Hybrid picking - where to start?

Drew_TNBD

Generally I'm a pick or fingers player. I'm better with a pick, but actually have gotten better over time with fingers too. Looking to combine the two now, and looking for tips on how to get started - any worthwhile techniques to practice, any videos I should check? Etc.. etc...

guitarfishbay

Country

guitarfishbay

So my tips are:

- Be conscious of how hard you pull the string with your finger when hybrid picking, you can end up with a really zingy tone as the string smacks the frets when you release.  This can sound a bit horrid with high gain if your guitar has any tendancy to produce buzz on strongly played notes.  Keep in control of it and you'll be fine.

- For regular melody playing I don't use my little finger much, and mostly use my middle and ring finger in place of a pick when the next note is on a higher string than the one I just played with my pick.  But that is just me and what I find comfortable I guess.  I use all my fingers when playing chords.

- Honestly, country...  Jerry Donahue has ace hybrid picking technique.  

There will probably be some pretty good country lessons on hybrid picking on youtube too, though I've not looked for them myself.  Even if you don't like the music you can apply the techniques to whatever you want.

octatonic

I did it this way:

Start playing 3 note chords by using your pick, middle and ring fingers.

Also play the major scale and modes using pick, middle, ring.

Work on 6 note melodic fragments, where you change from playing with alternate picking to using hybrid and back again.

Over time (6 months or so) it will become part of your improvisational vocabulary.

randomhandclaps

octatonic said:

I did it this way:

Start playing 3 note chords by using your pick, middle and ring fingers.

Also play the major scale and modes using pick, middle, ring.

Work on 6 note melodic fragments, where you change from playing with alternate picking to using hybrid and back again.

Over time (6 months or so) it will become part of your improvisational vocabulary.

I think this is a really advisable method. 

I always advise people to stick to and work at simple picking patterns on chords across the D,G & B strings initially and then gradually extend it with string skips.

The main riff to Rebel Rebel by Bowie is an example of simple rhythmic patterns that can really help with practicing hybrid picking.

EricTheWeary

haven't we just had a Discussion about Jerry Donahue having upcoming clinics at some branches of PMT? So go along and stare hard at his hands! 


I think some of my favourite guitarists now are non country players who use a lot of country technique - Jerry Donahue, Greg Koch and Jim Campilongo. Jerry and Greg have a lot of tutorial/ clinic type stuff on youtube and in part they cover hybrid picking, chicken pickin ( in which that fret smack you've been avoiding comes into its own!) and banjo rolls ( for which good hybrid picking is essential - and therefore beyond me :-(  ).

Drew_TNBD

Thanks guys, I will give the three note chord thing a crack. Guess I just need to sit there and put in the hours! Bahhh.. haven't had to do this for a while.

octatonic

EricTheWeary said:

haven't we just had a Discussion about Jerry Donahue having upcoming clinics at some branches of PMT? So go along and stare hard at his hands! 


I think some of my favourite guitarists now are non country players who use a lot of country technique - Jerry Donahue, Greg Koch and Jim Campilongo. Jerry and Greg have a lot of tutorial/ clinic type stuff on youtube and in part they cover hybrid picking, chicken pickin ( in which that fret smack you've been avoiding comes into its own!) and banjo rolls ( for which good hybrid picking is essential - and therefore beyond me :-(  ).

No point, in terms of learning stuff.

It is an amazing thing to witness and maybe good for enthusiasm but the idea you can cop a bunch of licks from JD when he plays them at speeds that are incomprehensible- it all becomes a blur.

I've been using the hybrid since I was 16 (so nearly 30 years now) but I come away from clinics knowing very little more than I went in.

Practice small fragments over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and OVER.

Catthan

I'd look for vids for hybrid picked pentatonics to start with.

Then for rock, there's Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen, Tom Quale, Guthrie, Brett Garsed and I'm sure many more.

Danny1969

What about a bit of Johnny, he's pretty good at it

randomhandclaps

Just remember that if your toes start bleeding then you have got the concept of hybrid picking all wrong.

Barney

octatonic;275364" said:

Practice small fragments over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and OVER.

I agree with this. .. once you get the basics its a matter of moving things about a bit..

koneguitarist

I am just amazed to hear Drew listening to country, soon forget about Hendrix mate, come over to the light! \:D/ Better still listen to this for some hybrid picking !

Drew_TNBD

Ughhhh, that is bloody terrible Kone! )

Nah, I've not been listening to any country - although Murder By Death are one of my favourite bands and they're pretty country in spots - just wanna learn a new thing.

Check this out though. I think it's lovely...

ElectroDan

Greg Koch DVD ( I think it was Guitar Gristle ) was pretty good for Chicken Pickin' stuff. There was some good stuff on one of Steve Morse's videos too.

It's really addictive mind! I couldn't play for long now without automatically adding the finger-picked notes. It has become part of my playing.