Thank you so much. I have been watching tons of youtubers trying to explain that, I understood but my wrist didn’t want to move as I wanted, in 1 minute of your explanation I think I can do it! Thanks man. I subscribe to your channel now.
John, you are TRULY a generous soul, and blessing to the entire guitar community. You are a rare breed...not only because of your accomplishments, but your willingness to divulge insight and give advice from a very elite position. Most people of your ilk are so paranoid and GREEDY that they will not share any tips of any great magnitude, for a pathological fear of someone surpassing them. I don't get that vibe from you. At all. I feel like you are someone that would adopt an outlook where you embraced the fact that all records will be broken. It is inevitable. And if someone managed to surpass you, LEGITAMELY, that it would simply mean that you had more work to do, assuming you were too terribly busted up about it. And until the time that you DID, you wouldn't trash-talk or attempt to spoil someone else's accomplishment. The world needs more people like that. I wish you all the good fortune in the world, brother.
Was aware that you had a video addressing that you hadn't played all notes, or that they weren't played cleanly, yes. You are still looked at as being otherworldly talented on your instrument (rightly so), and any performance issues of your "record" performance were so minute that they were nearly negligible, if not non existent. As you well know, many of the so-called new "record holders" have had, and CONTINUE to have their performances just annihilated, because they are so obviously played sloppily, and... let's be honest...MANY notes are wrong, or not sounded in the first place. That is not me saying these players are not excellent musicians, nor that they aren't capable of being record holders. But when I hear these very outlandish claims of nearly 2000 BPM, it is obvious, even at that speed, with a naked eye, there are mistakes being made.
I am an upward pick slanting picker and this is what I feel was lacking I have seen rusty colts video from Troy Grady's archives and watched the monitors on your promo from nc state and saw that it looked like the brachioradialis was engaging more and I tried like hell to get it. To engage and now thanks to this vid should help a lot Thanks a bunch
thank you very much for posting this video. When you pick your fastest, is the picking movement coming mostly from your arm/elbow? it looks like that to me, but it also looks like your wrist is not completely stiff. And do you still use this way of picking when playing say 3 note per string patterns where you have to cross between strings?
You're welcome :) You are correct, the fastest picking comes from the elbow as the pivot point. The wrist is not moving up and down intentionally. Because the heel of my hand acts as an anchor point on the guitar, it looks like my wrist is helping to move the pick up and down. But, it's not. I CAN pick like this running 3 note per string patterns, but that doesn't mean it sounds the best. Although this style of picking gives you the fastest picking you can do, accuracy is absolutely lost.
It really depends on what I'm playing. If I want a scale run that goes as fast as I can, then I have no choice but to use this picking technique! There's a lot of fret hand muting that goes on to "clean" things up. Swiping is something that also happens. Troy Grady talks about swiping on his channel.
Awesome ! Gonna try this soon ;) The music is too loud at the end, I barely hear you ! Some questions : 1)Do you think muscle training help you a lot in your guitar skills (speed, accuracy or anything else) ? 2) Still use Riffbandz ? Pretty excited to see Science of Speed, maybe my most wanted Masters in Mechanics episode since first trailer !
I'll be sure to get a better level on the music next time for the ending. Thank you for the feedback :) Yes, I absolutely credit my weight training to my ability to play as fast as I do. Every now and then I'll use the Riffbandz. If I'm actually going to practice something I need to get up to a certain speed, or if I want a quick warm up prior to a show I'll throw them on. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product for Science of Speed too. It's been a very eye opening experience working with Troy Grady so far.
Gabriel González Yes, the grip strength will transfer to fret strength. The stronger your hands the easier I believe it would be to fret something. Should make barre chords easier! Fretting strength SHOULD translate to fretting speed. Just like building stronger legs can make you run faster.
+Mile High Shred I have my guitar students practicing this and studying your awesome video. I'm starting to have it, There's still a long way to go, my muscles get tired immediately but I'll keep trying. Thanks again my friend!
Hi John, great stuff, when I try to use this for fast scalar playing, I have ZERO problems changing strings after a DOWNstroke, but its really hard after an UPstroke, independently of the pick slant, like the movement itself forces you to use upward pickslanting(im also a cracking the code fan) do you have the same problem? If so how do you deal with changing strings after upstrokes? I can change the slanting direction at slower speeds by using either wrist or finger movements, like if I were using 2-way-pickslanting, but no where near the speed I can get doing the movement normally. Would you advise I invest some practise time into this? I was thinking of using this not only for fast 3 notes per string runs, but also for articulate, random number of notes per string type playing (like paul gilbert, petrucci or jason richardson). Would love to hear your thoughts, greetings from Portugal!
Yes, this fast style of picking locks you into upward slanting. Because I mute a LOT with my fretting hand I'm able to get away with a lot of "swiping". At those tempos/speeds you won't hear the muting going on when you hit adjacent strings. I just blast through them! I only pick like this when what I'm playing calls for it. If you have something articulate you wish to get as fast as possible, I would suggest making sure you stay rhythmically accurate the whole time. Not everything can be playing with this super fast style of picking. Not everything is designed to allow for insane speeds. I kick into overdrive only when I have to. If I can stay in time and keep rhythm while getting something fast and I get to a point where I have to use this fast picking technique, then I allow my arm to turn on when it's necessary. This isn't something you can really practice at a slow pace. That's why it's important to focus on accurate rhythm, and let your body adjust picking style/technique when it wants to in order to keep going faster.
Thanks a lot for the insight! Will definitely try the "swiping" approach, plus keep practising picking more from the wrist for more articulate/rhythm playing.
Thanks for taking my request John! Interesting video. My version of the muscle spasm includes clenching my fist strangely, I think that's just the way I found of activating that muscle. I'll have a go at your method tomorrow and see if it works any better (glad you managed to fix the audio as well!)
Thank you! I still plan to try out that tapping stuff you sent me. Been busy as hell getting a new place to live and record out of, plus starting up my personal training business.
Awesome, I look forward to it as and when! Sounds like you're super busy at the moment. Good luck luck with the move (and second business!) Also, I realised the version of the tabs I sent you isn't exactly what I play. The version I sent has some awkward position shifts in it, I worked out a slightly easier version. I'll send the amended version over.
A have a problem with picking speed in DWPS position. How can I get faster and don't change hand position? Also, I think my upstroke is weak and maybe it's trouble.
Metronome practice. Proper metronome practice I should say. If you want to work on up strokes, how about taking some down stroke only riffs and just do up strokes instead?
I'm a new subscriber and am enjoying the channel. 3 questions: 1.are these sik piks good for just tremelo picking say a palm-muted open E or open A (64th notes) like in most thrash i.e. Metallica's Fight Fire with Fire or is it just good for shredding (solos) 2. i've read that your arm should never move only your wrist. If I use my arm with my wrist i can play a little faster but hurts after a little while. Do you ever use just your wrist as the primary movement? 3. Have you every tried V-picks?
Thank you subscribing! Glad you're enjoying things :) Question 1: The Sik Piks are good for anything. I can't stand using anything else but Sik Piks, no matter what it is I'm playing. Question 2: Yes, but it depends on what I'm playing. I talk about that a bit on this video starting at 2:55 Question 3: No, I haven't tried those before.
I got that particular technique down before I even picked up a guitar. For me personally it is only cool as an effect. I hardly ever use it because I don't think my left hand could possibly keep up using these controlled spasms. I'd end up hitting notes double which might go unnoticeable at such ungodly speeds, but I come from a Paul Gilbert school of thinking which means the left and right hand need to be in sync at all times. It is cool being able to pick that fast, but it is not that much different from glueing picks to a drill. The spasm controls the speed not you. Unless there is a way to spasm slower haha. I do however find it a very useful technique for tremolos.
Hi John. How many picks per second can you maintain on flight of the bumble-bee? Also, at what speed do you find a traditional, non-twisted pick starts to slow you down?
Don't know how many picks per second I can maintain of FOTBB. Troy Grady might know the answer to that :P I'm pretty sure I kept up 280 BPM fairly well. After that, nope!!! Flat picks just feel weird to me no matter what I play now. Even though I believe the Sik Pik will make you faster simply by the design alone, when it comes down to it, you won't experience a HUGE difference in speed. That really comes down to the player.
Wow! 280 BPM. Thats super-human. Thanks for the advice on the picks, I'll keep playing around with that. BTW, Killers is my absolute all-time favorite rock album. I've destroyed my original tape because I listened to it too much, lol.
Brian Nordman Nice! I remember doing that to a few of my dad's old tapes. I remember doing that to Headhunter by Krokus, and I think the Krokus live album too. My dad got so sick of me putting nothing but Krokus on whenever I was in his truck he finally put in Powerslave. I was hooked!
Good Job! No muted audio! Btw I worked on the technique later on after the first video and noticed my rear delts activating. I have a lot more control now to use it almost on command ,but it's so physically exhausting. I can say though for some reason it's a good warm up for my picking hand because picking at normal speeds was more accurate and on time like when i'm warmed up which normally takes 4 hours or more. I didn't know so many muscles are involved in just picking till i did this. I think I need to go back to working out again lmao. I've been so involved in make music these years spending so many hours i didn't really have time ,but i guess i'll have to make time again.
Hell yeah! Can't believe I botched it a second time too. I need to be more careful for future videos. Thanks again for pointing that out. Very interesting that your rear delt turned on during the picking. My delts are almost dormant the entire time unless I pick long enough for my muscles to lock up, then my front delt locks up.
Mile High Shred No problem. Was going to tell you about if youtube muted the cut scenes in second video,but you removed the video before I could press post comment lol. Maybe i'm a shoulder picker? lol. If i use a downward pick slant i use my wrist more,but I can use my wrist with upward pick slanting even though it feels weird. I'm mainly an upwards pick slanter too.
Mile High Shred lol. He did a video on 4 essential motion mechanics for picking. The one that he says "picking from the elbow" in the style of Michael Angelo Batio is similar to what i do,but i don't anchor with my fingers the way he does. It doesn't feel like it's coming from the elbow more like the rear delts and triceps. I didn't notice those parts getting tired or used until I did the arm spasm thing lol.
I like how different positions work well to restrict flailing and are useful for grouping notes at certain tempos. I dont tend to shred anymore. It drives me nuts and I had RSI for years because of it. Even just practice this I feel the old pain. I dont even metal chug no more. Had to change my style. Its OK though. I think a similar thing happened to Steve Vai and he's still making cool shit. Check out 'and we are one' by Steve Vai. No shredding but blew my mind.
Rusty is fast, but once he hits about 16 or 17 bps, he starts to really lose his accuracy, and his fretting stops matching his picking. Same with that brazilian guy, Tiago Della Vega, his left and right hands never match up... not even close. From what I saw on Troy Grady, John is able to keep the hands synched at 20 bps, thats the fastest Ive ever seen, and he can maintain that synching at 19 bps, playing through the entire flight of the bumble-bee. But when it comes to precision at high speed, MAB is still in a league of his own.
Me personally? I'm not sure. I know I can't do as many notes with the left hand perfectly synced with my right hand at my fastest picking shown in the clips in this video. At least, I highly doubt it. I gave up trying to max out on notes per second stuff.
Have you tried the D75 lefty version? If you think about it - it follows the natural curve of your forearm if it were to swing with your elbow anchored.
I'm not sure what you mean by rotate my wrist. Is there wrist deviation? Yes. Does it rotate the same way it would rotate when my forearm supinates and pronates? No. Because you can't rotate your wrist like that separate from your forearm. Your forearm is what flips your wrist over and back again.
Been playing for around 10yrs, I realized very early on that I could also pick incredibly fast from the elbow doing the controlled spasm. However, I've never played from the elbow as I was always told that wrist is king. In trying to get my wrist picking up to speed, I developed the same thumb forefinger flex that you use. Again, I was told it was bad technique, but it was very difficult to get past a certain speed using the wrist (it was accurate, but not fast). I'm going to give the elbow technique a shot, however, it's difficult to do anything other than tremolo picking. Do you also have difficulty switching rapidly between strings or synching your elbow picking with your fretting hand? Thanks.
I don't have TOO much trouble these days. Working things up with the metronome to allow yourself to get used to moving into elbow picking helps tremendously with syncing things up as you keep focus on solid rhythm. I've had a few tell me my technique is "bad" or "dangerous". I have no issues from playing this way after just over 20 years.
George Benzon use that elbow in picking too..and he is lightning fast..check his videos and live concerts..but the angle of his pick is opposite tonthe angle of standard picking..
So youre saying that when you flex your wrist that your brachioradialis tenses up as well? I tried your technique as best i could, and got some great results, I just hope im doing it correctly lol.
Flexing the wrist makes it easier to tense up the brachioradialis. I find it easier to engage that muscle when I pull the wrist back. Glad to hear you got great results from trying this :)
Out of curiosity who is your favorite guitar player? i know they are tons so is very hard for me to pick one but Satriani,Vai, Yngwie, Buckethead, Petrucci and Eric Johnson. Are the best at what they do.
I see you’re a lifter too. I find this works against me when speed picking. If working on speed drills for more than 15 mins, I start getting muscle pump which then slows me down. I think being a lifter, I naturally grip the guitar harder than I should.
Is it really comfortable playing with such a curved pick? thanks for tips! I have a problem that when I play fast and long, triceps hurt too much. Trying to relax everything at maximum
Shredmaster Scott you first) for me shipping would be higher than picks) right now I`m using Jazz 2 mm from them dawmanufacturing.bigcartel.com/products and I like it so far. Sweeping became slightly easier) Though mine are transparent and easy to lose)
Great video I'm trying to learn guitar because I love all the old metal Iron Maiden, Exodus, Metal Church,Testament. I just want to be able to play my favorite music on guitar. So this video helped me my palm was never planted n I sounded just like when you did it. That made me laugh. Thanks again\../
If I pick as hard and fast as I can for too long, too often, yes. I usually don't go all out though. That being said, pushing your body to the max in anything for too long will cause some pain/soreness.
One thing is it glides across the string much easier. The main thing I came to like about it was the distance from string to string was reduced. The Gravity Pick basically does the same thing, but I find my accuracy is a little better with the Gravity VS the Sik Pik.
Gotcha. So what makes the gravity pick different? I'm here looking at a picture of it and at first glance it looks like a regular pick. Thanks for the prompt replies by the way!
The one I have is 6 mm thick. It's also beveled all the way around giving it a pointed tip the glides across the strings. Having a beveled pick seems to be a must have in making fast playing easy on yourself. Picks naturally develop a bevel from being worn down as you play with them. The thickness of the 6mm pick feels REALLY comfortable. I was surprised how nice it felt!
Yes, sir! One reason I liked Sik Pik so much is the reduced space in between guitar strings. The twist of the pick made this happen. The 6 mm Gravity Pick does this too, but having the entire pick being this thick makes it feel much more comfortable to hold, and it never snags on the strings like a Sik Pik could do. The entire pick is beveled to 3 separate points, so I basically get 3 picks in one. Only the Stealth body design has 3 points though. Other designs typically have the traditional single point like most picks.
@@Milehighshred Just placed an order for 2, 3, 4 & 6 mm Gravity picks. I'll make sure they send you a commission check. I will let you know what I think.
Yeah, and I hate those things. Good idea for the point of the pick (which is basically what my Gravity picks do), but because it has that 90 degree angle from the point of the pick to what you hold the pick keep getting caught on the strings.
Your picking speed is enormous. I wish, i could do that. On the other hand, it's not special or new, there were guitarists, who picked already in the late 70's/early 80's that fast. And i am not talking about Eddie Van Halen.......
YOU NAILED IT BRO!! shit is a complete and utter muscle spasm🤣 I was never able to put into words for other guitarists how exactly I pick so fast....your an excellent teacher bro!!! Keep up the superb videos 🤘😉
Thank you! And, thanks to an old student, I've been able to describe that picking style as a controlled spasm, because that's how he described it after he watched me do it.
hey john...i dont know if you remember me. I have talked to you on facebook around the time when you had set the world record. I was trying getting to your speed on FOTB.. You were really a huge inspiration for me to work hard and practice. Just came across your channel.. Such great stuff that you've been putting out. All the best!! Also, check out my channel if you have time..I have some of my music on there...:)
Certainly recognize the name! Glad I could be a positive inspiration :) I clicked on your name, but I didn't see any videos of yours on your profile. Just videos you liked and subscriptions.
Perfect timing for me, John. Great lesson. Hey, completely random question, but would this even be that challenging for you after you learned it? And do you think you could play it even faster than this guy? - Steve Vai's Caprice No. 5 - ruclips.net/video/61b2i6d-oaA/видео.html To me it seems more appealing to alternate pick all of this, which is how I've been practicing it.
Thank you! AFTER I've learned it? Good chance. I've learned parts of that before. I ended up changing the fingering usually tabbed to something I found comfortable. Don't remember it though. That song is a huge pain in the ass. Could I play it faster? Maybe. If I put in the correct practice it's possible. It's crazy how wide that guy's picking motions are. He's pretty accurate that way.
Psshhhh... your speed is nuts man. About his picking, I thought the same thing! I would expect that he would accidentally pick through some adjacent strings, but maybe most people can't even hear if that happens at this speed with this much distortion. Anyway, to hear you say this song is a pain in the ass makes me a little worried lol, but so far getting it up to about 80% speed wasn't too difficult. But of course the last 20%, then 10%, and 5% is the hardest part. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
Rusty Shackleford You're welcome! One thing to keep in mind though, just because I find this song to be a pain in the ass doesn't mean you won't find it easier. Part of the problem I had with the song was a lack of emotional connection. It was just finger exercises to me. The music never really moved me, so that's a definite set back in learning it.
I can definitely understand that. I guess to me the piece sounds aggressive in a classical way, and playing the piece in a guitar battle like in Crossroads is an aggressive move lol.
I think both, it's like it doesn't feel right for me and i generally have concerns over using tension anywhere in my picking hand because i did injure myself before in my fretting hand that took a year or two to recover from, so i kind of programmed myself to think "tension=bad"😅 I am sure I'll find my own way to alt pick fast, tho I'll keep your video in mind because maybe it'll help @@Milehighshred
great vid.. love Troys work...i wanted to fast alternate pick after attending a Michaelangelo Batio clinic back in 86(been playing since 83). I have achieved(i think) a speed im happy with. Is it the fastest? No..not by a long shot, but i have(since this vid of me was made 6 yrs ago, link below), i have improved on accuracy in my speed even more. Nowadays, i spend all my playing time writing material, recording as ive got techniques, speed, phrasing as about as good as im gonna get. In my 41 yrs, ive done a label deal, appeared as guest soloist on other artist albums ruclips.net/video/I_eV94htEBI/видео.htmlsi=P1B2QvhtN3Qjk8iw
FREE eBook on how to make progress now, and reach speeds faster than you've ever played before: www.milehighshred.com/metronome_method.html
@7:04, sounds like when I walk into any Guitar Center.
Thank you so much. I have been watching tons of youtubers trying to explain that, I understood but my wrist didn’t want to move as I wanted, in 1 minute of your explanation I think I can do it! Thanks man. I subscribe to your channel now.
Fantastic! Hope the speed picking goes well for you \m/
John, you are TRULY a generous soul, and blessing to the entire guitar community. You are a rare breed...not only because of your accomplishments, but your willingness to divulge insight and give advice from a very elite position. Most people of your ilk are so paranoid and GREEDY that they will not share any tips of any great magnitude, for a pathological fear of someone surpassing them. I don't get that vibe from you. At all. I feel like you are someone that would adopt an outlook where you embraced the fact that all records will be broken. It is inevitable. And if someone managed to surpass you, LEGITAMELY, that it would simply mean that you had more work to do, assuming you were too terribly busted up about it. And until the time that you DID, you wouldn't trash-talk or attempt to spoil someone else's accomplishment. The world needs more people like that. I wish you all the good fortune in the world, brother.
Thank you very much for the kind words! You mentioned a record being broken; are you aware I never really had a record and that I denounced it?
Was aware that you had a video addressing that you hadn't played all notes, or that they weren't played cleanly, yes. You are still looked at as being otherworldly talented on your instrument (rightly so), and any performance issues of your "record" performance were so minute that they were nearly negligible, if not non existent. As you well know, many of the so-called new "record holders" have had, and CONTINUE to have their performances just annihilated, because they are so obviously played sloppily, and... let's be honest...MANY notes are wrong, or not sounded in the first place. That is not me saying these players are not excellent musicians, nor that they aren't capable of being record holders. But when I hear these very outlandish claims of nearly 2000 BPM, it is obvious, even at that speed, with a naked eye, there are mistakes being made.
fast picking= satisfied lover
Nothing says I love you like 300 bpm 16th notes @-@
Great video, will get started on this asap. Thank you again.
You're very welcome 😁
Awesome I've never seen it taught that way I'm going to try it
Monson guitars! i am want a scourge 8 string
When you tense up your forearm muscles for that really fast picking -- how long can you maintain that before you feel that muscle burn?
Depends on how warmed up I am, but usually about 20 - 30 seconds if I'm going as fast as I possibly can.
Depends on if you're single, or in an relationship, if you know what I mean. :)
I'd worry more about the tendons than the muscles.. this looks like a recipe for tendonitis.
@@MrTubularBalls I've been using this technique for 15 years now (playing very fast thrash metal) with zero issues.
@@MrTubularBalls tendonitis often happens on the fingers, not on that muscle, this is way more safe than shredding using the wrist only.
Nice lesson up the irons 🤘
Thank you!
Very very useful!!! thank you!!
You're very welcome :)
Great explanations!
Thank you!
I am an upward pick slanting picker and this is what I feel was lacking I have seen rusty colts video from Troy Grady's archives and watched the monitors on your promo from nc state and saw that it looked like the brachioradialis was engaging more and I tried like hell to get it. To engage and now thanks to this vid should help a lot
Thanks a bunch
You're welcome! Let me know how it goes.
1:35 The funniest thing ever, I'm learning One-Metallica, and I only looked up how to pick faster because of that... what a coincidence
That song is definitely a big influence on a lot of us for playing fast.
VERY HELPFUL!
Thank you!
thank you very much for posting this video. When you pick your fastest, is the picking movement coming mostly from your arm/elbow? it looks like that to me, but it also looks like your wrist is not completely stiff. And do you still use this way of picking when playing say 3 note per string patterns where you have to cross between strings?
You're welcome :)
You are correct, the fastest picking comes from the elbow as the pivot point. The wrist is not moving up and down intentionally. Because the heel of my hand acts as an anchor point on the guitar, it looks like my wrist is helping to move the pick up and down. But, it's not.
I CAN pick like this running 3 note per string patterns, but that doesn't mean it sounds the best. Although this style of picking gives you the fastest picking you can do, accuracy is absolutely lost.
thank you! makes perfect sense. So when you play fast scale runs you don't use this picking technique?
It really depends on what I'm playing. If I want a scale run that goes as fast as I can, then I have no choice but to use this picking technique! There's a lot of fret hand muting that goes on to "clean" things up. Swiping is something that also happens. Troy Grady talks about swiping on his channel.
thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.
You're welcome! Happy to help :)
Awesome ! Gonna try this soon ;)
The music is too loud at the end, I barely hear you !
Some questions : 1)Do you think muscle training help you a lot in your guitar skills (speed, accuracy or anything else) ? 2) Still use Riffbandz ?
Pretty excited to see Science of Speed, maybe my most wanted Masters in Mechanics episode since first trailer !
I'll be sure to get a better level on the music next time for the ending. Thank you for the feedback :)
Yes, I absolutely credit my weight training to my ability to play as fast as I do.
Every now and then I'll use the Riffbandz. If I'm actually going to practice something I need to get up to a certain speed, or if I want a quick warm up prior to a show I'll throw them on.
I'm looking forward to seeing the final product for Science of Speed too. It's been a very eye opening experience working with Troy Grady so far.
Gabriel González Yes, the grip strength will transfer to fret strength. The stronger your hands the easier I believe it would be to fret something. Should make barre chords easier!
Fretting strength SHOULD translate to fretting speed. Just like building stronger legs can make you run faster.
Yeah! thank you very much for sharing the way you pick so fast. I'll work on this right away
You're quite welcome! Let me know how it goes :)
+Mile High Shred I have my guitar students practicing this and studying your awesome video. I'm starting to have it, There's still a long way to go, my muscles get tired immediately but I'll keep trying. Thanks again my friend!
Your dad is one talented and very cool dude! Great vid John!
Indeed he is. Thanks!
You: if you can get THIS to come up, here....
Me: I don't even have that.
Do you hear about Roy Marchbank?
Yeah, that guy is crazy good. I got to tell him how amazing he is on Troy Grady's forum, and I got a response! That was a very cool day :)
Roy Marchbank is incredible. He uses speeds like these to cross strings over entire pieces of music!!!! It’s not the spasm technique he uses though.
What kind of pick is that? Looks very comfy to use.
Hi John, great stuff, when I try to use this for fast scalar playing, I have ZERO problems changing strings after a DOWNstroke, but its really hard after an UPstroke, independently of the pick slant, like the movement itself forces you to use upward pickslanting(im also a cracking the code fan) do you have the same problem? If so how do you deal with changing strings after upstrokes?
I can change the slanting direction at slower speeds by using either wrist or finger movements, like if I were using 2-way-pickslanting, but no where near the speed I can get doing the movement normally. Would you advise I invest some practise time into this? I was thinking of using this not only for fast 3 notes per string runs, but also for articulate, random number of notes per string type playing (like paul gilbert, petrucci or jason richardson).
Would love to hear your thoughts, greetings from Portugal!
Yes, this fast style of picking locks you into upward slanting. Because I mute a LOT with my fretting hand I'm able to get away with a lot of "swiping". At those tempos/speeds you won't hear the muting going on when you hit adjacent strings. I just blast through them!
I only pick like this when what I'm playing calls for it. If you have something articulate you wish to get as fast as possible, I would suggest making sure you stay rhythmically accurate the whole time. Not everything can be playing with this super fast style of picking. Not everything is designed to allow for insane speeds.
I kick into overdrive only when I have to. If I can stay in time and keep rhythm while getting something fast and I get to a point where I have to use this fast picking technique, then I allow my arm to turn on when it's necessary. This isn't something you can really practice at a slow pace. That's why it's important to focus on accurate rhythm, and let your body adjust picking style/technique when it wants to in order to keep going faster.
Thanks a lot for the insight! Will definitely try the "swiping" approach, plus keep practising picking more from the wrist for more articulate/rhythm playing.
Thanks for taking my request John! Interesting video. My version of the muscle spasm includes clenching my fist strangely, I think that's just the way I found of activating that muscle. I'll have a go at your method tomorrow and see if it works any better (glad you managed to fix the audio as well!)
Thank you! I still plan to try out that tapping stuff you sent me. Been busy as hell getting a new place to live and record out of, plus starting up my personal training business.
Awesome, I look forward to it as and when! Sounds like you're super busy at the moment. Good luck luck with the move (and second business!) Also, I realised the version of the tabs I sent you isn't exactly what I play. The version I sent has some awkward position shifts in it, I worked out a slightly easier version. I'll send the amended version over.
What kind of guitar pick is that?
A have a problem with picking speed in DWPS position. How can I get faster and don't change hand position? Also, I think my upstroke is weak and maybe it's trouble.
Metronome practice. Proper metronome practice I should say. If you want to work on up strokes, how about taking some down stroke only riffs and just do up strokes instead?
Mile High Shred great idea!
Thank you!
I'm a new subscriber and am enjoying the channel.
3 questions:
1.are these sik piks good for just tremelo picking say a palm-muted open E or open A (64th notes) like in most thrash i.e. Metallica's Fight Fire with Fire or is it just good for shredding (solos)
2. i've read that your arm should never move only your wrist. If I use my arm with my wrist i can play a little faster but hurts after a little while. Do you ever use just your wrist as the primary movement?
3. Have you every tried V-picks?
Thank you subscribing! Glad you're enjoying things :)
Question 1: The Sik Piks are good for anything. I can't stand using anything else but Sik Piks, no matter what it is I'm playing.
Question 2: Yes, but it depends on what I'm playing. I talk about that a bit on this video starting at 2:55
Question 3: No, I haven't tried those before.
I got that particular technique down before I even picked up a guitar. For me personally it is only cool as an effect. I hardly ever use it because I don't think my left hand could possibly keep up using these controlled spasms. I'd end up hitting notes double which might go unnoticeable at such ungodly speeds, but I come from a Paul Gilbert school of thinking which means the left and right hand need to be in sync at all times. It is cool being able to pick that fast, but it is not that much different from glueing picks to a drill. The spasm controls the speed not you. Unless there is a way to spasm slower haha. I do however find it a very useful technique for tremolos.
Hi John. How many picks per second can you maintain on flight of the bumble-bee? Also, at what speed do you find a traditional, non-twisted pick starts to slow you down?
Don't know how many picks per second I can maintain of FOTBB. Troy Grady might know the answer to that :P
I'm pretty sure I kept up 280 BPM fairly well. After that, nope!!!
Flat picks just feel weird to me no matter what I play now. Even though I believe the Sik Pik will make you faster simply by the design alone, when it comes down to it, you won't experience a HUGE difference in speed. That really comes down to the player.
Wow! 280 BPM. Thats super-human. Thanks for the advice on the picks, I'll keep playing around with that. BTW, Killers is my absolute all-time favorite rock album. I've destroyed my original tape because I listened to it too much, lol.
Brian Nordman Nice! I remember doing that to a few of my dad's old tapes. I remember doing that to Headhunter by Krokus, and I think the Krokus live album too.
My dad got so sick of me putting nothing but Krokus on whenever I was in his truck he finally put in Powerslave. I was hooked!
Thanks so much. Great video. Very helpful...
You're very welcome :)
Good Job! No muted audio! Btw I worked on the technique later on after the first video and noticed my rear delts activating. I have a lot more control now to use it almost on command ,but it's so physically exhausting. I can say though for some reason it's a good warm up for my picking hand because picking at normal speeds was more accurate and on time like when i'm warmed up which normally takes 4 hours or more.
I didn't know so many muscles are involved in just picking till i did this. I think I need to go back to working out again lmao. I've been so involved in make music these years spending so many hours i didn't really have time ,but i guess i'll have to make time again.
Hell yeah! Can't believe I botched it a second time too. I need to be more careful for future videos. Thanks again for pointing that out.
Very interesting that your rear delt turned on during the picking. My delts are almost dormant the entire time unless I pick long enough for my muscles to lock up, then my front delt locks up.
Mile High Shred
No problem. Was going to tell you about if youtube muted the cut scenes in second video,but you removed the video before I could press post comment lol.
Maybe i'm a shoulder picker? lol. If i use a downward pick slant i use my wrist more,but I can use my wrist with upward pick slanting even though it feels weird. I'm mainly an upwards pick slanter too.
blood lord Maybe Troy will do a new series on shoulder picking!
Mile High Shred
lol. He did a video on 4 essential motion mechanics for picking. The one that he says "picking from the elbow" in the style of Michael Angelo Batio is similar to what i do,but i don't anchor with my fingers the way he does. It doesn't feel like it's coming from the elbow more like the rear delts and triceps. I didn't notice those parts getting tired or used until I did the arm spasm thing lol.
blood lord That anchoring tends to get in my way. I feel restricted.
I like how different positions work well to restrict flailing and are useful for grouping notes at certain tempos. I dont tend to shred anymore. It drives me nuts and I had RSI for years because of it. Even just practice this I feel the old pain. I dont even metal chug no more. Had to change my style. Its OK though. I think a similar thing happened to Steve Vai and he's still making cool shit. Check out 'and we are one' by Steve Vai. No shredding but blew my mind.
As long as you're enjoying music still, that's all that matters \m/
I sincerely hope I finally fixed the damn audio from dropping out on this! Third upload so far.
Seeing this same video in my feed made me think I was stuck in a time warp. Who's faster, you or Rusty Cooley?
I think it really depends on what's being played. Tough call!
Believe me, Rusty Cooley
Rusty is fast, but once he hits about 16 or 17 bps, he starts to really lose his accuracy, and his fretting stops matching his picking. Same with that brazilian guy, Tiago Della Vega, his left and right hands never match up... not even close. From what I saw on Troy Grady, John is able to keep the hands synched at 20 bps, thats the fastest Ive ever seen, and he can maintain that synching at 19 bps, playing through the entire flight of the bumble-bee. But when it comes to precision at high speed, MAB is still in a league of his own.
Brian Nordman Batio is crazy good. I remember hearing that he spent something like 2 years playing left handed just to get his chops up. He's a beast!
How many notes per second can you synchronize with your left hand playing across strings?
Me personally? I'm not sure. I know I can't do as many notes with the left hand perfectly synced with my right hand at my fastest picking shown in the clips in this video. At least, I highly doubt it.
I gave up trying to max out on notes per second stuff.
lol - that's the hardest thing to do - I do not think that it's possible.
What Pick is that you are using?
Have you tried the D75 lefty version? If you think about it - it follows the natural curve of your forearm if it were to swing with your elbow anchored.
Alexandru Stefan Where did you see a lefty version?
They aren't listed on the site because he said he doesn't have them available yet but when he does he'll post it.
@@Milehighshred Haven't been able to find these anywhere. Do you know if these are still being made? Would like to give them a try 👊
@@jeremybaker8557 they stopped getting made a while ago after the creator died. 6mm Gravity Picks are what I use/recommend these days.
Dude is doing 24 notes per second and I'm just trying to learn how to do two a second so I can play a Parkway Drive song.... 😂
Hey John! Former student here. Hope you are well. How do you maintain coordination with the left hand playing that fast? Lots of metronome practice?
Indeed! Tons of metronome. Making sure your rhythm is rock solid first is quite important though.
Do you rotate your wrist while you upward pickslanting or your wrist extension stays in the same place?
I'm not sure what you mean by rotate my wrist. Is there wrist deviation? Yes. Does it rotate the same way it would rotate when my forearm supinates and pronates? No. Because you can't rotate your wrist like that separate from your forearm. Your forearm is what flips your wrist over and back again.
Mile High Shred thanks!
That was the last step I needed!!! Now I shall be the fastest one there is!!!
What is up with that pick?
Been playing for around 10yrs, I realized very early on that I could also pick incredibly fast from the elbow doing the controlled spasm. However, I've never played from the elbow as I was always told that wrist is king. In trying to get my wrist picking up to speed, I developed the same thumb forefinger flex that you use. Again, I was told it was bad technique, but it was very difficult to get past a certain speed using the wrist (it was accurate, but not fast).
I'm going to give the elbow technique a shot, however, it's difficult to do anything other than tremolo picking. Do you also have difficulty switching rapidly between strings or synching your elbow picking with your fretting hand? Thanks.
I don't have TOO much trouble these days. Working things up with the metronome to allow yourself to get used to moving into elbow picking helps tremendously with syncing things up as you keep focus on solid rhythm.
I've had a few tell me my technique is "bad" or "dangerous". I have no issues from playing this way after just over 20 years.
George Benzon use that elbow in picking too..and he is lightning fast..check his videos and live concerts..but the angle of his pick is opposite tonthe angle of standard picking..
So youre saying that when you flex your wrist that your brachioradialis tenses up as well? I tried your technique as best i could, and got some great results, I just hope im doing it correctly lol.
Flexing the wrist makes it easier to tense up the brachioradialis. I find it easier to engage that muscle when I pull the wrist back. Glad to hear you got great results from trying this :)
You should check out Sarod picking by Pebber Brown
I've never felt comfortable doing that style. Pretty interesting though!
It's really hard to do, but when i practice Sarod i don't get physically tired just mentally, which shows how relaxed that style really is.
I actually like getting physically tired when I play :D
Out of curiosity who is your favorite guitar player? i know they are tons so is very hard for me to pick one but Satriani,Vai, Yngwie, Buckethead, Petrucci and Eric Johnson. Are the best at what they do.
Buckethead!
Put this vid up on the site. Let's get some more views!
Very cool! Much appreciated :)
Sik Pik,I love your piks best Ive ever used, took a little while to get used to but I'll never go back to regular picks.
which sik pik are you using in this video; or rather which do you tend to use?
I see you’re a lifter too. I find this works against me when speed picking. If working on speed drills for more than 15 mins, I start getting muscle pump which then slows me down. I think being a lifter, I naturally grip the guitar harder than I should.
Do you use a very thin pick?????
Never. They're too floppy. The one in the video was probably 1-2 mm thick.
Are you using a stylus pick?
Negative. That's a Sik Pik. They're no longer made, and I'm currently using Bog Street picks now.
@@Milehighshred thanks for taking time to reply. Looks like it had a stylus type tip/point. I’ll check out the new ones. 🤘🏻
Is it really comfortable playing with such a curved pick?
thanks for tips! I have a problem that when I play fast and long, triceps hurt too much. Trying to relax everything at maximum
Oh yes. I can't stand using any type of flat pick anymore. I love my Sik Piks :)
You're quite welcome for the tips. Thank you for watching!
Hey)
Hey dude :) let's try out the sik pik and see what happens with our technique
Shredmaster Scott you first) for me shipping would be higher than picks)
right now I`m using Jazz 2 mm from them
dawmanufacturing.bigcartel.com/products
and I like it so far. Sweeping became slightly easier)
Though mine are transparent and easy to lose)
Shredmaster Scott Get 'em at www.milehighshred.com/store/c2/Sik_Piks.html
Great video I'm trying to learn guitar because I love all the old metal Iron Maiden, Exodus, Metal Church,Testament. I just want to be able to play my favorite music on guitar. So this video helped me my palm was never planted n I sounded just like when you did it. That made me laugh. Thanks again\../
Glad it helped!
does your elbow get sore though?
If I pick as hard and fast as I can for too long, too often, yes. I usually don't go all out though. That being said, pushing your body to the max in anything for too long will cause some pain/soreness.
thanks for the reply!
I would give you 2 likes if I could: one for Iron Maiden stuff, the other one for the content 🤟
Hey John, what kind of pick is that?
Sik Pik. The D75 version.
Currently I'm using a 6 mm Classic Gravity Pick as my favorite.
Whoa just looked it up, super strange shape. What's the selling point?
One thing is it glides across the string much easier. The main thing I came to like about it was the distance from string to string was reduced. The Gravity Pick basically does the same thing, but I find my accuracy is a little better with the Gravity VS the Sik Pik.
Gotcha. So what makes the gravity pick different? I'm here looking at a picture of it and at first glance it looks like a regular pick. Thanks for the prompt replies by the way!
The one I have is 6 mm thick. It's also beveled all the way around giving it a pointed tip the glides across the strings. Having a beveled pick seems to be a must have in making fast playing easy on yourself. Picks naturally develop a bevel from being worn down as you play with them. The thickness of the 6mm pick feels REALLY comfortable. I was surprised how nice it felt!
What picks are you using? They look like they are bent to change the attack. I don't think I've ever seen this before.
That's a Sik Pik, but they are no longer being made. I use 6mm Gravity Picks with the Stealth Body design now.
@@Milehighshred Excuse me sir... Did you say 6mm?!?
Yes, sir! One reason I liked Sik Pik so much is the reduced space in between guitar strings. The twist of the pick made this happen. The 6 mm Gravity Pick does this too, but having the entire pick being this thick makes it feel much more comfortable to hold, and it never snags on the strings like a Sik Pik could do.
The entire pick is beveled to 3 separate points, so I basically get 3 picks in one. Only the Stealth body design has 3 points though. Other designs typically have the traditional single point like most picks.
@@Milehighshred Just placed an order for 2, 3, 4 & 6 mm Gravity picks. I'll make sure they send you a commission check. I will let you know what I think.
Very cool! I hope you like them. And, I hope you got some grip holes too.
Hey, I just noticed that you have a strange pick here, can you tell me what is it???
Sik Pik. They're not made anymore. I use Gravity 6 mm Stealth designs now.
@@Milehighshred John, yeah I remember you showed me some super thick picks back at our lesson sessions...
@@Milehighshred have you tried Stylus Picks? Should be good for speed picking, or at least they say they are...
Yeah, and I hate those things. Good idea for the point of the pick (which is basically what my Gravity picks do), but because it has that 90 degree angle from the point of the pick to what you hold the pick keep getting caught on the strings.
Your picking speed is enormous. I wish, i could do that. On the other hand, it's not special or new, there were guitarists, who picked already in the late 70's/early 80's that fast. And i am not talking about Eddie Van Halen.......
he´s playing with Batman as a guitar!! that explains everything jajaj
geddy lee buffed up
Ahaaaaaa!!! Thanks!!!
Welcome :)
Here am I 😍 thanks
Welcome!!
Is that a Monson?
It is!
Creo que te gusta un poco Iron maiden
Oh my cubit
you look like the type of person to have that kind of guitar
T-Shirt and Flag of Iron Maiden.. You are great Man.. Like Greedy.. Ciao Man
The intro was great...
YOU NAILED IT BRO!! shit is a complete and utter muscle spasm🤣 I was never able to put into words for other guitarists how exactly I pick so fast....your an excellent teacher bro!!! Keep up the superb videos 🤘😉
Thank you! And, thanks to an old student, I've been able to describe that picking style as a controlled spasm, because that's how he described it after he watched me do it.
hey john...i dont know if you remember me. I have talked to you on facebook around the time when you had set the world record. I was trying getting to your speed on FOTB.. You were really a huge inspiration for me to work hard and practice. Just came across your channel.. Such great stuff that you've been putting out. All the best!! Also, check out my channel if you have time..I have some of my music on there...:)
Certainly recognize the name! Glad I could be a positive inspiration :) I clicked on your name, but I didn't see any videos of yours on your profile. Just videos you liked and subscriptions.
FLEEEEXXX 1ST, 2ND, 3RD IN COMMAND!! SPASTIC THAT SHIT!! AWESOME..LOL
Awesome intro :)
Thank you :D
Roy Marchbank, look no further
Perfect timing for me, John. Great lesson. Hey, completely random question, but would this even be that challenging for you after you learned it? And do you think you could play it even faster than this guy? - Steve Vai's Caprice No. 5 - ruclips.net/video/61b2i6d-oaA/видео.html To me it seems more appealing to alternate pick all of this, which is how I've been practicing it.
Thank you!
AFTER I've learned it? Good chance. I've learned parts of that before. I ended up changing the fingering usually tabbed to something I found comfortable. Don't remember it though. That song is a huge pain in the ass.
Could I play it faster? Maybe. If I put in the correct practice it's possible. It's crazy how wide that guy's picking motions are. He's pretty accurate that way.
Psshhhh... your speed is nuts man. About his picking, I thought the same thing! I would expect that he would accidentally pick through some adjacent strings, but maybe most people can't even hear if that happens at this speed with this much distortion. Anyway, to hear you say this song is a pain in the ass makes me a little worried lol, but so far getting it up to about 80% speed wasn't too difficult. But of course the last 20%, then 10%, and 5% is the hardest part. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
Rusty Shackleford You're welcome! One thing to keep in mind though, just because I find this song to be a pain in the ass doesn't mean you won't find it easier. Part of the problem I had with the song was a lack of emotional connection. It was just finger exercises to me. The music never really moved me, so that's a definite set back in learning it.
I can definitely understand that. I guess to me the piece sounds aggressive in a classical way, and playing the piece in a guitar battle like in Crossroads is an aggressive move lol.
Can you play it angrily?
new title: achieve your BIGGEST GUNS while having a fit
I love having fits.
I've done that same spasm thing for years, though I haven't found an actual use for it :p
the best use for it is in the shower
Drummers do the same thing when performing single stroke rolls really fast.
You look like Geddy Lee
At 7:42 he says "where your trying to shake the shit out of your arm." You'll be trying a long time most people use their ass for this
you're*
@@Milehighshred gotta keep it fun or it becomes too much of a choir. Great videos 👍
You need to play mandolin man. You'd make a killing!!!
Man this feels like it's going to injure me
Do you mean you actually feel something bad happening to you when you try picking this way? Or are you just concerned something bad will happen?
I think both, it's like it doesn't feel right for me and i generally have concerns over using tension anywhere in my picking hand because i did injure myself before in my fretting hand that took a year or two to recover from, so i kind of programmed myself to think "tension=bad"😅
I am sure I'll find my own way to alt pick fast, tho I'll keep your video in mind because maybe it'll help
@@Milehighshred
How the heck can guitarists like Kirk Hammett downpick so fast and how can Cannibal Corpse guys pick subhuman speeds?
Genetics, and hard consistent work.
I can alternate pick faster than this
Yeah right, but who cares how fast you can pick one string if you cant play difficult solos with the same speed.
damaging
great vid.. love Troys work...i wanted to fast alternate pick after attending a Michaelangelo Batio clinic back in 86(been playing since 83). I have achieved(i think) a speed im happy with. Is it the fastest? No..not by a long shot, but i have(since this vid of me was made 6 yrs ago, link below), i have improved on accuracy in my speed even more. Nowadays, i spend all my playing time writing material, recording as ive got techniques, speed, phrasing as about as good as im gonna get. In my 41 yrs, ive done a label deal, appeared as guest soloist on other artist albums
ruclips.net/video/I_eV94htEBI/видео.htmlsi=P1B2QvhtN3Qjk8iw