PG exercise

[grappa]

Hi guys,

Having spent a couple of weeks working hard on getting my picking technique up to speed again I seem to be facing the problem I had many years ago when I was working hard on this side of my playing.

I downloaded a number of EV's exercises to start working on this stuff and have been working through 'art of picking one' to start building up to speed again. The problem I have is that I can take the single string exercises up to around 128bpm (16th trips) but I seem physically unable to get the PG outside pick exercise past about 95bpm before I start catching the string I'm moving to. If I try to push past this everything starts to get a bit fraught and I begin to tense up etc which makes it worse.

I have tried a number of things to improve this but I just seem to be hitting a physical barrier.

Any ideas?

[The Bash]

Be sure to try variations of the lick
move it around etc.
also try skipping a string inbetween.
Doing variations with diffrent number of nptes on a string
instead of 3 then 1 try 1 then 3.
try making what your doing harder, which will make what your trying to do easier.
Also note if anything changes in your tech (do you drastically alter anything).

[The Bash]

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1263&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

You can also try this little picking etude I wrote.
just take a measure or so (or just steal the idea) and make up your own based on the concept. It's what I did :)

[Cuno]

I've been using the excersise from http://www.indiana.edu/~smithcj/cjsnet34.html for a few days, and it's helped me a lot. Because I'm a lazy guy, I've usually used the same picking direction as I'm headed for - i.e. downstroke if the note is higher string (sweep picking, anyone?), but this excersise has really got me into strict alternate picking, and It's made me more confident and articulate in my playing. The notes on relaxation and consistency did the trick too.

[Bizarro]

I'd try a few different approaches.

1. Try play at 10bpm faster than you can handle for about 3 minutes, then go back to 95bpm (or wherever) and see how it feels. Jason Becker recommended this in a magazine article once...

2. Try variations where you have to use outside picking but not with the PG lick.
e-------5---------- /Repeat for a long time!/
b----7-----7-5---

and
e-------5-7-5---- /Repeat!/
b----7------------

These two licks are easier to play with straight 16th notes than the PG lick since it's just 4 notes...

3. Practice the PG lick (and variations) everywhere on the neck, on all sets of strings, etc.

4. Try playing the PG lick with string skipping to really emphasize the outside picking!
e------------------------4------ /Repeat!/
b---------5---------------------
g--------------------------------
d-4-5-7----7-5-4-5-7---7-5-
a--------------------------------
e--------------------------------

5. Remember to relax!

Happy shredding! Keep up the hard work and I'm sure you'll be zipping along in no time.;)

[grappa]

Thanks for the pointers guys - I will incorporate the additional exercises and see how I get on.

[darknailblue]

Here's a variation of the PG exercise that I am using to develop my picking chops. I tabbed this out in G major, but I play it in all keys, in all positions.

When starting this exercise using a downstroke it works the upstroke, both inside and outside picking. So natrually, when you start this exercise using an upstroke, it works the downstroke, both inside and outside picking.

This exercise has been helping me a lot since it works on all the picking mechanics that a guitarist could possibly play. Hope this helps anyone else.

[metaljustice83]

I see some new names welcome!!!