Where do I start?

Playing Technique
#1

So, I have been a member of the forum for a little while (less than 2 years) and I am not a subscriber. I am looking for a place to start and have The Pentatonic puzzle pack. I am going to see if I show any improvement there and if this program really works for me I am going to pursue it further as in actually subscribing. is this pentatonic puzzle pack the place to start? My goal is to develop speed and accuracy in my picking. I can sort of play fast now but if too fast it becomes sloppy etc.

#2

I think that pack is going to assume you already understand escape trajectory and what your default motion is. If that isn’t rock solid that pack may actually hold you back. I’m looking through it now and it seems to be totally USX. If you don’t have a USX motion it could be frustrating.

Generally the recommended starting place is the Pickslanting Primer because that goes over all these concepts in great detail.

#3

Thanks for the reply, and yes I can tell already that I am unfamiliar with the DSX and USX terms for example. If that’s the place to start, that sounds right. I would then be able to identify my current picking style I believe. I do believe I am an alternate picker, and probably a string hopper I never did get sweeping down real well. Out it this way if I bust out a hot pentatonic run, it is great, but then sometimes I cant do it,or it just doesnt sound good but its more like it doesnt feelright, like I get tangled up in the run from my picking etc. so I would like to build up consistency in my muscle memory.

#4

No problem. Maybe this is a good free place to start, just to get an overview of the concepts:

#5

Thanks again… I will definitely check it out!

#6

Hey @70sBigHeadStrat ! I wonder what type of guitar you play :wink:

In a nutshell, the simplest thing you can do to get started is to post a video of your tremolo picking on a single string — filming instructions attached. We will take it from there.

Moreover, if you are the sort of player who loves to read pages and pages of guitar technicalities, we basically have a full overview of guitar picking technique available for free on these webpages:

#7

Thanks Tommo, yes my forum name says it all, always been a Strat guy, my first one in the 80s was a White with a maple neck Strat copy a la Hendrix at Woodstock, but that color combo is beautiful IMO. I also like Super Strats and Charvel Super Strats and have a collection containing each LOL! I am fortunate, I told my wife If you would have told me as a young man that I’d have such a collection of guitars that I have now, I wouldn’t of believed you…" I am looking forward to diving into the material ,I am at research phase now and figuring out if membership is for me. I must admit I have never seen a lesson program like this in my 30 plus years of playing, it is intriguing…

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#8

Yeah it’s interesting. It’s almost not really a program. For that I’d expect some course where you play exercise A so many times and move on to exercise B.

It’s more of a platform that helps you figure out what your strengths are and how to capitalize on them. So no matter what your experience level or genre(s) you like, you can take something away from it. The biggest thing I see people get tripped up on is the pre conceived idea that every awesome player “can just play anything” and that’s not really true. Most conform to a really specific set of guidelines. Thinking otherwise can lead to some deep rabbit holes.

That’s why your question about the pentatonic puzzle caught my attention. Played exactly as instructed, John McLaughlin would have a big problem with those licks because they are for USX players and he is textbook DSX. He does some beastly pentatonic passages, but the phrases are much different and all work out so that the string changes happen after down strokes.

So a really good understanding of what motions the picking hand (and arm) are capable of is a must. From there, once you determine what your default fast motion is and the implications of the phrases and string changes that pairs with, you’ll be up and running.

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#9

Ok, so I have to figure out or determine what my picking mechanic already is basically and then expand or perfect that?

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#10

This is definitely the starting point that will give you the fastest progress and satisfaction in the short-to-medium term. I say this based on about 700 technique critiques that we looked at on here (if you take a peek at some when you have a minute, you’ll probably see what I am talking about :slight_smile: ).

At the same time, you can always try to learn new mechanics later down the line. But having learned one picking style well already, you will know what “correct” feels like.

#11

Ok, sounds like a plan. And Ill look at your previous post, and see about posting a video to get some feedback on my picking style. Thanks everyone! :smiley:

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