Newbie to CTC and eager to learn

Technique Critique
#1

Hi there,

I’m Davy, a guitar enthousiast!!
I would love to learn blazing guitar techniques as showed by Troy here on CTC.

I practice almost everyday for at least an hour (unfortunately only an hour)
The last year i’ve been trying to get better at alternate picking, but the results are just marginally.

I just stumbled on CTC last week, and really like Troy sharing his insights.

I’ve tried the DWPS, but find it really hard to sync both hands decently.

Here is a little clip of me playing like i normally do.

Any advice or comments are welkom!!!

DWPS attempt

2 Likes
#2

I think the problem is your guitar - it’s backwards!

Just kidding, lefties are welcome here. These clips sound perfectly synchronized to me. Maybe you just mean you are faster with your elbow technique. Well, good news - you can use elbow and downward pickslanting together, and I do it all the time. You can watch a clip of that here:

https://troygrady.com/channels/talking-the-code/four-essential-motion-mechanics-for-picking/

We don’t have specific instructions on the Pickslanting Primer yet for achieving elbow dwps, but we will try and add some in the coming months. In the mean I recommend experimenting until you find a hand position that works. It can use a forearm anchor, where there is no muting, like I am using, or a flatter approach with a wrist anchor (or semi-anchor) where you can have some muting. Either way is ok.

3 Likes
#3

Yeah, but with the elbow technique, it is very hard to achieve DWPS. I think i’m used to UWPS without knowing it. So DWPS feels a little awkward.

Thank you for looking!! I thing you are going to be my new guru for some time to come!!!
I really love the way you 've set things up here on CTC!!

#4

“Hard” is a word I try to avoid, just because it’s so vague. Does “hard” mean “takes a lot of effort”? Because when I do elbow dwps, it’s not hard - it takes no effort at all. It just works. Does hard mean “probably easy to do, but I can’t figure out how it works”? Well, sure, sometimes! There is probably some simple explanation of something you are doing which doesn’t work, you just need to figure out what it is. It may take some trial and error on your part at this poitn.

3 Likes
#5

I get ya! One step at the time with a critical eye!! :blush: thanks

#6

HI,

i’m starting to work on 2ns up and down pentatonic scales, and find it very difficult to increase my speed over 60bpm.
I know it probably takes a lot of practice to speed up things, but i just want to make sure i don’t practice the wrong way.

55bpm pentatonics

Different angle

And here it starts falling apart.
I also notice that my right hand start bouncing more in a less controllable way. I’ve tried different approaches, but haven’t found anything better yet.

Can you guys please take a look at this, and please be critical!!! :wink:

1 Like
#7

Correct. When you click into your fastest playing, you’re stringhopping. You are not stringhopping at the slower speeds, so your picking motion itself actually changes when you try to speed up. So good news, you probably don’t have a problem moving fast, per se. You’re just making the wrong movement.

Have you experimented with any other types of picking motion and are any of them faster? Even if you feel like you’re not as good at them (for whatever reason) yet, switch to the faster movement because you’d be at least one step beyond the stringhopping obstacle that way.

1 Like
#8

I’m experimenting with that all the time, but when i speed up i allways fall in the same pattern. When playing slow, i try to overdue the movents, and that helps in a way.

I’m working on yngwies fours and sixes as well, to get more comfortable with one string patterns. I notice the"click" at about the same speed as with the 2ns pattern, but it is easier to handle. (Less string shifts)And it is easier to switch strings after six notes, than after two notes.

I must say, i started this only a mont ago, and the initial awkward feeling of DWPS is starting to feel more comfy.

#10

Here another vid of playing sixes over different positions. I can do this a lot faster than the pentatonic stuff, but i don’t know how to translate this right hand movement to 2ns patterns. I guess patterns like this are really meant to be played fast!!!

I still have gaps between 65 and 90 where this lick feels much less comfortable.

I’m trying to work backwards with this one right now to see how it will work out. :wink:

Sixes @ 100bpm