#171 - 5 Picking Tips To Save YEARS Of Guitar Practice!
Added 2021-05-26 15:45:05 +0000 UTCIt's practice time! Due to popular demand with your messages, I'd like to work on picking technique today - more specifically: the wrist motion :) This will hopefully also make all wishlist voters for rhythm exercises happy (workouts 1 & 2 seem easy but they're incredibly important - workout 5 is for the advanced rhythm enthusiasts).
Here are all your files for this lesson (video play-alongs and more): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cqQfjHif1MkK0Ay9ovrTFX0Pq7pnmYfI?usp=sharing
I also added a full picking technique workout we looked at a while ago because it's perfect for this topic - my technique has changed greatly since then and I think this workout concept was quite important! I'm sure that a lot of new members missed it, hope I can help with this post :)
Have an AWESOME day my friends!
Comments
Hey Ash, I'd recommend checking out the 30-day picking courses over here: https://www.patreon.com/bernth?filters[tag]=Patreon%20Online%20Courses There are several packages already that come with 30-day practice routines. Hope that helps, have an awesome weekend!
Bernd Brodträger
2022-09-10 09:28:02 +0000 UTCHi Bernth, I have recently joined the community. I am browsing a bit on picking techniques and I am trying to find what plan to follow. My goals is: - correct my way of picking which is explained on this part - string transitioning (it is the worst of anything I do and I seriously want to overcome this) - block additional sound from other strings Overall focus is more on dynamics and to get clarity then to focus on speed for me. Can you please guide me on this. Thank you, Ash
Ashutosh Thapa
2022-09-09 15:33:17 +0000 UTCThank you so much for the reply! I will definitely check out these exercises. Having the guitar pro files is really helpful since I admittedly usually cannot keep up with them at the normal pace, but since I've only been playing for 6 months, and really only getting serious the last month or two, I suppose that's probably normal. I've also gotten your courses on alternate picking exercises and hand synchronization so hopefully I can make some dividends there. Thank you for providing these incredible resources!
Matt
2021-11-11 14:27:58 +0000 UTCHey Matt, welcome to our community, great to have you :) Yes - I can really recommend unlocking and using your wrist for alternate picking. At extremely fast tempos, you can also push with your arm and elbow, but locking up my wrist and just going as fast as possible never led to good results on my journey. This is all about loosening up the wrist and unlocking it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/90-these-3-will-37912263 And this is all about developing speed in general: https://www.patreon.com/posts/167-extreme-in-5-50839230 Hope this helps with getting started :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-11-11 06:52:46 +0000 UTCHey Bernth, Just joined your class a few weeks ago. I started playing guitar about 6 months ago but as I started to get faster on one of the songs I'm learning I noticed my pick is sliding all over the place and my right arm is just hurting a lot. I think my picking technique is incorrect and I have to unlearn my current one. I hear a lot of people talking about picking from the wrist but it looks like mine is coming from the elbow but I'm not sure how to correct it... I noticed especially when it comes to upstrokes it just feels wrong, I constantly am finding a lot of string resistance and if I don't find any resistance the pick just sounds ultra scratchy and doesn't make much of a note sound. Do you have any tips on what to do? I tried a tremolo picking exercise at 60bpm on just 16th notes and felt like I wasn't able to do it correctly either. Thank you so much for your time!
Matt
2021-11-10 18:07:39 +0000 UTCthank you for including Standard notation in addition to the tabs
Dario Sartori
2021-10-27 17:25:19 +0000 UTCHey Andrea, thanks for sharing this! When it comes to avoiding tension and 'unlocking' your wrist, I think that these also played a big role in my personal progress: https://www.patreon.com/posts/90-these-3-will-37912263 Hope that helps, if you already see improvements with the other workouts, you will master the final one as well for sure with time :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-09-18 05:45:20 +0000 UTCHi Bernth, thank you for your lessons and your hints. At first I tryed exercises without modifying my right hand habits, but I couldn't execute exercises 4 and 5 at the faster tempo. Then following your hints on holding the pick I noticed immediately some improvement and now I can complete both exercises 4 and 5. On exercise 5 I tend to tense up during your play-along: have you hints on how to avoid this?
Andrea
2021-09-17 08:48:09 +0000 UTCYes, this kind of holding pick working very well, much more articulation, picking control, but it takes a little time to get used to. Before this my anchoring picking hand some times fly away therefore my pincky finger clung to the firs string and did not always release it )). Also palm muting working better but some times its happens not on purpose on 5 and 6 strings, I think just need more practice on it. Thanks for this insight.
Pachuli Ganesh
2021-09-02 19:58:14 +0000 UTCHey Fernando, welcome to our community! Here's the exact model I've been using for quite a while now: https://www.thomann.de/at/dunlop_nylon_max_grip_jazz_iii_carbon.htm Hope this helps :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-08-02 05:58:30 +0000 UTCHi BERNTH I’m new here and like to know what pick model and gauge you use. Thanks in advance.
Fernando
2021-07-31 16:36:34 +0000 UTCThanks so much for sharing!! I'm really happy to hear that it works for you as well - it also took me quite a while to re-shape my technique, I was just really stuck at one point with my old and unrefined picking motion... it can be tedious but it really pays off :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-07-13 05:26:41 +0000 UTCI'm now kind of through this process and Bernth didn't promise too much. Although the pick is still not just in the "final" position, the altered way to hold your picking hand makes a huge difference and it feels way more fluent just as much as it sounds better. Keep on practicing, it's worth it. :)
Der Bärenmarke Elch
2021-07-12 18:22:59 +0000 UTCCurrently trying this method of holding the pick. I noticed during the current shredd challenge that I get far more consistent alternate picked notes with this rather than the old "Van Halen"-grip I've been sporting. Thinking I'll give it a few months to be sure though. But man, it's a struggle... :D
Robert Bjärmyr
2021-07-02 19:20:41 +0000 UTCI know exactly what you mean. It's a really apt comparison. It feels like fighting Midir and you only get to use the whip
Jan Weyand
2021-06-02 04:43:16 +0000 UTCChanging my way to hold the pick like that feels like starting a new playthrough in Dark Souls with a weapon you never played before. Feel like a complete noob, but also feel that the notes come out clearer with less background noise when I shred. Still, long way to go to make this feel natural.
Der Bärenmarke Elch
2021-05-29 11:06:36 +0000 UTCBernth, dude thanks for ur teachings. Truly has change my whole approach to playing, primarily I am having so MUCH Fun!!!! Love ur approach n thanks for that u provide with ur classes as well.
eugenio sanchez
2021-05-29 09:32:03 +0000 UTCI use the same picks and have been for about 6 years.It took me a little bit to get use to but now I love them! Definitely helped me control my picking.Thank you for the great lesson!
Art
2021-05-29 07:30:55 +0000 UTCNow I get it :) I do like to mute because I like the sound - but I don't want to depend on always muting, that takes away a lot of creative possibilities and sounds! I'd recommend looking for what's causing this problem (possibly your fretting hand technique? or too much picking attack?) and working on getting a cleaner sound, it really pays off!
Bernd Brodträger
2021-05-29 02:51:33 +0000 UTCi'm gonna start practicing this, thanks for me u're the best guitar teacher
Rafa Val
2021-05-29 02:41:51 +0000 UTCThis is a very welcome exercise as I was already trying to correct my picking hand technique.
Patrick Schmitz
2021-05-28 21:25:36 +0000 UTCI'll admit what I'll say is hard to imagine without photos. So the goal of my question is to stop other strings from making any noise; they do so even when I don't touch them and also when I stop playing them by lifting my finger off. So, I noticed there's a few areas of my palm that can rest on the bridge. When I'm chugging on the low e string, I can mute the other strings. But when I'm playing high e, I can also mute the other strings though I have to arch my wrist. So ultimately, do you recommend to try to mute adjacent strings with your picking hand's palm?
Arcanist Bear
2021-05-28 16:32:10 +0000 UTCThanks for asking! Yes, I always prefer to be connected to the guitar in this way (only exceptions: strumming, like with the deadnote patterns in EX 1 & 2) - as for the second question, I don't know exactly what this is referring to - the placement of the wrist or the fingers? :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-05-28 05:50:35 +0000 UTCGood video lots explained. (job interview) 🤷🏾♂️
Hector Jimenez
2021-05-28 02:27:39 +0000 UTCHey BERNTH, for exercises 3 - 5, are you resting your palm on the bridge? If so, is it the flesh under the thumb or the flesh under the pinky?
Arcanist Bear
2021-05-27 18:15:09 +0000 UTCBernth, I've been practicing your closed wrist picking suggestions for a few weeks already and I have been able to achieve faster speeds with good articulation and the stuttering is beginning to disappear. As you know, I used to play with my hand open until a few weeks ago. Thank you for sharing your awesome techniques and playing with us.
Eddy Mora
2021-05-27 14:58:59 +0000 UTCBewerbungsgespräch. You got the job. Just keep posting
Steve Shaw
2021-05-27 14:42:50 +0000 UTCReally appreciate these "workout" type lessons. I like keeping one of these in rotation for my overall routine to keep up/improve general competence. Really good idea for this one - thanks again!
Will Malone
2021-05-27 11:48:45 +0000 UTCAlways interesting these differcences... I absolutly can't deal with SO small picks... I just don't get a reliable grip. So I am going with the bigger ones. On Top of that I do play with an open hand since a lot of changes in my past from close to open to close to... my fingers never touch the strings cause I kind of lock them on my pickup frame. (but still flexible and not a stiff position) IF I am using such small picks AND trying a closed hand approach I always touch the strings while playing. Especialy when holding the pick like you do these days (what I am doing to) so yeah... bigger picks, open hand works for me. The other way around... absolutly no. Maybe if I would dedicate a lot of practice to just play this way... but I don't see it anywhere near as comfortable as I play it now and neither more efficient. So I guess I won't waste any more time on trying this. Instead I am focusing on my other problems (there are tons of them :D)
Sephiroth
2021-05-27 06:53:24 +0000 UTCthis is the first time i saw actual explanation how to hold a pick for faster picking. I tried it (feels a bit awkward and still not fully sure i am holding it exactly how Mr. Bernth is) but right away it surely is much faster picking then how i held before.
Andriy Uvarov
2021-05-27 06:22:33 +0000 UTCBewerbungsgesprāch🤘👽🤘 what video/lesson number do i find the exercise that switchs between alternate picking and sweep picking that you referenced in this video? It sounds really awesome!! It happens at 10:56 of this video
DarthWooPV
2021-05-27 01:46:27 +0000 UTCIt never ceases to amaze me your endless talents Bernth, incredidble...
Peter Mikelis Jr.
2021-05-26 23:00:01 +0000 UTCI'll be spending a lot of time on this one. I've been trying to figure out how to eliminate all the unwanted string noise without using a wrap. Thanks again Bernth for an amazing lesson!
David B Wilkins
2021-05-26 21:58:28 +0000 UTCBewerbungsgespräch! Gotta love cut and paste lol!
David B Wilkins
2021-05-26 21:56:10 +0000 UTCThank You Supreme Leader :)
John Bach
2021-05-26 21:11:48 +0000 UTCYes, I would love to see your DWPS upper escape and UWPS downward escape on your 3 nps alternate picking
Jim McCall
2021-05-26 18:27:35 +0000 UTCAh, thats easy: Bewerbungsgespräch (would be quite embarrassing if i couldn't write in my own mother tongue).
Daniel Lager
2021-05-26 17:01:15 +0000 UTCJa!
Lauri Laurila
2021-05-26 16:57:54 +0000 UTCOn picking technique, can I ask what type of picking / escape motion you are using for the majority of your playing? I recently joined "Cracking the Code" with Troy Grady and have progressed through about 1/3rd of the "Pickslanting Primer" and know I need to adjust my picking technique. Your pick grip is something I'm going to try, I've been switching back and forth between different approaches and nothing has felt right and has affected my progress, the grip you showed feels immediately more comfortable so I'm hoping that will work well during today's practice session. Have you ever filmed your picking approach down the neck similar to what Troy does in his videos? Would love to see your high speed picking close up like that :)
Paul Jenkins
2021-05-26 16:49:54 +0000 UTCBewerbungsgesprach :D
Jimmy Grieve
2021-05-26 16:31:37 +0000 UTCI can't use a pick(surgery gone bad) if u have finger picking instructions that would be AWESOME...
Michael D Willitts
2021-05-26 15:54:58 +0000 UTCAwesome lesson!
Christian Liliedahl
2021-05-26 15:54:31 +0000 UTC
