guitar picking techniques: help please!

[Download SOphist]

after some years of finger picking, i've started to practice flatpicking.
just asking for some recommendation on good flatpicking practices and techniques, as i seem to be accumulating too much wrist and finger tension. i'm trying both alternate picking and gipsy stile down picking (i.e. Django Reinhardt style), with picks from 1.2 till 2.0 mm.

any help is appreciated.

thanks!

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

Some people use the wrist, and others the elbow. Sometimes it's either wrist or elbow, depending on the specific 'technique within the technique.'

One thing is; conserve your motion. Practice by picking slowly, and being careful not to 'overshoot' each picked note, before playing the next note.

Also, it's probably less wearing on your picking arm if you barely touch the string with the tip of the pick, instead of 'digging way in.'

One thing to consider is, using all up strokes for certain exercises.

[Hink]

how in depth do you want this? I use many methods in a matter of seconds, my picking techniques over just a small passage can change drastically and that's including where I pick (I'll typically pick anywhere between right off the bridge to about the 15th fret). I back pick, I drag the pick across the strings (not the cliche dragging the length of the string) slowly in both directions and depending on what my left hand is doing appears to speed up my playing.

I'll hold the pick tight and flat between my thumb and index finger with both digits flat or hold the pick between the tip of my thumb and index finger for butterfly or I'll pinch the hell out of the pick for squeals (generally with squeals is where my hand does the most traveling laterally along the strings to pinch of the right harmonic)

Sometimes I speed pick butterfly style on the neck or close to the end of the neck and while picking I'll bend one or two (more often two) strings back and forth against the pick. Sometimes it's my elbow but mostly my wrist and I find that keeping my hand relaxed and not forced is important, even if I'm intentionally holding the pick tight for pinching I'm always aware of my hand tension.

I agree with most of what mrblitz says except about "digging way in", often that is great on a back with the right chord.

I wish I could teach

[androidlove]

i hope this helps

[uppercase]

My recommendation is to pick HARD and use a stiff pick.
That's been my best experience.


Shawn Lane when asked about his picking said his best efforts are when his
right hand is held tight against the body (restricting arm movement).

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

'Digging in' definitely has its place. It's just that, when backing off on that, it seems to be easier to 'fly.' ymmv

[someone called simon]

Hink, what exactly do you mean by 'butterfly' picking? is that fast picking, like tremolo mandolin playing, so it sounds almost like a continuous note?

there's also sweep picking for guitar hero styles.... but can be used in more subtle ways too. Alternate picking is kinda the tried and tested way for playing fairly fast, and playing any melody your brain thinks up...

[Download SOphist]

OK, thanks for all the replies, although i'll need some time to digest them. Problem is, these technical terms like "buterfly picking" and 'Digging in' are still a little obscure to me (english not being my first language helps too). i'll dig into those, though.

Hink: i'm just starting, so it's not to in depth, just trying to get hold of some ideas BEFORE i indulge in the most frequent errors.

Android: i take it you use the side of the pick to attack the string, that's what i find the most comfortable

Once again, thanks guys!

[androidlove]

Android: i take it you use the side of the pick to attack the string, that's what i find the most comfortable

i use the point. it takes the place of the tip of my index finger which is bent out of the way.

my playing is from the wrist, the index finger and thumb, and the last 3 fingers. for normal picking and sweeping, my last 3 fingers are on the guitar. they bend and push to help adjust the position of my hand. when i'm doing fast alternating picking, those fingers are off the guitar and shaking with the movement of my wrist, acting as a counter balance. they are not ridged. this action also works for strums

[lfm]

I think the pick is far to thick, in my taste then. But it's very personal what you like.

I would try 0.6-0.8 thinkness.

And to relax more I would try using double adhesive tape in pick. It gives you the feel it stays in place without extensive force grabbing it. Some people use glue(that keeps the adhesive surface).

One of my favourite picks are Ibanez Grip Wizard which has sandpaper which helps stay in place.

http://www.thomann.de/se/ibanez_bpa16ms_wh_pick_set.htm

Start making exercises with flatpicks and metronome. Faster and faster. This will gradually make you efficient and don't move it more than necessary.

Troy Stetina has many good excercises even if you do not aim to be a schredder.

[androidlove]

a little spit keeps this in place

[Hink]

Hink, what exactly do you mean by 'butterfly' picking? is that fast picking, like tremolo mandolin playing, so it sounds almost like a continuous note?

there's also sweep picking for guitar hero styles.... but can be used in more subtle ways too. Alternate picking is kinda the tried and tested way for playing fairly fast, and playing any melody your brain thinks up...

that's why I can't teach,I make up my own words Alternate picking but my right hand is not resting on the guitar, instead it's more hovering over the strings, I have much more of the tip of the pick exposed and generally my other fingers are extended, not clenched. It's a very open and loose method of alternate picking.

[Hink]

I think the pick is far to thick, in my taste then. But it's very personal what you like.

I would try 0.6-0.8 thinkness.

And to relax more I would try using double adhesive tape in pick. It gives you the feel it stays in place without extensive force grabbing it. Some people use glue(that keeps the adhesive surface).

One of my favourite picks are Ibanez Grip Wizard which has sandpaper which helps stay in place.

http://www.thomann.de/se/ibanez_bpa16ms_wh_pick_set.htm

Start making exercises with flatpicks and metronome. Faster and faster. This will gradually make you efficient and don't move it more than necessary.

Troy Stetina has many good excercises even if you do not aim to be a schredder.

tape? glue? really? You must not do much squealing, I like my strings old and dirty but I don't want adheisive coming off my fingers onto my strings. Besides imho picking should be far more dynamic than glueing a pick to ones fingers suggests, but then "shredding" isn't really my thing. Or at least not a staple of my playing, it's rather static and one sounded if you ask me

[lfm]

tape? glue? really? You must not do much squealing, I like my strings old and dirty but I don't want adheisive coming off my fingers onto my strings. Besides imho picking should be far more dynamic than glueing a pick to ones fingers suggests, but then "shredding" isn't really my thing. Or at least not a staple of my playing, it's rather static and one sounded if you ask me

Doing pinch harmonics is no problem.

By gluing it's not meant more than just making it a bit sticky and not slide away.

You do not accidentally loose it, but move it freely.

No superglue

Reply was intended for OP having this problem with to much tension in arm/wrist/fingers.