Single String USX

Technique Critique
#1

Hey guys,

I’ve recently started trying to dissect my technique on a single string and I wanted to get some feedback on my technique.

The motion I’m attempting is a wrist motion with USX. My issues are:

  • Even though it feels smooth, when I review the slo-motion I noticed some “jumping” that my hand is doing and I cannot get the feel of what is causing it.

  • I’ve taken some great advice from Shredd and brutaldeath on the forums and am attempting to incorporate rest strokes to ensure there’s no string hopping… Once I speed up it’s more difficult to get my motions really wide even though I don’t necessarily feel tense.

This motion feels fairly smooth but when watching it back it just seems clunky and unpredictable. Any feedback on this motion and what could be causing the “bouncing” would be awesome!

Normal Speed

Slow-mo

#2

Hey Dustinspr! Your motion is already looking wider than before. Good stuff! I’d like to point out, though, that you aren’t doing rest strokes yet. Your pick isn’t touching the D string on downstrokes.

In fact, it looks like you’re starting each of those phrases from a sort of rest stroke position - your pick is resting against the A string, then you push, and then the pick slowly glides through. That could contribute to the bouncy feeling you mentioned, since your pick is likely a bit deeper between the strings then and it likely needs a bit more force to push through.

To get rest strokes happening, I’d recommend starting the pickstroke from a position where the pick is in the air and your wrist is more or less straight. You can see it right here from Troy:

I also recommend reading through the wrist motion checklist here, especially 5. Range of Motion: https://troygrady.com/primer/wrist-motion/usx-motion-checklist/