Eric Johnson Lesson: The Skip Fives Lick (Cascade, Chapter 22)

[@AngelRiveroMusic]

Thanks Troy, I have learned so much with your videos, that i haven't go out from home in 2 days trying to nail down your mechanics. You just solved many of my problems and have filled my enthusiasm up to the point that i can't sleep because i want to keep playing and i wake up very early because i can't stop thinking about all this things. Thank you very much for beign so pasionate and helpful

[@troygrady]

+Angel Rivero Thanks Angel! I definitely recommend getting some sunshine. Everything in moderation!

[@jeffreymonroe153]

+Troy Grady yes, what Angel said.

[@G-NutZ]

Troy is a monster 👹 the analyst of the worlds greatest shredders. This series is one of the single greatest additions to the world of advanced guitar lessons.

[@jsguitargeek1432]

Troy's work is revolutionary - and he deserves very positive comment in this list - and more

[@ericrussell1117]

Troy hi my name is Eric Russell I have watching your videos for years and have been working on learning this it’s been an extremely hard long tedious path of trial and error I have finally just got it and you were the beginning of leading down the right path it’s a weird feeling there is less resistance then I pictured in my mind it feels extremely smooth anyway thank you you for being you and doing what you do peace Troy in the words of Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton Rock On

[@EVEROSFP1]

Troy you are a hell of a teacher. PERIOD.

[@michaelgriffin5304]

That is the coolest looking Gibson ever! I'm not even a big Gibson fan. The content on your channel is unmatched in terms of content, editing and professionalism. I recommend your videos to all of my students. Thanks Troy!

[@viruscerbero]

The analysis you've made on this video is pure genius.You took a great technique and took it to the ultimate level. Thank you Troy

[@benwillard6751]

You're an excellent player and just as impressive analyzer and instructor!!

[@ChrisOBrien666]

Another great video *****. After playing guitar for 30+ years, I'm surprised at how much my playing has improved over the last few months thanks to the insight you've provided in your videos!

[@Art-zs6sl]

Troy Grady is absolutely one of my favorite KZbin performers! Thanks Troy!

[@pics5668]

I enjoy your approach and lessons. Great balance of showing what is going on (very well) and talking, explaining! Thank you!

[@BAJARACER43X]

this guy needs to find out who killed kennedy

[@malteraff5237]

If you really look for an answer for this issue, i just tell you: it was the CIA with L.B. Johnson on top!

[@KingWTFuck]

It was the mob.

[@rolandlemus203]

It was BOTH! There was a very good special on it, about the car in the back which was his own SS detail. who had a semi automatic in the front seat who had one round shot out, evidence almost destroyed but the skull and the angles ALL match up on the second shot which proves the angle from the shot from behind at car level, being that the SS agent didn't plan or mean to do it, but others say otherwise, but anyway, there is a longer story to it, and the Mob was behind Oswald. He was a patsy, and the SS agent was hung over and "supposedly" didn't plan to press the trigger, when approached, all of the agents in that car would not comment. It's all suspect, but a sad chapter in our history of what NOT to do for Presidential protection.

[@saiyaniam]

It was inside picking.

[@851852093114208513]

I heard LBJ had a huge dick. So take that conspiracy nuts.

[@youhavetogoback8449]

This video was unbelievably helpful. I finally understand what EJ does on the fast licks. Your videos helped me finally get an understanding of his bounce technique. Thanks a lot.

[@juanvezoli1770]

BEST GUITAR TEACHER EVER !! you decrypted the mistery code of picking !!

[@TheAgentAssassin]

such an in depth and informative look at guitar player techniques awesome

[@TheZenguitarguy]

Your approach is great. That you are willing to really examine the mechanics to get to the music is impressive. You are a true Jedi of Guitar!

[@renovatr]

you've pretty much mastered so many picking techniques, Thank you for sharing this information...

[@QWERTY2106]

thx man ! before I was only using Alternate picking but you make me realise picking technic is very important, since than my playing has improve . thx again !

[@stepitupandgo67]

Thanx Troy...great lesson as always...you're making me realize that I've wasted years of my life with improper picking practicing...thanks a lot...where were you in the 80s? When I needed you??...haha

[@troygrady]

Evan Davidson Thanks Evan. I think you've seen where I was in the '80s: in my damn room with the SK1 trying to figure stuff out (and mostly failing) like everyone else!

[@stepitupandgo67]

I was there with you, but you were already more advanced...I slowed down records with my thumb...caveman style..

[@MrPyroguru]

+Troy Grady Would economy picking work for this lick here? I define Economy Picking as this: I use Alternate Picking on each individual string but when switching strings I use Economy Picking. For example going from E-A-D-G-B-E I would begin each individual string with downstrokes. However, if I was going opposite E-B-G-D-A-E I would being each individual string with upstrokes. It is like miniature Sweep Picking with switching individual strings. There are occasions where Hammering On From Nowhere like above is necessary as well. Occasions where reducing movement for speed is essential. Eric probably stumbled on this accidentally from hours of practicing. You figure out things with time sometimes subconsciously as well. Hybrid Picking works wonders as well. I use my middle, ring and pinky fingers for grabbing the G-B-E strings when using distortion. Why do I do this here? The thinnest strings on the guitar G-B-E pick up your picking when using high gain but not your fingertips! Let me know your thoughts on my ideas. Thank You

[@MrPyroguru]

+Troy Grady Keeping your forearms from tightening up is important as well. Reducing movement with your above techniques and reducing pick resistance is essential as well. Frank Gambale, Paul Gilbert, Greg Howe and Magnus Olsson taught me much! They employ legato techniques and hammering on from nowhere on several songs.

[@KingTabor]

+Michael Williams hammer from nowhere is guitar playing's best secret weapon.

[@jagged_little_phil]

At 2:05 is when it finally clicked for me. Continuing the motion of the pick up to the next note is genius. Once I started getting that down, now my right hand is moving faster than my left!

[@JustinArmstrongsite]

This lick is definitely easier than it looks. I love the way it isolates the bounce technique and has actually really improved my standard fives playing. Thanks for the lesson!

[@commiehunter733]

Best lessons on KZbin

[@vjimmers1]

5:38 no, i heard that note twice, not the first time, the second and third are hammers but on a high note maybe first finger and out of time actually starting the next run but quick. The last sounds like sweep up one string (same as second but more clear) then the thumb on the last bass note to end.

[@WilRockQ]

Hi Troy. Here's another possibility, and from the video I think it's correct. Eric is not picking the fifth note at all. He's simply hammering it on with his ring finger, and there is plenty of power to make that note sing nicely without picking it. Then he's in a nice position to simply pick the first note again with a down stroke and he doesn't have to worry about skipping that string.

[@Rockeman182]

I think you're on to something.

[@voxpopulivoxdei666]

Thank you so much Troy. Great videos that wonderfully articulate guitar technique.

[@edwardovan]

Troy is a BEAST on the guitar and the only person in the world that I am aware of that has organized, non-technical lessons on figuring out what the hell shred guitarists are doing that 95% of us are not. You need to watch several videos to realize just how excellent Troy is. If Pete Thorn is the Guitar Nerd...I think Troy is...the Guitar... I dunno.."Mega Nerd". All good tho!!

[@jasonring5231]

Yeah.....Troy is beyond Pete Thorn! hahaha Both are super great though!

[@gianlucavertemati5347]

wow troy.!!!!! the best pick mechanics lesson ever!!!!!!!!! thank's thank's thank's

[@MisaSantaCecilia]

Thank you so much! Amazing work, Troy!

[@TheJoeWentzProjectTV]

Good God....I love how you play man. Damn this is inspirational!!!

[@TruthSurge]

11:45 uh, nope. Clearly, his HAND is supplying the force to make the stick hit the snare the 2nd time, not a bounce off the snare or gravity. He's just not using arm motion for each hit. He's divided it so that 2 hits is one down arm swing with one hand open/close to get 2 for the price of one. 12:00 EXACTLY!

[@troygrady]

It's wrist / arm for the first hit, fingers closing for the second hit. Rebound supplies the stick return in between. I explain this correctly in the lesson.

[@TruthSurge]

@@troygrady Yes, I typed my comment out before I reached the 12:00 mark where you explain the thing more clearly. I have a bad habit of not watching the entire video before commenting!

[@troygrady]

And I have a bad habit of not noticing the screen name before I reply! Sorry about that, I assumed this was another drive-by.

[@TruthSurge]

@@troygrady Oh, no. I've been on here for like 15 years and I'll wager I've commented at LEAST 15,000 times not counting the 50,000 "thanks" replies I probably did to comments in my own vids. I don't have much to contribute in my comments. I'm just commenting for the heck of it and sometimes pointing out what I think is a mistake or error but I was hasty in my comment and did not go back and edit out the first part is all. I've watched tons of your vids and really, I'm amazed at how well you can pick and equally amazed at how analytical your approach is to picking the guitar. You dive deep and you also make your vids interesting. I'll never be a great picker but I still enjoyed watching you dissect the players' techniques. Thanks for all the vids and effort!!!!

[@hveguitar]

You're amazing Troy!

[@JuddOakes]

+mike sterling Thanks I have started to utilize the downward pickslanting into my practice It is definitely better for changing from rhythm to single note licks better Feels a little more relaxed as well

[@fattymcfatterson3651]

I could never figure out how EJ was playing those fives so quickly. I'd love to see a video analyzing Shawn Lane's odd groupings. Thanks for the great videos!

[@kamoverturf6192]

I’ve watched this I don’t know how many times the last three years, and I think I’m just starting to understand and come to grips with it! Lol

[@hbi03bonn]

Very nice work Troy. Thanks for it.

[@jackjack5933]

Excellent troy !! Thanks a lot. I like the sequence about Hammer came from nowhere at 5'53''

[@peYko91]

The best explanation ever. Period. (y)

[@glytch5]

FINALLY.... A broken down concept of how this lick works... I find it easy to just skip the string, and not even touching the pause at this point in time.

[@timhaase3297]

This is so valuable. Thank you!!

[@alperen2717]

thats excatly what i was looking for. awesome channel

[@jessegaronband]

John McLaughlin was applying this technique since the late 60s!

[@lyresmyth]

Another great one my friend.... Nice Job...

[@irwanbahari897]

this guy likes picking tehnique so much 🔥

[@Upstater73]

Troy, you mention Shawn Lane in this video. Do you think you will ever do a video on his technique?

[@fretbro5150]

I actually always heard that as the first highest two notes resulting from a pulloff. Your videos are really cool!

[@BlaireBustillo]

Great analysis Troy. You're a great teacher 👍😁 Thanks

[@JonathanFrancove]

amazing lessons and videos, the best ones that I've ever seen!

[@pattystomper1]

I thought you were going to say the 5th note was an upstroke. Down up down up up. The pick comes off the 4th note in an upstroke, and follows through to hit the next string in an upstroke. This sets you up to hop over the middle string easier, because the upstroke raises your hand up and away from the strings.

[@bleensteen9331]

Or you could economy pick the first four notes (down up up down) and sweep into the fifth which sets you up for the hop the same way. Feels effortless to do it that way but not as clean and even as the EJ way.

[@ChristianThoresen]

Thanks for a awesome lesson!

[@MartinDee2000]

IMO you are 100% correct. He's hammering onto the 5th-string/D-note.

[@markyboo]

I've always wondered how Eric landed on that G note with a downstroke. That comes from assuming every note was picked. So the last note is a ghost hammer-on. Mystery solved. Thanks, Troy!

[@calebsj]

you can also sweep up the 2nd set of strings allowing you to end on an upstroke.down up down up up

[@beagleguitar]

+caleb jacobs That's true, but it's not something that Eric does (sweeping up) because of his downward pick slanting.

[@mrjonesdontbreakmybones3300]

Check out skip sweeping by Shaun Baxter. He wrote an article in guitar techniques about deal with down sweeps and up sweeps that skip strings.

[@IngloriousKam]

Woawh very very interesting moves, at first my brain has exploded when I tried this, then I get it, it 's new and unsual for me as a two way pick slanter...Troy you are going far very far, now we're talking !!!pendulum bouncing hopping skipping....I hope you'll tack in a future about sarod and scalpel technique which is a part of all you are talking about since the first CTC...Malmsteen is a perfect example of a perfect scalpel movement with his thumb, and what I call Sarod and you Yngwie's Butter toast :)

[@sergiobarboza3487]

Thanks Troy!!

[@zsrm4578]

All your videos are amazing... Im suscribe!

[@I.G.G.G.]

I love you man!

[@DanielDavis730]

Fantastic help me out heaps

[@freecitizen2760]

Best explanation of how to play fast. Thanks. (Check out his “Cracking The Code” series, especially episodes 9-10-11-12.)

[@SousSherpa]

I have an old transcription to this from Guitar for the Practicing musician, it is the same as the way you play it (5's).

[@ConnorEngstromMusic]

I set the speed to .5 to hear him playing the outro licks. Did not expect to laugh so hard by watching his speaking slowed down starting at 13:20 haha!

[@8MinuteAxe]

Obviously, I have too much time on my hands. I tried your experiment. He summons his inner horshack!

[@Djcwozza]

Awesome stuff troy!!

[@RobertLongM]

The hammer does sound warmer and EJ loves warm tone. Ask Eric - he’s awesome and will answer you

[@SirJamestheIII]

Greg Howe has stuff on how to make hammer ons from nowhere sound like picked notes with subtle enough palm muting and enough left hand finger strength (you really need to slap the finger down to get a muted note to play).

[@EveOfChaos]

Dude do you offer private lessons? In all honesty you are literally the most informative person I've ever found as far as technique goes. I mean you are as just as amazing as Joe satriani as a teacher

[@FranticRock]

Great lesson. Check the intonation on your A. It's sharp above the 12th fret by like 5 cents....

[@troygrady]

FranticRock Totally! The guitar needs a fret job, or setup, or both, badly. And of course we only caught that after we filmed. Serves us right.

[@sacitmanav]

+FranticRock wow man

[@kennethbransford820]

I am trying to use the same technique only in finger style playing. Thank you for you time To all the guitar geeks.

[@MindsetMastery75]

Damn, you got skills as a drummer also! Crazy how musically talented you are.

[@Nik930714]

Hi Troy, i wanted to ask you something about the metronome. I recently fell in love with the speed builder function in guitar pro. If you are not familiar with it, it basically starts from a slow tempo (that you set up), and it gradually speeds it up to the full temp of a song or a riff. Do you believe that this is a beneficial way of learning, or is it just as good as a regular set tempo practise. I would love to hear from you on this matter.

[@calebsj]

you can also sweep up the last two notes

[@mariacasanova5409]

yuo are very smart man thanks for your work. could you study jason becker? i ve been trying to get his technique but its very difficult blessings

[@philipdowns4176]

Hi Troy, great video. Just thought I would throw this out there. Eric calls it the bounce, which if you watch when your playing that lick towards the end when you say that the pick flops over the string. In the slow motion it actually looks more like the pick is bouncing back from the string like a fake up stroke which would free up the pick to move onto the next string. Which maybe what Eric means when he says bounce as he bounces the pick off the string below?

[@malteraff5237]

I just do: Down-Up - Down -Up - Up (sweep) and then again.... works great and you have the accent on the first of every five group...

[@ChrisMichaelsChicago]

That is one nice axe you have there! Second only to you're video's on the cool scale ;)

[@pizzamon795]

Dude...... you're fookin good.

[@snowyowl1717]

Sorry if this was covered in the vid and I missed it, what about ascending 5s like this, would you start on and upstroke using the same pattern and mechanics?

[@troygrady]

If you try to exactly reverse the pattern, you'd need upward pickslanting and upstroke sweeps, which Eric doesn't do. But you can take the basic sequence here and just stack it in the ascending direction. The "rules" of the picking would not change: string changes must either be alternate picking upstrokes, or downstroke sweeps. You can see some shots of that in this quick compilation from a few years back ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3OTkmeBqc6agbs ).

[@aileoz]

Hey Troy, please do a video on Guthrie Govan techs!

[@leerobbo92]

That'd be like, 5 days long or something...

[@kickassrockguitar]

Troy, Many thanks for your picking insights and phenomenal recreations of the 80s. I dont know which of the two I get more of a kick from! Secondly, I need your help because something doesn't make sense about pick slanint to aid string hopping. Apologies if this isn't the video you were discussing it - I have watched a ton today and may be a bit lost. 1) In the video I was watching you explained how down pickslanting helps the "string hopping" motion and though I saw your point, it was still hopping over the string nonetheless. And as down pickslanting creates a larger hop over the next string down due to it being angled, surely this would decrease speed compared to no pick slanting which creates a milder hop? 2) In the video I was watching you then said to complete certain phrases you would have to reverse to upwards pickslanting and you then descended down the strings but why would you have to reverse if the whole point of downslanting was to naturally cause the plectrum to rise up and hop over the next string? Thanks in advance.

[@twoamps]

Hey Troy,I know you get a lot of requests, but could you please explain the lick in EJs Zenland (Love Child Album that occurs @ 4:00 Thanks Much

[@anthem7777]

absolutely insane

[@5urg3x]

I didn't even realize this riff is supposed to be played this way, I always played it with 3 notes on the G first

[@matthiasmilczynski]

I believe I can see Eric picking the fifth note of the sequence with an upstroke instead of the hammer-on from nowhere, this would also allow him to start the 5-note-pattern with a downstroke, thoughts?

[@juancabral1129]

Great video Troy!!… So basically that the thought of practicing slow to get fast is thrown out the window. The reason I say this is its been said in order to get fast you need to practice slow but by watching this video and other ones it shows that technique changes when going from slow to fast. So what it should be said is that you need to practice the way the pick/ hand movements move while playing fast in a slower fashion. Correct?

[@troygrady]

Juan Cabral Maybe! I think that's a really fascinating way of phrasing it. There is good evidence to suggest that mechanical learning happens best through random unstructured experimentation, and not by rigid repetition. Remember, repetition is a form of reinforcement. And you can't reinforce what you haven't yet figured out how to do. Every time my technique has advanced, it has happened as a result of random experimentation, and trying out many different ways of playing something, and not while sitting there trying to repeat one specific way 1000 times in a row. This rest stroke thing is just another cool example of that.

[@lyresmyth]

***** Nicely put... If you keep doing the same thing over and over and it's wrong, in the end it's still wrong...

[@ThangNguyen-xt8pj]

I think the last note is sweep from the forth note so we end with upstroke.

[@beagleguitar]

Ha! "And we've given it a kind of 'fives independence' to where we can now play it anywhere we want." Umm .... Apparently YOU can do that Troy; I don't know how many other folks can. :o) While watching Eric play the fives in slow motion, I was wondering about whether he picked that last note too, and then you brought it up, confirming what I was thinking. Also interesting is when he ends the lick with the note on the low G (string 6, fretted with the thumb). If he had picked that 5th note on the A string (the D note), it would either require him to pick the low G with an upstroke or hop from the 5th string to pick the 6th string with a down stroke. But it's unequivocally clear in the video that he does NOT pick that 5th string right before he picks the last low G on the 6th string. In fact, you can hear that he actually kind of hammers back up to the G note on the 4th string (fret 17)---possibly erroneously---instead of "hammering from nowhere" to the 5th string D note. Anyway ... great video as usual.

[@shredgplayer5616]

Hola, Troy! Te escribo con la esperanza de que puedas responderme. Crees que se pueda hacer 'económic picking' en una guitarra modelo 'Les Paul' con puente fijo?; es que verás, este tipo de guitarras tienen el puente muy alto con respecto al cuerpo de la guitarra, crees es que eso sea un problema considerable? Muchas gracias!

[@troygrady]

Por su puesto si no hay problema con el puente. Busca por favor el video en nuestro canal “Combining Alternate Picking And Sweeping” en que uso un Paul mismo!

[@shredgplayer5616]

Muchas muchísimas gracias por responderme. Realmente estoy muy desesperado con este tema, ya tengo la velocidad y técnica, pero, la púa no sé como controlarla a partir de las cuerdas 1 y 2 (E y B), se me inclina y queda casi echada (sin punta). Me podrías decir que tanto hay que presionar con la palma las cuerdas?, tengo que subir si o si mi palma cuando toque en las cuerdas más agudas?, es necesario apretar bien la púa cuando tocamos? He notado que, cuando tocas el picking alternado, tocas todas las cuerdas con la mayor punta posible de la púa; cosa que veo no he estado haciendo yo. Sé que hay muchos vídeos tuyos, muchos los he visto, pero, no sé ingles, por lo que, tengo que guiarme de la vista nomas. Espero puedas comprenderme, y disculpame por molestarte con tantas preguntas.

[@eweeparker]

Okay, so I naturally do the dwps and I have since I began getting into shred around 18 or so years ago. I play with the middle and the thumb for picking, but is this okay or should I dedicate some time to index and thumb as well?

[@danaparsons854]

nice ax. on my bucket list

[@TheRobTV]

Has EJ ver commented on your videos about his playing?

[@94NatWolfflover94]

Hi Troy great video, one question: I was always taught to play with correct fingering and i notice when you are playing in the E pentatonic position with a 4 fret space you are using your 3rd finger to play on the 4th fret position. I'm having a little trouble playing this 5 note picking technique at speed using my pinky and I'm wondering should I be using my 3rd finger like you? does it make a difference? Thanks.

[@troygrady]

Kevs blues Hi Kevs. I don't really think there's such a thing as "correct" fingering. Eric himself rarely uses his pinky on any of these lines. I'm somewhere in between. Clearly, if you're doing a wider stretch, like playing a three-note-per-string pentatonic scale, then you have no choice but to use your ring finger on a four-fret stretch. Ultimately, if multiple fingerings are possible for a given line, then I see no reason why multiple fingerings aren't acceptable. Converrsely, if one particular fingering seems easier for you, then by all means use that.

[@gmel1084]

could it be an upstroke sweep instead of a hammer on? hard to see but instead of it being a hammer on maybe its an upward sweep for that 5th note?

[@horstlippitsch]

Great Sound!! Which camera do you use???

[@livingthattwelvelife2209]

Your tone is absolutely divine! It's rich and full without being massively gainy. What amps/effects are you using? I'm playing a USA Tele with a stack in the bridge and an N3 in the neck.

[@PhilipZilfo]

Jesus.. You kick ass at drums too? Enough already ;)

[@MartinDee2000]

How do we count these five notes to create the correct groove or feel? Do we count them however quintuplets are counted?

[@KingTabor]

counting odd figures is harder, but possible. To me 7 are worst.

[@JuddOakes]

I know this is old But try using phrase with the same syllables for like fives would be like Blueberry muffin

[@jongbong1912]

+Judd Oakes hippopotamus 😊

[@boris123f]

How many guitarist does it take to change a light bulb ......... One,.......... And 1000 to talk about the techniques

[@ukottaja]

Hi Troy. Your lesson is again truly an aye opener. Do you think that Nuno uses your here mentioned technique f. ex on his Mourning Widows song "Love is a cigarette". In my opinion It sounds that theres something similar going on there (somewhere around 4.30). Thanks and Keep it up!

[@KingTabor]

Nuno does a lot of of hammers-from-nowhere for pentatonic licks too. Like in "get the Funk Out" solo. 4 notes through 3 strings and just the 1st one is picked

[@NikolajChristensen]

Marcus Vinnas this is bizarre. I'm currently working on that solo and have struggled with that 4-note descending repeated blues-scale lick. Quite unrelated I have browsed Troy's videos (and find them beyond brillant) and then I stumble upon your comment here. It makes perfect sense. Thanks a bunch!

[@KingTabor]

Nikolaj Christensen Nuno actually plays that 4-note lick picking just the 1st one w/ index finger at the 1st string. The 'Boston Live' DVD shows this very nicely. Cheers from Brazil.

[@somekindofdude1130]

is there any chance making a video about jeff loomis

[@trevorclark7985]

honestly in the live recording, i don’t even hear the low note in the 5 pattern. it sounds like he’s going down and the last note he goes back up?

[@ScifiSiShredaholic]

GRREAT video :)