I'm desperate for guidance

Playing Technique
#1

Hi guys, this is my first topic besides introducing myself.

I ama new-ish player, been playing seriously for about a year now. I have been recommended here by my guitar tutor, who is a large advocate of DWPS.

I get the concept, and can see the execution works, see amazing results for everyone - but I just don’t get it.

“What’s not to get?”, I hear you say.

I do not get, at all, exactly HOW motion is generated in picking. I saw a brief video from Troy on here of him talking about so called “motion mechanics”, however it didn’t explain it in great detail and I am truly in the dar about this.

I have worked on it with my guitar tutor and looked up online about it, but nothing give me that “aha!” moment where I can build upon.

So my question is: How exactly is picking movement generated whilst using DWPS? I get that there are different picking styles etc and each player is different and different techniques for different situations etc, but I just need a general guide to picking normally with use of pick slanting. The movement just doesn’t happen.

Throw some suggestions at me please!!!

Alex

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#2

Thanks for signing up! You are right that we never really did a really good set of tutorials for how the motion mechanics work. We initially underestimated the difficulty that some people have learning downward pickslanting, especially if they started out as upward pickslanters, who usually use different picking movements.

It’s high on our list to get back to these subjects once we finish our office move and get the live broadcasts happening again. We hope to get rolling on this in the next month or so.

In the mean time, I see that you’re a subscriber, so you have access to some excellent advice on this subject care of Teemu Mantysaari. The interview we did with him has some totally super, battle-tested tips for learning the forearm rotation picking movement that many dwps players use. This includes some fabulous insights into the way pick grip itself influences the hand positions required. These tips come from his actual teaching experience with students and he has streamlined them over time based on real-world feedback. If you haven’t yet watched that interview, I highly recommend doing so and trying out the things he recommends.

Also, note that downward pickslanting isn’t the only way to play. Some of the best players we have interviewed are upward pickslanters, and those players tend to be more wrist- and elbow-oriented. Andy Wood is a great example of what a wrist-oriented picking movement can look like. You can check out his interview for a great closeup look at how simple and effective plain old wrist movement can be.

What picking movement are you using currently and why do you feel it’s not working?

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#3

Hang in there Alex.

Try taking videos of how you want to play and slow them down in a video editor. Practice what you see.

If you are a subscriber here, I think you can slow down and see the tabs to all of the example clips.

Pick notes and riffs on one string, and just pick them over and over until you can do it.

#5

Hi Troy,

Thanks for getting back to me, I appreciate it. I haven’t quite dived into the interview of Teemu yet, although I did see his playing at the beginning and observe some unparalleled picking precision! I’ll definitely watch that.

Currently, I consider myself a user of UWPS, although that’s just how I naturally played before discovering CTC. Do you think that I should stick to my guns and focus on UWPS for now until I’m comfortable?

#6

I feel it isn’t working with my current approach just because it feels uncomfortable and sticky, however I put that down mainly to lack of solid practice. But it’s motion mechanics that I consider the hardest; actually generating the movement.

#7

Thanks for the reply! I keep meaning to get some video editing software so I will definitely do this.

When I’m more confident, I’ll upload a clip for critique purposes. Until then I’m just gonna keep powering through. My teacher always tells me I get ahead of myself a lot lol.

#8

As far as sticking with uwps or moving to dwps, one is not ‘better’ than another. They’re pretty much peers in what they allow you to do. So I wouldn’t instantly switch to dwps just because uwps isn’t working. It could be that there is a simple reason why the uwps movement isn’t working and fixing it is easy.

Have you watched the UWPS videos in the Pickslanting Primer? There’s an intro video to the whole section which shows you very generally how to set up on the guitar for wrist movement. The John McLaughlin section addresses this again, very briefly. But there are good shots of the form in these clips, so you can see how the forearm is supposed to be flat on the face of the guitar body, the wrist is extended / bent, and moves side to side. If you haven’t watched these videos and tried to emulate the setup you see there, it’s worth doing.

You can also check out the technique critique thread @aliendough has been updating with his pickslanting progress:

He’s done great work in moving away from stringhopping, and setting up a uwps form that is smoother. Reading through the advice on that thread, and watching the clips may be of help to you.

This is the basic homework you should do first in making sure you’re using the correct setup, generating the wrist movement. This may involve a little trial and error on your part, but if you make an attempt to emulate what you’re seeing in these clips, and follow through on the advice given, wrist uwps is relatively simple to achieve because there aren’t many moving parts.

Beyond this, we can’t offer further critique without video showing what you’re doing wrong. But do that first, see how far you get, and if it still feels “sticky”, post a clip and we’ll figure out why.

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#9

@Extremely_Bad_Guitar even if you think you’re not that good, it’s worthwhile uploading a video here for critique. Everyone is extremely helpful and, no matter what your level, you will get excellent advice. Don’t be embarrassed!

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#10

Hi,
I know your struggles! this is my first post besides the introduction, too. And I just want to suggest the “The Rotational Mechanic”-Chapter, which is the 25th from the Volcano-seminar (Masters in Mechanics). There rotation is explained in detail, how the picking motion works: what moves the hand, how it (historically) evolved, which part of the hand lies where, how it should roughly “look” and “feel” (which is very individual), which muscles are at work etc. etc. AND: what should be avoided is also mentioned. Everything combined with slow-motion and original footage from Yngwie Malmsteen. I find that short chapter more useful than the Teemu-interview to get the basic concept of dwps with rotational forearm… It’s more like a private lesson, although you cannot answer @Troy directly :wink: The interview on the other hand gives more hints at further developements and at strategies to solve problems that can occur and that Teemu is bringing up from his long and highly reflected teacher-experiences. At least this is my opinion and therefore my suggestion to start with the Volcano-chapter 25 for the basics. (+Chapters 26 and 27 for alternative mechanics)

Adrian

Btw.: I also started to switch from UWPS to DWPS, because the latter feels much more comfortable from the tension-aspect, BUT I’m trained to UWPS my whole life and this is why it feels more natural to me - a dilemma!

#11

Hi Troy

Apologies for my delay I’m replying. I appreciate your time.

I will check out the thread mentioned above and try to take on board the advice from others. Unfortunately I’m having to take a brief break from playing this week due to a wrist injury :sob: I’ll update my progress as I go!

#12

I will do for sure, I have never uploaded my playing to the internet so it’s a nervous task for me!

#13

Thanks for the reply dude, I’ll check out the mechanics you mentioned! I’ll be updating as I go :sunglasses: