Eddie Van Halen style trem picking

bingefeller

Over the past few weeks I have been practicing with an Eddie Van Halen style trem picking technique.  It's actually very comfortable, for me at least, to do this with my thumb and middle finger.  I'm not sure why, but it seems to be the way in which holding the pick this way slightly changes the angle of my thumb which in turn allows me to keep things more relaxed when playing.  

For reference EVH hold's his pick like this:






My main problem now is synching up my left hand with my right hand.  It's a little tricky but I feel it would be done with more work.  Changing strings seems to be a lot easier too.  

If anyone is looking for a way to try and speed up their picking then I would suggest giving this a go.  I am using a .60mm nylon pick as I find it's easier doing this with thinner picks and Eddie has also used a variety of thin picks over his career.  

Here is a video for @DLM ;;




I find it a little harder to do on the low strings, so that's something that needs work.  

DLM

Oooh! Mayonaise is an instrument! And a headless one at that! Do you still have the Les Paul?

As to the technique, I reckon you could get the trem picking going faster still. Try playing in blips of just a few notes.

I remember reading a George Lynch interview before I could really pick where he said he'd worked on it to where it didn't matter what pick he had, he could use a quarter, or a washer, or whatever. Lynch isn't my go-to example of a great picker, but when he's been on-form, he could do it. Django is more like it. He was famous for almost never having a pick handy. Ripped a button off his jacket and played with that, just didn't care. It's like the "confidence feather" in Dumbo, after a while you don't need your "magic pick". I remember when mine were these wafer-thin Sharkfins. That was all I could play thrash riffs with. Jazz IIIs sound much better. I got loads of milage out of swapping picks around mid-practice session while learning how to alternate pick. Messes with your head and helps you readjust. As does doing the same licks on bass.

bingefeller

DLM said:

Oooh! Mayonaise is an instrument! And a headless one at that! Do you still have the Les Paul?

As to the technique, I reckon you could get the trem picking going faster still. Try playing in blips of just a few notes.

I remember reading a George Lynch interview before I could really pick where he said he'd worked on it to where it didn't matter what pick he had, he could use a quarter, or a washer, or whatever. Lynch isn't my go-to example of a great picker, but when he's been on-form, he could do it. Django is more like it. He was famous for almost never having a pick handy. Ripped a button off his jacket and played with that, just didn't care. It's like the "confidence feather" in Dumbo, after a while you don't need your "magic pick". I remember when mine were these wafer-thin Sharkfins. That was all I could play thrash riffs with. Jazz IIIs sound much better. I got loads of milage out of swapping picks around mid-practice session while learning how to alternate pick. Messes with your head and helps you readjust. As does doing the same licks on bass.

I ended up selling the Les Paul on eBay.  I would've liked to have got a little more money for it but I had bought the Mayones and needed to get some money back to help me cover the cose.

I need to work on the EVH technique without my fingers anchoring I believe that's the secret to it - to anyone doing it.  Once I have my wrist smooth and relaxed enough to be able to float like that that's half the battle.

Next step would be getting the technique down with a heavier pick, the .60mm is way too floppy.  

How do you pick, do you use any anchoring? 

DLM

Not really, I brush the bridge a bit (usually a bit of palm muting happening to keep the strings under control) and have my lower picking arm resting on the guitar's arm cut. Playing archtops is uncomfortable! Les Pauls hurt my poor forearm.

viz

EVH seems to use an amazing technique of floating the hand in the air and oscillating at the wrist; I attempted it here:

https://youtu.be/oh2-Xm6M1jo

bingefeller

viz said:

EVH seems to use an amazing technique of floating the hand in the air and oscillating at the wrist; I attempted it here:

https://youtu.be/oh2-Xm6M1jo

Have you been practicing that? You are good at picking like that,  I was expecting Spanish Fly! 

viz

bingefeller said:

viz said:

EVH seems to use an amazing technique of floating the hand in the air and oscillating at the wrist; I attempted it here:

https://youtu.be/oh2-Xm6M1jo

Have you been practicing that? You are good at picking like that,  I was expecting Spanish Fly! 

Ooooh no I never really practised it, just had a quick go at it after watching Live Without a Net. Which is the song on Diver Down? When he flickers on the open top E while hammering arpeggios on the bottom E string? I seem to remember was easy once you got the tremolo on the top E going reliably. 

bingefeller

@Viz yeah it's on Diver Down and he played it as part of his live solo.  Really cool piece to work on.  

stratman3142

viz said:

EVH seems to use an amazing technique of floating the hand in the air and oscillating at the wrist; I attempted it here:

https://youtu.be/oh2-Xm6M1jo

That's impressive and looks very elegant. I can't get my wrist/elbow to roll at high speed like that. But I imagine it must be tricky to control the string muting with a high gain sound.

I can only get a similar effect, beyond a certain high speed, by a vertical up and down motion from my elbow, which doesn't look pretty although there's no real tension. I've seen my method referred to as a 'Petrucci elbow spasm' approach

EricTheWeary

viz said:

EVH seems to use an amazing technique of floating the hand in the air and oscillating at the wrist; I attempted it here:

https://youtu.be/oh2-Xm6M1jo

Just sitting here waggling my fingers I can feel much less strain if I hold my first two fingers to my thumb and waggle than just one finger and waggle. 
No idea if that will translate onto guitar! 

carlos

I anchor the flesh under my thumb on the lower strings and do very small motions. Maybe Troy Grady would spot something but as far as I can tell it's all elbow - fingers and wrist are locked in. Also I don't know how you guys do it with such soft picks, I'm using a 2.0mm