Fast, punk style, 16th note alt pick help

Hey folks,

I've been playing off and on for 5+ years and have continuously struggled with this technique. Basically lots of the 90s punk I love (Rancid, most of all) uses lots of palm muting with alternate picking on 16th notes at high tempo (140 to 160bpm). For example, in "Roots Radicals" by Rancid you can hear the little 16th palm muted chunka chunka after the second beat of the measure in the intro to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpzkGQhftMw

My problem is my pick gets caught on the up stroke. I can minimize this by choking way up on the pick and basically riding my fingers on the strings, making tiny movements. My problem is this is a really tight hand position that's not fluid. If I try to keep this up for a while my hand binds up and gets tense. I'm binding my wrist and flexing it left and right, rather than rotating it like a more natural strum motion. When I loosen and strum more fluidly, I keep getting my pick caught on the upstroke and lose control.

The good players I've seen (Lars in Rancid and others) seem to have a much looser hand when playing this style. Anyone have techniques, exercises, tips etc. to get me moving in the right direction? I've tried loosening my grip on the pick, but then it just rotates or looses position. I've tried softer picks but then they just fluff on the strings and loose the good sound.

Thunderkiss '65, though slower, is another song that uses palm muted 16ths in the intro riff, and this one also frustrates me. I can play it, but it's not fluid - feels forced.

This has daunted me for years.

Would love any tips! It's my kryptonite!

- Andy

Until someone posts a better answer, a total shot in the dark would be to suggest experimenting with how you are holding the pick... see if you can adopt a grip where the angle of the pick allows you to be fluid instead of catching on the strings.

Thanks Slipin. Been working with that for a while but have yet to find that golden angle. I struggle with keeping the pick flat while not loosing the "bend" in my wrist that's conducive to rotating action in the wrist w/ palm muting. Does that make sense? Trying to keep the meat of my hand (the side, not the palm) palm muting on the strings naturally angles the pick up a bit more as my hand rotates into a more open position.

Hard to describe in text, but hopefully that makes sense...

Have you tried angling the pick down a little bit as you play? I don't strike the strings with the pick flat-on. I angle it down a little, especially when playing lead.

Originally Posted by: bhagwanBasically lots of the 90s punk I love (Rancid, most of all) uses lots of palm muting with alternate picking on 16th notes at high tempo (140 to 160bpm).
...
My problem is my pick gets caught on the up stroke. I can minimize this by choking way up on the pick and basically riding my fingers on the strings, making tiny movements. My problem is this is a really tight hand position that's not fluid.

Hey, Andy. It sounds like you might benefit from correcting two things.

1. Pick angle, as Slipin mentioned. :)
2. Most importantly, less tension in your arm, hand & fingers.

I cover building speed in this tutorial. It is more aimed at high notes, than low, but the same principles of mechanical technique still apply!

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=287

Hope this helps. Have fun!

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I'll keep chugging away and work through those exercises and see how things turn out!

- Andy