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Circle Picking: What's it good for?


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Posted

I've heard about circle picking somewhere so I decided to try it. It definitely had a weird feeling to it, and I think I could pick faster by circle picking. I was just wondering what kind of guitarists take adavantage of this technique, what advatantages it has over alternate picking, and exactly how its done. Thanks.

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Posted

Circle picking is a misnomer it actually looks and is closer to figure 8. The advantage is that with alternate picking you are hitting the string with the flat side of the pick. By holding the pick at a 45 degree angle to the string and doing a figure 8 you economize the movement. Yoiu sort of move the angle back and forth forming a figure 8.
I have practised it and started to get it down but Im just not a speed player Plus Im lazy.
Frank Gambale uses this method and I suspect that most really fast players are doing it without knowing it.

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Posted

Cozimont

..you got that right.I can't see speed picking any other way.My method was by accident.I didn't know till years later when I had to show someone.
The disadvantage is.... you lose attack.Which means you have to work on articulation more(..at least in my case).
I wish I could play the old fashion way.I'd trade the punch(especially on acoustic) for the speed.
Unfortunately old habits not only die hard but...they never really die.The 80's "speed" thang screwed a lot of us up.

here's a sample .right click save to target.If it doesn't load you may have to join soundclick (it's free..)

http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=45494&q=Lo
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=45494&q=Hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/DownloadSong.cfm?ID=45494


Butch

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Posted

Originally posted by butch

Cozimont


..you got that right.I can't see speed picking any other way.My method was by accident.I didn't know till years later when I had to show someone.

The disadvantage is.... you lose attack.Which means you have to work on articulation more(..at least in my case).

I wish I could play the old fashion way.I'd trade the punch(especially on acoustic) for the speed.

Unfortunately old habits not only die hard but...they never really die.The 80's "speed" thang screwed a lot of us up.


here's a sample .right click save to target.If it doesn't load you may have to join soundclick (it's free..)







Butch

 

 

 

What method are you referring to, butch?

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Posted

My circle picking method.Everybody does it a little different.Mine has to do with how I hold the pick and use a push pull technique with my thumb and index.I don't remember figuring it out though.I was just trying to pick as fast as Steve Howe and Al Dimeola in the 70's and it "happened".

From what I could see on a Yngwie video mines closer to his than anyone else I've seen.Steve Morse is probaly the best picker I've seen and his technigque is just plain weird.Al D and Marty Friedmans are weird too.

I've tried to teach students circle picking but it doesn't always take.I think it's either natural or not unless you learned it from day one very methodicaly....hell it still probably might not "work".

I can't play at all with my pick technique(the way I hold and move it) any other way .I use my fingers most the time anyways..I have got my pick angle a little flater for more punch but at higher speed it's the "figure 8" slice and rub.

Butch

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Posted

I think I'll skip this technique for now. I don't think I'll really need it, since I dont really play super fast stuff :) Thanks for the info!

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Posted

I think I use this method too, never really noticed it until it became "popular" with that stupid looking pick that had a cone on the end of it. Anybody remember that one? That was back when shredding was a competition sport :D

Anyway, I think it's good for keeping you hand positioned above the strings, makes it easier for "chicken picking" and other pick/finger combinations.

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