Good to see you on here Jilly!
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Hi Tom
You’d need to ask Troy, but I believe the fastest ever recorded is 22 notes a second on a single string (John Taylor? can’t remember the guys name you need to check ). Hence though 22 is not unheard of it is also quite something! Key here is that when you see Roy achieving the same 22 notes per second (and not “trying” as such to beat any record - God forbid! lol) he is playing accurately across all 6 strings at that speed - not just one. The key is to achieve this kind of speed playing accurately complicated patterns across 6 strings. No point in speed if you can’t apply it well musically I am sure you will agree.
The Phat Bhoy picks are nylon plastic based, that’s as much as I can tell you, we went through numerous prototypes and settled on a very durable material, in this you are correct. The shrill sound was intentional so every single picked note could be heard played accurately. If Roy selected the neck pick up (as opposed to the bridge pick up) the notes picked would not be as pronounced but they would still be clearly audible.
Roy does use string dampners (those rags) as he can not damp with the right hand because he plays so close to the saddle on the electric guitar you have made comment on. This is intentional on his part, to reduce less string flop. When the string is more taut against a pick that is rigid, the outcome will be less movement required from the wrist which results in greater efficiency and speed. Roy plays only from the wrist not from the elbow or arm.
It’s great to see so much interest in his playing. Perhaps Troy may wish to analyse him one of these days. The Scottish Universities are keen to engage as they have never seen anything like his playing and not only want to understand how the speed is achieved with such accuracy but wish to understand how he is made up anatomically. Hopefully he’s not a robot as I am married to him!
My best
Jilly Gee.
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Please do subscribe Uglijimus and you can also mail Roy on [email protected] with any questions thereafter. Several new videos released in last couple of days and a 30 minute interview with him is out this weekend on YouTube.
Thanks for your support.
Jilly Gee (Roys wife :>)
Marketing and Promotion
Widowmaker Studios
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and it doesn’t look like there is any pick slanting going on here either!
if you can guarantee I’ll play HALF as fast as Roy after buying his pick, count me in! 
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This is (most likely) trailing edge upward pickslanting, and the lick structure, terminating each string on downstrokes, is appropriate for that.
@Jilly thanks for stopping by, and great work on the closeup shots. Did you guys film any 120fps / 240fps versions of these? I’m not sure how much of our stuff you / Roy have watched, but the short story is that it appears Roy is using a technique we call “upward pickslanting”, which is also what John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola do that enables them to hit these kinds of lines cleanly. It involves angling the path that the pick traces in the air, so that certain pickstrokes go right over the top of the string during string changes. It’s very cool, and many great players do this without entirely being aware they do so. Roy may be one of them. Or he may be aware that he plays this way - which is also cool!
If you do a slow motion version of this, you’ll be able to see it, and that would be pretty excellent. Given the speeds at play here, I would use 240fps mode if you have a phone that can do that. Most iPhones and Android phones made in the past few years have this capability. It will also enhance the appearance of the video even when it is played at normal speed, because fast-moving objects will be sharper.
Let me know!
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Hi @Jilly.
I don’t mean to discredit Roy or diminish his playing in any way. I hope my comments were not misconstrued.
To my knowledge, Troy has recorded John Taylor picking at 24 note per second, though I believe that this is indeed limited to single string tremolo picking.
I’m aware of other tremolo picking speeds which are similar, though not verified by an authority as reputable as Troy and the Cracking The Code team.
Roy’s picking was at about 21-22 notes per second when tremolo picking on a single string, which is still ferociously fast. I clocked some of the patterns which move across strings from the above clip too, they were just a touch slower than the tremolo picking at about 20-21 notes per second. Very impressive, and I’ve no reason to believe that that’s Roy’s absolute limit.
As for patterns which move across those strings at similar speeds, I haven’t seen much. There are a few picking patterns Shawn Lane had which involved the occasional economical string change or legato note which he played at similar speeds, but his strict alternate picking patterns were usually in the 18-19 note per second range. Rusty Cooley and a few others can sweep pick at similar speeds.
I’ve watched many YouTube videos Roy appears in over the last week, there’s a lot to like about his playing. I really like the clip where he plays some Middle Eastern music with a chamber orchestra in Uzbekistan. The thin, shrill tone works well in that context. I reminds me in some ways of some of the sounds Uli Jon Roth uses.
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Hello Tom
Thanks for your comments, certainly no offence was taken. I was just interested in some of your observations & wanted to confirm or correct any points made. Thanks for taking the time to raise them it all adds to the enjoyment of debate and knowledge sharing. Good to meet you all on C the C.
To be accurate, that is John Taylor as you will know and according to Troy (around the end there) he’s picking around 22 notes per second on one string. It is currently the fastest human movement ever measured in a laboratory setting, as I understand it. However as I have said before - unless one travels with that musically across all strings it’s very interesting how the human anatomy achieves extremes (for geeks like me!) but not terribly pleasing to the ear. How Shawn or Roys slightly slower speed (?) applied to actual music making is achieved is really noteworthy. It’s a great sadness we lost Shawn BUT we still have Roy 
and indeed that technique of his is, as I understand it from other guitarists (I am a cellist!), totally unique & they feel it’s worthy of analysis to fully understand how it’s achieved. His accuracy at high speed has long beguiled those who have been in Roys company when he plays music for them. Through Roys first release of his Up Close Guitar Technique Video consciousness has been raised considerably & has spread throughout the internet to pique the interest of many others. It’s remarkable to witness how word spreads!
Anyway Tom, as I said and I meant it, good to meet you and everyone else on here. We’re all about supporting our fellow musicians and if anyone can raise the bar a little and we can see future generations evolve from that then it’s all been worthwhile.
My best
Jilly.
Hello Troy
Good to hear from you and read your observations.
I will ask Roy to subscribe here tomorrow so he can reply to you himself. Best I am not the go-between when it comes to the really technical stuff!
My thoughts, for what they are worth as an insider so to speak, is that Roy will know accurately the techniques he’s employing. Reason being, he has developed his own method and the Phat Bhoy pick over 30 years and literally has a library room dedicated to the thousands of exercises he has designed to drill himself and push his own limits. I am not sure it will be possible for him to fully impart, or even that it’s wise to impart, how he does things here in writing alone, as it falls short of the full analysis required, as I am sure you would agree! However he will no doubt be as thorough as he can & give some initial indication as to how he understands his own playing. Indeed, I will be interested to read it myself.
Always learning!
My best
Jilly.
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I don’t think this video with Rowan shows the 32notes per second legato (?) but that’s another Roy & Rowan video (Insane Legato) which is worth watching.
However, Roy truly isn’t that bothered about what he calls speed for speeds sake, he just wants to colour music that way if he thinks it needs it.
That said speed and how it’s applied really seems to excite and interest many and I do understand why. It’s a phenomenon in and of itself,
Drill Set 5-8 from the Up Close Guitar Technique Series is released this coming weekend followed by a piece played live and unedited on Mon or Tue the next week. I say this as I think Roys playing has evolved since those older videos on YouTube and though they shouldn’t be discounted as they are all part of his journey…it’s the new stuff that’s more pertinent. Thanks for posting these videos Count Chaos and raising awareness.
My best
Jilly. 
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Hi Troy
We didn’t film any at the speeds you have listed above, the intention of the recording you have seen is to provide people with a technique course that will build over a number of months. The format will always be the same in that I will show the exercise in real time played slowly and then played fast in real time. No edits, no effects, squeaky clean so all can be seen and heard. The drills have not been recorded for analysis purposes but as the speed, accuracy and technique is interesting people they are now calling for proper analysis. Most have been very supportive and have been slowing the recording down with the YouTube 50% function, mobile apps can slow it down to 25% without losing audio quality as I understand it and I see others have used Transcribe. I am not familiar with using any of these. My main focus of interest has been developing my muscle memory. It has been developed by thousands of repetitions of specific exercises I created so when I need to apply it to challenging passages (especially the music I hear in my head that is reflected in my compositions) it is more instincive in reaction than anything I need to consciously think about. Its the best way I can describe it. I can compare this to what I have learnt about how the body and mind work through my martial arts training and the philosphies behind that. Music for me has never been a competition it is much more a spiritual vocation.
Onward to try to answer some of your points. Firstly and something I feel is important to let you know is that I do not terminate each and every string on downstrokes, though I appreciate your insght that John & Al do, I didn’t know that about them. Instead, I play phrases using odd and even numbers per string, starting sometimes with a downstroke or sometimes with an upstroke. For example a sequence of even notes starting with a downstroke on one string would mean starting with a downstroke on the next string so I would be terminating the string on an upstroke, not a downstroke in that scenario. If I am understanding you correctly.
I am aware that what you describe as upward pickslanting ( I call it upward angle picking) is what I do. However, I designed my PhatBhoy pick to have a cambre of approx 45 degrees on one of it’s 3 sides, so it rests parallel to the string when I do upward pickslanting. If anyone is intersted in undertanding the relationship between the Phat Bhoy pick and my technique as well as more about my style of picking I believe Rowan J Parker is releasing 2 x 30 minute interviews with me on Youtube featuring these subjects (probably airing this weekend). Incidentally for downward pickslanters there is also a Phat Bhoy Pick - the 45 degree angle applies but is a mirror of the upward plec. I feel that any good technique is going to allow you to execute complicated passages cleanly but the upward pickslanting feels the most accommodating for myself for clear note execution. There is no doubt in my mind that the Phat Bhoy assists. I have carefully developed it over 30 years but needed technology to advance in order to produce it in the material I wanted and get the thickness and angles it needs - even then I hand finish every one to minute specification.
I appreciate your advise regarding using 240fps to do a slo mo version, I will have to see if my phone has that facility. Again it is others who seem very keen to have my speeds and how I achieve them properly analysed. I would hope if I do record myself at that speed you suggest and post it to YouTube that this will dispel doubts as to the speed alone but it will still not adequatly expalin how it is achieved and that is what people really want to have explained. It has been suggested to me numerous times this last few weeks that yoursellf and the Cracking the Code team analyse my technique and I would be amenable to this should you wish to go ahead with that at some point.
Thanks for your interest and support much appreciated.
My best
Roy.
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Hi @Jilly.
I believe that in the clip you posted, @milehighshred was playing at 22 notes per second, and that was the highest speed he reached in the laboratory. However, John reached higher speeds in some footage recorded outside of the laboratory, as can be seen in this clip, where he reaches 24 notes per second.
This has been verified by Troy and the CtC team.
Again, this isn’t to diminish Roy’s speed, 20+ notes per second synchronized with the fretting hand and moving across strings is exceptional, and it really doesn’t look like he’s pushing himself to his limits.
I might order a phat bhoy pick at some point in the near future.
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HI Tom. I think Troy did mention he had informally recorded John at similar speeds to those recorded by the university clip I posted but he didn’t verify what that was, so thanks for clarifying.
Again no offence taken. If it were about being “the fastest in the world on one string” (and that’s not belittling the experiment John did with the university), then Roy wouldn’t be interested in “competing” for that. If it transpired he was then ok and if not then equally ok, As you note his speeds over 6 strings highlight a unique technique he’s developed over 30 years, we are all hopefully going to learn more about in the months to come.
Yes please do contact me for a Phat Bhoy on [email protected]. Hundreds sold worldwide since launch on Oct 21st 2017 and excellent feedback which is always nice!
Cheers
Jilly
P.S. I will post something up for you tomorrow that you might find fun 
Have a great weekend.
Inappropriateness warning!
In the 360bpm tremolo clip it looks like the right hand pinky is getting slowly but steadily aroused 
Hi Roy!
Aha, sorry, this is me getting a little ahead of myself. Sometimes I get excited and start typing. I know you have played all sorts of fretting combinations, both upstroke and downstroke. What I was referring to is the four-note-per-string example you posted where you start each string on an upstroke. For that phrase specifically, each string terminates on a downstroke. That is the classic upward pickslanting playing style.
When you say “upward angle” I think you may be referring to what we call “trailing edge picking”, meaning, turning the pick so the edge which is closet to the bridge contacts the string first on the downstroke. In terms of the bevel on your picks, are you saying that you’ve oriented the bevel so even with the pick turned this way, you’ve got a flat face contacting the string? If so, no problem, I see what you’re saying.
Edit: Ok, I’m re-reading and you may in fact be referring to upward pickslanting as I’m describing it here. Or both edge picking and pickslanting? Let me know.
Pickslanting is a different angle. It’s the tilt of the pick’s motion path, and it relates to switching strings. A picture is worth a thousand awkward spatial analogies, so here’s one. Imagine you’re playing a note on the B string, using upward pickslanting. Here’s what that would look like - this is a picture of Andy Wood’s technique, an awesome country rock player who we have interviewed:
The strings are the magenta line, more or less flat. Older guitars like my old Fenders have a radius, but most modern guitars have much less of one, and for practical purposes, that line is pretty close to flat. But in upward pickslanting, the pick is actually moving back and forth along the teal line, which is tilted. If you think about alternate picking along the teal line, at the farthest extent of the downstroke, it will actually be in the air, somewhat above the E string, as it is in Andy’s case here. Even if you use a very small picking motion, it will still follow a tilted pathway - just a smaller one. This is what I think you are doing. From the clip you posted, it appears that the downstrokes rise up into the air the way Andy’s does.
Why does this matter?
The question is this: When you use alternate picking, and you move to a new string, what keeps the pick from hitting the next string (or the current one) while you are crossing over? There must be a movement that does this. There is no way around this: it is the physical reality of guitar design. For most very fast players, like Andy, John McLaughlin, and so on, pickslanting is the way. The teal line. The downstroke goes up in the air, and this is why it does not hit the E string when you play a downstroke. And this is why lines like your four-note-per-string line, where each string finishes on a downstroke, are naturally clean for “uwps”, or upward pickslanting players.
Is this what you are doing? YouTube slow-down capabilities won’t work for this - you can’t revel detail which is simply not there to begin with. Only high-speed video holds the answer. You and @milehighshred are the only two guys I know who can even hit these speeds, so if the world is going to learn how clean string changes work at hyper picking style speeds (cue the super hero theme music) it is you guys who will have to don your capes, and fire up you your 240fps smart phones, to get a look.
That’s your mission, should you choose to accept it! If we can get some good closeup shots of this, and you can send us the raw high frame rate files, we’d be happy to put some commentary together for the YT channel.
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We’re editing our scientist interviews now. Kate Saul from UNC is the one who did John’s research:
Her team wasn’t able to find any prior work documenting anyone moving faster than about 12 hertz or so, which would be 24 notes per second. Perhaps tellingly, there was a team in Japan that studied one of the World’s Fastest Drummer players, and that individual clocked in a similar ballpark. That contest has been going on for a number of years, they use a measuring device, and it’s credible. It’s also popular enough to attract professional players like Mike Mangini. Meaning, given the popularity of that contest, you might think it would shake the tree enough to locate other players, even unknown ones, who could go faster than that if it were technically possible.
There is at least reasonable anecdotal evidence that somewhere in the mid-20 note per second there is some sort of biological limit to fast playing for humans, whether drums or guitar. We don’t know, maybe there’s someone out there who can do 30. Maybe it’s Roy!
If for no other reason than academic curiosity, I’m always interested in knowing. You never know where something might prove useful. Kate’s team is interested in applications to rehabilitation for arthritis and stroke patients. More in @malhotga’s wheelhouse. The benefits need not be musical ones.
Hi Troy
Thanks for your response.
Afraid I can’t answer any of that but will alert Roy to the fact you have replied and have asked questions and offered to analyse requested footage for your YouTube channel. Sounds like it will be interesting!
It’s exciting too - it’s like Roy has his language for picking techniques and you have yours, gradually we will come to understand each other and may even have to imvent some new terminology to cover anything new! There’s bound to be new findings which as a researcher myself has me intrigued. My old uni is v interested in Roy, I will pass the findings you posted to them. Knowledge sharing being key!
30 24 22 17 notes per second the mind boggles- it’s great the technology is available now to accurately measure such things as notes per second played. Years ago any attempt at analysis was much more primative now yourselves have it at your fingertips. Speed, when it’s applied to more than playing fast for the sake of it, then Roy would be the first to step forward to engage. The Phat Bhoy Pick was ergonomically designed to alleviate strain on the wrist, elbow, upper arm and shoulder so you can see already he has ideas to keep guitarists playing well into old age with as little discomfort as possible. He also wanted to introduce something new for the young players who will eventually surpass him & his generation. Here he tells Rowan J Parker about his technique and how it developed. It’s not exhaustive by any means but it gives an idea of how he approaches things. Scottish banter thrown in 
Until Roy gets a chance to reply. You might be interested in watching the interview.
A new Pick Drill Set out tomorrow - he’s completing it now…
Cheers
Jill
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Just out today bud. Hope you enjoy.
Cheers
Jilly. 
I had a major pinky boner 
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Legato at the end - Aliens really have landed🤪
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