Help me identify my weird picking

Technique Critique
#1

Hello all, I’m trying to identify my picking style to improve. Here is everything I know. Can anyone point me to some of the technical videos and terms that might help me?

-I alternate pick.
-I hold the pick on a weird reverse angle similar to Ola Englund, George Benson, and Cory Wong.
-I feel like I need to rest the back of my palm on the strings to pick single notes accurately.

I decided to check this all out because I noticed I was having issues with a lick that goes downstroke high e string to upstroke B string.

Normal speed followed by slow-mo.
[picking demo]([https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MWR7sFzoNPaXcWrJVFaD8zHe09rXX9GJ/view?usp=sharing](https://picking demo))

tremolo picking
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L0C_hm6dDLXHtQr6C-EFJItRZxG-WcNz/view?usp=sharing

#2

It appears as if you are trapped. I can see you are having to do a circle motion to escape on the upstrokes and the downstrokes are trapped also.

What happens when you do a fast tremolo? Just on a single string, without thinking too much about how you do it. Id suggest doing this, film it and post here.

#3

Hey thanks for your reply. I just uploaded a tremolo video in the post but here is again.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L0C_hm6dDLXHtQr6C-EFJItRZxG-WcNz/view?usp=sharing

#4

It looks now like you have a good dsx motion.
It looks like there is some motion from the elbow also when you are playing faster. So likely a combination of elbow and wrist.

So this favours phrases where the last note on a string is a downstroke. I’d recommend trying some of the phrases in the dsx section of the primer. You’ll see lots of examples there, and see how this works with the same motion you are using for your tremolo

#5

Hey @andrefludd welcome to the forum!

I agree with @jptk’s assessment of the tremolo. The part I’m confused on is this statement

That is at odds with the DSX motion you seem to have. It’s possible that when you play the lick you mentioned, you are doing some other motion than what you are with your fast tremolo. OR, it’s also possible that when you play that lick the motion is trapped.

What I’d try if I were you is some picking where you use bigger strokes and allow the pick to rest on the string positionally above the one you just played, on all of your upstrokes. For example, if you play an upstroke on the high e, let the pick come to rest on the B string. This will encourage a trajectory that is less flat (i.e. trapped) and will break free of the plane of the strings on all downstrokes. That should allow you to effortlessly switch strings after downstrokes and will solve the problem you mentioned about playing a downstroke on the E string followed by an upstroke on the B.

Also, since you’re new around here and you are MIM member, I wanted to make sure you have good access to the material. There is a LOT of it and the recommendation is to go through the Pickslanting Primer in its entirety, in order. Troy has laid out the clips and lessons in the order he thinks makes the most sense for the bigger picture of how to pick efficiently.

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#6

Hey everyone thanks so much for the advice. I reshaped the lick so that it ends with a downstroke and everything was solved like magic. Going to do a lot of studying of the other downward pick slant players.

#7

Awesome! Just to make sure I understand, you’re saying that lick now has an upstroke on the E string, then downstroke on the B string? That does sound like USX (formerly called downward pick slanting) but it’s different than some of the clips you posted as that looked like you were DSX (formerly called upward pick slanting).

Watching again, your non-tremolo videos appeared to be a pretty flat wrist based motion and that can do pretty much anything (USX or DSX). So it’s highly possible the motions you’re making on this particular lick are just what it needs to be a USX lick. Any chance you could post of video of the lick in question? Otherwise, lots of guessing :slight_smile: seeing the exact results of an immediate success story like yours would be cool and helpful to others on their journey.

#8

I’ve included a video of the lick. I’ve been playing for 18 years and I’ve mostly been a legato player when it comes to high-speed stuff. Now I want to really start perfecting my picking and making it more consistent. Since I don’t really want to completely relearn how to use my right hand, I think I am going to focus on even number sequences and using hammer-ons & pulls offs when there’s an extra note making it an odd number. Nonetheless, these type of bluesy country licks that jump from string to string are very difficult to get up to speed. Sometimes I throw in some hybrid picking as well.

In the video, I play it twice the old way with 1 note on the E string, then I switch to the other way with 2 notes on the e string. I’m not warm so I can’t really do it fast with the new method right now. But when I was practicing earlier, it felt a lot easier. I could instantly see the potential.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Zy5bN4Ja7aMUqklkasWm83Sr8OGF5fH/view?usp=sharing

#9

Oh and the original lick as you can see has a downstroke on the e string and then an upstroke on the b string which is what was tripping me up at faster tempos.

#10

Just to clarify, downward pickslanting is not the same as downstroke escape. Your fast tremolo was a downstroke escape (dsx) motion. So you would be looking for players who are DSX players, not downward pickslanting players, like Malmsteen for example. Downward pickslanting usually matches up with upstroke escape (USX)

I know that sounds like a riddle right now haha, but it’ll all make sense as you work through the primer. Keep working on that tremolo too, there is great potential for a fast DSX motion there.

#11

@andrefludd Quick fix for your picking overall: you’re doing trailing edge when playing the low strings for sure (George Benson style as you mentioned), but you’re using your wrist to move to higher strings, which looks like it’s essentially flattening your pick attack angle (your pick almost looks parallel to the strings). To keep your pick angle consistent, you should try using more elbow / shoulder to switch strings.

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#12

I appreciate your advice. I will for sure give that a try tomorrow. Thank you!

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#13

Yes I understand now. Me playing even notes on a string causes me to end the phrase on an upstroke which translates to the pick escaping the strings upward. That upward escape then allows me to smoothly do a downstroke on the next string set.

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