Pickslanting EXPLAINED! Techniques, practice tips, and MORE
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Downloadable backing tracks, bonus guitar lessons, and MORE here: / benellerguitars
This week, all my Patrons, even at the $1 a month level, are getting a TON of downloadable stuff to go along with this video! Practice tracks at various tempos, midi files so you can make your own perfect practice session, and Guitar Pro files so you can play all day!!! Sign up today and get 'em!!!
Grab last week's practice tracks at a variety of tempos, plus the midi tracks so you can build your OWN workout, PLUS the downloadable TABs here! / 50395556
How about a treasure trove of drone tracks that i made!? 12 root notes, 12 major chords, and 12 minor chords, for a total of 36 super long drone tracks! Its everything you need to learn all your scales in every key! Here's the direct link you need: / 49828461
Wanna learn ALL the notes and master the board? Here's the lesson you need: / 45181774
The BEST Half Hour of Alternate Picking Practice EVER: / 33563344
The secrets of note targeting revealed: / 38535524
My followup to my Ditch the CAGED System video: / 40492155
Get sweet deals on all the nice things i use here: imp.i114863.ne...
@troygrady blew the lid off the secrets of alternate picking with his now-legendary Cracking the Code series, in which he showed us how speed demons like Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson, Vinnie Moore, and @andywoodmusic are able to navigate alternate and economy picking at extremely high tempos with ease through the use of upwards escape (USX) and downwards escape (DWX) picking (formerly called downwards and upwards pickslanting). These ideas completely revolutionized my playing and taught me so much about my own strengths and weaknesses! But how did i practice them, and how do you start to incorporate them into your own playing? Like this!!!
In today's video, i'm going to show you an EJ-style B minor hexatonic lick in 2 variations: one to practice your USX picking, and another to practice your DSX. With these two picking styles mastered, there's going to be NOTHING you can't play! I'll be using my Magnet camera mount that Troy Grady gave me to let you all see straight down the barrel of my picking. After i show you the lick, i'm going to break down both picking styles in detail, and give you a ton of tips to make sure you get a successful slant happening STAT! I'm still working on these concept, too, so i'll be hammering away at this stuff alongside you all! Be sure to grab all those practice tracks from my patreon page and get to working on becoming an alternate picking MACHINE!!!
Gear:
Les Paul with Suhr SSH/SSV pickups
Axe FX 3
What do you want to learn next on Weekend Wankshop? Let me know in the comments!
"Shreddy Kruger" is the best thing I've heard all year
Hahaha i like that nickname !
I literally laughed out loud.
There's this "shock rocker" named Demon Boy who had a guitarist named Shreddy Krueger.
Idk, shred-i knights went insane
Shreddy Krueger is my Halloween costume next year! 😅
best lesson on alternate picking ever muhaha
Lmao I can hear your evil laugh
A WILD SHRED APPEARS TO SLAY THE WORLD... WITH RIFFS 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Ha! I just watched one of your videos.
it is fair to reckon that this is Troy's idea, but your communicative skills make this whole slanting thing much clearer and ..'learnable' for me.. you are the definition of what a proper teacher has to be.. bravo!
Same for me. Just was easier to take in and learn
100% agreed
Yes! Honestly I didnt know what troy was talking about but this explanation blew my mind haha
Agreed. This explanation was great and easy to digest
Totally agreed!
Troy Grady videos should be required viewing for new players. And not new players. And regardless of whether you want to shred. Just super helpful to finally have someone who actually wanted to go in depth into the mechanics of playing rather than just saying “uh, practice slow and do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Thanks for this insight Uncle Ben. Appreciate it
Thanks for showing me what's up about the source of this technique. I checked out Troy Grady and it's really really good.
I cant wait to close up film how shit I am!
Chris Brooks also covers this extensively in his book Neoclassical Speed Strategies for Guitar. Highly recommended.
Agreed! Chris’ books are great.
Always impressed by the tasteful exercises you come up with to accompany the videos, Ben. Very memorable and easy to digest. Keep up the great work!
I saw Al DiMeola live at a free concert at a music store in about the year 2000, I had a 1980 Guitar Player he signed with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia on the cover, he loved it.
Thanks uncle Ben, I always sit down with my guitar and play through with you every time you release a video, they really help and we appreciate it!
This didn't make a lot of sense to me until about 15:00, and then suddenly I got it. Thanks for posting this vid!!
This is why odd groupings on adjacent strings are a challenge for me (without using economy or mini-sweeps). The constant wrist motion to go from outside to inside (and back) string changes and up/down escapes is still something I have to work on every practice session, even after 20 years of playing. Andy makes it look effortless, but it's work for us mere mortals.
The pros of old never talk about how difficult it is. They want to maintain the illusion that it's easy for them. I agree with them, because it makes the show so much more fun when you think they're superhuman.
Vai is a perfect example of this, even though he's more of a legato player. The illusion of ease is the main trick his trick bag.
It's horrendous watching a decent player stressing and trying to squeeze out a difficult line. It might sound fine, but yuck, it looks hard and isn't enjoyable.
When you are so fast not even your step dad could keep up!
Turns out I'm a downwards escape kind of player and I've also been mostly playing metal, so you were spot on Uncle Ben! Unfortunately, my picking style makes palm muting difficult (I'm a beginner too). Super interesting video anyways.
Ben, you are the guru to the gurus. What you teach is priceless. I’m most impressed and I’ve been around for 66 years…so far. Robert Fripp lives just down the road from me and I bet he’s very impressed with your skills.
Fantastic lesson. Such an important one; if you can’t pick properly, you can’t do the first thing u need to learn on guitar. If you’re already starting with bad technique...
I told my girlfriend this, and said it would take her much less time to learn if she gets the pickslanting down first. Once it's baked in, it's automatic.
Dude you've literally revealed something that's been frustrating me for years! I'm a "flat" picker, and even after watching some of Troy's videos I still couldn't quite grasp why until now. Thank you!
Thank you so much! Now i can finally play the bridge riff of "megalodon" correctly
You’re the man uncle ben! 💪🏼
Being a longtime player, I always instinctively knew I had to pick slant to cross strings but I could never do it. Then I saw Grady's vids with MAB and tried something like what he does. Now, chicks love me for my angled in-out motion and attack.
what is MAB?
@@WillVRam Michael Angelo Batio
Holy crap Ben! I used to be a student of yours when you were giving lessons at the Fret Store back around 2007, but had to quit going because I broke my leg and couldn't climb the tiny staircase that place had. I find you here just giving all this stuff away for free now!? Jokes aside, good to see you're still shredding man!
Ben, it's never been explained as well to me as you do it here. You are a kick ass teacher! And a phenomenal guitarist!
This is a great drill, thanks Ben! I also recommend Troy Grady to all players, not only the shredder-wannabes, they are very beneficial to just learn about technique and perhaps analyze your own stuff a bit.
Having played solely metallica back when I was a beginner probably helped with my downward escape picking
More "shred" punery: Night of the Living Shred(as well as all sequels), Shred and Breakfist, Shred Flintstone, Shred Zeppelin, Shredical Device, Shred Dawn, Shreddy Bear, Shreddy Roosevelt, Shredding Chapel, Shred and shoulders above the rest.
Golden Shred.. er.. marmalade.
Hmm.
@@qwargy where the Shred Fern Grows
Hahaha!!!
Another freaking awesome lesson, I'll be grooving even more. Thank Uncle Ben 🎸🎶😎!
Thanks for all your videos! They’re always helpful
It's crazy how the guitar Immortals aren't even aware they do this, yet we sit there for hours practicing
I can assure you guitar legends probably practiced 10x harder and starting from 5 years old :D
which is why studying is important
@@SaintFranssoix what I mean is playing without realizing the dwps/uwps technique. Just natural without the need to focus on it
I downstroke naturally but its hard to Consciously up stroke
I was doing it back in college (circa 99) and didn't realize it.
It was the Michelangelo Batio 3NPS pattern.
I had juries (playing every semester for a panel of judges), and they would randomly drop 2 and 3 octave scales, like Bb Mixolydian, and I would have to immediately execute it. Gak!
Note #4, which is the string change note, was always messy, until I tipped the top of the pick upwards, and it worked! I started playing it all the time and I actually did notice it, but disliked the angle, and I didn't analyze why it worked. Troy did all that for me much later :)
Oooo I would absolutely love that camera mount for the guitar. I’ve wanted to start making guitar videos again and I would love to have that angle.
Best vid I’ve found. I love it! Thanks
So you're saying I've been doing it wrong my whole guitar life... nice, knew there was a reason I stunk
Yea, completely changes the hand muting too. My pick style is that in between flat style. My pick style developed around what I needed to do to successfully hand mute the other strings. I change angles and my hand muting either doesn't happen, or it mutes the string I am trying to play. I think you should have talked about how the 2 styles effect hand muting. I think they go.... wait for it......
Hand in hand.
LOL
I also swithced from flat style to USX/DSX. Can u please explain how to mute string in this case? I really struggle with muting now (
Troy’s videos actually made me focus on my picking technique, made me decide to try to copy Al Di Meloa’s picking style.
Dude, I hope you're doing well, 'cause damn, you're articulate, intelligent, eloquent, straight-forward, and probably one of the best teachers by this kind of medium (online video) out there... Let me tell you, I'm probably old enough to be your great grandfather... just so you know... I've seen A LOT OF TEACHERS!! REALLY APPRECIATE THIS!!!
holy...this might have been your best lesson thusfar!! and most of them where already bezerkely good!
Thank you, Ben for a very clear, detailed and patiently taught lesson.
Im an economy picker , its more natural for me.A friend of mine make me on a 3D printer that tool to hang the phone to see what a hell Im doing with my right hand.I was blown away , I was using escape pick motion without known.That proves if you can t find a solution , the brain will find a way to bypass you and take you further into getting better.
Pure Gold Ben!!! Thank you.
This one time, at Sweep Picking Camp, I learnt the art of slant pickin and cross combobulating. Highly recommended.
This is going to sound like a sales pitch for Troy, but pick slanting changed my entire guitar journey. I had given up after about a decade of playing. I had some good fast chops, but hit a wall. As soon as I dedicated myself to learning pick slanting (both one way and 2 way), within a month I was breaking those speed walls. A little over a year later after learning it, I have made more progress than I had the previous 5.
For those on the fence, it is not some gimmick system, it is actually something that most guitar greats do. Since they were likely unaware of it, it probably took them thousands more hours to learn it naturally than if they were hyper focused and aware of it.
It is no longer a challenge to play even 3 note per string segments fast across all 6 strings since there is always an escape with 2WPS. It WILL seem overwhelming at first, and the thought of plotting and planning how you are going to go about a lick may seem daunting. But soon you will have an arsenal of options. Whether it be 2 way pick slanting, one way with pull-offs and economy involved, or straight one way pick slanting for runs with an even number of notes per string, there is always a way for a pick escape!
Thank you for saying this!
Is this something a semi newbie should be working on? Im coming back to guitar after many years of not playing. Seems this would address many of the issues i had with my picking
I made more progress in 1 year than the 20 previous thanks to troy
@@theelfman I’d say it depends on how new you are. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is brand new to the guitar, because these string changing hang ups don’t really reveal themselves until you are starting to pick relatively fast. When you first start playing, you will be alternate picking slow enough to where pick escapes just come naturally. But if you have a solid grasp on alternate picking, I would say learn as early as you feel comfortable to. It’s something I wish I had learned when I was about a year in, because I think my journey would have been a lot easier
@@joshmuz9018 That is awesome. It still boggles my mind how pick slanting is still relatively unknown in the grand scope of things. It is still pretty niche, and it is arguably the most important aspect to improving alternate picking speed and confidence across strings
Why was I literally having trouble with this last night and lookin for a guide. Little did I know I would be blessed the next morning!
Great lesson, Uncle Ben!
A quick question, though: it seems like the downward pickslanting is more natural to the angle of the wrist and how we usually hold the pick (I hold it the "standard way", same as you I think).
But when I try to switch to upward pickslanting, I just have to rotate the wrist to an unnatural angle, and I even lose the muting on the above string.
Do you have any tips on how to get the angle of the upward pickslanting correctly?
Thank you!
Good call on Zakk Wylde having crazy USX (should that not be UWX?) style. His entire arm curls around under the bridge and back up under the strings. Crazy, but that's how it goes.
When you said "Do it with BIG DUMB motion", it totally opens up my mind. I have been doing it with minimal motion because I am afraid of hitting other strings. It ruins my groove and articulation. I just tried playing with bigger swings for 10 minutes and it feel 10x times better already. The key is to have the right slanting angle.
Myself as well. It runs counter to what many guitar ‘teachers’ advise to make the motion smaller and more economical.
Dude you’re right! I feel more relaxed now
Not gonna lie this has blown my mind
Uncle Ben always taking time to Picksplain things the great do for us. Thanks Ben!
after 24 years, cracking the code took me from intermediate level picking to advanced picking in like a week
Don’t believe you
Nailed it.
An amazing video!
And of course I turn out to be the non slanting guy, constantly stuck betewen strings no matter what. Sadface.
You've come to the right place!
@@noozzoo5152 Yep, I´m gonna live here forever.
Great video. Really made it clear to me. Thanks.
But how can you know when improvising where you're gonna end up? Is the idea to always know ahead of time if you're up escaping or down escaping? Whenever I'm just noodling around I'm constantly flip flopping and end up getting stuck with the "hurdle" since I play a mixture of 2 notes and 3 notes per string within a single lick. I'm also ending up reversing myself on the way back down where D U D becomes U D U. It's driving me mad! Please Uncle Ben, help!
I don't know why I like you. Everytime I watch one of your videos you tell me my playing sucks. And you're usually right. 🤔
I've been trying to sell my soul, but I can't find any takers.
What are some easier popular phrases we can learn to practice this technique and also learn new songs?
“My upstroke is so big and dumb…” love it
Thanks for the video Ben. I've been struggling with alternative picking not knowing what I did wrong so I could not play with it but this video made me finally realize what my problem was. It seems I was a downward escaper. Now that I finally know what the problem is I can start fixing it and you even explained how to fix it. Fucking great! Subscribed man!
Best on the tube
So how does this fit in with Paul Gilbert style alt. picking, he uses the edge of the pick, just confuses me more.....which technique is best?
Savage lesson
I really don't care about this pickung stuff...What is that batman glass in the background? Cool !! lol
Thank you! It 's a great video lesson!
Learned this sort of thing through trying to replicate the Faceless and Alluvial/Merrow songs wooooo
WTF! Uncle Ben, what have you just thought me? I had so much struggle with Alternate Picking, this makes it almost easy to shred down lines? WTF! In a few weeks I'll be able to put down Appregios from Hell at full speed, wooohooo! O_O
Awesome video man! Pick slanting is a game changer.
Really want to figure out the double escape, purely for those times when you need to switch round quickly. Maybe one day with these kinds of videos!
Great lesson. Downward Escape and upward pick slant UWPS tend to go together as do Upward Escape and downward pick slant DWPS. Starting on an up pick descending using UWPS is trickier for me. I’m working on having just enough escape to pass over the adjacent string.
Muito bom.
Saudações do Brasil.
Can you do a video just about zakk Wylde’s dwps technique and how he doesn’t mute the strings?
Great idea! I like that.
Blink a thousand times if Troy Grady is holding you hostage and forcing you to sell his lessons
Hi Ben
Is it still possible to get this nice smartphone magnet gadget somewhere?
Ben, thanks! You're hitting on things I've been drilling for a while. I'm glad that there are resources like yours (and Troy's), and there's never any shortage of things to work on.
----
** unimportant stuff **
I found a brutal one that uses both inside & outside picking. The pickslant changes every 3 notes :)
It's the Yngwie 3-1-2 / 3-2-1, but on two strings. The first 3 are UWPS, the second 3 are DWPS:
|----12----------12--------------|
|---------9-10-------10--9-----|
Thanks Uncle Ben - this is what I need to take my alternate picking to the next level!
Your videos are on point Ben thanks so much! Gonna get the patreon app and I will see you on there!
Ben this is awesome. I think that the last half of the Bark at the Moon solo would really benefit from this approach. Do you agree?
Fuck me, & I though Troy was good!! Hat's off to you Ben. Excellent lesson. Can you do a lesson on 3 notes per string with escape too please?
picksplaining slanted!
awesome
very nice work bro
congrats from Rio de Janeiro Brasil
excellent video. Turkey time!
I "worked" from home today just so i could watch this video and practice...Thanks buddy!
Could you go over exactly which part of muscle you use for picking? I feel like my picking method is wrong.
Interesting video!!
Hi Ben.- Great lesson as all ways. I have a difficult time figuring out hov time mute strings along, using the upwards slanting technique. Of course it can be done, but it must be harder, or ? Regards Jens DK
I have the same problem, I'm used to using the palm of my hand about 2 inches below the pinky for muting, when you switch to upward escape you have to roll your hand which takes that meaty part of the palm off the strings and you use more of the side of your hand, I keep working on it but when I play fast it's hard to keep the muting and my hand automatically switches back to the flatter palm and downward escape when I really need to stay in the upward escape to play certain riffs, I guess a guy just has to keep working on it unless somebody has any tips on how to speed up the process.
If you can, take the same approach to show gambale picking!!!
A perfect episode for my birthday...Thanks Uncle Ben!!
love to see up view angle/position to see the angle of your pick. hard to see from the side.
Turkey Time is the name of my 80s 2nd wave ska revival band!
Downward escape artist here!
troy grady is great, i wish more people knew about him but most people write him off as overanalyzing and waste countless of hours on exercises
If you're a professional musician, it just means you are ahead of the pack, and you've eliminated a large chunk of your competition.
Agreed. I just decided to be me, and find the "feeling" of playing fast with pickslanting.The feeling happens where slow picking transitions to fast picking. Speed has to be there to even work on this stuff, and I have to slop through until I find the feeling.
Uncle Ben...your ability to articulate/communicate is off the charts in effectiveness. Your humor is the icing on the cake brother. Signing up for patreon right now.
@3:26 - "the B minor hexatonic scale...which is essentially like a B minor pentecostal scale", whahhahahahhahaha! Awesome. As a Christian myself, this is hilarious!
Is that just the B minor pentatonic scale with a raised Jesus?
Is Ben a Christian?
Great clear explanation. Super content as always, BE. Cheers and thanks! Z
Holy shit man, I just found a massive revealation. I thought I've been upward pickslanting this whole time (I was actually doing DSX with downward pickslanting) and today I tried exaggerating the upwards pickslanting. Now when I alternate pick, it doesn't matter how fast I'm going, it moves so smoothly I barely feel any resistance. Some licks that used to be impossible are now incredibly easy. I probably have to clean up some old habits now but DAMN. (I also finally realised how MAB can anchor his pinkie while playing so quickly. It actually does help with the picking and I'm starting to do it too)
Now I know which escape picking Willie Adler of Lamb of God prefers.
Which one is it? I'm a downwards escape player myself.
Thanks a lot, you handsome bastard
The problem here for many is 3 notes per strings lol this is where pickslanting on both angles have to be executed at every string change, 2 notes like in this video or 4 notes are easy as cake, because you do them easily with downward or even upward pickslanting and never deviate from it. This is why all I practice are 3 notes per strings, I can do these changes subconciously. 4 notes per string or 2 notes are never used in music and sounds like a robot only goods for bumblebbee
You are too muckin futch, Ben! A great and informative lesson as always.
Thanx 4 makin it easier to understand 👍 AN ABSOLUTE MUST TO UNDERSTAND/KNOW !!!...( TO NOT GET FUMBLED UP IN THE STRINGS WHEN SHREDDING!) I GET IT NOW THAT I, AND MY GUITAR SAT DOWN AND PUT YOUR LESSON TO WORK AND STUDY!!!
I’m a downward escape picker. Never knew. Interesting stuff. Whenever I attempt to play faster, I notice my hand naturally positions itself towards the downward angle. Slower stuff, I’m kind of all over the place not really thinking about it.
I really do hope I get more better at this, thanks good buddy 👍
Pentecostal scale.. comes with rattlesnakes and strychnine.
The problem with the overanalyzing of the techniques is that leads often to mind and psychological stacking....
Can get even more super nerdy by calling that part of the palm the hypothenar eminence!
That’s my favorite technical death metal band!!!
Best teacher ever!!!! Thank you so much!!! My guitar playing is improving tremendously from watching your youtube and patreon videos!!!! Thanks