Right-hand (picking) speed advice?

[the24thfret]

My new JP neck feels great and had enabled my left hand to move around the fretboard with greater ease and speed... but it's further shown me how terrible my picking technique is with my right hand. My picking can't keep up with my fingers!

What do you forumites think? How can I improve the speed and accuracy of my picking?

Just for reference, I use EB RPS 10s and Jazz3 picks.

Edit: Also I have a "hitchhiker's thumb", which basically means my thumb bends back real far, and I think it may be affecting the angle of my attack!

 

[ernie1966]

The best way to improve your picking hand is to pratice with a metronome. Do scalar and chromactic work picking each note, up, down, up down. Start off slow and make sure you nail the timing.

 

[phatduckk]

i have the opposite problem.

what ernie says helps. nail the alt picking. when you get to stuff that's tricky (inside/outside string stuff or string skipping) then keep doing that tough portion for a while.

 

[Larry]

My picking speed is nowhere near fast but I use a metronome when I practice scales it has improved my speed and timing greatly

I use the online one here
METRONOME ONLINE - free!

 

[the24thfret]

are you guys attacking the string very flat and straight on with the pick? when i try to "shred" at all, i end up angling the pick against the strings like id be cutting it. increasing attack noise but makes it a bit easier to quickly alt pick.... is this normal?

 

[robelinda2]

Shawn Lane is one player who picks fast with the side of the pick. the only noise thats important is the noise from the amp.

learn some Steve Morse stuff. he has a decent picking technique i guess.

 

[glockaxis]

THanks for the link Larry, I appreciate it----should help at work during my lunch time practices.

 

[morsecode]

+1 on the metronome or drum machine...whatever works for you! It's something that I find myself always trying to work on. Also make a daily record so that you can where and when you're making progress.

As far as picking, the key for me is to hold the pick lightly and attack the strings with at about a 45 degree angle. Keeping your wrists loose is important. And I generally don't hit the strings much when picking through fast passages...otherwise you end up slowing yourself down. Force yourself to alternate pick and use sweep techniques where possible.

 

[Rossie]

Keeping your hands and fingers relax are essential to go fast, and you can see your stamina increase tremendously.

Although you can still pick fast with a heavy picking hand (ala Paul Gilbert), but having a light touch does help a lot. Another technique worth mentioning is spasm of your arm muscles, for some guitarists, they use this technique to go faster (ala Rusty Cooley). RC uses the normal wrist picking technique for speed lower than 200bpm (approx.), he'll use the previously mentioned technique when playing anything faster than that. The problem with this technique is you can't really slow it down, therefore some people might have a gap in the tempo-meter that they can't play (ie. no problem playing up to 120bpm and above 160bpm; but can't play between 120bpm and 160bpm).

The use of the metronome is to help with your muscle memory, practicing it slow will enable you to automate your fine memory skills in picking (and syncing it with your fretting hand). The time period in achieving your goals vary with your biochemical neuromuscular system (aka talent) and dedication to practice.

Fretting hand is also very important, but I guess you've already got that down.

I hope it helps!

 

[Roxy]

Some great resources for developing technique are Petrucci's "Rock Discipline" DVD and his "Wild Stringdom" book/CD pack. Also, Troy Stetina's " "Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar," all of the Gilbert DVDs, and Michael Angelo's "Speed Kills/Lives" series.

 

[the24thfret]

thanks guys for all the input... ill be getting back to the grind now!