Ever see fancy ads like this? Well, here is a little picking trick that will dramatically improve your speed today. With just a minimum of practice you will be able to pull off those super fast runs you hear from your favorite artists. Try it and see.
I learned this trick from copying Ritchie Blackmore. 8)
The trick is to play 3 note per string runs. Big deal, everybody has heard of that. But the trick is to only pick TWICE.
Trying to make fast runs with pulls and hammer-ons works, but it is very tiresome. It is hard to do it for long. And fingers like the pinky often sound weak.
Trying to pick every note super fast is very difficult, especially trying to keep an alternating up and down picking sequence. You are dud on one string and udu on the next. So your hand has to move a different distance every other string. Difficult.
But this method works. You pick each string down, then up. The distance is always the same. And you only have to pick 2/3 of the speed. Very simple.
When climbing a scale, pick the first note, always hammer-on the second, and then pick the third. When descending, pick the first note, pull-off for the second note, and pick the third note.
This takes a little practice to get the timing. But it is easy and you will catch on to it quick. Trust me, you will be playing runs faster than you ever thought possible. Relax and you will be shredding in minutes.
Here are two examples. The first is the A Major scale. The second is the A Blues scale with some extra notes added as passing tones so you can get 3 notes per string.
This really works.
A Major Scale 3 notes per string
e----------------------------------------------------
b-----------------------------------------7h--9--10--
g-------------------------------6h--7--9-------------
d---------------------6h--7--9-----------------------
a-----------5h--7--9---------------------------------
e-5h--7--9-------------------------------------------
i m p i m p i m p i m p i r p
d u d u d u d u d u
e----------------------------------------------------
b-10p--9--7------------------------------------------
g------------9p--7--6--------------------------------
d----------------------9p--7--6----------------------
a--------------------------------9p--7--5------------
e------------------------------------------9p—7--5---
p r i p m i p m i p m i p m i
d u d u d u d u d u
A Blues scale with passing tones 3 notes per string
e---------------------------------------------------5h--7--8--
b-----------------------------------------5h--7--8------------
g-------------------------------5h--7--8----------------------
d---------------------5h--6--7--------------------------------
a-----------5h--6--7------------------------------------------
e-5h--7--8----------------------------------------------------
i r p i m r i m r i r p i r p i r p
d u d u d u d u d u d u
i= index
m= middle
r= ring
p= pinky
d= downstroke
u= upstroke
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Good idea, but I don't you'll get the same machine gun feel as if you picked every note. I just tried it unplugged, and could definately hear a difference between the hammer on and the picked notes while ascending a scale. I'm sure I have to polish it up, since I only spent about 1 minute doing it, but it seems like it might be a good idea. Are you able to consistently pull of the runs w/o distortion and every note sounding dynamically equal? If so, I'm going to kick myself...hard :wink:
Another method, the one I use on 3 note/strings, is economy picking where your pick strokes are D - U - D. So crossing strings it would be:
e------------------5---7---8-------------------
D U D
b---5---7---8---------------
D U D
I'm doing the metronome thing and working up slowly each week, but I've fooled around at higher speeds and I think the trick that works for me is the think of the string cross as one stroke. Since you are changing strings, it's instinctive to think "2 strokes" ( down - DOWN). but Approaching it as one while staying in time makes it easier. Half of this speed stuff, in my experience, is finding the little nuances that work for you....
I'll have to give you method a shot, Wes. It seems to make sense, and if it is a better way I'm going to kill my instructor :D
Matt
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
I like the idea of economy picking there, almost like doing a sweep right?
'You and I in a little toy shop, bought a bag of balloons with the money we got"
feel free to talk with me on msn at [email protected]..... no icq anymore
Yeah, like crossing strings is a mini sweep. One pick stroke, 2 notes. You're supposed to be able to pick at any speed w/o altering your technique, so I have to really concentrate to make sure I'm approaching a string cross with a single stroke at slower speeds. That's the idea though
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
Mr. Inman, I believe you said "I don't go for these million notes per measure guys. Give me someone who plays with feeling and soul."
Wes...have you crossed over to the dark side? : )
Good post. It works well but I sure wouldnt trade that technique for my single note slow bends and wrist vibratos. : ) Call me Mr. Killjoy :P
At this time I would like to tell you that NO MATTER WHAT...IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS WAY IS IN LOVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ALL ARE. IT IS TRULY -- A LOVE SUPREME --. John Coltrane
It's funny you posted this Wes...I kind of do this when I am noodling around or warming up. When I play the few scales I know I always work for a while to get the notes accurate then I try to play it faster and faster still keeping the accuracy. Sometimes I add the hammer-ons...
Thanks for the tip!
good ideas.
Im still doing my shred here:
Mr. Inman, I believe you said "I don't go for these million notes per measure guys. Give me someone who plays with feeling and soul."
Wes...have you crossed over to the dark side? : )
Ha, ha, No I have not crossed over. I meant what I have always said, I do not go for people who try to impress you with blinding speed and millions of notes.
On the other hand, I highly respect these players. There are times when you want to play some super-fast runs.
No, I was listening to an old cassette tape the other night with some great Classic Rock songs. One song was Highway Star by Deep Purple. I remembered spending much time on the solo, especially the end of the solo where Ritchie Blackmore climbs the high E string using this technique. It took me a long time to figure out exactly how he was doing it. Hammer-ons did not sound right, and picking each note did not sound right either. Finally I discovered this little trick.
Matt- I don't know about you, but I can play MUCH faster using this method. I also get a much more fluid sound. But that is me. I have never been a hyper speed picker. I am pretty fast but I can't smoke like some guys. So this method works very well for me.
This is simply a method for slow pickers like me to really speed up some runs. But I still prefer to play slower with meaning and melody. But once in awhile speed is GOOD! :twisted:
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
This is pretty much the technique I use to do fast runs. That I sometimes work my way around things by using taps. I think it has a better sound then me trying to hit every note.
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
of course you'll have much greater flexiblity and hence capacity to creation variation if you can master every picking technique though.
Thanks for the practice technique. I use the Guitar Speed Trainer. It works great.
