I watched it all but still not fully getting it, I think the example went by to fast.
I haven’t watched this yet, just the opening lick you want?
i’m really not sure, isn’t this swiping? or at least a form or it?
Swiping is where you hit the desired string, plus another, to avoid changing escape. Displacement has you straight up playing the wrong string. I think this is audible, but it’s an interesting work around.
is it possible to have a tab? or a slowed down version?
The hammers are part of the lick, hammering on just before playing a note to get the effect. Hammering on A as you swipe E.
I still struggle even understanding it.
These are the notes in the intro lick - the whole thing can be played with one way USX economy. Displacement has you picking the wrong string while hammering the correct note simultaneously. It is technically an error, but enough pros have done it (unaware, realize) that’s it’s being labeled a technique. I personally wouldn’t practice it on purpose.
The lick as far as i understand is like a reverse swipe?
So you are using a hammer to switch from an odd to even pick stroke?
Right. Like, if someone was playing 3 notes per string over and over, frets 5 7 8 on low E, then frets 5 7 8 on A, then back to low E again, but they used USX the whole time, they might end up picking two notes on low E, and four on A, even though they’re still fretting three and three.
Why would they hit four?
What is the lick? Would you be able to do another tab with pick stokes?
I’m not sure if this will help, but this technique works if you are a USX or a DSX player.
Let’s say that you’re USX.
The idea is that sometimes you will do BOTH OF THESE at the same time:
- A HO/PO (legato technique) on one string
- A downstroke to a different, BUT MUTED, string, so you don’t really hear it
Why? It’s a sneaky (clever) escape hatch to make single-escaped techniques cover even more ground.
I think your doing 2 pickstrokes on both strings, it should be 2 on the low E and 4 on the A:
The 3rd pickstroke is the special one. You hammer-on the 3rd note on the low E but pick the muted A string, basically adding a percussive sound alongside your hammer-on which makes it sound picked 
No swiping is involved!
Start small. I figured out a while back that this is how I’ve been playing the Gilbert lick and I tried coming up with names for it like ASC (anticipated string change) but Troy’s Displacement is a much tidier term.
If I can offer any advice (retrospectively since I had no idea I was doing it for the first 30 years!), deliberately use a fairly overt downward pick slant and just start speeding up without any attempt to downstroke escape. It might start as a rake (swipe) but with enough speed, there’s a good chance your pick will cut out the middleman (the D string last note) and turn the swipe into a direct hit on the G-string. Film it to see if it kicks in, because it’s something that feels weird at slow speed, like deliberately walking with a limp or something!
The way I see the displacement techinque is a combination of a legato escape and a swipe. Not sure if others would agree though!


