Speed Picking Lesson (Anyone CAN Play Fast!)
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- Опубликовано: 1 июл 2024
- Speed Picking Lesson (Anyone CAN Play Fast!)
Do you want to play fast, like guitar heroes Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore, Marty Friedman or people like that?
Struggling with alternate picking?
Maybe you just can't get the technique right.
Maybe your hand coordination is off.
Fear not. I have the solution.
#increasepickingspeed #playguitarfaster #speedpicking
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Видеоклипы
Check out more lessons: www.youtube.com/@ElmoKarjalainensGuitarLe-rd5tb
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your technique is so close like yngwie malmsteen you learn with the reh video clinic
This was a good lesson and I appreciate Elmo in the background
Great Lesson. Tips make total sense. Cheers!
Glad it was helpful!
Best video on speed picking out there. Good job. Thanks
Glad it helped!
Once again my friend great advice your a great teacher thank you !!!
My pleasure! :)
Thank you from Munich, Germany
Video is great. Very informative, as always.
However, I feel the need to add something regarding the picking - pure alternate picking.
There are only 4 anatomically possible ways to play with a pick (alternate style), 4 mechanics:
1) elbow (Vinnie Moore, Michael Angelo)
2) "wrist" picking (Al Di Meola, Paul Gilbert)
3) forearm rotation (Yngwie Malmsteen, Van Halen, manouche players)
4) mixed mechanic of forearm rotation and wrist picking (Oli Soikelli)
The common problem that I had, and I've seen lots of people too, with the "wrist" picking is that the wrist picking is in itself composed of 4 mechanical movements (for downstroke > wrist extension + ulnar deviaton, for upstroke > wrist flexion + radial deviation) plus arm/forearm position which has to have some degree of supination. And this is very tricky to master, those mechanics.
In essence picking no2., 3, and 4 all require the forearm/arm position to be supinated to some extent. This is very important.
I've tried every of the 4 methods, and forearm rotation for me is the best mechanic. If you use forearm roation, there is ZERO tension but max speed. However, there is a problem with using it exclusively. You can only change strings if your last note in the sequence is an upstroke. For single string repetitive sequences (Yngwie's fours, Yngwie's double triplets which he stole from Uli) that's fine. But if you try changing the strings - if wont work unless your last note is an upstroke.
"Wrist" picking gives you the complete freedom, you can play whatever you want. But it's tricky to master the mechanics involved with it. When I do that kind of picking, some tension occurs (which means that I do some superfluous movements and trigger some muscles which aren't meant to be triggered).
The best ticket, I believe, is method 4 - where you e.g do upstrokes with forearm rotation, but use wrist deviation (picking 2) to execute downstroke, or vice versa (which is how I do it). Then you can, basically get the best of both worlds : freedom, and almost zero tension...even at high speeds.
Elmo is using economy picking when ascending, and when he descends he uses hybrid technique (picking +legato). Only when he plays on one string does he use pure alternate picking and , although I can't see his right arm without the shirt, I think he has mild supination which is required for "wrist" picking.
But because he also makes superfluous movements, he also feels tension and probably can't play a sequence for a prolonged (10 seconds, let's say) period of time.
Basically, what I learned from my bad experience and trial and errors, until I saw some guys on an obscure forum - you musnt' fight with the intsrument and you mustn't fight your anatomy. It's like if you tried running backwards as fast as you could. Can you do it? Yes, but not for very long, your anatomy won't allow you. So, no tension or very very minimal tension is a good sign you're on the right track.
The other thing is - crossing the strings. Your picking motion should have "double escape". A good test for that is "Paul Gilbert" lick which is difficult as fuck even at very LOW speeds - if you don't have the correct mechanic. Look at Elmo when he's doing it in this video, he struggles with it and the conveniently drifts into legato. Because it's hard as fuck. And it's Di Meola's lick btw.
You simply cannot play that lick if your mechanic doesn't involve : downstroke with escape, upstroke with escape. And even if you can play it , but feel crams, tension, pain... that's also an indicator that your mechanic is flawed somewhere.
I hope this will help someone.
Elmo, keep rockin'.
PS. Forgot to mention the man who helped me with my mechanic - ANTON from Sweden (don't know his last name), that guy kills it (but he uses forearm rotation exclusively mixed with legato fills when changing the strings, nevertheless, apart from Gilbert, he's the only guy whom I've seen doing picking as if it were lighting a cigarette), so big shoutout and THANKS to ANTON from SWE
Excellent analysis and kudos for sharing 👌😊
Thanks for that. Personally I've always been more of a feel guy, as in I don't like to analyse what I'm doing. If it feels good, do it. Some tension actually feels good.
@@MrPolevaulter It's amazing that Yngwie never paid attention to his picking technique much like what you said. He just wanted to make it sound a certain way, and everything else just followed.
@@allandnothing5987 I use forearm rotation, not sure how I change the strings, I think I use my elbow for that.
If you use your wrist it's more difficult to play clean because it's more difficult to control at the wrist causing you to hit unintended string, works for some people but I never move my wrist,
I use forearm rotation and elbow.
Thank you from Munich, Germany. 🎼🙏🏻
Thanks for that I usually never like educational guitar videos but I'll have to check out the others too, good job.
Thank you very much :)
Great stuff EJK! Excellent lesson.. Thank you! I was wondering what picks you preferred...
Thanks! 1,5 delrins.
Thanks for the video. I'm finding alternate picking frustrating, so I needed something to add to practicing.
Hope it helps.
Thank you very much!!!!
And thank you :)
Thank you!
Cheers!
Snyggt. Byte av plektrum gjorde världens skillnad för mig. Alltid kört jazztreor men sladdar på dem. Så började spela med jazztreorna med något mindre spets. Trubbigare var nyckeln.
Bra lektion Elmo Track n Field 2 Karjalainen 🙌😊
Jo, plektrum kan nog påverka ganska mycket. Nyckeln var trubbigare :D
Just started watching. I was never totally into speed, although I love Yngwie and how he and Vai, etc, incorporate it in their style, but I have a harder time with my left hand. That said, I can typically play as fast as I want with my picking hand using alternate picking. So called tremelo picking is easy for me. I just don't know all the modes and scales. I know the pentatonic, and harmonic minor especially, and I use my ear to find the notes. When I play my own music especially. Great video sir. You're picking and notes being played by your left hand is perfect to me. You really are almost always in tune. You don't drag the notes, or slide them like some playing fast or slow. Great stuff. Great video. Be safe.
We finally have loads of snow. 🤟🤙💪🤟🤙💪🤟🤙💪🤟
Cheers!
Lots of good information in this one. This one popped up almost back to back with one done by the Samarai Guitarist showing how he learned to play faster. I think RUclips is trying to tell me something. Thanks for the video.
But what is it trying to tell you? :D
Oh, and thanks :)
@@MrPolevaulter What is it trying to tell me? Just put the time in and do those simple exercises. I think you were telling me that. :)
Can't wait to really dig in this lesson brother. Many thanks and blessings. I just hope the Situs brothers will allow me to do this at my age. Old Arthur and Burr takes its toll at 53. 😆 peace man. I'll prob start and after a minute go to a pentatonic style Freebird bending. 😆 lol
Haha :D Hope you have fun with it (be it this or pentatonic bending).
What an exceptionally good teacher! Great explanation of very small details, and pointing out doing whatever feels right for you when it also gets results. If it sounds good, it works! Michael Angelo Batio unlike most shredders when he does exclusively alternate picking, he holds the pick slanted upwards and anchors his last 3 fingers on the body of the guitar. If he does ascending 3 note per string scales across the entire fretboard he switches from upward slant to downward pick slant and back again, rotating his hand in micro seconds. He also does economy picking. It obviously works for him because he is one of the fastest shredders ever, while playing clean. Granted, playing that fast kind of sounds like a machine.
Thank you :)
This is stuff I need next time. Beginning cleaner and slower. Every day 1 hour. and with time I will get a good speed, not the fastest. To play soli and play chords like Malmsteen, Van Halen is also very mportant for me. I hope you like Jake E Lee, too and have some riffs for me 🙂
Great lesson Elmo just what I needed been getting disheartened with my speed but good tips to get better what's best way to improve strenght in left hand struggling with hammer ons and pull offs ect is it just keep at it been doing scales till my knuckles are sore but didnt think my speed or hand strength was building up enough but good to know it will improve with practice which ain't a problem I'm loving it at minute so doing least 1 to 2 hours a day done about 3 or more today had strat in my hands allday hopefully one day get half as fast as you and be fast enough for me your so fast man I cant even see ya fingers let alone what there playing you got mad skills bro keep up lessons I'm subbed and look forward to catching up with all back log hopefully
Goals, measure progress, focused practice, and determination is what it takes. There's no knowing how good you will become, but you will get better. I talk about it here as well: ruclips.net/video/Jg0WPyEDoqM/видео.html
Thanks for reply Elmo you a star been on strat 5 hrs a day learned aviation by last shadow pupetd and exo politics by muse to help with finger speed and doing loads of scales and definitely get more coordinated and alot quicker not elmo fast but hopefully oneday be good enough to play what I want dont intend to shred but be nice if I could shock my son lol but having day off today knuckles are sooo sore 3rd one has abit of a click but it'll heal stronger I guess no pain no gain
Good video lesson...thanks bro
From malaysia
Thank you :)
@@MrPolevaulter ur wellcome bro
man i wish i could sit with you to show me, i just cant shred, i know all the scales ive learned some vai tunes and some satch solo's still just cant, only speed bursts for me im afraid.
Fair enough. If you think so.
Great lesson, Elmo. If we don't push the envelope, so to speak, speed will remain elusive. Also, I've seen so many weird plectrum holding techniques that some amaze me that they can play at all. Sure most will get through a lot of easy stuff but that "wall" will always loom large that is there to stop all future speed or even accuracy with the right hand. Technique "does" matter, and seeing as learning the correct way is just as easy/difficult as learning the wrong or inefficient/sloppy way, why not learn/practice things the right way from the word go or as soon as you are made aware. Cheers for the lesson, mate.
Michael Angelo Batio comes to mind 😁
Thank you very much :)
Doesn't matter how you hold the pick, if you hold it with your nose or your toes or side of your thumb. Doesn't matter if you "push the envelope" or not. Watch Chinese classical musicians practice and they're amongst the fastest on the planet. Ask them about speed and they'll probably laugh at you. Its not a focus or concern. They understand one thing, speed is a byproduct of accuracy. No one is ever going to change that. Mechanics just don't work that way and neither do us humans. Pushing the envelope only does one thing, makes you play sloppy and make mistakes. Regardless of what you do or approach it, its going to be between 3-5 years of constant practice to achieve great alternate picking. And thats 3-5 years AFTER you've been playing a few years already.
After 12 years of playing and getting an iron right hand, I decided to work on alternate picking. For one year, all I did was exercises at 60bpm triplets, but each and every note was perfect and with equal volume. The next couple of years, I went up to no more than 100bpm jere and there triplets and 16th notes. A few months after that, my teacher said, "ok, today we'll do something new that we'll start doing every 6 months. Play the 7 modes as fast as you can". He clocked me at 190bpm 16th notes with the Dorian and Lydian modes.
There are no muscles on the hands and fingers..very tiny ones that mostly support the ligaments and tendons. High intensity training only works on slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. I don't care if you practice at 40bpm triplets for 2 straight years as long as they are perfect notes, you will be fast. It'll be impossible not to be. Musicians need to stop acting like physiotherapists and kinesiologists by saying false things. Speed = Accuracy that will never change. "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast" and accuracy can only be attained by perfect, slow, focused playing.
@@equalleftrights3130 That's the great and worst thing about the interwebs. Anyone can say anything about anything and no one can dispute it... Unless of course they put their money where their mouth is and post a video of them playing 16th notes of the Dorian and Lydian modes at 190 bpm. I wonder if I'll see such a video. I wonder....
Thanks Elmo, huge motivational lesson. Take care.
Thanks man! Glad you liked it :)
Great 👍👍👍
Thank you 👍
You are the BEST lead guitar teacher! Thank you for all these videos. Blessings to you. I have been playing spontaneous worship speed leads that is pleasing to the ears, not noise, but clean fast leads. Thank you again.
You're very welcome!
😳 That’s very generous of you Elmo, God Bless!🙏🎸🎶😍☮️
Thank you Richard :)
Suggestion. You might have done this, and to be honest, this suggestion is just my selfishness wanting lessons on what I need to practice. 😂, but I would like to see you explain sweep picking exercises. I can do 2 or 3 string sweeps moderately ok, but more than that and I get my two hands in knots. 😂...
You are the maestro sir. Thanks so much for sharing this and bringing value to me and others. Very kind of you and it motivates me and inspires me to play !!!!
Be well sir.
I might do something along those lines at some point. I have covered sweeping in my guitar academy.
vackert elmo!!
Tackar :)
Elmo we need On Screen Tablature for Malmsteen Riffs
Half the time I don't know what I'm playing :D
Excellent lesson Elmo but another question who makes your mahogany strat ?
I think it’s a custom parts job by Elmos tech, there’s a story behind it in another video about the name on the headstock...whoever did it got his name wrong hence “Welmo” rather than “Elmo” on the headstock but I could be slightly out with the story, whatever it’s a great scalloped Strat for sure 😎
@@rushy67rr97 that Wlmo-story is a true Spinal tap-moment 😁
Thanks! It's that one: ruclips.net/video/P_E8p2DoZoY/видео.html
It's made by my luthier friend.
Kiitoksia!!
Eipä kestä )
The hardest technique in my opinion is sweep picking. It’s much harder to coordinate and get into the flow
Yeah, we all have different things that we find difficult. Have you seen Mattias IA Eklundh's sweeping? It's insane.
What is the brand of the guitar, looks great
Custom built Strat.
Me Elmo Do you have a guitar course ?i really like the way you explain everything.II need good practice routine.Iwould like to buy a course .Something easy to follow ,like step by step lessons.I have no time for local teacher because of my job.Always working away so needs good course or Skype lessons.👍
I do. You can find it over on www.elmojk.com and get access via my Patreon.
Great thank You😊👌
Just a question . What guitar is that . Make? Cheers!
Custom made by a friend.
Moi, hyvä video. Miten kovaa sä puristat plektraa? Mulla on ollu aina ongelmana se et plektra kääntyy sormien välissä ku alan soittaa nopeemmin..eli ku plektra osuu kieleen, ni plektra alka kääntyä sormissa... ja jos yritän puristaa plektraa kovempaa ni ranne menee jäykäksi ja liike ei oo enää rento ja soitosta ei tuu mitään :( Oon kokeillu erilaisia grip-plektroja ym, mut aina sama homma. Neuvoja? kiitos!
En muista et olis tullu tuollaista ongelmaa vastaan. Eikä ainakaan äkkiseltään tule mieleen miten voisin auttaa. Sori ☹
Ee muuta ku mestari opit käyttöö😳kiitos elmo opetus jutuist🙉🎸🎶🎶🎶
Eipä kestä :)
Does scalloped neck help?
For bends yeah, not for playing fast.
Do u use a pickslant when u pick?
A bit.
The human wood chipper!
:D
we'll see about this
Give it a proper go :)
Just watched this lesson for the first time. Been following Elmo for a few years. Regarding speed picking, this is the most inspired I have been in years. The reason: Elmo seemed human. But he does super-human things on guitar. Maybe I can too. Thank you Elmo.
Thanks! Best of luck 👍
2:27 The pinky-police wants to talk to you. Just joking, you are a god ... ;-)
Thanks :D
Great video. Any thoughts on how long practice sessions should last? I was putting a timer on for 3-4 minutes, setting a metronome, and just hitting one string (sometimes alternate picking sometimes just down picking). I'd rest one minute in between and then go again. It get's repetitive after a while and a bit mind numbing,
I'd say that depends on what you're used to. Shorter in the beginning, and longer when you advance. The main thing though, is that your sessions are intense. Intense and short is better than long and unfocused.
@@MrPolevaulter thanks!
Elmo playing 16nps: ..."This was messy"
Me playing struggling at 60 bpm with CAGED: "Ok"
:D
Elmo!!! I have a bone to speed pick with you, where were these excellent speed picking lessons when I was 10 years old and my Dad sent me out to the garden/lawn to pick about a thousand weeds??? I mean you're a bit late to the game Sir Elmo....Bruce.
Haha :D Sorry about that. I shall travel back in time right this instant :D
I wish I played this good 11:11 - Oh, no. I think I'm dead inside.
Amazing lesson👌I started practicing 5o clock every morning 😊👌one day will be faster then you😊👌..............that was dream😊👌👍
Best of luck :)
No...I really can't!
Is there a God of the Finn's? If so, did he buy Elmo's soul? It is not natural nor humanly possible to play that fast with such great accuracy. However, I will see if these tips help.
Hope they do.
Not as easy as it looks to get it consistant. Does take practice and time unless your a natural.
My question is, can a 50 year old learn to play like Yngwie, or is it too late?
Can't give you a definite answer, but I would say that you can get better. How far you go is down to how you practice, how much, and what.