Finally broke through the wall, what's next?

Technique Critique
#1

After 12yrs I finally broke through the speed wall.

My picking speed peaked after around 3yrs of playing (130bpm 16ths), I could go a bit faster depending on the lick but not for more than 2 measures. It stagnated for more than a decade and during this time, I didn’t practice regularly and was kind of dejected. The truth was that I had the speed after around 2yrs of playing, I just never used it as the motion came from the elbow and I was told and had it in my head to avoid elbow motion like the plague, so I developed this weird wrist/forearm/thumb flexion motion and tried to force my way through fatigue and tension, luckily no serious injuries, but I didn’t get much faster.

Approximately a month ago, I started practicing and using the elbow. During the first 10 days, I made rapid improvements in my control and synchronization.

I can pick with relative control up to 200bpm (16ths) and even play a few simple patterns at that speed. Faster if I’m properly warmed and been playing for at least 20min. I’ve gone up to 240bpm and the cool thing is while it gets messy and sloppy, there’s no real tension like I felt with my previous technique.

… though only on one string and only for a few measures when the fretting hand comes into play it starts getting sloppy, at least it’s sloppiness not fatigue or tension.

My issue now is string crossing, like many I’m hitting string when it comes to mainly outside picking.

  • I think I’ve got a slight DSX motion, though I sometimes find myself using USX.
  • Starting on a downstroke feels natural, starting on upstrokes always feels awkward
  • Most of the patterns I wish to use/play are 3 note per string patterns, meaning I’ll need to learn how to outside and inside pick when crossing strings.
  • I’ve recently been practicing “with speed” I don’t practice slower than 160bpm even if I mess up.
    For the moment, I’m trying to see if an effective string crossing technique will naturally develop if I keep playing fast; this goes totally against how I always practiced (slow and accurate and gradually build up).

Main question is… How should I practice to improve and develop an effective string crossing technique? Should I keep practicing fast? No Metronome? Slow it down?

Both videos were taken before I warmed up, not the most accurate or smooth (was holding the phone during the 2nd so it’s a bit awkward), but that’s generally where I’m at. Synchronization and not hitting strings is the difficulty now, not speed.


Many thanks!

#2

Haven’t seen the videos yet, but based on what you say let’s assume you do elbow picking.

Elbow does only DSX. So you want to get started by practicing licks that change strings only after a downstroke. If you start on a downstroke, you’ll want an odd number of notes on the initial string, and then an even number on all the others

E.g.:

-----------------------5-7-8-5-7-8 (etc.)-
--------5-6-8-5-6-8----------------
-5-6-8--------------------------
#3

Thanks for the advice.

I read something similar not too long ago. Does this mean that with elbow picking and DSX I’ll be restricted to DSX when it comes to fast playing (I’ll have to transpose everything that doesn’t follow this pattern) or is it just a starting point?

#4

Correct, I like to see it as a starting point. The idea is to first make sure to get good at licks that are “elbow-optimized”, so you can learn what it feels like to play fast, clean and syncronised. Also, it will be fun to play things that feel easy and sound good :slight_smile:

Later on we can try to add little tweaks to the mechanics (e.g. a little wrist or forearm motion) to add the occasional upstroke string change.

1 Like
#5

Cool, cool. Makes sense. My worry was having being restricted to DSX till Kingdom come.

I think I’ll try mixing up the speeds and so how that goes; comfortable speed no metronome, fast speed no metronome and both with a metronome.

Thanks a bunch