pantsaregood
Well-Known Member
I've been playing for a pretty long time at this point, but I've hit a complete brick wall on the whole "getting better" thing. Regardless of the difficulty of the pattern I'm playing, simple alternate picking seems impossible for me to pick up properly.
Just for an example of awful I am with alternate picking, I can play through the solo of Megadeth's "Tornado of Souls" (minus awesome vibrato), but I can't play the main riff of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" using alternate picking. That's one of the first songs people learn when they pick up a guitar!
Practice with a metronome, gradually increase the speed - I know the drill. The issue is that once speed starts to build up, my pick inevitably begins to slide towards the base of my thumb regardless of how tightly I squeeze it. I've tried Jazz IIIs, standard Ultex picks, and even the carbon fiber Jazz IIIs that are supposed to prevent sliding, but it still occurs. Around the same time this is happening, I also begin to accumulate a ton of tension in my right arm.
Seriously, is there some way I can make myself start fresh with alternate picking technique? I was trying to play some simple Amon Amarth song randomly and realized I couldn't do it because of my inept picking hand. Every time I try to slow down and practice gradually bumping up speed, I hit a brick wall and ultimately want to throw my guitar through my window.
I just want to stop being limited by my picking - it's hard to have fun with guitar any more because of this.
Just for an example of awful I am with alternate picking, I can play through the solo of Megadeth's "Tornado of Souls" (minus awesome vibrato), but I can't play the main riff of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" using alternate picking. That's one of the first songs people learn when they pick up a guitar!
Practice with a metronome, gradually increase the speed - I know the drill. The issue is that once speed starts to build up, my pick inevitably begins to slide towards the base of my thumb regardless of how tightly I squeeze it. I've tried Jazz IIIs, standard Ultex picks, and even the carbon fiber Jazz IIIs that are supposed to prevent sliding, but it still occurs. Around the same time this is happening, I also begin to accumulate a ton of tension in my right arm.
Seriously, is there some way I can make myself start fresh with alternate picking technique? I was trying to play some simple Amon Amarth song randomly and realized I couldn't do it because of my inept picking hand. Every time I try to slow down and practice gradually bumping up speed, I hit a brick wall and ultimately want to throw my guitar through my window.
I just want to stop being limited by my picking - it's hard to have fun with guitar any more because of this.