Hi!
My name is Steve and I just joined and started learning to do the pickslanting and playing from the wrist. My technique was mostly to just move my fingers that hold the pick to play, more than using my wrist. I am trying to control that and learn this technique. I wanted to ask if you can tell me if this looks correct as I did not want to start off learning it incorrectly.
thanks
Steve!
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This looks like double escape to meā¦good for one note per string arpeggios. For those pentatonic runs - you will want to choose a comfortable escape path a first. You may want to start with one note and get a tremolo happening and a speed you are happy withā¦then start working on those runs with string switching. Have you gone through the pick slanting primer? It sets up all the concepts and foundation to help you analyze whats happeningā¦also recognize other players movements that you want to draw from.
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Thanks for the adviceā¦ I am trying to remember escape path, is that when you use the downward pickslanting and it comes us and down on one of those 9 or 2:30 clock face routes? I will try to go back and find what you are saying. I have watched the primer and so many videos on here now that all the terms and techniques can get confusing!
The idea of a āsingle escapeā path is that the pick will go below the strings (trapped) in one direction, and above (escaped) in the other. The escaped strokes are the ones you can use to move cleanly to the next string.
E.g. USX = āescaped upstrokes, trapped downstrokesā, in which case youād want to change strings only after an upstroke. [Note: I am not considering sweeping at the moment]
Pentatonics (played up and down) are perfect for single-escaped strategies, as the string change always happens on the same pickstroke.
For most players (including me) the single-escape motion tends to be approximately linear and typically faster!
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There is a lot at first - I had to watch it once through then go backā¦several timesā¦for specific videos. I printed out the āwrist picking checklistā and used it to set myself up several timesā¦even now Itās sitting on my music stand and Iām thinking of just checking in again.
The clock face concept helps you figure out which direction your wrist is travelling back and forth (there are many good options and using many motions is good too). With the āescape pathā thing, itās more about when is your pick tip āin the airā vs. buried in the strings. (eg. in the air at the end of an up stroke and buried in the string at the end of a down stroke would be āup stroke escapeāā¦and that would be the point you use to switch strings). Reversing the the escape path (i.e. in the air at the end of a down stroke and buried in the strings at the end of an upstroke would be ādown stroke escapeāā¦and a good point to choose to change strings. Getting competent at one of these escape paths first is common. Getting competent at both these escape paths is usually 'the next step, however everyoneās journey is different.
In order for me to see speed gains, I had to first learn to even ābury the pick n the stringsā consistentlyā¦then my tremolo clicked in.
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Thanks you for these replies. Are you using the downward pick slanting on single escape? I seem to have a fast tremolo and faster on single string runsā¦Pentatonics are a challenge because of all the string changes.
My primary motion is āupward pickslantingā which is now referred to as ādown stroke escapeā - just happened that way, likely random. Pentatonics generally work better with the opposite - up stroke escape (unless you want start all your runs on an up). I struggled with those pentatonic runs for a long time after getting my first motion going. After posting a technique critique video I found out I was rather pronated which made switching to the up stroke escape I needed (for the pentatonic runs) a challenge. Iāve since incorporated a more neutral arm position and focused on my up stroke scape which is coming along nicely - thanks to the feedback I got here.
Not necessarily, if you are willing to start with an upstroke (or to use a single note on the initial string you play)
Thanksā¦I think I need to go back and look at the up and down escape videos so I can see and understand that better!
I agree, in those instances down stroke escape works fine.
Hi! Is this the right video to watch about the escape stroke motion you are talking about? I watched it and it is talking about the clock face also.
I see what you are talking about now with double escapeā¦both my pick directions are ending up in the air where as the down stroke one should stay below the stringā¦thanks
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OK looks like this is the correct video
sorry about all the posts but I am an experienced enough player to know bad habits take longer to correct!
Iām no expert but incorporating rest strokes at the end of your downstroke really helps. It helps to bury the pick and get a better escape path.
Also, good to see a fellow lefty 
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