Tips on picking speed

[The Kernel]

Although I've been practicing a lot, my picking hand (right hand) just can't keep up with my left hand. My left hand is sooooo much faster than my right... I'm almost at an Eric Johnson level. My picking hand just dies once I get past the 150 bmp mark (playing 16th notes). Are there any exercises that could increase my picking hand's speed and stamina?

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Tips on picking speed

Yess there are..I have no problem with Alternate picking (stamina wise) ,and i can keep alot of downstroking on really fast riffing...
The " secret" is knowing your own hand ,anatomy and comfort position.The picking angle ,how you rest your pinky ,how you satbilize your arm and hand ,and how you mute the strings play a great role!
Mybe you have to "re-learn" some stuff.but you get it in some weeks...
One of the best stamina and precision workouts is playing Anthrax-Overkill downstrokes ,and than playing some alternate picked shred...The change in the movements show you clearly how you need to change the picking position ,and gives you stamina.

 

[barbarianbrute]

Re: Tips on picking speed

the biggest thing about fast picking is keeping it in time. hand synchronization depends a lot on hitting notes correctly on a metronome. i hear a lot of guys get through a run, but the notes aren't even. they seem to stumble across some upstrokes or string crosses instead of hitting each note evenly.

that's very hard to do. i recently began trying to play some blues and really found difficulty. with fast music, you can break from 8th notes to 16th and stop dead in a wicked vibrato. with blues, you have to count a lot more IMO. it's very hard to tone down that way. bb king is a great example of learning to play blues i think because it's not that texas style blues everyone plays.

all i can tell you is that it takes time, years to play fast. legatto is relatively easy for me too. satriani is easier for me to play note for note than malmsteen for instance. sure a lot of guys play malmsteen, but they cheat a lot too. try taking a song like now your ships are burned and learning it note for note. you don't have to play it at 200bpm or anything. learn the whole thing at 100bpm if you have to.

if you can learn a song like that at 100bpm, you can play it at 110bpm. once you can play it solid at 110, you can play it at 120. that's the only way to build up speed. otherwise you're going to sound like everyone else out there. you'll end up working in the slop and making that a handicap to your playing.

i know this well because i was like that. now i'm playing around 140bpm just to keep it even. i don't care about hitting 200 anymore because it's really the music i'm interested in. i know that sooner or later i'll be back up at 180-200, but this time with more articulation and accuracy. good luck dude

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Tips on picking speed

The key for speed is the right position for the picking hand. if the angle is off or you're tensing up your hand will hurt and you won't get any faster.
I can wholeheartedly agree with daemon barbeque and barbarianbrute. Find the right positions and start with building speed from the ground up

 

[The Kernel]

Re: Tips on picking speed

It's funny you mention the blues, Barbarian, because it is the opposite situation for me! I've pretty much dedicated my playing to blues for the past 2 years, and now that I am attemting to play faster music, my right hand is just so underdeveloped. I've tried working at slow tempos, I guess just not enough. Thanks for the input, guys.

 

[barbarianbrute]

Re: Tips on picking speed

It's funny you mention the blues, Barbarian, because it is the opposite situation for me! I've pretty much dedicated my playing to blues for the past 2 years, and now that I am attemting to play faster music, my right hand is just so underdeveloped. I've tried working at slow tempos, I guess just not enough. Thanks for the input, guys.

then you've got a great foundation. the only thing now is to keep adding 5 or 10 bpms each time you master it at a new speed. that's what building speed is all about. you got the slow part down, so now all you have to do is start speeding it up. there's a shred book by paul hanson and you should check it out. it's probably a good book for you because it covers a lot of shred techniques and hand synch, but it also covers a lot of speedy blues playing which might help you relate.

another kick-ass thing to check out is malmsteen's "blue" jam. you can find a full pdf transcription for it and see the entire video on youtube. that's another great example of taking your blues to the next level

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Tips on picking speed

Grumpy made a great point about the Jazz II picks. Their non-flexing thickness and and sharp tip will allow you to pass the string faster(because the pick won't flex as much) and the sharp tip will force you to use only the tip of the pick further decreasing string/pic resistance. With thos picks your should feel less resistance with the individual hits and be able to play faster because of it.
But for more lively and snappy tone combined with better feel i'd recommend the Ultex Jazz IIIs. I've used regular JIIIs before but ultex are superior imo.

 

[The Kernel]

Re: Tips on picking speed

then you've got a great foundation. the only thing now is to keep adding 5 or 10 bpms each time you master it at a new speed. that's what building speed is all about. you got the slow part down, so now all you have to do is start speeding it up. there's a shred book by paul hanson and you should check it out. it's probably a good book for you because it covers a lot of shred techniques and hand synch, but it also covers a lot of speedy blues playing which might help you relate.

another kick-ass thing to check out is malmsteen's "blue" jam. you can find a full pdf transcription for it and see the entire video on youtube. that's another great example of taking your blues to the next level

Great advice, except for the Yngwie thing. I really don't see how that relates to blues haha

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Tips on picking speed

Even better than Jazz III picks are Dunlop 3.0mm Stubbies.