So, The Pickslanting Primer is absurdly comprehensive. That’s…mostly good? The problem I’m having with it is that it feels like there’s no end in sight for having a full handle on the material and how it relates to me. Is there a recommended “minimum viable dose” of Pickslanting Primer material before I start getting into the Lessons?
TL;DR: Material is uniformly excellent, there is little to no road map as to how to practically utilize it.
There is a ton of (great) material for sure. I know what you mean though. It can be overwhelming. I think the recommended approach is actually to just go through it in order (@tommo correct me if I’m wrong).
If there is something particular you plan to focus on, there is likely a more straight path for you though. Do you have a particular set of goals? Do you feel like you’ve identified a primary motion that you can use with some degree of confidence and you’re ready to apply it to actual music? Knowing things like that would help.
A problem with jumping ahead could be missing something very foundational…I’ve actually done that myself lol!
Hi! Thanks for signing up, and thanks for the feedback.
The most recent updates to the Primer were all adapted from recent practical experience working with users right here on the forum, and all geared toward making things linear and hands-on. Meaning, there are actual steps we want you to take after watching the videos. We tried to make these steps clear in the videos themselves.
So just as a quick recap, in the order of the videos in the Primer:
Choose a pick using the “edge picking” test to select point type and gauge
Choose a pick grip based on what you’re already doing, or selecting from the three “starter” choices we give you
Testing your speed. We want everyone to take all the table tapping tests and record metronome values for each
Getting a tremolo. Using a motion from the tests, or just by going fast, we want you to get a tremolo happening.
Understanding Escape Motion. This section is more of an explainer. By the end, we want you to be able to explain what USX, DSX, and DBX motions are. We also want you to be able to explain why the pick sometimes looks slanted when you hold it, and what function this achieves.
Identifying the joint motion you’re using with your potentially new-found fast tremolo.
Identify which “escape” that motion is by taking the “even numbered” phrases test and seeing which one feels smooth.
Whew! We’re still working on more to this sequence and will have more updates soon, with more tests to take to test whether your hands are synchronized on basic phrases, and then more tests you can take to figure out if multi-string phrases are working.
But for now, I guess my question to you is whether it was clear from the lessons that we want you to perform these basic tests. If not, what can we do to make it clearer?
I Find it brilliant how you organized the list of terms. It’s a joy to rad trough it after watching the PRIMER in a non-linear way.
Next thing I’m doing is taking, re-taking all tests and document some of my here in the forum.
The only thing I miss in the list of terms has to do with the auxiliary movements used for escaping the pick on DBX.
Of course, the info is already on the course, but it’s one of favourite things now and I said: this should be soon making it into the list of terms.
Thanks for making picking such an enjoyable technique to acquire!
Just so I understand, are you saying you watched the videos out of order? Because the list I’ve itemized here is exactly the order of the videos in the Primer. We really want people to watch them in that order, and take all these little tests in order, mainly because this is what we’d ask you to do anyway here on the forum if you were having trouble.
Yes, I did that. And then proceeded to assemble the pieces using the list of terms. Mostly because I was trying to apply the lessons to my classical guitar technique, -with awesome results-.
Of course, now I plan watching it as suggested (in order) and focus on picking technique. Because yes, it’s better to watch the lessons in order.
Thanks for the summary Troy, that definitely helps narrow things down! To answer your question, yes, it’s fairly clear that the basic tests need to be taken. What’s confusing is that those tests happen fairly early in the primer, which indicates that there’s a lot more to learn before proceeding past it.
The Primer is definitely a work in progress, and we’ll be adding to it so it will be clearer to know where to go at every step of the way. But once you get to a motion which is smooth and efficient, and has some sort of escape, you’ve arrived at a technique that you can actually use to play phrases. You can begin working on any phrases you like at that point, provided they match the escape of your picking motion.
So the question at this point is how did you make out with the tests? Were you able to get a tremolo happening? Which joint motion is it, and were you able to determine which escape it is?
Yeah, I’ve been playing for a while, I’m definitely more in the camp of “stalled around 120-140bpm”, so I was able to get tremolo no problem. It seems like I’m mostly a wrist player, using the DiMeola-style 2 o clock motion with a slight DSX: I tried a few different escapes once warmed up, and DSX is exponentially faster than the others, so that must be it.
What do you mean by stalled out at 140? Not able to move the joint faster than that, or something else?
Barring injury, you ideally want to find a motion that enables simple phrases, like single-string lines, in the 170-200 range. This way, most of the time, you’re not really near any of your limits, and slower speeds can feel appropriately effortless as far as the amount exertion required.
I mean I can’t move the joint fast than around 16th notes at that speed, or even slower. Some of it falls down to consistent practice (read: I’m not doing it enough), but for example, I just tested that 16th note run on the high E string in the Highway Star solo, and I can BARELY play it cleanly at 120bpm, which makes me wonder if I’m way off on what my ideal motion is.
Not being able to move the joint faster than 140 is a motion problem, not really an accuracy / cleanliness issue, per se. Are you saying that if you’re just picking an open string, you can’t do so faster than 140bpm sixteenths? What were your metronome values on the table tapping tests, and with which joints?
I think you are way off then… however I’m still having problems performing the the Highway star solo on concerts, despite I can pick much faster than the original tempo. Maybe our drummer is in a rush 
Did you ever get your strap issue figured out? My technique straight up tanks if the guitar is too low!
Not yet, but it’s the first thing on my to-do list. I’m just on my way back to my hometown after visiting my wife in Siberia after not seeing each other for 8 months. I’m pretty sure I suck live because of my strap height. I don’t care how it looks, I want to feel comfortable and confident with my playing.
I’m right there with you on not caring… biggest thing holding me back from getting a headless guitar for the longest time was the look, but at this point I don’t care since I think it would help my shoulder discomfort after long play times.
I have not tried a headless one yet, but I’d like to for sure. In the meantime, I’d be super happy if I could get a good strap for my Gibson and my two Ibanez.
Btw, I’ve just checked out Steinberger’s site. Are these guitars really that cheap?
I’ve said it before, but cut a nylon strap + rivets! I gigged with one this way forever and never had an issue.
The newer overseas ones are that cheap, yeah. Ibanez came out with some as well this year, I don’t think they’re being shipped yet. I’m on a waitlist for a Strandberg standard 6, which hopefully will be in stock in a week or so?
Ah I see. I mixed up Strandberg with Steinberger. Well, Strandberg looks much more like a pro guitar.
Could you PM me a the nylon strap you are using? Also, I have no clue what rivets are lol.
Yeah of the headless ones, they look the coolest I think.
It’s just a cliplok dimarzio (but any nylop strap would probably work).
Huge link, but that’s a rivet tool. just make sure the flat end of the rivets end up on the “skin” side of the strap, lol.