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Alternate Picking help needed


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Posted

*NOTE: I ask that you people please read everything I have written here, thanks.*

 

I have a variety of alternate picking problems that I have been having for the past 3.5 years that I've been playing guitar. For example, I have a hard time playing smoothly and cleanly while doing simple chromatic exercises at 65 bpm. I will be using 65 bpm chromatics exercise as the main practice routine for the problems that I will describe. First I will describe my problems that I am having, then I will post recent clips of me playing chromatics, and then I am wondering if you guys could offer me detailed and constructive advice.

 

Before I start describing everything I want to state that I have been playing for 3.5 years, mostly on electric guitar, but recently on both acoustic and electric guitars. I have been practicing chromatics at around 65 bpm for around 2 years and have honestly seen little improvement. I may not have been practicing consistently for my 3.5 years of playing guitar, but I have had my moments of seriously practicing and moments of messing around. I have some anxiety problems so I have a hard time concentrating and relaxing. I am willing to try new things to improve my guitar playing and will not give up until I improve.

 

What I honestly want to get out of all the advice I receive is being able to apply the right methods that will work well for me and be able to play SMOOTHLY and CLEANLY. You will notice that I bolded and underlined all the smooth and clean words to emphasize how important these two words mean to me in my guitar playing life.

 

GEAR: Kona K2 Thinbody acoustic/electric guitar, Ibanez GAX70 electric guitar, fender frontman 15 watt practice amp, and a cheap computer to record with.

 

A) Alternate Picking problems in detail (while playing Chromatics at 65 bpm 16th/8th notes):

 

Acoustic Guitar Problems:

1) My bicep tenses while I'm sitting down and playing. It tenses more often when I am playing the lower strings (E and A) on any fret.

 

Electric Guitar Problems:

1) my hand has been feeling a bit weak and too loose. I think it may be because I have been playing my new acoustic guitar way more often than my electric.

 

BOTH Electric And Acoustic Guitar Problems:

1) my left fretting hand does not feel and sound cleanly and smoothly synchronized with my right picking hand.

2) I cannot play cleanly and smoothly while moving up and down the strings (1-6).

3) when I play 1/4 notes at 65 bpm, I feel too tense and unrelaxed and as a result I cannot play cleanly and smoothly.

4) when holding my pick, my hand sometimes tends to move the pick up and away from the strings, resulting in me not hitting the string at all.

5) when holding my pick, it sometimes slips out of position while picking and especially strumming.

6) my fingers get sweaty and as a result the pick slips

7) I have a hard time muting unwanted string noise from other strings that were fretted beforehand. Sometimes my finger feel like they were stuck to the string with glue, so when I release the note, the string makes excess noise.

8) when I go back down from the 12th fret to the 1st fret, my left hand starts to tense and I can't play cleanly and smoothly, because I have a hard time playing as clean and smooth as going up from 1st to 12th fret.

9) sometimes I accidentally pick other strings while picking and going up from 6th string to the 1st string.

10) I feel as if my fingers are hammering on to each note, especially on the low e string.

 

B) Playing examples of chromatics at 65 bpm using 8th/16th notes:

 

NOTE: all examples were played and recorded on Monday 05-31-05; that means the day I have written this thread. Also all examples posted here are in Hifi streaming format, but you may click on the link below to access lofi or download the examples. If the examples will not work, please let me know so I can find another host.

 

Official Link (please listen to first four examples):

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/1/guitarpracticeap_music.htm

Alternative Link: http://gpap23.dmusic.com/

 

1) Acoustic Guitar Chromatics at 65 bpm using 8th notes:

- http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=2484814&q=Hi

 

2) Acoustic Guitar Chromatics at 65 bpm using 16th notes:

- http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=2484828&q=Hi

 

3) Electric Guitar Chromatics at 65 bpm using 8th notes:

- http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=2484846&q=Hi

 

4) Electric Guitar Chromatics at 65 bpm using 16th notes:

- http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=2484835&q=Hi

 

C) Suggestions and Tips on improving alternate picking:

 

NOTE: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not tell me to just practice a lot and practice slowly. I've heard it a billion times and I will keep that in mind for the rest of my life. I want detailed analysis and suggestions here, not just the simple answer "practice." If you want to tell me that, then I really ask that you please not post in my thread.

 

*= extremely important

 

1) What do you guys suggest I do improve my picking efficiently according to my problems? *

2) How do I hold my pick?

3) How do I position my wrist correctly on the bridge?

4) What guitar instructional videos/books/lessons do you suggest?

5) What pick(s) do you guys suggest I use and what size?

6) How do you guys practice alternate picking? How did you start off practicing alternate picking in the first place and how did you improve?

7) How do you guys relax before playing?

8) Anything else you want to add?

 

 

THANK YOU!

  • Members
Posted

Hi, hope this is helpful...

First, I'm wondering if you have a teacher? If you don't have one, I think that would be the single most useful thing to do - at least get a few lessons so he/she can point you in the right direction.

Second, I didn't listen to your sound clips as it required signing up, so keep in mind that I haven't heard you play...

OK, to answer your questions:

 

1) What do you guys suggest I do improve my picking efficiently according to my problems?

Chromatics and digital (i.e. fingering-based rather than musical) patterns work quite well for synchronisation, but if you want to improve picking efficiency, I would practice on single open strings to start off with. Try practicing the following ways:

- Sustained moderate speed

- Bursts (i.e. 8ths notes for a while, then 4 or so 16th notes, then 8th notes again, and so on)

- Revving speed (without a metronome, start slow, gradually speed up, and slow down again)

- Odd note groupings (try playing 5 notes between each metromome click, set at say 50bpm to start)

 

2) How do I hold my pick?

Everyone is different, but standard thumb/index finger works well for most people.

 

3) How do I position my wrist correctly on the bridge?

Some people say float, I think that reduces accuracy and increases tension (the enemy of smooth clean playing). I anchor using my pinky on the pickguard and part of the pinky side of my palm on the bridge (like John Petrucci, but less fast and deadly accurate!).

 

4) What guitar instructional videos/books/lessons do you suggest?

I think a teacher to get you to a more advanced level, then Speed Mechanics by Troy Stetina, and Frank Gambale's Speed Picking if you get into economy picking (which I find very smooth and clean, but others here don't like as much as I do).

 

5) What pick(s) do you guys suggest I use and what size?

Heavy, but any shape that feels good to you. I use the big triangular ones that I shape with pointy tips...

 

6) How do you guys practice alternate picking? How did you start off practicing alternate picking in the first place and how did you improve?

I practice (and constantly improve) using the techniques I listed above. These will work with any exercise.

 

7) How do you guys relax before playing?

Stretch and gentle massage of hands, forearms, uppers arms, shoulders, and back.

 

8) Anything else you want to add?

Honestly, I think if you can't pick 16ths at 65bpm smoothly and cleanly after 3 years of playing, then I think you aren't holding the pick in a way that works for you. I would go to a teacher, and experiment with small changes in your picking position. If I flatten my wrist out, I can only do 16ths at 120bpm comfortably, but if I roll my wrist a little (again, like John Petrucci), I can pick pretty fast without tension (smooth, clean and synchronised 16ths at 210bpm, at least for a bar or two before losing accuracy). I also economy pick, but you'll need to work on your alternate picking a lot more first.

The other problems you mentioned sound to me like you just need someone to show you how to do it - it's much easier than reinventing the wheel for yourself.

Good luck with your practice,

Neilsonite

  • Members
Posted

I'm sorry, I took like an hour to write this up and knew I'd forget some important things to tell you guys.

 

I have been playing for 3.5 years without ever having a teacher. Affording it is the hardest part.

 

I'll check into what you said, but I'm still seeing if anyone else knows how to maybe improve my other problems. Thanks!!!!!

 

PS: I added an alternative link so you can listen to the examples if you want. http://gpap23.dmusic.com/

  • Members
Posted

1) What do you guys suggest I do improve my picking efficiently according to my problems? *

 

I listened to some of your clips - you sound just fine. I don't see what the problem is. What you need to do is this: Start at 65 bpm with 16th notes. Go from the 1st fret up to the 12th. Then turn the metronome up to 67 bpm, go back down to the 1st fret. Repeat that going up 2 bpm at a time. You could probably go up 20 or 30 bpm and still be doing well. This will make it much easier when you slow back down, because it will just seem so much easier compared to the faster stuff.

 

 

4) What guitar instructional videos/books/lessons do you suggest?

 

Speed Mechanics by Troy Stetina is pretty good. He's got a ton of exercises in there to help with your picking. Often times, if you just practice one thing over and over, you hit a plateau. Working on a wide variety of exercises is a much better approach. There is a lot of carryover from one exercise to the next. Even if you don't work on a particular exercise for a month, but you work on other stuff, when you go back to that exercise you'll be much improved because of your general skills improving.

 

 

5) What pick(s) do you guys suggest I use and what size?

 

I use Jazz III's. They're small, and tend to turn in your fingers when playing, but they're much more accurate, have a pointed tip, and they're thick and don't bend. If you ever want to get up past 16ths at 120 bpm or so with your chromatics, you need a pick that doesn't bend.

 

6) How do you guys practice alternate picking? How did you start off practicing alternate picking in the first place and how did you improve?

 

Can't remeber how I started. I do a lot of chromatic exercises, and some "cyclic licks" out of speed mechanics. Basically licks that start and end in the same place, so you can play them over and over while increasing the metronome speed. There are some 3 notes per string patterns in speed Mechanics, and practicing that stuff is rather usefull. Also it's important to start using your pick-every-note stuff in your improvising. Try sticking some of those licks in there - maybe they won't sound good at first, but that's okay because it's just practice. But you've got to bridge the gap between exercises and playing.

 

 

7) How do you guys relax before playing?

 

When you feel yourself getting tense, make a conscious effort to relax the muscles in your arms and hands. Take a 10 minute break, and when you come back you should be relaxed. Remember how that feels, take careful note of it. Then try to reproduce that feeling when you feel yourself getting tense.

 

8) Anything else you want to add?

 

Your playing at 65 bpm sounds fine. Increase your speed. You're not a robot, it'll never be perfect for 1,000 notes in a row.

  • Members
Posted

 

I listened to some of your clips - you sound just fine. I don't see what the problem is. What you need to do is this: Start at 65 bpm with 16th notes. Go from the 1st fret up to the 12th. Then turn the metronome up to 67 bpm, go back down to the 1st fret. Repeat that going up 2 bpm at a time. You could probably go up 20 or 30 bpm and still be doing well. This will make it much easier when you slow back down, because it will just seem so much easier compared to the faster stuff.

 

 

one problem I have is that when I go back down from the 12th fret to the 1st, I tense up more and I feel as if my playing is sloppier.

 

 

I use Jazz III's. They're small, and tend to turn in your fingers when playing, but they're much more accurate, have a pointed tip, and they're thick and don't bend. If you ever want to get up past 16ths at 120 bpm or so with your chromatics, you need a pick that doesn't bend.

 

 

I'll have to look into Jazz III's. I don't know if I wrote this or not, but I use Dunlop Tortex 1 mm, and they don't really bend.

  • Members
Posted

Ok, besides all the good advise I see here, I'll just say, relax and get comfortable. Get comfortable with your guitar in your lap watching tv, comfortable playing in front of your wife, comfortable at the guitar store....etc., etc..

Watch any good player and he is totally relaxed. Of course I know that this means that said good player, knows his {censored}, thus, you gotta just keep playing and playing until you arrive.

 

nothing comes easy.

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