Tremolo picking is hard

[Napthol]

I've learned the solo to Deep Purple's Burn and there is one lick where Blackmore is playing a lick using fretted notes combined with an open string (G string). I've been trying to get my tremolo picking down trying using the wrist or elbow or what not, and it's tough. Hard to make it smooth. That is the only lick that is holding me back.

Do any you guys use tremolo picking in your playing? Is it coming from your forearm and elbow, or is it coming from your wrist?

 

[Mincer]

That's a great solo, and that part is fast.
I practiced it slowly and deliberately with a metronome.

 

[ICTGoober]

Keep your hand loose. Don't tighten up.

 

[beaubrummels]

Turn your hand/pick at an angle to the strings, and maybe try using the blunt corner of the pick so it slides off/on the strings easier.

 

[Securb]

Like Dave said, a metronome is the key. After a while, tremolo picking becomes muscle memory and is executed with ease.

 

[NegativeEase]

Turn your hand/pick at an angle to the strings, and maybe try using the blunt corner of the pick so it slides off/on the strings easier.

Agree

 

[GuitarStv]

Turn your hand/pick at an angle to the strings, and maybe try using the blunt corner of the pick so it slides off/on the strings easier.

Yep.

This took me so long to figure out. Holding the pick so it's flat to the strings means that you'll get tripped up when picking really fast. Angling it a little bit gives you a less floppy feeling point and slides off way better.

 

[Mincer]

Yep.

This took me so long to figure out. Holding the pick so it's flat to the strings means that you'll get tripped up when picking really fast. Angling it a little bit gives you a less floppy feeling point and slides off way better.

Depends on the player. I use a really shallow angle to clear the strings, can play some very fast stuff, and I pick every note. I don't like the 'slicing' sound of the pick hitting at an angle.

 

[GuitarStv]

Depends on the player. I use a really shallow angle to clear the strings, can play some very fast stuff, and I pick every note. I don't like the 'slicing' sound of the pick hitting at an angle.

Yeah, doesn't need to be a steep one . . . but without that angle you will get tripped up trying to pick fast.

 

[Napthol]

I've tried picking from the wrist and picking from the forearm and elbow and I get this rough sound. Unsmooth. I'm working with some people on another forum. I got to post some video of my picking hand so they can look at what I'm doing.

 

[jeremy]

i just did a little experiment and i think most of it comes from the arm/elbow, rather than wrist. again, everyone does this differently so find what works for you

 

[Mincer]

The fast Blackmore picking is almost certainly from the arm/elbow, which for long periods of time can get tiring. He doesn't use that type of picking often, though.

 

[Chistopher]

The strategy is like most guitar things. Just do it a lot. Practice as fast as you can while being 100% consistent. If you are only picking 90% consistent, slow down.

 

[Napthol]

Then there is the problem of adding the left hand. Fortunately, this particular Blackmore lick I gotta learn is structured so you play two fretted notes followed by two open string G notes. So it's like I play G then B-flat then follow it up with two open G string notes.

 

[Aceman]

I actually do that with just my thumb and finger, slicing with the pick.

 

[Mincer]

It sounds like he is picking every note there, too.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was picking almost entirely from my elbow, more so the faster I tried to play. Sometime in the last 10 or 15 years, I saw a video of Mick Thomson from Slipknot trem picking stupid fast and clean, and you could barely see his hand moving. Getting that down was work, but not difficult.

Take the time, get out the metronome, go painstakingly slowly, and get the wrist action going. It's pretty simple physics, and the potential speed from your wrist is going to be faster, it's way less mass to move quickly than your arm.

 

[Napthol]

I'm sticking with the elbow. I uploaded a video of me picking and the people on the forum said my elbow motion was better and showed more promise for tremolo picking. You can get lots of speed and power going with the elbow.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Whatever floats your boat man. If it's for an occasional effect, whatever is probably fine. I've been getting into black metal, incorporating lots of extended trem picked parts. If I keep my arm relaxed, I can do it almost indefinitely without getting tired. Starting and stopping the trem picking is much smoother this way, too. Not trying to tell you what to do, just sharing my experience with changing techniques after playing for a long time.

Has anybody mentioned making sure you're using as little of the pick as possible? Some said use one of the blunt ends, but I do better with a Jazz III style point, and making sure I'm not digging in.

 

[Demanic]

At first I thought that this thread was about picking in time with a tremolo effect that was running. And I wondered why not just use the tap tempo function?
I have since realized that I have no idea what the OP means by "tremolo picking".

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