Potentially incorrect paragraph describing Swiping

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#1

I recently read through the section on Swiping under the Trapped Motion part of the Pickslanting Primer, and I think the underlying pick strokes and pick directions have accidentally been flipped in the explanation of how Jorge Strunz moves across the strings in the video with the repeated pattern of him playing. What I’m referring to is this paragraph (and the video just above it):

In this example, at every string change, you’ll see the pick hit two strings in rapid succession. The first one is the string Jorge just finished picking, except it’s muted so it doesn’t make any sound. That’s the swipe. Right after that, the pick keeps going in the same direction and plays the new string. That’s the pitch we actually hear. And again, the reason Jorge does this is that he needs to be on the other side of the current string to reach the new one with alternate picking, but he has no way of getting over it. So he just pushes through it.

Looking at the slowed downed video, he appears to be playing a pattern of

– – – – – – – – – – I
– – – – – – – – – – I
– 4 5 4 – – – – – – I
– – – – 7 5 4 5 7 – I
– – – – – – – – – – I
– – – – – – – – – – I

with the pickstrokes

U – D – U+Swipe
D – U – D – U – D+Swipe

With this kind of picking pattern, the swiping is an outside swipe, with the actual picking swipe and muted sound occurring on the next string to play, not the one that was played previously as it says in the quoted text. That means the pick also needs to change direction after the swipe to play the next note. With this approach Jorge is able to get to the other side of the next string, so he’s all set to play that one afterward.

If we flip the picking direction

Swipe+D – U – D
Swipe+U – D – U – D – U

the explanatory text corresponds with the swipes, i.e., that the swipe occurs on the previously played string due to inside swiping.

I’m not sure outside and inside swiping are the best terms to use, but hopefully, I made myself clear enough! :slightly_smiling_face: Maybe “preparatory” and “supplementary” swiping are better descriptors? :thinking: Looking at the Elbow and Wrist clip, Jorge seems to use the outside swiping more than inside, but e.g., at bar 12–13 he does an outside swipe.

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#4

When I slowed it down it looked like inside swiping. I also played it myself just to make sure and I can play it relatively quietly. But to your point, if the audio sync is off even a tiny amount, then in very slow motion it can cause the picking to appear to be shifted by one note. If that’s what happened here, then it’s outside swiping not inside.

I think the point is the same either way, one note is swiped and the other is played. We’ll take another look at the sync when we get a chance and reverse the languge if need be.

#5

I also watched this clip again a few times, and to me the look and sound (i.e. wound VS unwound strings) seem consistent with inside swiping. I.e. Jorge appears to mute & plough through the string he just played before changing strings, both when goind from D to G and from G to D:

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#6

Yes I just checked this out from the original clip and it appears it’s inside swiping. He starts the phrase on a downstroke on the higher string so we know already it has to be that way.

Still, I had written it out both ways when I was writing this, and if you don’t actually look at the clip itself in its entirety it’s really easy to get confused trying to figure out which pickstroke matches with which sound. Jorge’s playing is a little bit magical in that respect. It’s kind of amazing he gets as far as he does with a trapped motion.

Regardless thanks for pointing this out, we didn’t think to check the original tab / clip until you posted this.

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#8

Checking the video again I can now see and hear the small delay which originally confused me. Now it feels a bit like the spinning dancer illusion; I can still see and hear it as inside swiping if I try to, but also as outside. The Tens Eights Sixes Circular that @tommo linked to makes it a bit clearer though, providing a broader view of the picking motion as @Troy pointed out.

Thanks for checking it out and clearing the misconception! :+1:

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