Hand Jive!

[whitefang]

A lot is always said about excersises for the left hand when it comes to guitar playing.

 

While my left hand can surely use the improvement, it's the right hand I wish to address.

 

No matter how long, hard or fervently I practice, and in spite of various pick thicknesses, I can't get my right hand out of first gear! So I rely a lot on hammering (tapping, flicking, there are loads of names for it). I see nothing wrong in this per se, but WOULD like to increase my picking speed. Was I going about it all wrong? Or is it just not in the cards?

 

Help, please.

 

Whitefang

[DC]

oops...

[DC]

Say whitefang. I'm assuming you down/up pick and such which goes without saying...

 

What helps me the most is adrenaline, just getting fired up. I think the most inspiring thing for speed is a good drummer or a killer rhythm section which makes you wanna rip and roar.

 

I've never exercised my hand other than just playing. A wide variety of practice material can help. Sometimes it's best to jam along with something that you're completely unfamiliar with. Albert Lee said he liked to learn fiddle music and that cat definitly has the speed in his right hand.

 

Seems like the more I play, the more I can understand what was in the head of my favorite solo writers at the time. Just play and play and play some more.

[SoundWrangler]

Yes, alternate (up/down) picking skills are fundamental for getting up to speed - and that means maintaining alternate picking even when jumping from string to string. (Lots of exceptions, of course.) Unless there's a specific reason to do so, having to involve your brain in deciding to do 2 consecutive downpicks for example, just because the 2nd note is on the next-higher string, will slow you down in the long run. (Again, unless you do so to produce a certain kind of articulation.)

Besides practicing tons of scale types (start S-L-O-W-L-Y!) at different positions - while ruthlessly alternate picking... It's also useful to work out on chord arpeggio patterns (make up some interesting ones!) that jump around between strings, while also ruthlessly maintaining alternate picking. (Think in terms of reproducing fingerstyle arpeggio patterns using alternate picking.)

The objective is to drive the mechanics of picking down to a semi-conscious level, not really tied to what strings you're playing on (unless something about the picking technique is special, for a particular idea) - to the extent that it "feels" like the picking-thinking is going on in your right hand itself, leaving your brain available for left-hand ideas and other, more valuable processes (like wondering whether the bar owner is going to deduct the band's beer tab from your pay!).

[Sylver]

What kind of attach do you have and what guage strings are you using? If you have an aggresive attack, you might consider using heavier gauges. I found that upping my gauges allowed me to play faster, because the string tension is increased, therefore, string travel waas decreased. Nothing like going to pick a note and the string hasn't returned to where you expect it to be.

[Gabriel E.]

Another technique to try is "sweep picking". The main guy for this is Frank Gambale (formerly of Chic Corea's Elektric Band) and I think he a has a couple of instructional books. A lot of the late 80s metal guys used this technique.

 

It's a very economical method of picking that can double your speed without increasing the number of movements your hand makes.

 

Also: make sure that you aren't over-tensing your right hand. You want to maintain control but you shouldn't be super-tense. It will slow you down.

[whitefang]

All good advice, and I 'preciate it. Basically, what I'm hearing is to just have more patience. I usually have a lot in other areas, can't figure out why not in this instance. But Gabe hit on something though. My wrist DOES get too tight when I go for speed. But if I loosen the wrist, I loosen my hold on the pick and lose THAT control. Gotta work on that. Thanks.

 

Keep the ideas comin' though. Got an open mind here!

 

Whitefang

[D_dup3]

Put the pick down on the table & try finger picking; once you get into it you'll be faster than you'll be with the pick.

For times on the acoustic when you "need" the harder pick-like tone, use your index fingernail (ala Jeff Beck).

[michael saulnier]

I once read a tip by Roy Buchannon about picking speed. He suggested a circular motion rather than a back and forth one. The idea is that you don't have all the acceleration and deceleration issues so you can keep a more consistent speed going.

 

I practiced it until it became second nature and I rarely do it any other way. If you try this it's important to angle your pick to make sure you're hitting each time with an angle, not flat against the strings. I also prefer heavy picks which work well with this technique.

 

guitplayer

[whitefang]

Guitarplayer;

 

I'll give that circular method a try. Seeing as I already use heavy picks, it might work! Thanks very much.

 

Whitefang

[Rim]

I like using Fender jazz picks (I'm not a jazz player) because it has a pointy tip which helps me pick single string fast. I tend to wear out picks until the tip is almost round so I watch out for that and start using a brand new one.

 

When I need to pick fast, I also try to barely pluck the string with the very tip of the pick (which is why a point tip is desirable). If you strike the string with too much of the pick (where the tip of the pick is well below the string), you have to work harder (and take longer) to go to the next string. It may seem miniscule but it makes a lot of difference.

 

Wrist action is also important in fast picking. Keep the index finger and thumb firm to hold the pick but the wrist fairly loose. Ever see a movie that depicts a rich person ringing a tiny little bell to summon a butler during dinner? It's kinda like that. Index finger and thumb is squeezing enough to hold the bell but the wrist is "waving" back and forth very quickly. Your wrist shouldn't be rigid like a town crier ringing a bigger bell (or if you were hitting a nail with a hammer).