestion and report back I put it into YouTube since it is easier for them to analyze.
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Thanks for posting these! It’s pretty clear what’s going on here. You’re lifting your hand and making it “jump” over the string each time. That’s no good. When you do these motions correctly, you won’t have to lift or jump. The pick will go up in the air every time you play a certain pickstroke, so you won’t need to lift the hand. That’s why there are two “flavors” of pickslanting motions. One of those is where the upstroke escapes (“downward pickslanting”), and the other is where the downstroke escape (“upward pickslanting”). Again, because we’re learning as we go here, we’re going to be clearer down the line which motion we’re referring to.
@tommo is right on here. The hand position you are using is more like what escaped downstroke “upward pickslanting” players use. That’s probably why the upstroke isn’t escaping for you, and you’re having to lift the whole hand to try and jump it. Instead, as Tommo suggests, why not go the other way and try some escaped downstroke lines? Here’s the tutorial on that:
Probably the most basic phrase in the world of escaped downstrokes is this one:
If you watch this in slow motion you can see the downstroke escaping over the top of the next higher string. The arm and hand don’t jump, because the pick is already going up in the air. For the most part the arm and hand just slides over to the next string and the hand keeps moving the way it is moving.
Did you get a chance to check out the “Intro to Picking Motion” broadcast, and did you find those explanations for doing the motions clear at all? If not check those out - particularly the “upward pickslanting” motion section on Andy Wood and McLaughlin - that’s similar to what you’re already doing. You want to get that downstroke going up in the air on every pickstroke. It’ll still be moving side to side - but it’ll also be going diagonally up in the air at the same time.
Thanks again and good work here.
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Does this mean I have to start the ping pong lick on an upstroke? I thought on first string we could start on either down or up. If I start down stroke I am changing on an up stroke.
Thanks so much for everyone’s input.
OMG!! I am a upward pick slanter. Hate starting on an upstroke but i think you nailed it.
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Then I may have the right thing for you! The other day I was thinking of writing some simple licks that combined the Yngwie 6s concepts with UWPS and the downstroke-first. Here’s a couple of simple examples, the idea is to start with a 3-note scale fragment on the initial string, followed by the 6s pattern on the remaining strings:
Example 1
E-------------------------------5-8-7-5-7-8-10-----
B-------------------5-8-7-5-7-8--------------------
G-------4-7-5-4-5-7--------------------------------
D-4-5-7--------------------------------------------
Example 2
E-8-7-5-------------------------
B-------8-5-7-8-7-5----------------
G-------------------7-4-5-7-5-4------
D-------------------------------7-4-5-7-5-4-2This is brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing. I’ll try this tonight!
I just watched the video of MAB and the rotation to get the pick escape on 3 NPS scales. I plan to give this a try tonight.