After an earlier post last year, I noticed that I wasn’t really loud. Lately I’ve been working on picking a bit louder on phrases or on rolling patterns. If I use the “try to be fast” tactic, I can make things work at a decent pace (112 bpm), but definitely not super fast. Actually: It’s slower than in my previous topic (but luckily louder).
I noticed something: It seems that when I pick at these speeds, a lot of my downstrokes seem to come from my thumb pushing the pick through the strings. You can see it it in this video:
This is a slow motion version of what the right hand should be doing on the strings (no left hand)
This is a rolling pattern at 112 bpm
and this is that pattern in slow motion
This is the kind of material that I want to be able to nail. If I play it “fast” (100 - 120 bpm) I just notice that a lot of work is coming from my thumb. Is that a bad thing? I don’t intend to use my thumb like that, but it just happens.
This motion for now seems to be the result of me trying to play my material “fast”.
So my question to you: Is it bad to have the thumb interfere with the picking motion, and how should I solve it?
Secondly:
I know that this forum advices to focus on single string tremolo picking as a first step. If I do that, I can reach speeds up to 200 bpm or more. It seems to be a different motion, I can choose if I want to use USX or DSX. But with that motion, I can hardly play a lick over multiple strings. That’s why I’m not really doing anything with it. However, because of everything that I’m reading here, sometimes I think: “Maybe I should?” Because now, I’m playing all these “double escape” licks at 120, 125 bpm at best. Should I maybe take a step back, work it out with this faster picking motion? And start working easier patterns with only DSX or USX? I’ve been practicing a bit like this for some time now and I do see improvement, but still I’m wondering if this is the way to go 