I'm about to give up on buiding picking speed and precision!

[Jayy]

I mean damn it all to hell! What does it take to get my picking hand faster and more precise???

 

[eternal_idol]

what are you using for a pick?

 

[Jayy]

what are you using for a pick?

A medium Fender celluloid. I think it is called a 351 shape? I've tried thin and medium. Hell, it doesn't matter what the fuck I use. I also just CANNOT get sweep picking down. Also, I SUCK! Did I mention I SUCK??!!

 

[lespaul6]

funny post... but why would you even want to learn sweep picking its so gay and cheesy sounding... sorry just sayin

 

[eternal_idol]

step one, Calm down

Step two, make a post or poll about picks, TBH unless you are Eddie or Yngwie a fender Celli likely wouldn't be the first pick you grab for this type of playing

Step Three, make an order online of 3-5 of the most mention picks, unless you've got a great selection locally.

 

[PBGas]

what are you using for a pick?

A medium Fender celluloid. I think it is called a 351 shape? I've tried thin and medium. Hell, it doesn't matter what the fuck I use. I also just CANNOT get sweep picking down. Also, I SUCK! Did I mention I SUCK??!!

Have fun, play guitar, enjoy the tonez!

 

[s_swanson]

Alot of guys prefer smaller, heavier gauge picks like a Dunlop Jazz III for quick, precise picking (myself included). However, Paul gilbert switched to a super light, dunlop Tortex pick with the Fender 351 shape because it gives a nice "baseball cards in the bicycle spokes" sort of a snap to it. That being said, he's Paul Gilbert and is pretty much second-to-none when it comes to right hand picking technique, so he could pull about anything off.

Speaking of Paul Gilbert, he's also an excellent teacher, and his "Intense Rock I" video is one of the best when it comes to learning right hand picking mechanics. It won't help you much with sweep picking, but it will definitely help to build right hand speed and accuracy.

Also, make sure to use a metronome and start at a speed where you can play perfectly. Then bump it up a few notches, then back down. Then keep ramping up a few BPM at a time and you'll get there. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts!

 

[dpeterson]

I would never use a medium for picking fast. Will not respond fast enough. 1mm and up. I use a 2mm dunlop delrin (dark purple one), have since the 80's. Some of the newer picks are cool, the Prime Tone or whatever it's called, the jazz xl's are cool, already have a build in worn in bevel. Take a bout 10 bux to guitar center and get an assortment like it was mentioned above.

 

[eternal_idol]

also, experiment with grips, like what kind of texture the part of the pick your fingers touch are.

some like a raise texture like that seen on typical JIII's, some like the smoother silk screen type printing as it doesn't really add much to the grip.

Some like to score their picks with razor blades, I generally prefer to hit it with some 300-400 grit sand paper.

4 of the 7 in the picture above have been "flattened" out with sand paper.

the hybrid grip of the Dava is also interesting, not something i'd use as a main pick but something to have if the need arises

 

[mooncobra]

I mean damn it all to hell! What does it take to get my picking hand faster and more precise???

check out troy grady on youtube.

 

[Jayy]

funny post... but why would you even want to learn sweep picking its so gay and cheesy sounding... sorry just sayin

Well, I don't want to learn sweep picking to use it in my playing really. I'm trying to learn an exercise that one part has a sweep picking section and I can't get it down. I'm not really worried about being able to sweep pick, but since I am discovering that I cannot do it now it is just another aggravation on top of the rest.

 

[Jayy]

step one, Calm down

Step two, make a post or poll about picks, TBH unless you are Eddie or Yngwie a fender Celli likely wouldn't be the first pick you grab for this type of playing

Step Three, make an order online of 3-5 of the most mention picks, unless you've got a great selection locally.

Yeah, I'm calm. I'm just pissed and disgusted and ready to throw the damn thing out the window is all. But I'm cool. I have used this shape of pick for so long I really don't know where else to start. I'm really thinking the pick isn't going to matter that much though. My right hand is retarded and can't be taught anything. THAT is the problem!

 

[Jayy]

Alot of guys prefer smaller, heavier gauge picks like a Dunlop Jazz III for quick, precise picking (myself included). However, Paul gilbert switched to a super light, dunlop Tortex pick with the Fender 351 shape because it gives a nice "baseball cards in the bicycle spokes" sort of a snap to it. That being said, he's Paul Gilbert and is pretty much second-to-none when it comes to right hand picking technique, so he could pull about anything off.

Speaking of Paul Gilbert, he's also an excellent teacher, and his "Intense Rock I" video is one of the best when it comes to learning right hand picking mechanics. It won't help you much with sweep picking, but it will definitely help to build right hand speed and accuracy.

Also, make sure to use a metronome and start at a speed where you can play perfectly. Then bump it up a few notches, then back down. Then keep ramping up a few BPM at a time and you'll get there. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts!

Thanks. I'll see what I can find on Gilbert's "Intense Rock !" video on YouTube.

 

[Racerxrated]

The medium Jazz picks are what I'm all about. I've given up on being precise. Honestly the best thing for my practicing is just jamming to a backing track, or tune that allows me to just have fun. I used to do runs, speed up and slow down. But nowadays I just play to Gary Moore's Still Got The Blues and just solo through every song. I've never been a sit down in front of the amp and shine player...i became a better player in a band setting. So I try to emulate that at home. Any bluesy rock tune will do.

 

[stratjacket]

Not sure the pick is the problem, but good to try different ones until something is comfortable.

Try this. Mainly relax your shoulders, wrists, hands and fingers, don't tighten up your hands and try to plat fast. Next time you find you're struggling, stop picking and freeze everything, focus on how tense your hands, fingers and wrists are. Then relax, shake them out and try again. Don't "try" to play fast, it naturally makes you tense up which makes it nearly impossible to play smooth. It's almost counterintuitive, but relax everything to play smooth, fast and accurate.

 

[SpiderWars]

I'll second the Troy Grady suggestion. I find that if I try to pick like certain guys (Paul Gilbert for one) I get all mixed up but if I try to play like others (Yngwie is one) it seems way more 'effortless'. That's because I hold/angle the pick way more like Yngwie than Paul. Paul's 'default' stroke is an upstroke and Yngwie's is a downstroke. Paul pretty much alternate picks everything. Yngwie economy picks where appropriate. One way is just WAY more natural feeling to me.

The Eric Johnson Jazz Iii looks similar to the reg red ones but it grips very differently. Sounds different too.

 

[eternal_idol]

might I suggest we actually figure out how Jayy holds his picks and the style of his pick attack. before pointing him in directions of technique

For all we know he could be holding his pick like Ola trying to do Petrucci licks

exercises that might be menial to traditional pickers might be exceedingly challenging for someone who doesn't pick the same way.

So Jayy, How do you hold your pick?

 

[Jayy]

might I suggest we actually figure out how Jayy holds his picks and the style of his pick attack. before pointing him in directions of technique

For all we know he could be holding his pick like Ola trying to do Petrucci licks

exercises that might be menial to traditional pickers might be exceedingly challenging for someone who doesn't pick the same way.

So Jayy, How do you hold your pick?

Yeah that is a good point. I hold pretty traditionally I guess. The pic is between my pad of my thumb and side/first knuckle of my pointer finger. I choke up on the pick pretty far only leaving maybe 1/8" of the tip exposed. I rest my palm on the bridge, have my other fingers open (not balled up in a fist) and tend to keep the pick edge at about a 30 degree angle to the strings. I think I hold it in a fairly normal way.

 

[SpiderWars]

One thing the Troy Grady videos showed was how the slightest rotation of my wrist made the pick move the perfect distance. So it turns out my picking motion is actually more rotational than a side-to-side thing if that makes sense. Much more of a natural/repeatable motion for me.

 

[Jayy]

Not sure the pick is the problem, but good to try different ones until something is comfortable.

Try this. Mainly relax your shoulders, wrists, hands and fingers, don't tighten up your hands and try to plat fast. Next time you find you're struggling, stop picking and freeze everything, focus on how tense your hands, fingers and wrists are. Then relax, shake them out and try again. Don't "try" to play fast, it naturally makes you tense up which makes it nearly impossible to play smooth. It's almost counterintuitive, but relax everything to play smooth, fast and accurate.

I do fight that a lot and have to force myself to relax.