Joe's DBX Magnet Practice

[Troy]

Ok. That’s worth adding a note about in our setup video.

[rjd41]

I got mine. Looking forward to trying it out.

[jptk]

@Troy

Note that we should not think of this as a “crosspicking” technique. It’s wrist technique and to learn it we need to try to play everything including things which are scalar. The bluegrass tunes are great because they pay no heed whatsoever to how many notes are on a string or whether something is a scale or an arpeggio. You cannot become good at this just by trying to alternate pick arpeggios exclusively.

Since this comment, I decided to write a simple chord progression which included 1,2, 3 and even 4nps pretty much at random. It’s only a few bars long so far.

Practicing this has sort of revealed how it should feel and interestingly, the multiple nps parts helps the 1nps parts…

It’s pretty cool to get that sort of “aha!” moment!

Edit - don’t mean to hijack your thread @joebegly

[joebegly]

No trouble at all, it is still on topic (plus I myself am one of the worst offenders on the forum of veering off topic lol]

Congrats on the breakthrough!

[Scottulus]

I must say, I am envious of you guys being able to do this - (dbx) on any level. Well done, guys!

[joebegly]

That’s right you’ve been at this before. Hey, if I can do it, anybody can do it. I’m definitely the “average Joe” I’d suspect maybe you just fell victim to not finding the correct motion yet maybe?

I checked through my phone and this video had a date of March 28 on it.

Early Dbx progress

That was right after I started working on this stuff. This thread right here is what inspired me that I could do this (and prior to that I’d never messed with crosspicking)

Crosspicking Breakthrough

Hey everyone! Over the past few years I’ve tried on and off to get double escape motion to work for me but I was never able to make much headway any time that I tried. I recently decided fuck it I’m learning this damn technique no matter what it takes. I’m happy to report that I’ve made major progress. The motion is starting to feel very smooth, relaxed and way faster than before. Thought I’d share this victory with everyone. [Crosspicking]

That is a thread that was created on March 20, 2022. So in 8 days, I found the motion that was not too much different from what I am doing now. The way I got it was, just play fast, a few notes at a time like I mentioned earlier. It does help to assume a “posture” (be it the Wood/Oparin, the Tuttle/Grier, Steve Morse etc) and pair it with the grip(s) that make sense for that. I’d linked this before but I’ll do it again here:

Two-Minute Tutorial! Crosspicking

That video has just stupid simple advice in it to get the motion going. I think what really helped me was not getting hung up on something I couldn’t do, and instead trying to find just one easy thing that I could do. I’d then use that as the core and work outward. For example, that forward roll Troy plays in that video…that felt impossible! So I moved onto a more simple pattern like the one in the YouTube video I mentioned above. I just did whatever I could to play 4 notes in a row fast. The point is, keep trying different stuff until you find something that feels relatively easy and looks relatively flat. I’d often look at my reflection in a computer monitor (down the strings) and make sure my hand looked like it was just moving back and forth. Sometimes it wasn’t, so I’d address it and try to pay attention to what that different felt like. Even though the curve is there, we shouldn’t worry about it because it will take care of itself when the motion is correct.

I will say the one thing I have not spent much time on yet is what Troy keeps driving home regarding playing non-1NPS passages with the same motion. I have worked on it some, but I’ve neglected it…mainly because I just love the way these arpeggios sound lol! He hasn’t given me bad advice yet, so I’ll be smart and move that from the back burner.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I’d actually intended to make this thread a LONG time ago to help give people some hope about DBX. Better late than never. Hang in there!

[Scottulus]

Oh, not so much a rant my man. I’ll talk/read/listen to/about guitar technique all day any day. Good stuff; I love it when people succeed at stuff, and man - you’re killing it Joe! Well done, man!

I think that my problem is exactly what you mentioned; I haven’t stumbled onto the “motion” yet. I’ll keep trying, we’ll see if one day maybe I can do it. lol The good news is that I can do lots of other stuff that “gets 'er done” so I can keep rocking out while I keep at the “DBX side hustle” hahaha

Two things thing that kind of stand out in your comments is this 1) You simplified/modified a thing so that it was attainable. 2) You slopped the f**k out of it at 120+ bpm until it cleaned up.

Inspiring. Maybe I try and be like you! Thanks for sharing, man!

[joebegly]

I was a naughty boy and hijacked another thread with these. Here’s where they belong:

Carl Miner tune, with an Andy Wood approach:

Carl Miner tune

Same tune but with a Morse 3 finger grip:

Carl Miner with Morse grip

Ha not sure why the audio is a little out of sync in that last one. I’m thinking I should pursue that Morse grip though. I rarely practice that and even trying it cold I think it’s faster (for me) than the Wood or Tuttle setup.

[Scottulus]

Really awesome, man! Well done!

[Troy]

Same answer as on the other thread, the more supinated approach is great, I’d keep it.

[joebegly]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think the fact that I’ve spent WAY less time on this than the others, and it seems to be working better is a major clue. Plus it gives me those things (discussed in that other thread) that I struggle with in the Molly form

• allowing bass strings to ring and not get dampened by the thumb heel
• ability to palm mute on the rock stuff

The Andy form checks those boxes but I seem to just be better at this Morse grip.

[Troy]

I have had the same experience with this. Only occasionally use it. Almost always works really well.

We recently requested a hand photograph from a TC user who uses an index grip but achieves a more supinated arm position than you’d expect for that grip. I tried and I couldn’t replicate the player’s form. Only when I switched to three-finger could I get close to their arm position.

So this could be something where as we develop more knowledge, we may be able to advise more specifically about grip and arm position based on physical types.

[JakeEstner]

Loving this thread, Joe! (Had been meaning to sit down and read the whole thing, did so just now.) The linked post from @Constare9 was insightful too in its simplicity.

[joebegly]

Thanks! Sorry it’s long. I need to write less. I write Tumeni Words. Which is a clue to the next chapter of this thread. Seems to segue nicely from the Morse grip

[bradejensen]

If I understand Troy’s YouTube explanation correctly, the downstroke involves ulnar deviation and the upstroke involves wrist extension. I might have this backwards…

[joebegly]

Do you mean the YouTube video entirely on Steve Morse and his motion? I talked with Troy on another thread about that and he said his understanding of things has moved on since then. Awesome video though. First thing of Troy’s I ever saw actually.

For me, this motion feels almost entirely vertical. So almost pure flexion and extensionn. Close to knocking on a door or scrambling eggs. If anyone can afford eggs these days, that is lol

[jptk]

Sounding awesome! The Morse grip might be the one to put more time into, as it’s giving you the muting, and also non muting capabilities. More importantly, it’s something you are just able to do without having put much time into!

[joebegly]

Thank you! And yeah that is definitely the plan.

[JakeEstner]

oh no it’s definitely not “tu” long , that’s just the nature of the journal-type threads. Looking forward to meni more clips.

[joebegly]

lol! You’re so witty