Hello! Older player, looking to rebuild my skills

Introduce Yourself
#1

Hi folks! Been playing since 1986; my first guitar was a birthday present for my 16th, but much to my shame and dismay, I never mastered alternate picking. It’s been a source of frustration and discouragement for so very, very long.

It’s far too late to get in on the “shred boom” as I’d hoped to do early on, but if I can just get this done, maybe I wouldn’t feel like such an idiot for not mastering these picking techniques to begin with.

Riffing faster stuff (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Pantera, etc.) wasn’t such a problem for the most part, but some of the more intricate faster sections eluded me because I didn’t master these techniques. I felt stupid or defective. It held me back from pursuing my dream of becoming the next Vai or Satch. The desire was there in truckloads, but despite hours of practice, I just couldn’t get my hands to “do the FAST stuff!” when it came to leads or more complex parts.

I’m from a smaller town, lower income family, so resources for lessons were limited. There was no Youtube, no web video back then. Metal Method was a tremendous help along with whatever I could decipher from guitar magazine tabs, but I truly wish a resource like CTC had been around at that time. It would’ve gotten me out of the Terminal Rhythm Guitarist slot and allowed me to do what I really wanted in music.

These days, I don’t have countless hours of free time for practice, but I hope to make room for at least 30 minutes/day to work on this very soon, once my day job allows me enough time. Not because I’m gigging, or even recording, but because I just plain want to do it. To finally GET IT DONE!

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#2

Howdy old-timer. Welcome! When you can, make sure to share some video of your problem areas.

And 30 minutes/day can give you some pretty amazing results. Just keep with it.

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#3

My main problem area isn’t so much in the speed as it is in crossing strings and RH/LH synchronization.

From what I’ve seen so far on the Youtube clips, I’m hoping the Masters in Mechanics or Antigravity lessons will correct this. 4nps patterns aren’t so much a problem, as I discovered when I was working with Petrucci’s “Rock Discipline” for countless, ungodly, STUPID amounts of hours with the metronome around 14 years ago. (I had a lot more free time back then!)

But those doggone 3nps or other odd patterns where I gotta switch to an upstroke when moving to a different string! Still trips me up after all this time. I’m more than a bit OCD about my playing, so it drives me nuts.

Oddly enough, there are some exercises where I find “inside” alternate picking easier than “outside”. Maybe my brain is wired different than most.

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#4

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out CTC’s “getting started” page at the link below:

https://troygrady.com/start/

(Apparently there’s also now a “Start” link on the top menu after you go to “Member Dashboard” at the top of the forum)

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#5

Listen to Vinnie Vincent, back on the streets a few dozen times… you’ll be ready

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#6

Already saw those, but I’m forced to wait until I’m working less than 60 hours/wk before I can delve into it more. I will get to it, though.

#7

Good one. I’m finding Paul Gilbert’s stuff very motivating as well.

#8

3yrs ago I started playing seriously again after a long hiatus…

How much time do you have to practice each day? You’re going to have to maximize every minute. …

I created a daily, weekly, schedule for myself of things I want to learn. My time varies each day but I always get in technical exercises for both hands to keep them working together.

The LH doesn’t have the challenges of the RH, but you have to work the finger combinations to get them to work independently.

I’ve incorporated the concepts of Paul Gilbert, Rock discipline I into my daily workout.

The into the Volcano seminar is my go to lesson series. I divide the concepts and techniques over the course of the week.

What’s most important to me is focus, concentrated practice, regardless of how much time I have.

Let me know how you make out…

#9

Hey old-timer, welcome to the forum! It’s amazing how much you and I have in common. When I was 15 I wanted to get an electric guitar and learn to play, but my parents insisted that I get an acoustic first and if I stuck with it, then they’d help me get an electric guitar and amp… Of course I did stick with it despite strings with very high action that made even playing chords difficult and painful in the first month. I was so dedicated that within a 3 or 4 months of lessons I had my teacher transcribe my favorite band Judas Priest’s"Freewheel Burning" for me and I learned it on my acoustic as well as I could. I’m not sure how many people have ever learned “Freewheel Burning” on an acoustic, especially one with as high action as mine had. My rendition of it, especially the solo was far from note for note and not quite up to speed, but still it impressed my dad.

So for my 16th birthday we went to the music store and my dad gave me a certain amount of money to buy an electric guitar and if the one I chose was more expensive, I would have to supply the rest of the money from what I had earned that summer mowing lawns. I got a Japanese made Fender Squire Strat, put in the extra $70 myself, and then for Christmas I got a Peavey 60 watt tube amp so then I was all set to go! Instead of 1986 as in your case, it was 1984. I’m more of an old-timer than you by 2 years, ha ha!

I picked up alternate picking quickly and it didn’t take me long to get fast but it took me forever to get fast and clean! As a friend of mine who had been playing a year and a half longer than me, and who I had over my house sometimes to jam said to me: “You fall into the category of fast as shit but sloppy as shit.”

I’d like to help you in any way I can, so please tell me this: When you’re playing fast, what happens when you are playing a lick that requires string changes? Describe what goes wrong for both inside picking and outside picking and I’ll see what I can do to help! I have some good news which you may or may not already be arwae of regarding something named muscle memory. The concept of muscle memory dictates that you can regain a physical skill or ability much faster than it took you to learn it originally. Just like in weight lifting muscle memory makes it much easier to regain strength and size you once had than to build a level of strength and size you never had. So, rebuilding your guitar playing skills may be a quicker process than you expected! Nice to meet you :slight_smile:

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#10

Wow! I could never find a complete and accurate transcription of that solo. As for playing it on acoustic… I got hella respect for anyone who could do that!

#11

Probably the same thing that happens to most of us initially; I have trouble getting the pick to clear the string I’m crossing before the upstroke on ascending odd-numbered patterns without “swiping” through it. I had hoped that switching to .88mm Tortex Jazz picks would help eliminate this (broke too many strings with the usual Jazz III’s, since I tend to pick hard) but I still had the same problem. Descending patterns usually seem easier, depending on the sequence. This may be why I have a bit more trouble with some outside picking sequences. For inside picking, it usually depends on which exercise I’m working with. Some sequences seem easier, some I just can’t do yet.

#12

I can probably make time for around 30 minutes/day minimum. The conundrum is that I’ve gathered up so much material to work on, I’m not sure where to start. There is also the problem that if I’m missing a key mechanic to work on, this may not be as productive as I’m hoping. After viewing the CTC seasons on Youtube, it seems that pickslanting may be that missing element, since I’ve been trying to pick at a 90-degree angle to the guitar body for decades. It’s programmed into the synapses, so I have to re-wire them.

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#13

Changing picks isn’t necessary. The type of pick isn’t what makes you break strings. I think you might be hitting the strings with too much of the pick. Try using just the tip of the pick. You don’t need to hit the strings with very much of the pick…

Try this lick for practice - a lot of people call it “the Paul Gilbert lick.” second string: frets 7,8, 10
first string fret 7, second string 10,8 and that’s the whole lick. Repeat in a counting loop. Tell me if that helps after about a week. Pick every note and use strict alternate picking.

BTW, name three of your favorite bands and one album by each that you especially like.

#14

Oof! That’s gonna be a tough one; there are so many bands/artists I like, and I’d be hard-pressed to pick only three favorites. Same goes for albums by those bands.

#15

16 yrs old in 1986? You’re just a youngster. Get on it son!

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#16

Hey man hope you realise your ambitions, keep pickin …paul