very nice picking! I think there is lots of potential for you to improve further!
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@jorgec. You are awesome!! Yes. Exactly. My transitions are where I fall apart. You use economy picking when transitioning between strings? I’m torn between the two techniques. I tend to do better with even number notes per phrase so my down beats are downstrokes you begin the next phrase. I find economy picking works better for me when I’m mindlessly playing and not trying to focus on timing. It’s a catch 22.
I also find that i rush short phrases and my timing falls apart. I flub up when i try to find the timing again to get back on beat.
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The door knocking test confuses me a little. We dont pick our strings with an up and down motion… unless its a pick tapping lick and we are boucing the pick off the fretboard. I can move my wrist up an down quickly but not left and right. I have tried the Knob Turning Technique to see if I generate more controlled speed, and I dont’. Its weird… almost like trying to disect a golf swing. Once you over think it, it becomes a problem.
For me, the best analogy for the flexed-wrist gyspy-style forearm forearm rotation is to mimic a monkey scratching his armpits. The biggest problem with that is that you’re legally required to make a monkey face while you do it.
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I thought I used economy picking on the first 5 note at tempo because that’s what I do when practicing it slow, this was way before I started watching CtC. But when I really paid attention, I found out I didn’t, I just had a downward escape motion that let me do that first part fine because it ends on a downstroke, but stumbled when I got to the even # of notes, where it ends on an upstroke.
So I really just focused on the transition part for a few days. I naturally start with UWPS so the first two groups were fine, both ending on an upstroke, but had to target switching to a DWPS after that fluidly. Not even bothering with the fretting hand, just the picking motion. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve built up enough finger independence on my left hand, but I found that it just catches up once I’ve programmed my right hand to the point where I don’t need to count individual notes anymore and just go by feeling the beat. It’s like I’m only focusing on signals: beat -> trigger 5 notes, beat -> trigger 8 notes, etc. So all I’m concerned with at that point is being able to start on the beat, and end before the next, trusting that the number of notes line up with what I’ve programmed my picking hand to do.
Hope that helps!
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Yeah was overthinking it for years, and the trick for me really was to get to the point where I’m not, and this is where I got the biggest gains consuming the CtC content.
I don’t know how legit my take is on this, but I’m of the opinion that it doesn’t matter how you’re getting off that many notes per beat, as long as you do it comfortably, and only pay mindful attention to how you’re gonna get to the next string.