When to change escape motion/angle

Playing Technique
#1

Hi there,
When changing strings with 2-way-pickslanting whilst alternate picking, when should you change escape angle? With the downstroke escape, the pick is angled more towards the ceiling, and with the upstroke escape, its angled more towards the floor. When transitioning between strings, at what point do you change angle? Is it during the string change, just as you hit the new string, just before you hit the new string from the correct side or something else?
I hope this makes sense :slight_smile:

Thank you!

#2

If you want an in depth look at what to do, this is the best article to read through on the subject with some great video examples:

If it’s a rotational secondary motion the shift tends to occur as your playing the last note before the string change.

If it’s not rotational and just coming from the wrist you don’t really feel any shift in motion, it just feels like your wrist moves slightly more diagonally out from the plane of the strings, like your just doing a big upstroke :slight_smile:

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#3

With 3nps I switch when I switch strings so I get equal practice with upwards and downwards escape.

#4

It really comes down to muscle memory and when your brain tells your hand. For some, that may mean they are changing the angle during the last stroke before changing strings, others, it might be before the last stroke, while the theory is to do it immediately after picking that last note.

Personally, I find that it works best if I do it slightly before I pick the last note. Consciously, I think I need to switch angles, it looks like I get to a neutral at the point of contact for the last pick, when I make this effort. I am naturally a downstroke escape. My hand is really flat to the strings, to the point that if I am playing at top speed for a long time, my pick hand thumb will get a callous on the side of the knuckle.

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