Need Analysis on my Downward Pickslanting

Hi all, i’m trying to learn downward pickslanting for a few weeks and really need analysis on my alternate picking technique. The phenomenon pickslanting is completely new to me. So am i doing it right? And what about the other things related with my right hand technique(pick angle-motions etc.). Any analysis would be great. Thank you for your time and answers!

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I’m not really an expert (in fact, you’re a better player than I am), but to me it seems like you’re doing it pretty much perfectly. It seems that you’re using ulnar wrist deviation as your primary motion (like the one Troy uses in Bulletproof Wrist Picking with USX Motion video). If you can execute this motion while keeping the picking hand relaxed and without getting tired easily, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

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Thank you for your kind answer! I really needed to hear this kind of feedback because i feel really stressed while practicing (“am i doing it right”, “am i wasting my time with wrong hand motions” and i couldn’t help myself with these kind of questions). Thank you very much!

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You’re welcome! Glad to have helped.

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Picking looks great to me, excellent work!

I can only see it for a split second, but it looks to me like your fretting hand pinky is flying away from the strings pretty excessively. In my book, 160bmp 16ths is plenty fast and at speeds like that, this obviously doesn’t matter. You’re still in control and everything is nice and clean. I think if you get much faster you may notice it’s hard to keep up with larger left hand movements like this.

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Thank you for your comment! I didn’t even notice the pinky thing until you warned me… I can play the same lick up to 190-200 bpm (not super clean). Here i made a new video and pinky looks same, may it cause some problems later?

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Ha! I dunno man, that still seems pretty darn clean and controlled to me, for the most part! I don’t mind admitting when I’m wrong, so maybe there’s nothing to worry about.

I look for these things since I have a classical background. Classical guitarists tend to be REALLY picky about motion economy. But at least for the picking hand, @Troy and Co. have successfully debunked the myth that motions MUST be tiny. Maybe the same applies to left hand technique after all and the classical guys are just snobby?

If it’s something you’re interesting in working on, maybe experiment with your lefthand thumb position? Again, it’s the classical background coming out. They strictly never allow fretting hand wrist ‘extension’, but only subtle wrist ‘flexation’. If you have your thumb over the neck, it will cause some extension. When I’m in this position I notice an immediate lack of horizontal stretching as well as the phenomenon where my pinky flies out more. In rock, thumb over the neck is often a requirement. SRV style string bends/vibtrao are nearly impossible without it. But when it’s not needed, putting the thumb on the back of the neck to allow a nice relaxed wrist flexation may keep the pinky a little more in check. This actually happens pretty naturally at the end of the phrase as you descend, and I think your pinky stays closer to the strings there as well.

At the end of the day if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Your playing is very good! If you get a little faster and feel you’ve plateaued, maybe see if it’s that pesky pinky holding you back :slight_smile:

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