What is your preferred type of picking for speed?

[pfizer]

Hi guys, just wanted a bit of advice. I'm trying to build up my speed and accuracy, hoping to be able to shred and I was wondering what you guys' preferred picking style is?

My current method is derived from Paul Gilbert/John Petrucci where I try to pick from the wrist as much as possible without moving my forearm too much. I also anchor my pinky lightly on the body of the guitar, while edge of my palm rests on the bridge.

Results so far....are little underwhelming. I was wondering if maybe I should switch to sarod/scalpel picking? It feels a little unnatural and doesn't have the same attack and tone as when I pick from my wrist but I've seen guys like Buckethead and Pebber Brown (who I first learned it from on Youtube) use it.

Any advice? I'm thinking of trying out that Insanity V-Pick as well, since it supposedly "improves control" of your picking hand And also Jonathan Strange, aka Maniacal's Guitarmageddon iPad app seems like the kind of practice ass-kicking tool I need to get me moving

 

[Maniacal]

Do you have my books too? If you do, make sure you go through the picking speed and endurance workouts.

I am a firm believer that your picking technique should remain the same no matter what speed you are playing. With the exception of bending and vibrato notes which would be heavily accented.

 

[starslight]

Pebber Brown's an interesting character, but I think he's full of crap when it comes to what he calls 'Sarod' picking (Sarod players do not use the technique he demonstrates). I saw him claim it's what John McLaughlin uses, but a cursory look at any video of John playing shows that's not true. I haven't watched as much Buckethead, but I don't think he does it, either--if I recall correctly, his picking mechanic is very similar to Paul Gilbert's, which is wrist and forearm.

 

[bloc]

I've stopped anchoring, and by that I mean my pinky isn't anchored near the bottom of the pickups nor does my palm even rest on the bridge. I feel like I get a lot more freedom to move my hand about even though I'm obviously trying to use as little motion as possible in my picking hand.

To stop anchoring completely, it really helps to have a guitar with a forearm contour, I can't imagine being to comfortable on something like a traditional Tele where the body will cut into your arm.

As for the actual picking, I try to keep it economical for the most part. I've seen Brown's vids on scalpel picking and ain't buying it.

 

[pfizer]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I honestly felt that sarod picking was putting a little too much stress on my thumb joint; the thing just never felt natural to me.

And yes, I noticed Pebber's technique when he starts going faster actually reverts back to picking from the wrist, much like Petrucci or Di Meola. Yngwie Malmsteen's picking technique actually resembles the supposed sarod picking a lot more, but he combines it with forearm and his wrist movements. Hell, Rusty Cooley is crazy fast, and he looks like he's picking with his forearm most of the time.

@Maniacal: No, I don't actually have your books but I'm planning on getting them as soon as my budget becomes a little less tight. I think the app will cover most of my needs though. I do have some of Chris Letchford's books, but they're a little Spartan, without a CD or DVD demonstration, so I have no idea what the exercises should sound like when I play them.

Are you going to do DVD play-alongs of your books? Because that would be fricking sweet, I'm not gonna lie. Maybe you could do kind of like a modern version of Frank Gambale's Chop Builder, take us through practice routine's and warm-ups in real time. It would be just the thing to get me motivated. I tried Gambale's DVD and it just went a little too fast too early IMHO.

 

[SilentCartographer]

I know this may not help but just watched this awesome doc essentially about picking, look up Troy Grady - Cracking the code season one and two, really cool stuff

 

[redstone]

Pebber Brown's an interesting character, but I think he's full of crap when it comes to what he calls 'Sarod' picking (Sarod players do not use the technique he demonstrates). I saw him claim it's what John McLaughlin uses, but a cursory look at any video of John playing shows that's not true.

Pebber does use pronosupination (sarod).
McLaughlin doesn't, though he sometimes supinates to help its inside picking.

I honestly felt that sarod picking was putting a little too much stress on my thumb joint; the thing just never felt natural to me.

You did something wrong, pronosupination doesn't put any stress on the thumb.


As for me, no absolute preference, for now I keep digging the rising ulnar deviation strategy since my focus is on 1nps alternate picking.

 

[Maniacal]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I honestly felt that sarod picking was putting a little too much stress on my thumb joint; the thing just never felt natural to me.

And yes, I noticed Pebber's technique when he starts going faster actually reverts back to picking from the wrist, much like Petrucci or Di Meola. Yngwie Malmsteen's picking technique actually resembles the supposed sarod picking a lot more, but he combines it with forearm and his wrist movements. Hell, Rusty Cooley is crazy fast, and he looks like he's picking with his forearm most of the time.

@Maniacal: No, I don't actually have your books but I'm planning on getting them as soon as my budget becomes a little less tight. I think the app will cover most of my needs though. I do have some of Chris Letchford's books, but they're a little Spartan, without a CD or DVD demonstration, so I have no idea what the exercises should sound like when I play them.

Are you going to do DVD play-alongs of your books? Because that would be fricking sweet, I'm not gonna lie. Maybe you could do kind of like a modern version of Frank Gambale's Chop Builder, take us through practice routine's and warm-ups in real time. It would be just the thing to get me motivated. I tried Gambale's DVD and it just went a little too fast too early IMHO.

Today I am going to record the 20 minute beginner picking workout from my site.
I actually wanted to do a DVD play along, but since I seldom sell anything I decided not to bother.

For now you can use my YouTube play alongs, like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AgapdXJG4w

 

[OmegaSlayer]

I say learn alternate picking well.
Focus on Paul Gilbert, he's not the fastest, but he's the most intense and consistent.
Learn how he accents, learn his pick attack and his dynamics (something that requires much more than speed).
That's the fundamental and already enough to be damn fast.
Work on inside picking, outside picking, skipping...
Understand the exercises, deconstruct them, make them work for what you need, add difficulties to solve your problems (for example start some exercises with upstrokes instead of downstrokes).

When you reach fluid and accurate 10-12 notes per second retaining full control you can move to try other techniques that will improve on what you already have in your muscles.

And mostly...use the wrist, it's easier to control a smaller movement on a small lever than controlling the elbow, even worse with the shoulder.
The thumb picking is not optimal because it requires much more mechanical movement than the wrist, and I doubt you can be as quick as the wrist no matter how much good you can get at it.
Still you can use your thumb for accents or spice up things.

Elbow is only good for black metal tremolo picking and shoulder only for crab metal breakdowns

Lastly...don't consider anchoring or not anchoring as a standard, but consider whetever it is effective or not regarding the phrase you're going to play.
Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.
In my case I found it helps me when I'm playing more horizontally than vertically on the neck.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

Sorry, if I add this and I might sound a little presumptuous and full of myself, but I went to watch a couple of vids of Pepper Brown and I think that watching his videos does more harm than good.

He's not very good either at explaining and showing, he makes a bit of confusion in the head of someone that knows a bit of stuff like me, so I figure out what kind of a freakin' mess he can induct in the head of a beginner.
His videos won't poison you, but imho they won't really help in getting better.
I see his good will and so on, he actually shows much more than instructional videos of the 90s but, I don't think it works as intended.

 

[redstone]

Sorry, if I add this and I might sound a little presumptuous and full of myself, but I went to watch a couple of vids of Pepper Brown and I think that watching his videos does more harm than good.

Well, just like all the others. Even Shawn Lane's lessons do more harm than good.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

I agree with the pick stuff to a certain degree.
1) You might want to be able to play with every pick you have around.
For fast picking that means everything that is at least 1 mm thick or the pick won't be able to counter the tension of the string.
2) Tone. I'm really better at playing with big stubbys, still I go with Tortex sharp for the particular tone they give to my playing, more edgier, sharp and tight, while the stubby makes everything too fat and round.

So...the pick you're better with might not necessarily be the pick that makes you sound better.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Legato. My picking hand is lazy. I also sweep and economy pick a lot. Whatever I can do to move as little as possible and still hit all the notes I want.

 

[pfizer]

@OmegaSlayer: I'm actually a big Paul Gilbert fan and you're right, he's fast as hell, but his picking dynamics really make him stand out. I'm trying to do his Intense Rock exercises, but not a lot of progress so far.

And honestly, I really don't think Brown's picking technique will work for other genres; it seems like it will be fine for fusion or jazz, but sarod picking doesn't seem like the way to go for thrash metal.

@ManicalI'll try to download the app sometime this week and give you all some feedback. I was wondering if the exercise routines there can be set to gradually increase in speed in real time while you play them, a bit like this on your Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0edLTDDpQY