right hand technique - picking speed / metronome times

John_P

Reading DS's discussion about picking yesterday and feeling unimpressed with my playing on Saturday night I've had loaded up the metronome app and settling into a routine of doing the boring stuff to tighten up my playing.   It doesn't sound musical but it should tighten up my playing. 

Just playing one chord or a 4 note chromatic pattern for at least a minute, and still sound clean I'm working on the following
Strict downstrokes on a chord - currently ok with 8th notes at around 175bpm)
Alternate picking 4 note run - currently ok with 16th notes a bit slower around 170)
Galloping Triplets on a chord (you know what i mean - around 165)

I can hit higher speed for short runs but to keep it going of a length of time it gets messy above those - hopefully I'll ramp up the bpm a little every day and start to notice some improvements.  

Any tips or other exercises I should think about from the shredders?

octatonic

Burst practice worked for me.

Play a pattern at 55-60% of the maximum speed a couple of repetitions and then try to double time it (so you are going over your maximum) for one repetition.
You should flub it a bit.
Work on getting the flubs reduced.
Then when you can play one at double time try playing two in a row.
Then keep extending the length of the double time sections.

John_P

Thanks - that makes sense,   I'll keep the longer runs for building strength and then throw in a few bursts to push it.

octatonic

Yes it is just one technique for increasing speed.
Most of my practice is done well under my maximum tempo.
Speed is a byproduct of accuracy, so work on being accurate and smooth most of the time and then add in some burst practice.
It will work a treat, if you are consistent in your practice.

One more thing- you don't need to do this for more than a couple of minutes a day.
This is one thing where constant drilling will actually slow you down because you will get tired, fuck it up and then reinforce the mistakes.
Try to practice it as completely as possible for a few repetitions.

ChrisMusic

One routine I use for improving accuracy and co-ordination is this:
                  ( fret numbers > )

6th string  1 > 2 > 3 > 4
5th string  1 > 2 > 3 > 4
4th string  1 > 2 > 3 > 4
3rd string  1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6
2nd string  3 > 4 > 5 > 6
1st string  3 > 4 > 5 > 6

turnaround  (either keep to strict alt picking or swap to economy for the reverse trip)

1st string  7 > 6 > 5 > 4
2nd string 7 > 6 > 5 > 4
3rd string  7 > 6 > 5 > 4
4th string  7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2
5th string  5 > 4 > 3 > 2
6th string  5 > 4 > 3 > 2

move up a fret on the 6th string and start again  ~ eat, sleep, rave, repeat...
~ until you hit the end of the fretboard and then move the pattern down a fret at a time.

I hope that makes some sense.

Starting on open strings is a good move, but complicates my description.  Doing bursts or just varying tempo during the exercise works too.  It is complicated enough to keep your attention for a while, or is that just me ?  

ChrisMusic

Another one for triplets:

Key =   frets 1   ~ fingers (ƒ1) = first or index, etc

1 (ƒ1) > 2 (ƒ2) > 3 (ƒ3) > 2 (ƒ2) > 3 (ƒ3) > 4 (ƒ4)

3 (ƒ1) > 4 (ƒ2) > 5 (ƒ3) > 4 (ƒ2) > 5 (ƒ3) > 6 (ƒ4)

And so on until you hit the end of the fretboard, then reverse back down, and start on the next string ~ eat, sleep, rave, repeat !

I would love to know if any of this helps anyone   :o3

John_P

I I enjoy doing exercises like that. I have a ton of variations very similar and switch between alternate picking or legato.  

I do a lot of 4 notes on a string only using the left hand hammering and pulling
 eg.  5 6 5 7 5 8 and it builds strength and control in my fingers.  

Also working across the neck only using two fingers  1st & 2nd  2nd & 3rd. 3rd & 4th fingers is good.  

Here's a picking pattern that hurts my head..
8 7 6 5.       7 6 5        6 5          5  
                                 8            87        876     8765
etc


 

ChrisMusic

Yes, I see what you mean about that picking pattern, harder thinking through the numbers, aspirin at the ready, but it is easier to get in the groove once you get the pattern.

The two finger walk across the strings lends itself to variations too, good call.

One finger walk across the strings is good for practicing both seamless transitions between strings (well, as seamless as possible), along with aiming for minimal pull-off noise* and right hand damping (& left) to quell the inevitable handling noise*

One way across with one finger, back with the other, etc, again right up the neck deals with differing fret spacing and changing string height, and reversing back down again with each finger going the opposite way across the strings.
Swept or alt picked, starting with an upstroke or downstroke, or either dependant on direction across the board, ahh, so many variations on a theme  

ChrisMusic

Any of these four note per string patterns lend themselves to scalar type patterns, which are much easier on the higher frets as that minimises the stretches involved (unless you want to push yourself (with extreme care)).

You can move straight across repeating notes (4ths), or treat it as a diagonal scalar run, or even move back down the fretboard whilst ascending the scale (in thirds maybe), just to head-fuck any punters watching you too closely.  It looks even more counter intuitive when done the other way round !

There are many variations, which in keeping with Eric Morecambe's "all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order" ethos, gives almost endless possibilities.   :-B



http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-i-m-playing-all-the-right-notes-but-not-necessarily-in-the-right-order-eric-morecambe-130506.jpg

Alnico

octatonic said:

Yes it is just one technique for increasing speed.
Most of my practice is done well under my maximum tempo.
Speed is a byproduct of accuracy, so work on being accurate and smooth most of the time and then add in some burst practice.
It will work a treat, if you are consistent in your practice.

One more thing- you don't need to do this for more than a couple of minutes a day.
This is one thing where constant drilling will actually slow you down because you will get tired, fuck it up and then reinforce the mistakes.
Try to practice it as completely as possible for a few repetitions.

That bit in bold makes perfect sense and i will keep that one with me for the rest of my life.

Thanks !

bingefeller

16th notes at 170bpm is pretty damn fast.   Aside from what has been said I only work on alt picked runs I use in my own playing, so maybe find some good licks you like from Zakk Wylde or Paul Gilbert and try to work them up to speed.  

John_P

bingefeller said:

16th notes at 170bpm is pretty damn fast.   Aside from what has been said I only work on alt picked runs I use in my own playing, so maybe find some good licks you like from Zakk Wylde or Paul Gilbert and try to work them up to speed.  

I couldn't get close to that playing anyone with an actual melody though.  

After doing short blasts exercises few times a day  I'm seeing a bit of improvement and can add a couple of bpm onto my rates.   
Just need to keep at it now and see if I'm happy with my playing at this weeks gigs. 

Barney

I think accuracy is the main thing and the speed will come later... also try the picking exercises starting on a upstroke...most people start on a down... 

Evo

Tom Quayle has some great thoughts on "time feel" which I think might be worth looking into on this thread. 

Basically, Tom's thoughts are that when practicing to a metronome, you should still be playing musically. So rather than picking out these exercises in a straight monotone, the best way to practice them is to include dynamics and articulations by playing louder/softer notes and experimenting with slides/hammer ons/pull offs. 

For example, if you were running an alternate picked chromatic lick, you could try accenting the highest note on each string (or the lowest, or alternating accents, or slowly getting louder and softer, anything really)

Just a thought I figured might help in this situation

John_P

I'd agree with that - I'm working on a mix of doing bursts of straight picking at strict tempos,  shorter faster bursts and then a variety of patterns trying to push the speed while playing melodic patterns and accents.      

tbh I think the more noticeable improvements are in my timing - it's been an age since i used a metronome with the bulk of my playing time being used up learning material but I am gradually upping the tempo's.