TE-003 • Scale Picking

[justinguitar]

Questions...

[ghaessedai]

Justin I noticed in your videos that when you pick single notes you use an "anchor" just below the first string with your right hand. I have not had a lesson, but I've used this website as well as a few others in order to be as certain as possible that my technique is correct. Yet I do not use this "anchor" at all. My hand is more or less in a fist position when I play. Other than that I belive my pick grip is fundamentally correct but I would like to know your opinion on rather or not I should learn to anchor my pinky to the guitar (I play electric mostly). As a beginner I still have trouble being comfortable with where the strings are. I tend to pick two strings sometimes unintentionally yet I'm getting better at this. Should I change my picking style? Thanks to anyone who can help me with this.

[Rob Elly]

As well as the above question that i would like to here the answer too.
Could anyone help me with another.
When picking strings with a plectrum Justin suggests picking down up down up which is ok.
My question is onced i pick string (whatever they may be)from top to bottom when i start the picking pattern again from top to bottom should i restart with a down pick or if the last string i picked on the lower strings was down should i then start at the top picking up then down..

Not sure if that makes sense but hey what the hell

Cheers
Rob

[Jupe]

@ghaessedai: A classical guitarist would probably kill you if you'd start using that anchor, but hey, how many guitarists in history did something "wrong" just to fit their needs - feel free to do what suits you best. Also, I remember Justin saying that it would be easier to strum the right string if you have a non-moving position to start from.

@Rob Elly: The "down-up picking" is basically to speed up scales, etc. I personally a strum according to the position of the next string I want to play. I.e. I am playing fourth string and next string would be the third, I'd be using a downstroke to quickly move with one motion - in your case you'd be hitting 6th to 2nd string with a down strum/motion and play the 1st string with an upstroke. I merely use the alternating strokes when playing more than one-note on one string - but (!!!) this is only what I personally prefer to do...

Best regards
Julian

[Razortalon]

Jupe, I believe what you are doing is called economy picking. I do that too, but I hear that strict alternate picking lets you play really fast parts easier and with better rhythm. If this is true, how could I convert to alternate picking? Economy picking seems to be burned into my muscles after like 6 months of playing like that. Your site made me slow down and re-examine my technique, and sadly, that was the first time I even knew if I was doing alternate or economy picking.

[Jupe]

Haha you are right. I wasn't even aware there was such a difference - but thanks to you for clearing this up. Now I, myself, am smarter than before just by trying to help someone!

[Rossco]

New question for this lesson... I'm currently working on playing fingerstyle - mostly acoustic blues, but I also want to get my Majors down. My question is, as I don't flat pick, what would be a good right hand technique for practicing the majors (or any scale). I've previously been told to use alternating index and middle rest strokes, but I want to use my thumb because, imo, it creates most of the groove for acoustic blues. I've tried using a classical right hand position (like you demonstrated in folk fingerstyle) but it can be a bit limiting and slow, using the same finger multiple times on each string.

I also want to start incorporating a thumb pick - a la Tommy Emmanuel/Chet Atkins. What do you suggest?

P.S. I know you'll say that T Emmanuel does a lot of flat-picking, and yes it is something I need to work on, but is there a technique that also trains my right hand fingers to play scales?

P.P.S. I love your lessons mate. Thanks so much, I'm learning a lot.

[justinguitar]

Regarding economy picking:

If you want to play REALLY fast then economy picking has some advantages.

BUT - it is not good for general technique - and ALL the metal and technical players that I know (including some amazing players) all say that you should learn alternate picking first - learn how to control the pick and only then try and learn economy picking.

Many people (like Jupe i suspect) do economy picking by not thinking about it and then have a hard time playing strict alternate picking...

@ rossacco - I'm not sure dude - never done it. I would think maybe tommy emmanuel style of using thumb pick and fist finger. I am rubbish with a thumb pick - so no suggestions there either!, sorry

J

[Hammer]

Here's a curious one, was wondering if anyone else has experienced it!

I've been struggling with 16ths at 92bpm for a week or so now, got frustrated and whacked the metronome up 96bpm, and went up and down 4 times perfectly first go. Surprised, I tried again, same deal. I did it 5 or 6 times to satisfy myself and then went back to 92bpm. Still can't manage it without it falling apart.

Has anyone else found some tempos 'easier' than others, despite being faster?

[BillD]

Hammer, I am a classically trained pianist, and it is well known in piano technique circles that there are some tempos that are more difficult than others, often around two-thirds to one half the maximum speed that a person can play a passage without mistakes. These are often multivoice passages (like Martin Taylor playing bass, melody and accompaniment on the guitar). It is important to practise at or below the tempo that you find most difficult, since this is telling you that there is a problem at this tempo. (It also might be worth recording yourself at 96 bpm to check that everything really is perfect at this setting!)

You might also be interested to know that world famous pianist Vladimir Ashknazy was once asked what was the most difficult thing he had to do when studying at Moscow Conservatoire and he replied "Scales at 240 b.p.m." - he meant playing hands together scales, four notes to the beat in all combinations! Keep up the good work, you will soon find it no problem.

[stymye]

Hi,
 I have no problem doing 1/16th notes at 120, my worry is that I can't keep my thumb behind the neck, it seems akward to me.
 I tend to have my thumb verticle or sometimes hooked over the neck, I've always played that way and have no problem with speed and clarity.
when I try to position my thumb "properly" and make my fingers exactly verticle, It's totaly foreign. I've watched alot of pros and I see alot of them play the way I do. am I hindering myself or should I just continue the way I have been?

here's a video of a Steve Lukather tutoral  I found,, I wanted to post it because this is exactly how I use my left hand and thumb(of course I'm not as skilled)
I want to post this and ask ,,If he plays this way why shouldn't I?  thanks in advance


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUKSHViWNHw&feature=related

[rendelven]

Hi,
 I have no problem doing 1/16th notes at 120, my worry is that I can't keep my thumb behind the neck, it seems akward to me.
 I tend to have my thumb verticle or sometimes hooked over the neck, I've always played that way and have no problem with speed and clarity.
when I try to position my thumb "properly" and make my fingers exactly verticle, It's totaly foreign. I've watched alot of pros and I see alot of them play the way I do. am I hindering myself or should I just continue the way I have been?

here's a video of a Steve Lukather tutoral  I found,, I wanted to post it because this is exactly how I use my left hand and thumb(of course I'm not as skilled)
I want to post this and ask ,,If he plays this way why shouldn't I?  thanks in advance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUKSHViWNHw&feature=related

You will see that when he hits the 'lower' notes he has to move his thumb to a better position because the thumb at the top of the fretboard limits the range of his fingers. The thumb closer to top is a lot better for bluesy playing where you're doing lots of bends. As stated - there are pros and cons.

[Lyx]

hey, back to economy picking...

i think i pretty mastered it, but i can do alternate too... my problem is i started one week ago practising with metronome, i was never told to do that, so i started all over my whole technique... i play for 3 years, one year with plectrum, should i continue with economy picking or should i get back to alternate, cause i´m getting confused with metronome playing 8th or even 16th (right now i´m around 130 bpm 4th, sad but true -.-) i struggle with my left hand, i started learning major shapes with d major not g...

p.s. great lessons helped me a lot

[danel]

Hi,

I'm Danel and I have a little problem. before I knew your website, your great website, I have been working on scale picking for very long time (few months) and unfortunately, not by your instructions. I didn't start slowly and wasn't working using metronome and now i'm sorry about that. my progress with playing guitar and developing my technique is very important to me. I feel that when im playing a scale it's unsynchronized and now, my question is:  do I need to begin bulid my speed slowly from the beginning or keep practise on that and tyring synchronize with the metronome in the speed i get (1 note per metronome click at around 160bpm)??

I really hope i can fix that problem soon.

Thanks,
Danel

[rcd41579]

Sweet technique exercises; try playing the scale picking exercise in triplets, it's helped me smooth out my picking.  I have a tendency when practicing to accent the downbeat, and that comes through in my other playing.  Triplets force you to hear the downbeat on different notes. Dig it.