Strum. Really bloody fast.

'kay...soooo...

How d'ya do it?

Ive just about mastered Creep by Radiohead (not too difficult), but Ed's mad shredding is just too fast for me.
This bit:
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17-12-8-11-9-12-8- 17-16-12-11-14-12-9-8-5-4-
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15-10-6--9-7-10-6- 15-14-10--9-12-10-7-6-3-2-
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"sheeee's ruuuuning out agaaaaiyayiiiin".

I think it's cuz I'm only strumming downward. But if I upstroke at that speed I twang the strings horribly.

You're just gonna say "practice, practice, practice"...aren't ya? :)


Any advice at all would be really appreciated.

[Edited by Alpha_Monkey on 07-02-2002 at 12:49 PM]

Ok - when I strum normally, I relax my wrist and hardly mre my elbow at all. To strum fast, try tensing the wrist and then letting the elbow go into spasms. At first this sounds like it'd slow you down, but especially if just hitting one or two strings, this technique can help you go faster.

As for up strokes - are you using a plectrum? How thick is it? I guess you've just got to look at the angle that you hole the pick at for a down stroke, and try and replicate this in reverse on the way up. Does that make sense. Give it a try and get back to me.

JE

hmm yeah, that helps.
I woulda thought tensing up would be the worst thing to do, but it actually helps no end, though I'm sure I looked a right prat (I really gave it some...hrmmm).
Considering I've put in like five hours practice the last coupla days, I might (maybe, possibly) get a bit better.

Cheers.

Try using a very flimsy pick @.38 and allow yourself to "hack" without judgement, any thing on the neck. Gradually work up to heavier picks. Its like weight training, start light high reps then work your way up. I struggled with tremelo picking for a long time, always wondering how people do it, it amazed me. There is a lot of forgiveness in a light pick and you can really dig in with it without it getting "caught, or snagged".

Hmmm-I personally use a fairly thin plectrum all the time - I can't understand why people use thick picks with no flexibility in the at all.

Is a thicker plectrum better for playing single notes? I use to play rhythm/chord based stuff on an acoustic, but have been trying to learn how to play lead and solo on my new Squire Strat. I guess cos electric guitar strings are thinner, a thicker pick will work OK, but I think they sound pants on an acoustic - the sound is too harsh for my liking.

Thoughts/comments>?

Thin picks shred and strum well but if you really want to punch a few notes it gets weak. Heavy picks work great for speed however you have to find that fine line with them, just using the very tip not letting the pick grab too hard or too soft. At first this can be frustrating thats why I suggest to my students to get the co-ordination and muscle by using a thin pick, because they are more forgiving.

Try just using your wrist, if you tighten up your wrist and use your elbow in a spastic manner it can eventually lead to damage to your playing -- i think it can lead to you getting CTS but that may just be a rumor that i heard in the past.