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Au contrare! Try it out!
If you want to maintain high speed alternate picking over a long period of time, elbow's where it's at. Don't play "misirlou" without it!
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06-22-2014 09:57 PM
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The bit where Pizzarelli intros this tune at Birdland is some if the finest audience banter ever committed to tape.
Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
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Check out some of the videos on YouTube of Doc Watson flatpicking fiddle tunes. Makes me tired just watching him but he had speed, power and accuracy on an acoustic guitar. Originally Posted by edh
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[QUOTE=MarkRhodes;435811]
Another way to go is to angle the pick.....
I agree that angling the pick helps. There is also a mental attitude that can cause problems with picking where the pick wants to go faster than the fingers can move or the right hand moves faster than the left hand. Coordinating the pick movement with left hand fingering of the frets is imperative in producing clear notes on fast phrases. Finger picking often eliminates this problem for some reason.
I also play piano. I have no problem in producing super fast clear notes on the piano. Cant do the same on guitar. Just some thoughts.
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I received the Stylus product yesterday. Originally Posted by monk
I tried it out this morning at 56 bpm as the book recommends. It exposed how uneven my picking is, which could also be contributing to my perceived unevenness in tone.
I am going to commit to it and as I said earlier, and get back with this thread in a few months.
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Great! I'm eager to hear how you do. I think you will see some real benefit. It can be frustrating, but it really does make you focus on picking with the tip of the pick. Originally Posted by AlsoRan
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Interestingly, I bought a Stylus pick a couple of months ago after it popped up in discussions on this forum.
I found that my picking totally fell apart with the standard grip. When using Benson picking I could play with the Stylus pretty much exactly as well as normal. I'd only get caught when trying weird string skipping stuff.
I guess my habits are better with Benson picking.
I still practice both forms, and my standard grip is improving a lot. I think that little tool helps so much.
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I use a small pick with slightly rounded tips. It's like an equilateral triangle but without pointy edges...so any of the three "tips" works as the tip. Due to its small size and lack of pointiness, I don't find that getting "stuck" is a problem. I have plenty of other problems though.
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That's interesting. One thing I notice about the Benson picking (-as far as I've gotten with it) is that when I do it right (-or one of the right ways it can be done) my hand moves differently. To put it another way, when I used a standard grip, I often felt like I was getting in my own way. Certain lines just never worked at tempo. I think it was because of a rotation in my wrist / hand. I'm getting really curious about how I would handle a Stylus pick now! Originally Posted by ecj
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AlsoRan, Originally Posted by AlsoRan
Now that you have the Stylus and have given it a drive around the block, I'll suggest one more thing to add to your practice regimen in a month or so. You've seen that the tip of the pick is a cone. After you've developed some low tempo consistency, you can work on shortening your pick stroke by practicing a low tempo tremolo by just moving the tip of the stylus through the string and then immediately back. It should almost feel as if the pick never loses contact with the string. It may sound weird but when you do it, you'll understand. Shortening the arc of your pick-stroke will increase your speed when you're alternate picking. The idea here is minimum movement, economy of motion.
Best Wishes,
Jerome
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Use the round side of the pick! Problem solved!
I Find I can't use the point and I have some decent chops!
Check out Dolphine dance on
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Thanks much Mark!
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I am really starting to think you are right, although even with uneven practice, I am finding that the stylus is helping me, it just takes so much discipline using the point, especially when you start getting aggressive and skipping strings. By comparison right from the start, the round side of the pick just literally slides from string to string - no catching and no grabbing. Originally Posted by marcwv
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The round side of the pick may keep you from getting caught up, but I would strongly urge you to keep with the Stylus pick for awhile. Yes, it can be frustrating, but you'll become more accurate if you keep at it. Don't try to play faster than you can play clean---that's a great habit no matter what kind of pick you're using! Originally Posted by AlsoRan
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I am afraid that I may be hindering my progress because after practicing with the Stylus, I then go back to playing my fast songs and I revert back to my present deficient technique. The Stylus is helping but am I undoing my progress each time I go back and forth? That is the question. Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
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That is not a question. That's a problem. One that is easily solved. Originally Posted by AlsoRan
Spend more time with The Stylus and either play your fast songs slowly or put them aside for a month and devote yourself exclusively to improving your technique. You should not be playing aggressively at this stage or attempting complex string skipping. Alternate picking string to string. That's it. Creep, crawl, walk, run.
You've been at this for barely three weeks and from what I read in your posts you're already questioning your decision to do this and possibly switch to using the shoulder of the pick. You haven't even been doing this long enough to acquire muscle memory.
Yes, this requires discipline. So does any skill worth having. There is no easy way.
Consider this. Whether or not you commit yourself to doing this, one year from now you will be a year older. If you man up, buckle down and loose the hounds, you'll be a year older and a much better player. If you don't, well, that's your choice.
Regards,
Jerome
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In my attempt to progress...I have been training myself to be very aware of the depth of the pick and consciuosly not to dig in with the point( or round side of pick). That doesn't mean you cannot play hard if you want !
From this thread I seem to get that the stylus pick may help train you in that regard!
Marc
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And the answer to that question is, "Yes!" Originally Posted by AlsoRan
If you try to play faster than a new technique currerntly allows, you will revert to the old one. Now is the time to recall why you wanted a new technique in the first place: the old one let you down.
Think about accuracy, not speed. Speed is built on accuracy.
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Play what you have played before using the Stylus pick, only play it slower and accurately. At least that's my view.
I'll be interested to know how your progress is going. Keep us informed.
edh
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To be honest, edh, I am a poor person to use as a judge of the stylus. Originally Posted by edh
These days, I have around 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at lunch, and maybe 30 to 40 minutes in the evening to practice and play (with around an hour and a half to two hours per day on Saturday and Sunday).
I am using the stylus exercises for around my 15 minute sessions during the week, and plan on doing this for several months. I don't want to stop playing the 40 or so songs I have perfected or am close to perfecting and its tough keeping the chops up on all of the songs without regularly playing them (many are from other music genres).
At this point, the Stylus practice must be relegated to a lower priority. I just don't have the time or desire to do any more with it than I am doing right now. Sorry if I let you folks down on this one.
"The pain. The pain."
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What about choking up on the pick more?
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I think I would try a pick with a more rounded tip. I generally use a pick that has three equal rounded tips on acoustics and on electric I sometimes even use a smaller version, what some would consider a mandolin pick or some gypsy jazzers call a "button"
I switched about 15 years ago when I went through a flatpicking phase and haven't switched back to a pointy "traditional" style pick that you find at most guitar stores.
Another feature that might help you is to try one of the boutique companies picks that have a speed bevel. It tends to help the pick glide through the strings a bit more efficiently when alternate picking.
As others have stated, work on your technique too. It will probably be a slow process but commit to it. As guitarist we tend to be fixated on our fretting hands but our picking hand is really what drives the whole thing.
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Originally Posted by coolvinny
Originally Posted by scook
Originally Posted by jds1978
As a compromise, I have pulled out my dunlop pick (as cool vinny and scook suggested) that has the rounded edge. When I used it before, I found myself "missing" strings when I would string skip because I depended upon the additional reach that pointy tips gave me.
I think it is great way of deconstructing and reconstructing my picking without having it impact my current/short term goals. Also, it is closer to using the side of the pick without actually going to that extreme.
The only drawback is that it might interfere with the Stylus training that I do. I know you can't try and do too much at once because they will clash.Last edited by AlsoRan; 07-11-2014 at 10:19 AM. Reason: spelling/ added scook
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Marc brings up a super point. How does one train themselves to relax while playing? If I am relaxed, I can play twice as fast and more accurately than I can when I feel pressure from the day's work and so on. I kind of stiffen up which slows me down and I miss notes. Originally Posted by marcwv
When I am stressed, I play HARD, dig in and stiffen up. When I play at ease and relaxed, usually on a Sunday afternoon, the whole thing seems so much easier.
The point. There is a phycological or emotional aspect to playing to the best of ones ability. Just some thoughts.
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I made the switch to using the side of the pick. I have been using this technique for the last four days and it is really working out well.
I use Dunlop 3.0 Little Stubby.
My pick never catches now and veritably "slides" up and down across the strings.
The only issue I am having is adjusting to not having that extra reach the pick's tip side gives me, but even that is coming along very well. I am surprised at how easy the adjustment has been.
And, my strumming is noticeably more warm using the side instead of the tip of the pick.
This has been a major breakthrough for me.
Thanks to all for helping me get here.
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