Picking technique

[BeRsErKeR]

When I economy pick or trem. pick, i find that I achieve much higher speeds (and cleaner sound) when moving from my elbow (as apposed to my wrist) Ive tried wrist picking accompanied with a speed trainer ala guitar pro 4 and have spent as much as 4 hours a day of concentrated gradually sped up economy picking. There is a plateu (SP?) that i absolutely cannot pass. Is it a real problem to pick from my elbow for short bursts if i do not get tense? I mean look at rusty cooley... he is almost completely elbow when he goes into face melt mode... thanks

[shredmonster]

Hard to say without actually seeing you.

I use different methods depending upon what I am trying to play. You have your fingers, wrist and elbow that can be used in various combinations.

You will never be super fast just picking ONLY from the elbow IMO. To achieve max speed I use a combination of all 3 when picking all out full bore.

The fact that you are cleaner with our elbow if I had to guess - I would say probably because moving from the larger joint - which is less accurate than smaller joints nearer the strings such as the wrist or fingers - is because you probably pull the pick out farther away from the strings. When using wrist and or fingers I tend to hold the pick closer to the strings and can get much more accuracy.

Also clean playing requires really efficient muting technique.

Picking from the elbow only is probably impossible because I think your wrist will always be involved somehow.

Don't forget shredding takes years - not months. You build speed over the course of years. Its all about technique.

The fastest you will ever be able to pick is just simple trill picking on one string. I would concentrate on this first and get that fast and move it onto 2 strings.

There are techniques where you can play really fast and you don't need to pick that fast - you just use economy.

Get the book Sheets of Sound. It is perfect for this.

[thetroy]

I pick from my elbow for fast tremelo picking - it certainly hasn't hurt me yet

[XxKilgannonxX]

I'm all wrist...but some arm action when going too fast.
But Im cant control "too fast" so I not tend to use my arm.

I think shredmonster nailed it though. Need all 3.

[Soap]

Don't forget shredding takes years - not months. You build speed over the course of years. Its all about technique.

Accurately stated, you nailed right there shredmonster.
Ones results, will be determined just how committed he or she is to the work/practice of this truth (the "time and technique" equation).
No way around it, its just how it is.

[Wild Claw]

I play only with my thumb when I need to pick fast. That was not a technic which came naturally, I had to concentrate and force myself to use only my thumb in the beginning, cause I was tempted to play with my wrist instead. But once you start to master it, I think that's the easiest way to play fast. It's clean, precise, and completely effortless.

[Cygnus X1]

I play only with my thumb when I need to pick fast. That was not a technic which came naturally, I had to concentrate and force myself to use only my thumb in the beginning, cause I was tempted to play with my wrist instead. But once you start to master it, I think that's the easiest way to play fast. It's clean, precise, and completely effortless.

So, you're saying your finger is only there along for the ride? Interesting.
I did a bunch of picking runs yesterday, played for nearly four hours. I must say that you are right, as the elbow action is clumsy and tiring.

[BeRsErKeR]

Hi guys, thank you all for responding, and i appreciate the fact that there where no flamers (hahaha you know what I mean). I was practicing wrist only last night (and the night before ) and got a consistant yet not to fast speed on a harmonic minor 1st inversion shape.(its an easier scale to practice as it is 3 fret run on every string as apposed to a 2 fret run at the G string) I got ambitious and tried to pick as fast as i could and I automatically started using both elbow and wrist, and i must say that that was the fastest run i haver ever performed. I still have trouble with being tense though, but im definately gonna start practicing at slower speeds with both elbow and wrist. Thanks again, i believe you all have me on the right track! As for the thumb thing, thats pretty damn amazing man.

[JC_Denton]

Hey dude.

when you feel like you get better results with other other way then go with it, dont force yourself, Look at steve morse, or vinnie moore, they are killer pickers but use their entire hand. Also there is JJW who kinda picks like michael angelo from thumb:S but they result is good, killer i might say.

As far as you get nice speed and its clean and it dont hurt your arm you dont shouldnt change a thing


Its like brett garsed felt at some point he should sweep insted of hybrid picking the arpeggios or even give up guitar cause he is doing things differently than most. Luckily he did'hnt do it and the rest of the world is blown away


your on the right track .


jsut my 0.000002 cents

[delt]

I find a good exercise is to try to pick only from the thumb and index, without moving your wrist (and especially not your forearm/elbow) This exercise develops good "feel" for angling the pick when crossing across 3 or more strings, like for ex. sweep picking, or that weird "zigzag" picking when you have just one note on a string and want to keep the strict-alternate down/up/down/up motion (ie. not do a "mini-sweep"/economy picking which would break the pattern) Helps develop much cleaner and more uniform picking.

[Endrik]

Al Di Meola has kinda circular-loose wrist movement, very relaxed but the result is oh my fucking god!!!!

[Dreamland_Rebel]

doesn't yngwie call that circular picking?

[horns666]

I dunno, I just pick the fucker..but I love 2.0 mm Dunlop gators..that are still fairly new.

[dimobag]

When I economy pick or trem. pick, i find that I achieve much higher speeds (and cleaner sound) when moving from my elbow (as apposed to my wrist) Ive tried wrist picking accompanied with a speed trainer ala guitar pro 4 and have spent as much as 4 hours a day of concentrated gradually sped up economy picking. There is a plateu (SP?) that i absolutely cannot pass. Is it a real problem to pick from my elbow for short bursts if i do not get tense? I mean look at rusty cooley... he is almost completely elbow when he goes into face melt mode... thanks

Try Michael Angelo Batio´s Speedkills guitar method you will learn to play FAST...

[Learn Guitars]

I find that the Steel pics give me the attack and speed that I cant get using mylar picks. The pick is relatively thin, but very stiff. It eats up strings, but I suggest trying one for clean speed picking.