One way to hold a guitar pick

**edh** · 07-11-2015, 09:55 PM

Where are reg's arpeggios? Can't find them.

**mr. beaumont** · 07-11-2015, 10:06 PM

Page 7, post 210.

**vintagelove** · 07-11-2015, 10:08 PM

Here is how I pick regs example.

For the first note A, downstroke

the next three notes are a single upstroke sweep to the Bb

the next note (low A) is a downstroke, hammer on to Bb

a single downstroke sweep for three notes to high A

strict alternate picking for the next seven notes. You should be starting C on an upstroke, and crossing strings on one as well.

repeat

on the initial start I might start with an upstroke, depending on what proceeds it. Falls apart past 140. If for some reason you had to play this at an up tempo I would just practice the first chord over and over, after all, the picking is the hard part.

**mr. beaumont** · 07-11-2015, 10:14 PM

You would post this just as i allowed my dog to sleep on my legs...i can see my guitar...so close...can't reach it...

That seems very logical...a three note teverse sweep is MUCH less weird than a four note. I can't wait to try it. Thanks!

**Frank67** · 07-11-2015, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Heres my vid. Feel free to use me as a bad example...it might help others.

Hey Jeff,

thanks for putting this out! So relatable! For what it's worth - I'm doing worse than that. I am happy to not be the only one struggeling ... Wish I'd do it at your level of playing :-) I would post but I do not have the means right now (I'm travelling).

Please keep doing this Reg. i'll quietly follow and join in after the travel season.

Cheers,
Frank

**morroben** · 07-12-2015, 11:14 AM

I'm having an embarrassingly tough time with the Regpeggio. I practice arpeggios a lot but this is a fingertwister for me, for both the left and right hands. I'm determined to get it down though. I'll try to post a video when I get it a little better.

Interesting side note: my kindle tries to autocorrect "arpeggio" to "stepchild". What the hell?

**mr. beaumont** · 07-12-2015, 11:18 AM

Try vintagelove's picking idea. I only had a minute to mess with it this morning, but i could see clearly that with a day of practice i could easily add 10-20bpm rapidly.

Plus, its a cool livk for the first two chords of "See you in my dreams."

**Vladan** · 07-12-2015, 11:49 AM

OK, I'm a bit late, but whatever ...

Here it is at 100BPM, 110, 120 and 140BPM.
I play it in shuffle and sraight 1/8, triplets and 1/16 ths.
Of course, I could not make it at 140, not even close. Maybe luck strikes me again sometimes.

All the time I have drums at tempo in headphones, you do not hear drums, and make divisions over that tempo.

It's mostly garbage, but really, I do not strive for much more precission than this. Not that I would not love to be able ...

**ecj** · 07-12-2015, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Vladan

OK, I'm a bit late, but whatever ...

Here it is at 100BPM, 110, 120 and 140BPM.
I play it in shuffle and sraight 1/8, triplets and 1/16 ths.
Of course, I could not make it at 140, not even close. Maybe luck strikes me again sometimes.

All the time I have drums at tempo in headphones, you do not hear drums, and make divisions over that tempo.

It's mostly garbage, but really, I do not strive for much more precission than this. Not that I would not love to be able ...

Hey Vladan - you got closer than me, for sure. It would help if you could hear the click track on your vid.

You definitely have a more economical motion for getting through the strings than me. I can see how the standard position looks a little tighter, whereas I have to move my whole arm to get around.

**Pocket Player** · 07-12-2015, 12:42 PM

Really great to watch your video's guys !! we all struggle somewhere lol. i'm planning on filming today myself,and contribute to the group. great work !

**morroben** · 07-12-2015, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Try vintagelove's picking idea. I only had a minute to mess with it this morning, but i could see clearly that with a day of practice i could easily add 10-20bpm rapidly.

Plus, its a cool livk for the first two chords of "See you in my dreams."

My biggest problem is the 1st finger stretch back to the A flat. I've always struggled with that kind of stretch. I can play the piece a little better playing that A flat on the B string, but I'm trying to play it correctly in position. I'll get it eventually.
It's pretty frustrating that I'm not even good enough for the efficiency of my picking to be my problem yet. I could pick all downstrokes no faster than my left hand is moving. You'd think I would have made a little more progress than this over the last 25 years.

**Reg** · 07-12-2015, 01:04 PM

It's not really for playing right... just a picking exercise... but here are a few ideas where it might be used when actually playing, it's just a note with a long embellishment or something like that...

I made a vid... now I'll explain what I did... I didn't really know when I made vid.

So when i play I'm always thinking harmony, complete note collections and guidelines for how those note work or function with reference to a tonal center...

The basic lick was just the maj 7th of Bbmaj going to the min or b7th of Bbmin.

So I went to Bbmaj#11 as I to Abmaj7#11 or bVII... the lick now has a different tonal reference, then I subbed Fmin for Abmaj... The relative Minor of Lydian is Dorian, I'm just using the modal names for complete note collections.

Bbmaj7......... Bbmin7 Starting reference Ionian to Dorian

Bbmaj7#11... Abmaj7#11... Modal interchange Bb Ionian to Bb Lydian...Bbdorian to Abmaj Ionian, modal interchange to Ab Lyd.

Bbmaj7#11 ,,,Fmin9 F-9 is sub for Abmaj7#11

Opens pentatonic door for Fmin etc

There is another series of steps and you end up with...

G-9 going to C7#9 the lick needs to adjust or reflect your choices...

And of course... play the harmony a third above, which became the reverse of the two parts of the lick...

Anyway...

**ecj** · 07-12-2015, 01:23 PM

That's awesome, Reg. I like the concept of taking on lick and superimposing it over all those different harmonic situations. Reminds me a lot of hearing Benson talk about how he plays.

It was also cool to see you mess around with different articulations and rhythmic patterns.

Right at 2:09 you do play the crazy picking pattern super fast, which is, again, really nice to see. It's always good to know that something is possible. I'll work on "loosening up".

**grahambop** · 07-12-2015, 01:30 PM

With a bit of practice, I seem to be able to do the Regpeggios with 16ths at 112 bpm. I think I'm using strict alternate picking, but that's always been my default anyway.

At first my hand felt tight, but after a while it got more relaxed, I think I just needed to get the lick under my fingers.

If I get a chance I'll do a video.

**Pocket Player** · 07-13-2015, 04:29 AM

Here's mine guys !!! quite embarrassed

sorry for boring you all. and for saying hand down to many times.

destinytot · 07-13-2015, 08:58 AM

Reg's exercise seems to fit this nicely

**grahambop** · 07-13-2015, 09:06 AM

If you play it in eighths, it fits the first 2 chords of 'Just Friends' rather nicely.

**Reg** · 07-13-2015, 09:08 AM

Hey Pocket Player... cool. You have good left hand position, just keep it going. The right hand works, but eventually you might need to get more separation between the hand and arm.

When I play my tele. I usually somewhat palm mute or at least keep my hand more in that position. It seems to help separate the hand from the arm. But it will happen naturally as your playing develops. The main point... you want the two hands to work as effortlessly together as possible. thanks for posting Reg

**Vladan** · 07-13-2015, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

If you play it in eighths, it fits the first 2 chords of 'Just Friends' rather nicely.

This month's practical standard thread tune, with title unmemorable for me, has BbMaj7 to Bmin7 in it.

**Reg** · 07-13-2015, 09:21 AM

Another point that might help... that exercise is designed from the top down, the top string right. And basically just developed using the top 4 strings... that somewhat how I thing, in string groups of 4 and from the top down, usually a top note of a chord etc... same thing with 2nd through 5th... I don't really use the lower 4 strings group soloing that much.

These approaches are part result from not being able to watch neck... sight reading or having to watch rest of band etc...most of he time. I guess I've developed lots of mechanical fretboard organizations that somewhat don't require watching fretboard as much.

**grahambop** · 07-13-2015, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Vladan

This month's practical standard thread tune, with title unmemorable for me, has BbMaj7 to Bmin7 in it.

I think that depends which version you use (Poinciana is the tune). I'm using the real book (old or new are pretty similar) which doesn't do that. It's in G and I think it goes Gmaj7, Dmin7, G7 in that bit.