Martin Miller's 21st-Century Picking Mechanics

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  • Опубликовано: 29 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 506

  • @BenEller
    @BenEller 8 лет назад +346

    Another incredible video!!!! Thank you all so much, as always, you're truly changing the face of guitar instruction.

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +77

      +Ben Eller As usual you are too kind. ...but don't let that stop you!

    • @eojinlie2787
      @eojinlie2787 6 лет назад +1

      @@troygrady l

    • @KingTabor
      @KingTabor 4 года назад +5

      Ben your lessons are gold as well

    • @izaiahcaleb1212
      @izaiahcaleb1212 3 года назад

      instablaster

    • @Arttu1Logic
      @Arttu1Logic 2 года назад

      Fact🔥

  • @louiehawthorn
    @louiehawthorn 8 лет назад +26

    “The sheer lack of mistakes in the vast majority of the examples Martin played is a testament to the wide margin of error that his technique clearly has.” Excellent description. Thanks, Troy.

  • @SirPrizeMF
    @SirPrizeMF 6 лет назад +48

    Holy crap, I've been practicing this for about two hours now and my playing has improved more than it has over the last 5 years. This shit is amazing. Thanks for these videos!

  • @WilliamTanaka
    @WilliamTanaka 8 лет назад +40

    plus he is a composer, producer, improviser, sings,... All with excelency.

  • @briann8911
    @briann8911 8 лет назад +7

    Unbelievable technique!!! Been practicing it for 4 weeks, and it really allows for near-impossible mechanics. I can now pick the end of the cliffs of dover intro without using finger-picking; just amazing.

  • @jonatanguitar
    @jonatanguitar 8 лет назад +48

    This was nothing short of incredible to watch, thank you Troy for a fantastic video!
    Those arpeggios from The Glass Prison are incredibly hard to play. The first time I heard them I was blown away. Rewinded and listened over and over. After a while I actually thought John Petrucci played them somewhat, well, not sloppy, but almost a bit behind the beat on certain passages. I double checked with live performances and Petrucci plays the arpeggios differently, sometimes with some sweep picking involved - and not very tight at all (we can lower the playback speed on youtube to 0,5x). You can hardly blame him, it's so fast. But the fact remains, Martin Miller is able to pick every note and through these techniques (that he is aware of) he plays the arpeggios more accurate than the original artist.
    A true guitar technique engineer I would say. See the problem - apply techniques - solve the problem. Incredible.

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +23

      +Jonatan OTW Great comment. If I can add anything it's that I don't really believe so much in "hard" any more. It was "hard" to cure Polio before we knew what caused it, because we were essentially trying things that had no reason to work in the first place. The same would be true trying to play Yngwie with no knowledge of techniques like pickslanting. When you see someone like Martin, who can play these kinds of lines all day long with very little effort and a very high expectation of accuracy, what this really means is that he's found a way of doing it that makes them easy. All we have to do is figure out what it is!

    • @jonatanguitar
      @jonatanguitar 8 лет назад +2

      +Troy Grady Very true! Thanks again.

    • @severalpaperclips
      @severalpaperclips 8 лет назад +17

      +Troy Grady Yet we still live in a musical world where the dominant culture says "just keep practicing until you figure it out." Boggles my mind how so many guitarists (and even instructors) adhere to tenets that would be rejected by instructors in virtually any other domain. "You want to learn to program in Java? Just keep typing until you figure it out..." "You want to learn violin? Here's you're instrument, go experiment on your own until you find a technique that feels right to you..." "You want to learn to box? There's the ring, get to learnin'..."

    • @jonatanguitar
      @jonatanguitar 8 лет назад +6

      +severalpaperclips Sad but true. Let's do our best by trying to change that, Troy's videos is a huge step in the right direction for guitar education.

    • @MartinMillerGuitar
      @MartinMillerGuitar 8 лет назад +31

      Gotta agree with you, that has been bugging me for ages. Some people are lucky to just stumble across things, while others need specific guidance. Citing famous players as examples cause they claim to be self-taught is silly, because they are exceptions to the rule. If someone struggles with picking it's not because they lack the requirements to do it, but it's because they're using the wrong mechanics.
      An instrumemt like the violin or piano is largely figured out and standartized, which is why music schools and colleges are having a much higher success rate when it comes to bringing forth virtuoso players. Hell, that even goes for classical guitar!

  • @RobertBakerGuitar
    @RobertBakerGuitar 8 лет назад +100

    Been a huge fan or Martin's for years now this was so cool to see

  • @nickv.7181
    @nickv.7181 8 лет назад +16

    Thanks for introducing me to Martin's playing! Hey Troy, I'd love to see Rick Graham under the scrutiny of the magnet cam.

    • @YaoEspirito
      @YaoEspirito 4 года назад +1

      Hopefully by now you've encountered some of his band vids where they tackle Queen and Pink Floyd material. Insane.

  • @Effectivemusicpractice
    @Effectivemusicpractice 8 лет назад +13

    Troy you did it again! Thank you for for introducing me to this amazing player. And thank you Martin for sharing your secret sauce.

  • @lwilso20
    @lwilso20 7 лет назад +3

    And like Martin, I never once put thought into "picking technique" up until a few years ago. 7 years of trial and error gave me a very similar picking style to his. I started out playing bluegrass with some older people when I was about 13. That's where my crosspicking abilities came from. I also spent a lot of time playing acoustic guitar and arpeggiating notes. I actually learned to arpeggiate notes before I ever started strumming chords. I never put much thought into inside vs outside picking, economy vs alternate, etc. I just played it the way it was easiest to play. It takes a lot more energy to play this way, but it's what is easier for me. Nice video. Thought I was the only weirdo.

  • @StevenMartinGuitar
    @StevenMartinGuitar 8 лет назад +20

    Very interesting and a true testament to how phenomenonal Martin is! It would be awesome to watch something similar with Guthrie!

  • @TobyKBTY
    @TobyKBTY 8 лет назад +13

    YESSSSS! He may not be as known as these awesome fellows you usually frequent, but I really hope you can go into the details behind Rick Graham's playing. He is INSANE as well

  • @yoitsmegabe
    @yoitsmegabe 6 лет назад +17

    These categories sound like bizarre insults: "Eric is a downwar pick slanter" hahaha great video man!

  • @bulzah
    @bulzah 8 лет назад +213

    Guthrie Govan next !!!!

    • @themanlikepaul
      @themanlikepaul 8 лет назад +17

      That would be awesome.

    • @jamesrockford2626
      @jamesrockford2626 7 лет назад +4

      please no

    • @abrarjahinnafi1634
      @abrarjahinnafi1634 6 лет назад +3

      That would be pointless.

    • @vectoranonymous7867
      @vectoranonymous7867 6 лет назад +5

      Guthrie picks a small fraction of his notes and his picking technique is really simple braced economy style. He's all left hand

    • @FSMusic86
      @FSMusic86 6 лет назад +8

      James Rockford fuck you, he is the best guitarist

  • @briann8911
    @briann8911 8 лет назад +2

    Love it. Its interviews like this, and of course your magnet, that give me more insight than any other picking tutorials. His method works beautifully on two-note per string sequences.

  • @arielmst
    @arielmst 2 года назад +2

    How good can a video be? This is a real content creation masterpiece!

  • @Kwert
    @Kwert 6 лет назад +1

    These videos have been invaluable for me in developing my picking technique, and approaching practicing exercises and licks from a completely different perspective. Cannot thank you enough for the work you're doing here!

  • @Benbutlermusic
    @Benbutlermusic 8 лет назад +1

    Excellent video once again Troy! I can't tell you how many players I have turned on to your videos. And Martin so such an incredible player. This video affirms what I have been thinking about all of this… that mastery of cross picking is really where it's at. And this is because it removes the limitation of adhering to pick slanting rules and allows you to be ready for practically any melodic passage. Between Martin, Steve Morse, Albert Lee and the bluegrass players I think it's obvious that getting cross picking up to a high speed reaps the most rewards.

    • @srdjanbosnjak7413
      @srdjanbosnjak7413 8 лет назад

      +Ben Butler Exactlly.It just gives you total freedom.
      And one more thing.Tone.Alternate picked(cross picked)one note per string
      lines just sound more dynamic(better)in contrast to flat sound of sweep picking...despite what someone(even Troy)is saying

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +2

      +Ben Butler There is no question that crosspicking adds another layer of superpowers to what we can do with picking. But Martin is also equally reliant on pickslanting, and uses both systems to varying degrees for different licks. The Glass Prison example we look at here is just one of those, which is very clearly a 2wps lick where pickslanting makes some of the crosspicked string changes easier. The many ways he tackles pentatonic licks in the interview is another good example. They are sometimes uwps, sometimes dwps, and often with a little crosspicking movement baked in. It's very hard to call them one or another. No question this makes summarizing and teaching what he's doing a little harder. But Martin himself is a pretty analytical guy so hopefully he'll be able to shed some more light on this as he becomes more conscious of these movements.

  • @Faz540
    @Faz540 8 лет назад +27

    Martin's picking reminds me a lot of Kiko Loureiro's (ex-Angra guitarist/current Megadeth guiarist)
    I'm sure he does this 'Miller Picking'

    • @luanreis3926
      @luanreis3926 8 лет назад +3

      +Paul Farrell I agree! Probably he does. Also, would be interesting to analyse the whole mechanics Kiko uses.

    • @AlankritSinghBangMafia
      @AlankritSinghBangMafia 8 лет назад

      Ex angra?

    • @Faz540
      @Faz540 8 лет назад

      +Onkel Bin yer :s He's officially left Angry, hasn't he? The guitarist from Almah has replaced him right? I'm sure I remember Rafael posting a statement that Kiko has officially left since he's in Megadeth.

    • @AlankritSinghBangMafia
      @AlankritSinghBangMafia 8 лет назад

      Paul Farrell
      :(, i thought angra took a break from touring, thats why he was able to make an album for megadeth.

    • @Faz540
      @Faz540 8 лет назад

      +Onkel Bin Nope :/ Kiko and Rafael were a great guitar team too.

  • @billdent3979
    @billdent3979 7 лет назад

    Hi Troy, I didn't read the fine print and sent you a private message. Oops. In any case, the issue I was having being a cross/alternate picker for 30 years and always hitting the 'speed wall' has finally opened up. I had never consciously thought about pick slanting. Each technique you bring out in your videos adds to a versatile arsenal of possibilities. As one example, I worked out my diatonic descending fours just adding an upward pick slant on the 1st note of each group and that unlocked my right hand. It also makes it effortless to vary the accent on each beat. I could go on and on talking about how these techniques are so simple yet often elusive. Suffice it to say THANK YOU, Troy for sharing your mastery and passion, and giving me a key to something I've been trying to do for a long time!

  • @Dynamitarian
    @Dynamitarian 8 лет назад +6

    Great musicians as always, Troy.
    1) I hope there will be studio albums with great compositions, that will deploy fully Martin Miller's or Marshall Harrison's great talents.
    2) I feel that one day you will be interviewing Yngwie himself!!! A cycle will close.

  • @KyleS.1987
    @KyleS.1987 8 лет назад +22

    Been a fan of this dude since the Petrucci Forum was a thing. An amazing player and a good dude.

  • @Andreorsel
    @Andreorsel 8 лет назад +2

    Very important to mention is his use of the whole arm for string placement, like Steve Morse does.
    It is the combination of the whole thing together: Shoulder, arm, wrist, fingers.

  • @rudicci
    @rudicci 8 лет назад +1

    Martin Miller is one of the greatest guitar players of this generation. One of my favorite episode(added to my Fav list) Amazing Job Troy.

  • @LemonheadFr
    @LemonheadFr 4 года назад +2

    i'm happy to discover I've been doing that MP motion forever without knowing it was a thing

  • @vonmilash823
    @vonmilash823 4 года назад +1

    it's interesting at 2:10 the way troy's fingers end up under the strings. it was the old MAB video that got me experimenting with three finger anchoring to enable a DPS (upwards escape) that basically lead me actually tucking my fingers under the strings to develop an inward/outward motion. i can now DPS/UPS without anchoring... but every once in a while i'll feel my fingers grabbing the bottom sidewall of the tray-style bridge of my tele. I'm naturally an UPS and can now just as easily DPS (Thanks to Troy and MAB), but the Andy Wood vids got me "re-embracing" my UPS mechanics for many things. I guess it's "keep everything on and the table and do whatever works."

  • @ayushmanbhalla8737
    @ayushmanbhalla8737 2 года назад +1

    martin is one of the best technical player of this generation, his picking stuffs are like a god level.....

  • @theelmagoo
    @theelmagoo 4 года назад +2

    Love your content, it's been life changing as a guitarist! Might I suggest to go interview Wes Hauch as he's not only a staunch believer in what you've discovered, but he teaches it really well (and is one of the cleanest sounding shred monsters you'll hear..... like every not is just crisp and articulated so perfectly).

  • @timbaisden6600
    @timbaisden6600 7 месяцев назад

    This is so nice to see. Somewhere along my learning path I naturally became an MP extender, and before I saw this video I thought I was going to have to try to unlearn it in exchange for the other techniques you describe. It's nice to know that I accidentally developed a superpower that I can keep and now use to greater effect!

  • @Andreorsel
    @Andreorsel 6 лет назад +1

    Of all the players examined by Troy in my opinion Martin Miller has the best, most accurate picking technique.
    With all the other players there will always be some accidentally hitting strings above or below the one that should be picked only at higher speeds, but with Martin this is never the case!
    It has to be those extra small finger movements (thumb and index) which makes it so unbelievable accurate at those blistering speeds.
    I'm everytime in awe watching it happen.
    Just, WOW!

  • @napestar
    @napestar 8 лет назад +20

    If Guthrie Govan is ever in your area you should totally do an interview. For the good of humanity.

  • @RohannvanRensburg
    @RohannvanRensburg 8 лет назад +1

    Again Troy, thanks for this. Not only is the presentation entertaining but the scientifically analytical angle you take from a mechanics standpoint is really appropriate and needed.
    And kudos for throwing Dream Theater in there :D. Would love your take on Jari Maenpaa's odd 4-string sweeps and the like in Wintersun, though it's probably something you've covered already.

  • @MartinMaat
    @MartinMaat 4 года назад +13

    On a more primitive level I can relate to this. I started playing when I was 15 without any guidance from anyone yet I developed pretty good alternate picking skills. I could (still can, it's like riding a bike) quickly run the major scale up and down in different ways and people were easily impressed by it. Unfortunately I lacked the ear or talent to play anything else so I ended up with a nice tone and the ability to play along with simple music using single notes but never developed a broader understanding of music. I think had I been better in understanding the musical language, I would have developed my playing further and the fingers and picking would have followed. That just falls into place automatically if it is the most effective way to play something, it becomes like walking. Finger movements get linked to musical phrases in your control system after being repeated a number of times. Typical in this regard is Yngwie, when asked about his right hand technique his answer was "I don't know, I never looked. I just knew what I wanted to hear". I never knew what I wanted to hear, I just went through the motions and sometimes I was like "O, that's cool!". At age 54 I know that is not the way. I acknowledge that sometimes you need to be shown the basics to get you on the right track but I am skeptical about the usefulness of all this to the typical guitar student.

    • @superjorgebros
      @superjorgebros 3 года назад +1

      Holy shit!!! This is happening to me, thank u for the advice

  • @JohnHorneGuitar
    @JohnHorneGuitar 8 лет назад +1

    Fantastic. These videos have changed my life, Troy. Thank you for all of your work!

  • @TheGazza83
    @TheGazza83 8 лет назад +35

    Come with me if you want to shred! ;-)

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +7

      +TheGazza83 Touché!

    • @Jon_lust_
      @Jon_lust_ 8 лет назад

      I'd love to have an explanation of that one day. Because I'm french, and nobody uses this expression. ^^

    • @SkitaEkul
      @SkitaEkul 8 лет назад

      Think it is a reference from the movie "Terminator 2"

    • @Jon_lust_
      @Jon_lust_ 8 лет назад

      SkitaEkul Havn't seen this one. Such a bad filmography culture. ^^ Thank you for explanation !

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +8

      Ha! I think you're asking about the phrase "touché". It's a technical term from fencing, used when your opponent has hit ("touched") you with their sword and scored a point. In common conversation, it is an acknowledgement that someone said something even more clever than what you said. And yes, what TheGazza83 said was a paraphrased quotation from the movie "Terminator". So many layers here!

  • @davidschonberger8609
    @davidschonberger8609 6 лет назад

    Man, that is just kick ass! I'll be joining Cracking the Code today. Thanks, Troy!

  • @WolfD24
    @WolfD24 8 лет назад +147

    Hey troy, could you get paul gilbert to do such an interview?

    • @kylejamusic
      @kylejamusic 8 лет назад +18

      +24Swiffer TOM QUAYLE TOO PLZ

    • @DatThanh225
      @DatThanh225 8 лет назад +1

      +Kyle James Dalton i second this, his legato is mesmerizing

    • @melodicmode5944
      @melodicmode5944 8 лет назад +2

      +24Swiffer Good one , i would love to see Paul Gilbert as well ..

    • @KingTabor
      @KingTabor 8 лет назад +6

      +24Swiffer I' d love Vinny Moore

    • @the80386
      @the80386 8 лет назад +15

      He tried. The camera overheat and broke.

  • @motorcitysmitty
    @motorcitysmitty 7 лет назад

    An honor to study with such a gifted player and instructor that is Martin Miller!

  • @sergejkrynycky728
    @sergejkrynycky728 6 лет назад

    How the hell Troy has only 100K subs?!?!?!?!?! This channel deserves at least a 1M.

  • @ShredTraining
    @ShredTraining 8 лет назад +18

    Any idea why Martin switched between a Big Stubby and Jazz III pick in this video?

    • @MoeedKazi
      @MoeedKazi 6 лет назад

      ShredTraining Even I was wondering the same. My assumption, fatter picks give better stability while playing Petrucci/super fast licks, if you know ... recently Petrucci also moved to a fatter pick.

  • @sigurdfyllingkarstad2694
    @sigurdfyllingkarstad2694 8 лет назад

    I'm a cross alternate picker too. And one thing that would be worth mentioning is how hard/soft to hold the pick. It makes a huge difference. And also how far back/forward on the pick one could/should hold to allow natural tilt (Or slant as you call it) I had to figure that out for myself. And yes it's a very individual thing, but a good starting point never hurt anyone. And again Troy, very entertaining video! 😉

  • @sadzidsmajkic6181
    @sadzidsmajkic6181 6 лет назад +2

    It's so strange to se this motion. It looks like pick is moving too away from the strings in unefficent way. They always tell you in order to be able to shred high speed you need to make your movements as small and as economical as possible. Great video!

  • @Loutube2006
    @Loutube2006 7 лет назад

    Very enlightening video! Bravo! One factor maybe I just havn't heard is how tightly one holds the pick. It looks to me like Martin lightens up on how he holds the pick when applying more crosspicking.

  • @Bmxmusikian
    @Bmxmusikian 7 лет назад

    Sick! I came up with this concept a few weeks ago as an idea, just not practiced it much yet, and miller is amazing at it! Im blown away

  • @AwesomeOf
    @AwesomeOf 8 лет назад

    your videos are awesome! This Channel is so underrated it really deserves to be more recognised

  • @JoseMartinez-oe5jj
    @JoseMartinez-oe5jj 6 лет назад

    The production of this video is top notch. Very fine and instructional. Thanks

  • @AndreNieri
    @AndreNieri 8 лет назад +6

    One of a kind

  • @doctorpresident5681
    @doctorpresident5681 8 лет назад +4

    Pure gold at 4:30!

  • @juankplaysmusic
    @juankplaysmusic 6 лет назад

    Hi, Troy Grad. I think a missing component/topic in the series (I think I understand why) is the amount and kind of pressure you apply to the pick (usually wuth thumb and index). Here we see Martin Miller is lightly holding the pick, so the pick flops considerably. The physical sensation and proficiency can change considerably based on that said pressure (or lackof). Another thing the series might have missed is discussing a bit of the pick themselves: calibers and types. Your videos are awesome, thanks!

  • @RoaryTime
    @RoaryTime 5 лет назад +1

    Beautiful video! This type of content is paving the way towards mastery. Sending love!

  • @lukeelliott6328
    @lukeelliott6328 8 лет назад +1

    Awesome video.. I can't imagine doing any of this without Jazz III picks though. Those picks changed my playing forever.

    • @severalpaperclips
      @severalpaperclips 8 лет назад

      +Lukesifer sixsixsix I find that for one-way pickslanting, virtually any pick will work. But for two-way pickslanting, the sound of my attack on my secondary slant really suffers without a sharp pick. But for me the prescription is the Jazz III XL, only downside being that the nylon is less grippy than I'd like. I used the regular black stiffo Jazz III for a couple of years, but I've come back to preferring regular-sized picks. I've got to track down some Tortex Jazz III XLs to see if they give me the best of all worlds...

  • @marcusblackfellow2850
    @marcusblackfellow2850 8 лет назад

    Things I didn't realize when I bought a Cracking the Code Season 2 pass 1.5 year ago: 1) A 'season' can take years to actually air; 2) I was actually providing start-up funds for all this other premium content I don't care about or can't afford.

  • @ItsLomain
    @ItsLomain 8 лет назад +1

    Hey Troy, what would be very cool is if you did this with a beginner player, and show the differences between them and master players like Paul Gilbert and Eric Johnson.

  • @shoreserenity
    @shoreserenity 8 лет назад +1

    amazing work Troy! It would be great to see more international players in the series ( of course when logistics allow ) One player comes to mind from Brazil: André Nieri - another monster.

  • @DanielVerberne
    @DanielVerberne Год назад

    I also love Martin's identifiable tone - warm and soulful.

  • @jerky2112
    @jerky2112 8 лет назад +1

    You need to check out Dave Disanto of Vektor. He has a very unique picking style. It resembles "snap picking" or "circular picking" but it uses a LOT of thumb snapping.

  • @logansomma6283
    @logansomma6283 8 лет назад +3

    hey troy. I just wanna thank you. about a year ago I already had an understanding of alternate picking (or so I thought). but early last year I decided to really devote myself to studying the technique as it was a hurdle I had reached but not yet crossed in my mind. long story short one year later I am applying concepts I encountered in your videos to 4 note per string diatonic scale patterns (and the poptarts lick) and consistently reaching well over 20 nps . thank you for your insight and time and effort. I never would have been able to apply my actual potential picking speed to actual licks had I never encountered pick slanting.

  • @georgehenry8391
    @georgehenry8391 4 года назад +1

    This appears to be the thing I was missing in my technique that led to me giving up guitar 20 years ago. John McLaughlin was the super fast picker back in those days ... Whom I wanted to emulate and could never get it, so I moved on to other pursuits.

  • @jadeowenhamblyn4405
    @jadeowenhamblyn4405 7 лет назад

    He puts SO much work into these videos!

  • @BringerOfBloood
    @BringerOfBloood 8 лет назад

    Wow I'm so blown away. Turns out that what was I doing quite naturally is pretty close to crosspicking. I so far thought, I would need to get rid of this "exaggerated" pick movement, but now I see, that I should instead practice more into it =)

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +1

      +Wrongthinker That sounds like a good idea!

    • @BringerOfBloood
      @BringerOfBloood 8 лет назад

      +Troy Grady
      Ok I just had a look. At the moment your content is a bit too expensive for me (I'm still a student), but I am going to make at least some money in a few months and then I guess I'll buy the Martin Miller package. It looks like a really good investment into my playing.
      Thanks for providing the great content, keep it up! :)

  • @sergioandres1135
    @sergioandres1135 7 лет назад +4

    That lick at 10:00... Holy fucking fuck.

    • @abnzg
      @abnzg 7 лет назад +3

      that's the main melody of "tumeni notes" by steve morse

  • @Ivan_Ku.
    @Ivan_Ku. 8 лет назад

    "Cascades: I'm not your lover" arpeggios - I try to play it 8 years and nothing!! max 130 bpm! And now I have a chance finally play it well)) Thanks!

  • @CharafB1
    @CharafB1 8 лет назад +2

    simply amazing, thanks for these videos Troy, the best chanel on youtube

  • @davidjames7001
    @davidjames7001 8 лет назад +1

    Oh damn. I was naturally doing his kind of picking, except I was over tensing and assumed I needed to change the overall technique, but I guess I could've just relaxed a little and stuck with it ;)

  • @SkyscraperGuitars
    @SkyscraperGuitars 8 лет назад

    Fantastic look into his mechanics. Great work as always Troy.

  • @marvinbalasabas2172
    @marvinbalasabas2172 7 лет назад

    Hey Troy, my picking motion is purely from index finger and thumb. I only discovered Martin Miller just now. I was just too lazy to do wrist motion so I came up with that motion.

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  7 лет назад

      +Marvin Balasabas Cool! I suspect that type of 'path of least resistance' experimentation is where a lot of these techniques come from.

  • @jeffhudson9130
    @jeffhudson9130 8 лет назад

    +Troy Grady so Are we basically saying here, that it doesnt matter if you have odd number of notes per string, none of it makes a difference in alternate picking as long as you can rapidly change your pickslant accorddingly??

  • @satchrules101
    @satchrules101 2 года назад

    What a beast of picker! I’ll never stop tell I’m as good as a picker like Martin!

  • @ricandrade1319
    @ricandrade1319 7 лет назад

    I'm a natural upwards pick slanting (and I had noticed before stuff like, I could do 2 note per string pentatonics if I started with an upstroke but I struggled a lot if I started with a downstroke, and now I know why!) and thanks to Cracking the Code I've been consciously practicing two way pick slanting and I can do it, I've been playing some stuff that I used to think was just insanely impossible for me to try, stuff that Gilbert and Mab do that I just assumed I wasn't meant to do :P BUT! If I try to do specifically downwards pickslanting stuff (like 2 notes per string starting with a downstroke) my picking hand gets tired super quickly and it's still slower than my upwards pickslanting.
    I wonder if this is just a matter of me not being used to it (having been upwards pickslanding naturally for so long) or am I just "built" for UPS and shouldn't really bother trying to focus on DPS? I've been practicing it because of that old rule of "the chain is as strong as its weakest link", so I'd like to bring my DPS up to par with my UPS. But what I find funny is that I'm pretty sure I do long and fast (to my standards, at least) runs with DPS when playing some rhythm parts naturally...
    Maybe when I'm trying to consciously "force" myself to stay in a DPS position I'm adding tension and basically overthinking what my hand should be doing, so for playing rhythm stuff that I just do without a thought I can do it with no problems? Or maybe the whole issue of how I palm mute for rhythm stuff changes the dynamics of my right hand position in a way that accommodates DPS... Ah, so many Ifs and Buts haha
    Anyways, I kinda doubt it you're reading this but THANK YOU, Troy. You've changed my life (for the MUCH better!).

  • @pingshanluan8049
    @pingshanluan8049 8 лет назад

    Hi Troy. Big fan of both you and Martin. I am a subscriber of MiM. I watched this interview many times, and what I actually found was Martin's arm motion played a major role in his technique. His hand/finger movement is very small comparing to Steve Morse but he can still do cross picking. From what I saw, Martin uses his arm to compensate his hand/finger motion (Is this called tracking in MiM? I forgot.). I tried it and it was very effective to me.
    Gotta say, you have the greatest guitar video/lesson/tutorial ever!

  • @cricri8022
    @cricri8022 4 года назад

    9:58, the way he executes "tumeni notes" of Steve Morse, this is mindblowind

  • @BradleyBemis
    @BradleyBemis 5 лет назад +1

    Would love to see Andy James on here!! Show us upward pickslanters some love! Great interview Troy!

  • @faureswanepoel1665
    @faureswanepoel1665 8 лет назад

    The main thing I've learned from Troy and this series is that you can play at high speeds with accuracy in any way that's comfortable. Worrying about what you're "supposed" to do will get you nowhere. It's all super subjective

  • @dineshveliath
    @dineshveliath 8 лет назад

    Troy... as usual, excellent work...your contribution to the guitar community is immense.
    Having purchased both the 'Volcano' and ' Anti-Gravity'....

    • @severalpaperclips
      @severalpaperclips 8 лет назад

      +Dinesh Veliath Doesn't Antigravity kick so much ass it's ridiculous? Glad it came out within my lifetime.

    • @dineshveliath
      @dineshveliath 8 лет назад

      +severalpaperclips : very true.... i remember back in the day...when i used to watch the likes of Yngwie , Marty shred to heaven and back....and wonder "how do these guys do it"?!!
      kudos to you Troy...u have removed the 'physical' block between creativity and expression

  • @encroachingchaos6208
    @encroachingchaos6208 8 лет назад +1

    Isn't picking generated from the thumb and index finger known as "Scalpel Picking" from the similarities between the two motions? Or is that differentiated by not inherently implying pick slanting?

  • @thegamingguy1
    @thegamingguy1 6 лет назад

    Holy cow, that was one in depth video! Awesome content!

  • @danjohnston1533
    @danjohnston1533 8 лет назад

    I've watched most of your Masters in Mechanics videos and I've enjoyed all of them... What I find particularly interesting is that many of the players you put under the microscope have very different techniques, which shows that if you relax, make small movements, and really stick with a particular technique, almost anything can work (within reason)... By the way, Martin is from outer space - unreal.

    • @severalpaperclips
      @severalpaperclips 8 лет назад

      +Monitor Lizard Music (Dan Johnston) With respect, I disagree re: "almost anything can work (within reason)". Even with the differences we've seen, there are profoundly important similarities among the players investigated. The only technique we've seen where pickslanting isn't a critical ingredient is crosspicking a la Steve Morse or Carl Miner. Martin Miller has interesting variations that introduce new possibilities, but his variations rely on the foundation of his intuitive mastery of pickslanting. I don't think either crosspicking or pickslanting are things that a majority of players figure out on their own, or in the case of pickslanting, many people might have a superficial idea of it but without unlocking the possibilities through the "escape hatches" of the Yngwie/Eric system. And as Troy has aptly observed, small movements aren't required to make one-way pickslanting work.

    • @danjohnston1533
      @danjohnston1533 8 лет назад +1

      I understand what you're saying, but there was a reason that I used the words "within reason". I agree that all of the aforementioned details are definitely important, but if one plays in a relaxed, patient, and focused manner, often these things will emerge by themselves.. Many of the players mentioned had no idea what they were doing until someone had pointed it out. They were just playing how they play, and they are all amazing, yet all very different in their approach.. I also think it's worth mentioning that upward and downward pick slanting become much more important when someone already has a highly developed picking technique to work off of... Troy has been brilliant in his research and execution of this project. It's probably my favorite channel on the web.

  • @XxYngwiexX
    @XxYngwiexX 6 лет назад

    this is the fucking best channel for guitar players who like to do the shits right....good job sir, and thanks you so much

  • @mang3139
    @mang3139 7 лет назад +1

    This is THEE coolest fucking picking video I have ever seen. I mean holy shit, what a camera shot and Martin is just ridiculous. Mt new hero lol

  • @FabrizioPeretti
    @FabrizioPeretti 8 лет назад +51

    waiting for paul gilbert...

    • @dadude7
      @dadude7 7 лет назад +2

      fabrizio peretti Won’t happen. Paul has his own guitar teaching website. It’s how he makes money.

    • @snaxandviolence
      @snaxandviolence 6 лет назад +2

      Well also, regardless of what Troy says, I don't believe that Paul uses "pick slanting" nor do I even believe "pick slanting" is a thing (other than a thing used to sell Troy's product).

    • @charlesgoller71
      @charlesgoller71 5 лет назад +8

      Jimuzuko you’re a flat earther aren’t ya?

    • @yonikup2865
      @yonikup2865 5 лет назад +1

      @@charlesgoller71 hahaha

    • @montemillar6170
      @montemillar6170 5 лет назад +1

      Jim rhymes with dim.

  • @leocomerford
    @leocomerford 8 лет назад +1

    The thumb motion looks like mostly adduction (abduction on the upstroke) to raise the pick plus some flexion to maintain the pinch grip on the pick (and corresponding extension on the upstroke), no? Also, which finger is 'leading' the movement? It seems a bit easier to think of and perform the downstroke pick-raising movement as mainly a thumb movement with the first finger following along. Is that how Miller does or feels it?

    • @severalpaperclips
      @severalpaperclips 8 лет назад +1

      +Leo Comerford Same question I had. I *imagine* the index finger is a relaxed "passenger" of the thumb movement, but only Miller can answer with certainty re: what muscle(s) he feels driving the movement. My own attempts so far at Morse-type crosspicking passages have included this sort of thumb/finger movement, though far less pronounced than Miller's.

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +3

      +Leo Comerford Indeed, the thumb lifting movement is abduction/adduction. But we figured we've got a window to teach one obscure finger anatomy concept before that scene descended into anatomy word salad! It's not clear to me if there is any kind of "primary" and "secondary" movement happening here though. The fingers are not connected and must move on their own - how you think about it is of course up to you. Martin himself doesn't think about it at all, and actually describes his fingers as as feeling rigidly stuck out straight and not moving during 1nps sequences. That's the best clue we have as to what it feels like to do this the Miller way!

  • @vectoranonymous7867
    @vectoranonymous7867 6 лет назад

    I discovered this pattern over time by developing my technique and i noticed if I face my palm up and away from the guitar I get the slant and position naturally. I exercise hybrid styles this is one technique

  • @jakubturlinski7159
    @jakubturlinski7159 8 лет назад +8

    To all fellow guitarists. Try watching Cracking The Code during practice sessions for some inspiration. Have a great day and technique!

  • @Lanearndt
    @Lanearndt 8 лет назад

    always barre-setting production values and dissemination but in this case, the term cross-picking is already taken by the bluegrassers. what about "radius-picking" maybe? Eric Johnson does the same thing too right?

  • @abhinashtechdeathchuck8855
    @abhinashtechdeathchuck8855 8 лет назад

    Thank you Mr troy for your awesome research and sharing with us....

  • @Flornmonk
    @Flornmonk 8 лет назад +44

    I have said this once but I'll say it again. You absolutely NEED to do a breakdown on Shawn Lane's technique!

    • @KingTabor
      @KingTabor 8 лет назад +3

      +Flornmonk HOW?

    • @Flornmonk
      @Flornmonk 8 лет назад

      +Marcus Vinnas By watching his videos?

    • @erickindel3730
      @erickindel3730 8 лет назад +3

      he's fucking dead you idiot

    • @Flornmonk
      @Flornmonk 8 лет назад +17

      Eric Kindel You're the fucking idiot here. Of course I know he's dead. I just want Troy to study the videos that are available on youtube and then break it down in to episodes. Just like he did with Vinnie Moore, Eric Johnson and Paul Gilbert. He made separate videos on those guys just by studying video footage of them.

    • @KingTabor
      @KingTabor 8 лет назад +2

      +Flornmonk Lane was so fast that maybe only videos isnt enough IMHO

  • @darraghtate440
    @darraghtate440 8 лет назад +5

    Can someone tell me why people use anything but crosspicking? It seems to offer the most freedom of movement, letting you play stuff that doesn't have to be planned out in advance. What is the downside to using it?

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +8

      We can only infer from what we've seen. But if guys like Martin, who are absolutely at the top of their game, still use 2wps in their fastest phrases, let's just assume there's good reason for it. Also, understand that everything still needs to be "planned out in advance". All of Martin's lines are rehearsed to some extent. This is necessary not just for picking, but also to navigate the fretboard. There is far too much "math" involved in connecting the shapes, it cannot be done entirely in real time. All these picking systems do is make it possible, instead of impossible, as it used to be for many of us.

    • @darraghtate440
      @darraghtate440 8 лет назад +3

      ***** I can get behind that. I guess that, for me, being a guy who doesn't really like the sound of high speed picking for faster runs (I prefer the more fluid sound I get with slides and legato - I basically outright stole Mike Moreno's technique of picking only upbeats if possible, for the rhythmic swing it gives), but if you're all about being able to play fast single note lines, power to you. I think stylistically it's not for me. But the arpeggio stuff you can do with crosspicking - I'm pretty sure I've found the technique to work on.
      And, for probably the millionth time you've heard it, thank you and congratulations on your achievement with this series!

    • @troygrady
      @troygrady  8 лет назад +10

      No worries thanks Darragh. My best advice to you, and to everyone, is not to be too specific in what you think your picking technique will turn out to look like. If you look at guys like Andy Wood, who does a lot of the kinds of playing you describe, you see how opportunistic it all is. All these techniques flow together, and he's not conscious of switching between them. Instead of saying, I'm going to practice crosspicking, or 2wps, or whatever, practice what you can get the soonest and with the least effort. Then use that technique to write and play lines you like. Then move on to the next technique. Every letter in the crossword helps you fill in the other letters.

    • @MartinMillerGuitar
      @MartinMillerGuitar 8 лет назад +13

      After Troy shedding all this light on these techniques and me giving it some thought, my current conclusion (which might be a different conclusion 6 months from now) is that 2wps is greater for sheer speed. Most of what I'll pick will be based on crosspicking but if I try to apply that technique to 3-note-per-string runs I feel it's holding me back speed-wise. Also the hand position of 2wps seems to lend itself better to super aggressive muting á la Paul Gilbert.

    • @darraghtate440
      @darraghtate440 8 лет назад +4

      Okay, I get it. Basically, crosspicking gives you freedom of movement across strings, and 2WPS gives you freedom of speed. Best of both worlds.
      I love that I asked a question on an open forum and the 2 people directly involved in it answer. Thanks, guys!

  • @thebraian2500
    @thebraian2500 8 лет назад +1

    only 56k subs? you deserve 1 million!

  • @fenderoid1111
    @fenderoid1111 8 лет назад +13

    No do Guthrie Govan and scott anderson

  • @johnrealwebsolutionsllc3272
    @johnrealwebsolutionsllc3272 7 лет назад

    With all due respect, listening to this reminds me of something Scott Henderson said in his instructional video Melodic Phrasing where he so aptly stated, _"Frankly, I'd rather hear Albert King drop his guitar on the floor than listen so some jazz guy play streams of 8th notes with no meaning."_ Michael Lee Firkins also echoed something similar, _"The first thing I want to teach you is rhythm guitar and composing, because, really, this whole LEAD THING has gotten out of hand in the past few years."_ Wow! So true!

    • @MartinMillerGuitar
      @MartinMillerGuitar 7 лет назад +3

      Jonathan Taylore Real Web Solutions Interesting, cause Scott told me in person he liked my playing 🤔

  • @IconicBattles
    @IconicBattles 8 лет назад +2

    That sequence that Martin Miller plays at 13:50 is something I originally heard from Steve Morse's live guitar solo with Deep Purple which can be found here ruclips.net/video/ooepGuKnWrw/видео.htmlm30s. Is there a particular name for this song? Sounds similar to one of the solos on Deep Purple's Highway Star.

    • @srdjanbosnjak7413
      @srdjanbosnjak7413 8 лет назад +2

      +NegroMente Yes.It is sequence from the song "Cascades:I am not your lover" from Deep Purple album "Purpendicular" released in 1996.
      Steve Morse and John Lord played it in unison.

    • @IconicBattles
      @IconicBattles 8 лет назад

      Thank you!

  • @jz4901
    @jz4901 3 года назад

    Fantastic video and observations of a phenomenal player. Thank you TG and team, regards! Jz

  • @danhall716
    @danhall716 8 лет назад +1

    Yay! Dream Theater! Would love to see an episode studying John Petrucci.

  • @Keitsch77
    @Keitsch77 6 лет назад

    This video and Martin sharing this is sooooo awesome! Thank you

  • @t-boog2173
    @t-boog2173 4 года назад

    Yngwie also does a lot of that MP type picking. It often looks like Yngwie is drawing little clockwise circles.

  • @GianCompuesto
    @GianCompuesto 8 лет назад

    Troy, have you analyzed John Petrucci's picking technique? Would you classify John Petrucci as a "modern" crosspicker? Kind of like somewhere between Steve Morse and Martin Miller?

  • @PlayFloyd_IN
    @PlayFloyd_IN 8 лет назад

    Wow! This is pure inspiration! Thanks Martin and Troy. :)

  • @stringbenderbb
    @stringbenderbb 8 лет назад

    Is this stringhopping only initiated by the metacarpal joint instead of arm/hand movements?And therefore faster and not exhausting?

  • @nitefly-music
    @nitefly-music 8 лет назад

    Well. I understand how fascinating it is to listen to those super fast lines which requires the right technique for the left and right hand. But guitar playing is so much more than that.

  • @goblin3810
    @goblin3810 5 лет назад

    3 years late but this video was awesome.