Fast picking technique

Ohhenry97

Hi,

i am learning a song by Megadeth called Rust in peace Polaris and it is going pretty well till the chorus part where he plays D, A, D, A strings very fast and i am having big troubles there. I practice the chorus for a week already and i see very little progress (maybe no progress). With the left hand I can go through notes fast enough, but with the right hand I have issues, i cant pick that fast, i dont understand how should pick the strings, could somebody please explain to me how I can practice so I will play faster. If you know a good video that explains it well, please share)
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Thanks

musteatbrain

Troy Grady on you tube

https://youtu.be/X-BbGO7NYck

about six minutes in to this video gets to a very detailed explanation of the mechanics.

he’s done the most research in to the subject I know of

timmypix

Slow it down to a speed where you can play it comfortably and practice with a metronome. Gradually increase.

I'm at the same point with the fast bit at the end of Mark Tremonti's solo in Blackbird. To play accurately quickly, the only way to get there is to make sure you can play it accurately at a comfortable speed and build up to it. For example, I can currently play this lick I'm working on fairly well at half speed. I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll be up to 75% speed, and then maybe in a couple of months I'll be able to play it full speed - that's with at least 10 minutes on that specific lick a day, sometimes I spend more if I'm not too bored and I have the time.

Musicwolf

How are you gripping the your pick?

I've been playing for fory plus years and I've been aware for a while (really since YouTube became a thing) that my grip was different to the majority (I've also got some carved Dugain picks which seem to confirm this).  I've spent some time during lockdown re-learning my grip.  It's taken some effort but it has greatly improved by alternate picking speed.

digitalscream

Moved to Technique.

musteatbrain

timmypix said:

Slow it down to a speed where you can play it comfortably and practice with a metronome. Gradually increase.

I'm at the same point with the fast bit at the end of Mark Tremonti's solo in Blackbird. To play accurately quickly, the only way to get there is to make sure you can play it accurately at a comfortable speed and build up to it. For example, I can currently play this lick I'm working on fairly well at half speed. I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll be up to 75% speed, and then maybe in a couple of months I'll be able to play it full speed - that's with at least 10 minutes on that specific lick a day, sometimes I spend more if I'm not too bored and I have the time.

I would actually use a different approach now technology has improved. Speed it up, play it messy then clean it up with a metronome.

Get a phone camera mount with a suction cup that you can place on the body of the guitar. Mous do some ones that work. Get the camera a few inches from your picking hand and record exactly what is going on in HD slow motion then watch where it’s going wrong and the pick is missing the target.
I then apply Troy’s methodology around pick escape to problem solve.

I’ve completely levelled up my picking technique this way. Very nerdy, but I suppose lock down has its benefits. I’ve saved lots of time from future practice. Although now the issue is my fretting hand as that’s the limiting factor

danishbacon

musteatbrain said:

Troy Grady on you tube

https://youtu.be/X-BbGO7NYck

about six minutes in to this video gets to a very detailed explanation of the mechanics.

he’s done the most research in to the subject I know of

Wow, Cesar is a monster

musteatbrain

I agree

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