Is this DWPS correctly please?

Technique Critique
#1

Hi guys, this is my first upload. I had noticed after watching Troy’s Talking the code: Introduction to Picking Motion that I was probably string hoping when picking on a single string as I noticed my wrist rotate slightly as I picked fast. I have now tried to use picking purely from the wrist deviation motion. Would one of you guys be able to check on my video if I am using deviation only and also if I am DWPS? Also I thought I was picking from wrist but when I look back at video my forearm is not stationary and does that mean I may be using the elbow also?

Thanks very much in advance.

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#2

In my opinion it looks like there is a significant amount of elbow driving the movement. I’d try to relax your body more and see if doing so allows for the forearm to rotate slightly as a consequence of the elbow helping to navigate the pick across the string.

You have a DWPS orientation which is great, although it looks to be slightly compromised by the tension in your arm.

#3

Though you have a DWPS setup, I don’t think you’re DWPS 100% of the time. If you look at the slow-mo part of your video, and pay attention to where the pick is at the bottom of the downstroke, you’ll notice that your pick finishes the downstroke above the plane of the strings (there seems to be a slight ‘swooping’ motion at times).

What worked for me (and several others on this forum) for trying to get the feel of DWPS is rest strokes. After you pluck the B string, keep pushing until the pick rests on the high e string. On the upstroke, ensure the pick is above the plane of the strings. Try that for a while and see if it works. I’m naturally an UWPS, but I’m trying to learn DWPS so I can progress to 2WPS.

#4

Hi! Thanks for posting.

What’s most important about pickslanting is the motion path. One of the pickstrokes, either upstroke or downstroke, must escape, and @demizach is correct that the escaping doesn’t really appear to be happening here the way you might expect. For the most part this motion appears to not escape, or perhaps sometimes escape on downstrokes.

Have you tried all the motions in the broadcast? @guitarenthusiast is correct that you appear to be using elbow. Combined with the escaped downstrokes, that would be uwps. If that’s what is working, how about trying uwps elbow? You may find that produces a more consistently escaped motion. Just follow the Talking the Code instructions for arm placement and see if you can make the downstrokes escape.

In general, try not to be too picky about which movement you learn first. When I’m learning, I go for whichever one I can do right now!

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#5

Thanks @guitarenthusiast @demizach and @Troy for your comments, they are greatly appreciated. I am going to go and record analyse, record analyse to get my DWPS to match Troy’s in the Yngwie 6 patern. Thanks Troy I will look at UWPS with elbow also. I watched the first 45mins of the Picking motions and was too keen to try DWPS so I will go and watch the rest to investigate the elbow UWPS.

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#6

No problem!

Don’t worry about “matching” exactly what I do unless you are using the exact same arm position, pick grip, motion mechanic, etc. What is important is that you do what is necessary for pickslanting, i.e. escaped pickstrokes at one end of the movement. That is the general guideline.

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#7

@Troy here is a quick update. I just tried relaxing both my hand and arm. It seems to give me more pick travel and I presume allows me to have a better more controlled than tensed motion.

Thanks again

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#8

Here is my home made magnet. All parts bought on eBay for under £10 GBP.

image
F0690AA8-CD9F-4C2F-B4D7-956FEE717E2B.jpeg3024×4032 2.77 MB

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#9

Upstrokes definitely look like they are escaping the strings nicely. Is the motion feeling smooth and natural to you?

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#10

Your DIY magnet is so cool, I would love a video and parts list of how you did it!

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#11

I agree with PickingApprentice, the downstrokes seem to have wristflexion which causes the curve.
That’s just fine it’s just on downstrokes and shouldn’t slow you down. Even more with enough escape that should be Troy’s crosspicking approach.
For the DWPS, the upstroke seems to be fine to me, it escapes fine and the motion is even wide enough to skip a string.
So if it feels good for you I’d say you have it. :grinning:

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#12

Thanks, I am on vacation just now with the family. When I get back to the U.K. I will make a post as it is very cheap and works a treat. If it can help other forum members get a better shot of their technique then that would be great.

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#13

My motion feels pretty forced when I pick the way I do in the last video. My natural tendency when I speed up is picking in plane with the strings, which does not work for string changes. I can DWPS if I concentrate but as soon as I speed up it gets tense and the motion ends up in plane with the strings.

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#14

The movement seems fine to me as well!
I also had/have similar tendencies (wanting to go back to the string plane when picking fast), and perhaps it may be just a matter of getting used to it. You can also try different degrees of edge picking, and perhaps start alternating between two strings, so that the DWPS becomes necessary and if you are not doing it as you speed up you’ll feel it straight away.

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#15

I agree with this, it is surprising how much edgepicking can determine not only the tone, but the feel.

It will feel a bit strange at first, keep going and I am sure it will feel natural after a while. When you have a breakthrough and play something well with it, your brain will recognise it as a success and help you do it again as habit.

I’m not sure whether it is something that others would advise, but I found that experimenting with UWPS helped my DWPS. I even practiced switching slants in a single string. After messing around with it, my level of tactile awareness improved so that I could feel the range of rotation that my hand could do and make adjustments much more easily -the DWPS felt less forced.

Sometimes things are more psychological the physical!

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#16

This might be related to the escape curve on the downstroke.
Technically that’s no problem, as I mentioned before that is what Troy does when he’s crosspicking.
Anyway it’s wrist flexion (the same motion as stringhopping) and may be flagged as ‘bad’ by your brain.
If you’re aiming pure DWPS you could give it a try and remove it, just don’t blame me if you have to relearn it when starting with crosspicking :wink:
My impression is that the reason for that curve is more to avoid unwanted noise and not the escape motion.
So doing restrokes would do the same wothout the curve.
But again technically I see no problem there, just getting used to it seems to be a valid option too.

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#17

Have you tried uwps wrist? Uwps elbow? Methods involving blends of forearm rotation and wrist? There is no need to force yourself to do dwps using this particular movement if for whatever reason you haven’t figured out how to do it yet. My standard advice, which I’ve been a little bit on a loop about repeating lately (for which I apologize!), is to try all the picking motions and start with whichever one works best. The sooner you learn what it feels like to play fluid lines with any movement, the sooner you’ll be able to learn any others you might like.

So far this is our best introduction to the subject:

https://troygrady.com/channels/talking-the-code/introduction-to-picking-motion/

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#18

Thanks @tommo it sounds a great idea switching strings as then I will feel when it is not correct as I won’t clear the strings. I will definitely try this and see what improvements I get. Thanks again for your input it is greatly appreciated :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

#19

Yes I think I am probably overthinking instead of playing and feeling. Less brain more feel. I hope alternating between 2 strings will help with this.

Thanks @PickingApprentice your input is much appreciated.

#20

Thanks @theGuyFromGermany using the extension/flexion is probably engraved in my muscle memory as I have been in plane picking for years. As far as I can tell Picking in plane requires extend/flex motion if I have a supinated forearm position.

I think it is going to take time to re-learn it all.