Right hand technique?

[PFDarkside]

Since college, my available time to play has been reduced quite a bit, and because of that my technique has gone down the drain. It seems like left hand technique can hand position can be pretty much summed up by one of two schools of thought, the thumb-over, blues rock style (heavy emphasis on fingers 1 and 3) and the thumb-behind more classical style (more equal emphasis on all fingers). I use both styles of technique, and while my left hand has suffered lately, my overall fundamentals are still pretty good, I think. A little practice and I should be back.

Right hand is a completely different story! My pick and hnad position is fine for acoustic strumming and standard downpicking, but I almost can't alternate pick anymore. When I try to alternate pick I can't get my hand in a comfortable position, and I have a really tough time being consistant. (pick gets caught up between the strings so I can't keep aconsistant rhythm) Looking at different players with what I feel is "good" right hand technique reveals a TON of different hand positions and styles. The players I'd look at (Hetfield, Hammet, Wylde, Vai, Satriani, Petrucci, Freidman, Dime) all have vastly different hand positions.

To break it down, is there a good book or video I could woodshed on to get my technique back, and what about hand position? I just want to be able to play decent again, with a little speed! Suggestions on what I can do to improve?

 

[sosomething]

Re: Right hand technique?

The fact that Marty Friedman can play at all is testament that there's really no right or wrong when it comes to right hand position. Hold the pick in a way that feels comfortable to you and facilitates the greatest amount of versatility and mobility.

If alternate picking is a concern for you, I'd suggest trying to settle & be consistent with a hand position that requires the least amount of movement to switch strings while alternate picking. That should help a lot.

 

[Brewtone]

Re: Right hand technique?

The fact that Marty Friedman can play at all is testament that there's really no right or wrong when it comes to right hand position.

After this statement, I don't think there is anything else constructive that myself or anyone else coudl add to this thread.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Right hand technique?

I guess my problem is that my downpicking, pinch harmonic and alternate picking hand position (and pick grip) is all different at this point. For you guys that use a more metal based approach, are you picking at about a 30 degree angle relative to the string, so it cuts across the string rather than fully plucking the string?

 

[sosomething]

Re: Right hand technique?

I guess my problem is that my downpicking, pinch harmonic and alternate picking hand position (and pick grip) is all different at this point. For you guys that use a more metal based approach, are you picking at about a 30 degree angle relative to the string, so it cuts across the string rather than fully plucking the string?

Hmm.. ok.

I do believe that, for a metal-based approach, you really want to try to standardize your pick grip across most of your playing. You don't want to have to be readjusting the pick around in your fingers during a rhythm part just so you can throw in a single-note line or pull off a pinch harmonic.

One way I get around having to do this is by changing my wrist position instead. My grip on the pick stays pretty much the same but I'll angle my wrist or kind of twist/turn my fingers to hit the strings differently depending on what I'm playing.

To answer your last question: I only do that (the angled pick thing) when playing something that requires really fast tremolo picking. Other than that, it's a full pluck for alternate picking, downpicking, etc. unless I'm trying to coax a particular sound out of a plucked note that requires a certain part of the pick to hit the string in a certain way.