Cleaner Speed with Selective Picking

Here are a few things that helped me increase my speed to EJ or Yngwie levels. I would love to get some feedback on this:

- Selective Picking (figuring how I was going to pick, not alternating everything - see below)
- Switching to light picks
- Curling my fingers in (stop anchoring)
- Picking more with index/thumb movement than wrist
- Relaxing the muscles in my forearms and shoulders and just glide

Selective Picking, for example, can save 33% - 50% of the effort it takes to pick every note. If you are doing a run, try paying close attention to how you are picking... As you switch from string to string, minimize the distance your pick has to travel by "falling" or "pulling" to the next string (depending if you are ascending or descending a riff).

So for example on the low E string, Down-Up-Down and instead of going Up-Down-Up on the A string, try Down-Up-Down. So the two "Downs" together actually require only "One" pick swipe by you but it produces two notes and a much cleaner and smoother transition to the next string.

This may sound simplistic but it is something that has made an instant difference in my playing.

Anyway, hope this helps someone.

Late
Mitch

yup - this is a thing called "economy picking".

however - i personally cant say a lighter pick helps. from my experience i can say that the thicker the pick, the easier it slides over the strings. i use jim dunlop "big stubby" (3mm). Yngwie himself uses very stiff picks aswell.

Ya might find your speed increasing if you switched to a harder pick than a thin one. I've seen slow motion video of thin picks and they kinda flop all over the place. I think ya get more acuracy without having to wait for the pick to return to it's 'straight' position every time.
Ideally just keep a bunch of different picks on some two sided gaffer tape on your mic stand. Use the hard, small picks for shredding...toss it away and grab a lighter pick for more expressiveness or chord strumming.
Put your web address on a bunch of picks and toss em into the audience.

Well I've heard that Yngwie uses thick picks, something like 1.5mm, but seriously 3mm? Isn't that like thicker than your wrist? :D

try the stubbies - you will be surprised!

heh... good name for a band.
The Stubbies.

Yea, those stubby picks are great. They look like regular picks but are about 30% smaller. Like baby picks....lol. They also seem beveled???

I agree with the thick vs. thin pick debate. I played for a long time with .88 Dunlop (green ones) and they are ok. Switched to a .50 (red) and thought they we were better, but after recording with it, they sounded sloppy. So I went back to the 2.0 stubby.

I just played a few scales with all three and the Stubby outperformed the competition.....lol....like a commercial....

Shane

I always thought "stubbies" were Regal fun-size !

however - i personally cant say a lighter pick helps. from my experience i can say that the thicker the pick, the easier it slides over the strings. i use jim dunlop "big stubby" (3mm). Yngwie himself uses very stiff picks aswell.

I played with Mediums and Heavies my whole life... Try this.... Use a Thin but hold it real close to the tip and make sure the pick is parallel to the strings when you are doing a fast riff.

I know these are minor things but let me know what you think. It seems to make shreading amazing clearer.

What if I like flopping?!? :mad:

So what about the curling your fingers in / under bit? whats that about?

Originally Posted by: ChromeBeastYea, those stubby picks are great. They look like regular picks but are about 30% smaller. Like baby picks....lol. They also seem beveled???

I agree with the thick vs. thin pick debate. I played for a long time with .88 Dunlop (green ones) and they are ok. Switched to a .50 (red) and thought they we were better, but after recording with it, they sounded sloppy. So I went back to the 2.0 stubby.

I just played a few scales with all three and the Stubby outperformed the competition.....lol....like a commercial....

Shane

those small ones are the jazz-pick versions - i´m using the regular sized-ones. Jim Dunlop BIG STUBBY 3mm

Yea I like those jazz picks for shredding.....lol

I didn't even know they made a Big Stubby until I went to GC today and bought some. They were out of the regular Stubby. I used one at rehearsal tonight and I don't like them. The indentation for the thumb leaves too much of the pick tip exposed for me. The regular Stubby only reveals the very end of the tip, so it's kind of like "choking up" on the bat.

Shane

wow...I consider myself an intermediate shredder and I use .38 picks. THATS LIGHT. Yeah, schmange, I know those light picks flop around too much, but I guess Im just used to it.

yeah.... I still keep using my old Jim Dunlop .60mm
It's just light enough for chords and the edges are hard enough for leads.
The finger grips give a good bit on the strings too. Just don't use em to scrape down the strings. Ya leave a couple of indented ridges in the pick and next time you use it, it catches on a string and launches it across the room like a bow and arrow.

So what about the curling your fingers in / under bit? whats that about?
Tweak

My whole life I played with my middle, ring and pinky fingers on my right hand anchored on the guitar. Try curling in your fingers and floating more over the strings and body.

I think it was EVH who tied is fingers in with a scarf while he practiced...

Of course, I talk about this style then I see a video with Yngwie totally anchoring.... so really whatever works best for you. late