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View Full Version : alternate picking breakthrough


curiousgeorge
09-02-2004, 08:59 AM
today I was shredding. I had an alternate picking personal breakthrough. After closely analyzing my style, I noticed a few things. here's what I did to drastically improve my technique:

1. Thick Pick (2.0mm DunlopTortex)
2.warmed up with legato scales and the 1-2-3-4 chromatic exercise up and down the board
3.Focus on picking the accents really hard, and overall pick harder.i think this is the one that helped the most.when you get control over the lick this way, you can then start to mess with dynamics going from soft as a whisper to Paul Gilbert's forte picking.
3.use the thumb to mute adjacent strings. i did this after i noticed that i had way too much motion in my pickstroke. i had a habit of lifting my hand up too high when changing strings. it feels better as well. you have to really focus on this one to reap the benefits.

my speed threshold for AP is 16th notes at 140 bpm. we'll see how I progress over the next little while.hopefully someone who is struggling like i was can get something out of this post. rock'n'roll ain't noise pollution.
the beav.

Malcolm
09-02-2004, 03:55 PM
Sounds like you got it. Yes the 2.0 thickness does make a difference. Just a little thing like that helped me.

curiousgeorge
09-02-2004, 04:52 PM
2 more things that helped:

1.Turn off the damn T.V. and focus!
2. practice crossing strings with this kind of lick transposed all over the fretboard with little variations:

------5---3---------------------------------------E
-------------5---3--------------------------------B

and

-------5----3----5----3----------------------------E
--------------------------5----3--------------------B
(sextuplet rhythm)

Yeah those 2mm picks are key I think because they will not bend when you pick and your picking hand does not have to work as hard.

Alan(Lost)
09-03-2004, 12:39 AM
I use Dunlop H3 picks. They're small, like the Jazz picks. They're only 1.2mm or something. But they sure as hell don't bend when playing.

curiousgeorge
09-03-2004, 01:32 AM
Ever tried the new Dunlop Ultec or the Jellifish picks? I can't find them anywhere! My lucky charms, I noticed your'e from Ireland. I'm Irish too(descent, I was born in Canada), but I live in Canada.