Two way pickslanting technique is special

Playing Technique
#1

As I develop this technique I’m noticing something about it. It is inherently efficient and will drive out bad habits naturally.

I’ve used other half-hazard ways to do scale runs that were relatively fluid and had some natural speed to it, but weren’t quite efficient enough to get to the next level of speed, the technique was only good to a point.

Now that I’ve been forcing myself to develop the two way pickslant I can see it is starting to take over for my natural technical reaction in various forms, and driving out techniques that were not going to get me where I want to be.

This is a very good sign, in my estimation. It’s a lot like the right hand bass technique known as the floating thumb. Many bassists use this technique, and it has this same wonderful character. It’s a technique that is inherently clean, it forces you to be a better player naturally.

1 Like
#2

I don’t mean to be sensitive,but, true two-way slanting technique needs to be fluid in order to be accurate. My guess is that there are only a handful of artists that have achieved true two way pick slanting(Shawn lane, Guthrie).

1 Like
#3

Troy Grady obviously included!!

1 Like
#4

What I found with 2WPS, is that it made my hand experience different hand motions, my picking hand is now much more relaxed and have more tactile awareness of what I am doing, even when doing 1WPS - it just feels easier than it used to. I agree with the above post stating that fluidity being key…

2 Likes
#5

Well that’s why I say I’m still developing, as I have not developed the fluidity yet.

But there are a lot of techniques out there that you can develop, but don’t have that inherent quality of forcing you to be cleaner and more efficient.

Two way pick slanting seems to gobble up bad habits and tendencies and spit them out to the side as you get better at it.

1 Like
#6

Shawn was not a 2wps. He was dwps with hammer ons from nowhere and some chicken picking

1 Like
#7

Mate I’m not sure Guthrie is a two way pickslanter either. Guthrie is fast, but he uses a lot of legato in his playing and I think he’s a natural UWPS.

1 Like
#8

And the difference between Guthrie and Shawn is that Shawn did not ever use 2wps really and Guthrie is a primary uwps but with the ability to switch to two way. Shawn mentions even not being able to play a lick starting with a particular pickstroke because he want a 2wps

1 Like
#9

Michael Angelo Batio is a two way pick slanter. He’s incredibly clean and fast.