Frustrated beyond words. Could use some tips

Playing Technique
#1

Hi guys,
First post here.
The Cliff notes:
-Been playing for about 30 years
-Started out holding the pick wrong and teachers never corrected me
-This lead me to have fairly limited speed with alternate picking
-About a year ago, I decided to force myself to relearn picking with the pick held properly
-Really have struggled to get those wrist and hand muscles to move in a new way.
-Currently, I have found a comfortable technique where I can pick very fast and relaxed on one string, but when I try to slow it down, everything goes to crap.
-I’ve tried doing that same technique starting slow, but I’m really struggling to duplicate with my muscles that same technique when going slow. It feels quite a bit different and like I’m maybe not using the same technique.

So, I guess my question is for Troy or whoever has dealt with this issue. Where do I go from here when I have found a relaxed, fast technique, but can’t seem to slow it down to practice at slower tempos and work on moving to other strings etc? I have my fast technique and my slow technique, but no bridge between the two. Any ideas?

Thank you in advance,
Steve

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#2

Any chance you could post a video?

My first suggestion would be accenting notes to serve as “landmarks” / “milestones” whatever you want to call them in your riffs, which I similarly use when “chunking”.

When you go fast and relaxed on one string, are you using any accents? Assuming a 16th note feel, I like to accent the first note in every group of 8 notes (so every 2 clicks of a quarter note BPM), or if working with sextuplets, accenting the first note of every group of 6.

To apply this to your playing, I would suggest you do something very simple fretting wise (even just an open string) and playing comfortably slow so you can really feel the accent note, and maintain the speed until it feels like second nature. Next, fire up your fast picking speed, and try to apply the same accent pattern. It might be hard / sloppy at first, but even if you only hit every other accent note, you’ll still be developing a feel for the note subdivisions. From here, you can slowly increase your “comfortable” speed using a metronome while keeping up the accents, or keep working at your fastest speed and “sneaking in” accents. The goal is to bridge the two speeds, at which point you should be able to play more comfortably at moderate speeds.

Lastly, as hard as it sounds, try not to be frustrated. If you’re getting overwhelmed there’s no harm if you instead play something you comfortably do for fun, or even stepping away from the guitar for a day or two. Even if what I outlined above doesn’t seem to work, don’t be frustrated. Just a gut reaction suggestion which may or may not work, not having ever seen you play. That being said, I hope something here works for you!

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New from Louisiana!
#3

Thanks for the reply. I haven’t been trying any accents, but will start trying that.
I’m doing good just to get my hand going fast with this new technique so I’m not doing much of anything with my left hand other than just slowly going up and down chromatic scales with roughly 16th notes on each string.
Part of my problem, I think, has been that I keep trying different angles and techniques so I think I need to just stick with this current one for a few weeks and see if I can develop more control and to get that motion engrained in my brain and muscles. Maybe some overthinking happening.
I’ll try and put together a short video clip to show where I’m at and what’s happening. Just seems so weird to not be able to slow down something I can do fast.
thanks,
Steve

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