The "Help I suck at **** technique thread"

[OmegaSlayer]

In which **** is not a 4 letters word but something that you can't do properly or you find difficulties with on the guitar.

The intention is to limit a bit the amount of help me sweep, help me tap, help me arpeggio, etc... that constantly pop up and eventually some mod will stick it.

I think there are things that seems so hard for someone and so easy for others, then with a little suggestion they start to click.
There are those things with which even with a metronome you hit a wall soon, because there's something wrong that you have identified but you don't know how to change them, because maybe there's that little detail you keep missing.

I start with my 2 problems

2 things that frustrate me a great deal on guitar and I can't seem to address with patience and metronome practice unlike other stuff I got better with are diminished arpeggios 2 note per string and long legatos on one string.

I mean stuff like this

E------------------------10-15
B-------------------9-12------
G--------------7-10-----------
D----------6-9----------------
A------5-8--------------------
E--4-7------------------------

Now, unlike what you guys can think my problem is not the transition from G to B which is the "odd" and different one, but every other single fret transition.
I can play 2 note per string with wider fret intervals at a nice speed like a breeze without problems, but that one fret skip gives me nightmares.
The hand simply clamps.


The other problem is stuff like this one

(Taken from Angra - Nothing To Say solo)

No problem in playing fast legatos on different strings but more legatoes with slides and stuff on a string kills me

Do you have any idea what my problem could be?
Again, it's something I can't address with metronome so

 

[t_rod]

What are you doing differently when you play the G to B part? Try to figure out why thats easier and apply to the one fret skips. Maybe you're twisting you're wrist a little bit instead of moving your entire hand, now you're in a cramped position. But on the two fret skip you're forced to move your whole hand down entirely so its in a stronger position. Just a thought...

 

[piggins411]

One thing I can never seem to get down is picking two notes quickly across strings, such as:

--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
-----------9-9--------------9-9------------
------7-7------7-7-----7-7-----------------
--5-5--------------5-5---------------------

For example sake let's say these are 16th notes at around 120 bpm. For some reason I have a much easier time doing more linear patterns at the same speed, and when I practice these types of licks with a metronome, I don't see any real progress

 

[akinari]

One thing I can never seem to get down is picking two notes quickly across strings, such as:

--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
-----------9-9--------------9-9------------
------7-7------7-7-----7-7-----------------
--5-5--------------5-5---------------------

For example sake let's say these are 16th notes at around 120 bpm. For some reason I have a much easier time doing more linear patterns at the same speed, and when I practice these types of licks with a metronome, I don't see any real progress

I play a lot of double picking riffs like that, and I used to have quite a hard time myself. It's hard for me to diagnose your issue without actually seeing what you're doing, but the usual advice of pick from your wrist, don't tighten up anything etc definitely applies here. Can you upload a video of yourself maybe trying some stuff like this at different speeds?

 

[Maniacal]

^ practice with a Stylus pick. From my experience, dipping in the string as you cross is the biggest limiting factor when trying to play across strings. Especially even groupings and single note patterns.

 

[Solodini]

In which **** is not a 4 letters word but something that you can't do properly or you find difficulties with on the guitar.

The intention is to limit a bit the amount of help me sweep, help me tap, help me arpeggio, etc... that constantly pop up and eventually some mod will stick it.

I think there are things that seems so hard for someone and so easy for others, then with a little suggestion they start to click.
There are those things with which even with a metronome you hit a wall soon, because there's something wrong that you have identified but you don't know how to change them, because maybe there's that little detail you keep missing.

I start with my 2 problems

2 things that frustrate me a great deal on guitar and I can't seem to address with patience and metronome practice unlike other stuff I got better with are diminished arpeggios 2 note per string and long legatos on one string.

I mean stuff like this

E------------------------10-15
B-------------------9-12------
G--------------7-10-----------
D----------6-9----------------
A------5-8--------------------
E--4-7------------------------

Now, unlike what you guys can think my problem is not the transition from G to B which is the "odd" and different one, but every other single fret transition.
I can play 2 note per string with wider fret intervals at a nice speed like a breeze without problems, but that one fret skip gives me nightmares.
The hand simply clamps.


The other problem is stuff like this one

(Taken from Angra - Nothing To Say solo)

No problem in playing fast legatos on different strings but more legatoes with slides and stuff on a string kills me

Do you have any idea what my problem could be?
Again, it's something I can't address with metronome so

You say your hand clamps, do you mean your muscles just tense up? Maybe you're still just going too fast! Which fingers are you fretting with? The same ones as you use for the wider intervals you mentioned finding easier?

What specific problems are you encountering with the Angra extract?

 

[OmegaSlayer]

You say your hand clamps, do you mean your muscles just tense up? Maybe you're still just going too fast! Which fingers are you fretting with? The same ones as you use for the wider intervals you mentioned finding easier?

What specific problems are you encountering with the Angra extract?

Dunno what happens, and that's why I find so hard to address it.
I tried both with 1-3 and 1-4 fingerings, but no one works much better than the other.
I can play something like this like a breeze

E----------------------12-----------------------
B----------------12-16----16-12----------------
G-----------9-13-----------------13-9----------
D------9-13---------------------------13-9-----
A-7-11--------------------------------------11-
E-----------------------------------------------

with 1-4 fingering
It seems like a small movement hinders me more than a wide one, and...I can't get it, maybe like t-rod mention the problem is in the wrist and thumb.

I think this also relates to the problem in the legato runs on a string.
My hand gets very tensed and loses strength during horizontal movements. (same on both finished necks and unfinished necks)
I see that it's getting tense and losing strength and speed is quite obvious and I'm sure the problem is either in the thumb or wrist (I thought thumb before t-rod mentioned the wrist actually) but I can't figure how to address it (especially since I was focusing on the thumb)

EDIT: Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway
Back on the
E------------------------10-15
B-------------------9-12------
G--------------7-10-----------
D----------6-9----------------
A------5-8--------------------
E--4-7------------------------

I tried some stuff quickly
If I play
E------------------------------------------------------10-15
B--------------------------------------9-12------9-12------
G----------------------7-10------7-10------7-10-----------
D----------6-9-----6-9------6-9----------------------------
A------5-8-----5-8-----------------------------------------
E--4-7------------------------------------------------------
It's a breeze

Same for
E---------------------------------------------------10-15
B--------------------------------------9-12---9-12-------
G-------------------------7-10---7-10------10------------
D---------------6-9---6-9------9-------------------------
A------5-8--5-8-----8------------------------------------
E--4-7-----7----------------------------------------------
Breeze

Back on the original I realized that
E-----------------------------------------------10-15
B------------------------------------------9-12------
G--------------PROBLEM STARTS HERE 7-10-----------
D----------6-9---------------------------------------
A------5-8-------------------------------------------
E--4-7-----------------------------------------------

Which makes thing even more strange

 

[t_rod]

Dunno what happens, and that's why I find so hard to address it.
I tried both with 1-3 and 1-4 fingerings, but no one works much better than the other.
I can play something like this like a breeze

E----------------------12-----------------------
B----------------12-16----16-12----------------
G-----------9-13-----------------13-9----------
D------9-13---------------------------13-9-----
A-7-11--------------------------------------11-
E-----------------------------------------------

with 1-4 fingering
It seems like a small movement hinders me more than a wide one, and...I can't get it, maybe like t-rod mention the problem is in the wrist and thumb.

I think this also relates to the problem in the legato runs on a string.
My hand gets very tensed and loses strength during horizontal movements. (same on both finished necks and unfinished necks)
I see that it's getting tense and losing strength and speed is quite obvious and I'm sure the problem is either in the thumb or wrist (I thought thumb before t-rod mentioned the wrist actually) but I can't figure how to address it (especially since I was focusing on the thumb)

EDIT: Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway
Back on the
E------------------------10-15
B-------------------9-12------
G--------------7-10-----------
D----------6-9----------------
A------5-8--------------------
E--4-7------------------------

I tried some stuff quickly
If I play
E------------------------------------------------------10-15
B--------------------------------------9-12------9-12------
G----------------------7-10------7-10------7-10-----------
D----------6-9-----6-9------6-9----------------------------
A------5-8-----5-8-----------------------------------------
E--4-7------------------------------------------------------
It's a breeze

Same for
E---------------------------------------------------10-15
B--------------------------------------9-12---9-12-------
G-------------------------7-10---7-10------10------------
D---------------6-9---6-9------9-------------------------
A------5-8--5-8-----8------------------------------------
E--4-7-----7----------------------------------------------
Breeze

Back on the original I realized that
E-----------------------------------------------10-15
B------------------------------------------9-12------
G--------------PROBLEM STARTS HERE 7-10-----------
D----------6-9---------------------------------------
A------5-8-------------------------------------------
E--4-7-----------------------------------------------

Which makes thing even more strange

What happens if you play this:
E---------------7-10-------------------------------
B----------6-9---------------------------------------
G------5-8-----------------------------------------
D--4-7-----------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------

 

[OmegaSlayer]

7-10 on E string starts sloppy

 

[t_rod]

To go with the legato stuff, I don't think your moving you're hand down the fretboard while keeping your wrist straight. It might help to think of pulling you're left elbow towards your side when moving horizontally up the fretboard, that way you not changing you're thumb or wrist position as you move.

Straight wrist=relaxed and strong fretting hand. I've learned electric after playing classical, so I rest the guitar on my front leg when seated. In this position, I can use my left elbow and shoulder to change fretting postion without altering the way my wrist interacts with the fretboard. Its a little different, but mostly the same if your seated over your back leg.

Ex. to play on the 6th string, push you're elbow and shoulder up. When ascending to first string pull down. To move horizontally, push or pull them in the direction you are going. All while keeping your wrist in its most relaxed and powerful position. Try the legato lick using this and see how that feels.

 

[redstone]

Try this

---------------------6-9
-----------------5-8
-------------4-7
---------6-9
-----5-8
-4-7

Once you can do it, move the 6 last notes one fret to the right and keep accentuating the 7th note, which resets your sensations and releases the tensions. Repeat the process until you can perform the symmetrical pattern, then try the true diminished pattern with the accent on the 9th note.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

Will try this one thanks Red