Improve Your Picking Technique

[@kpmaynard]

Thank you for this in-depth discussion of this topic. Good picking technique truly enhances creativity as it allows you to express ocean more freely and comfortably. Yes, I find that funk staining definitely aids execution. Now let me get to practising as you suggest.

[@jimkangas4176]

Helpful. I've watched the Troy Grady stuff and it's definitely interesting, but I don't feel like I have to have the speed that metal players do. My decades old alternate picking works fine most, but not all of the time, so for me, it's a question of how much time to invest versus other topics.

[@GlennMichaelThompson]

Just a side note to your side note about practicing funk rhythm helping your alternate picking. I noticed this too... and the opposite seemed to work as well. My alternate picking helped my rhythm playing, especially when practicing on acoustic guitar. That's all for now. Thanks Mikko!

[@GlennMichaelThompson]

Okay... another comment I'd like to share. The "Kurt Rosenwinkle" arpeggio you used sweep picking with, I learned to play this arpeggio from a great teacher I had over 35 years ago. He called them tears (like in tearing paper, not as in crying. Lol) He had me practice them slowly using alternate picking which seemed to improve the technique and speed when picking in one direction (sweeping or tears). Thought you might find this useful.

[@daveduffy2823]

I mix alternate and directional picking. For speed, I do a lot of hammers and pulls. I am still working through chord changes. I lose my spot sometimes! Great channel, very informative.

[@jjmatashi]

Love your Tintin Explorers on the Moon mug!

[@Mikkokosmos]

Tintin 😍

[@williamstanford7994]

I started using that glide picking technique 35 years ago. Two months, and my playing was transformed.

[@kidpoker007]

What’s glide picking?

[@pipotherium]

Stunning, Probably something I never paid enough attention to.

[@wilbertmurry6570]

I wish you would mention the weight of the pick, gauge of strings and if it affects your picking technique.

[@Mikkokosmos]

I don't think those things matters too much. Having proper and good technique is what matters here in my opinion :D

[@ravenecho2410]

strict alternate (downbeats are down picked -- if you do a rest you do pick the note in the air) seems to be the best for ensuring your rhythm is in time, all depends on where the complexity in the music is - and how important the rhythmic figure is. i find that economy picking just lacks consistency and that when changing strings directionally has a tendency to be rushed

[@Mikkokosmos]

I see your point but look at for example Adam Rogers. His time is impeccable and he doesn't alternate pick. I find that very few contemporary Jazz players do strict alternate picking.

[@ravenecho2410]

@@Mikkokosmos hahah true it is possible be done in time - but i dont think it is possible for me to do it in time 😆😅

[@Mikkokosmos]

@@ravenecho2410 we can't all be as good as Adam Rogers 😥😥

[@SzabacsiNandor]

Grant Green used alternate picking most of the times. Peter Bernstein surely use economy picking. :)

[@Mikkokosmos]

Interesting! Thanks

[@SzabacsiNandor]

@@Mikkokosmos If you check out GG's solos, you can hear his ascents played with alt.picking. Let me show you one my transcriptions from him. I was forced to use more alt.picking than economy picking. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIinmmh_aNOback

[@Mikkokosmos]

@@SzabacsiNandor Yes he uses a lot of alternate picking for sure

[@SzabacsiNandor]

@@Mikkokosmos I love your enthusiasm in your videos. Great teacher, humble personality, interesting topics I can see. Keep workin' and teachin'. :)

[@moytmoyt]

Thank you

[@kukumuniu5658]

0:20 to bad because this is true problem :) because some technical problems appear ONLY beyond particular tempo/speed,beyond threshold. Problems which do not exist and never appear in slow tempo.

[@kukumuniu5658]

Im really curious what is yours speed threshold :) could you show us/tell us about it?

[@TheMrMRsmoke]

Can we have wes’s picking technique too

[@arvh1952]

Awesome video Mikko. Thanks for this! A question if you dont mind. I have trouble with one particular intermediate speed with alternate picking .. meaning i can double up on that particular speed and play quite easily but get stuck at this one. Have u seen this with any students or fellow musicians by any chance? Am impressed with the "pull-off" technique that u demonstrated. Do you know which jazz guitarists use it. Using Alternate picking for large intervals always gives me trouble.. Like Blues for Alice or the head for Freight Trane (at the original speed) but i think u have given me some ideas. THANK YOU! But on the other hand Wes and Paco if they read what i wrote would simply go "huh"""... :-)

[@Mikkokosmos]

Thanks 😎👍 Yes many players use a combination of pull-off's and slides to play fast. I would say most jazz players do this. Scofield, Metheny and Moreno just to mention a few. Ya I decided to not cover finger (or thumb) picking in this video. Or tapping. or hybrid picking. So many ways to play the guitar... sorry I didn't understand the question? You say that you get stuck at a certain tempo with alternate picking?

[@arvh1952]

@@Mikkokosmos no I find it easier to play (say) 1/32 than 1/16 sometimes ..thats a bid odd or have u experienced that or seen anybody with that problem was my question. And Yes there is one instructional video by Barney Kessel where he demonstrated that pull off technique.

[@Mikkokosmos]

@Arv H I have never seen that problem. O a video with Barney!? I wanna see that 😎

[@arvh1952]

@@Mikkokosmos Love ur lessons man but here you go... Barney has quite a few others as well.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ_SiZWnlsmWoLc.

[@tylercooney]

Yeah man

[@kukumuniu5658]

Did you see Matteo Mancuso - 20 Licks Next Level Fingerstyle? Full recomendation :)

[@LarrySiden]

Have you explored George Benson's style of picking?

[@Mikkokosmos]

yes I was going to talk about that too. The video got to be too long. I'm not an expert on the topic

[@savoukini]

What is this red device above the Quilter?

[@Mikkokosmos]

that's a Carl Martin Red Repeat delay

[@savoukini]

@@Mikkokosmos thanks!

[@SzabacsiNandor]

There is a great programme made by Frank Gambale. The Chopbuilder. It's on KZbin. Starting with alternate picking with triplets and sixteenth notes, and continue with economy picking. Recommended to check this out! :)

[@Mikkokosmos]

Yeah the chopbuilder is great and kind of hilariuos. Frank is a funny dude. The other guitar players in that video were my intructors at GIT back in the day 😎

[@SzabacsiNandor]

@@Mikkokosmos Really?? :D yeah!

[@kidpoker007]

My issue is technical, for some reason the pic seems to get stuck between the strings and I’ve been playing for 40 years. This never happened playing rock…. But Jazz I can’t speed

[@Mikkokosmos]

hmm probably because there are different type phrasing in Jazz? See if my exercises help at all

[@kidpoker007]

@@Mikkokosmos thanks

[@jneily6074]

Was having the "right" guitar pick helpful for you to improve your accuracy and speed? The pick seems to roll off your strings effortlessly. What do you use?

[@Mikkokosmos]

I think it makes very little difference for that. For tone it might make a difference. And also how you're hitting the string with the pick makes a difference. Kind of how classical players try to hit the string with the nail in a certain way to produce the best tone. I use regular Dunlop 1,5 have always used them. I use special pick for gypsy jazz. Like 3mm

[@jneily6074]

Thanks for the insight. I've been under-appreciating the need to work on my picking techique, and been blaming my errors on my pick. Spending a bit of time following your advice in this video, I can already seen the potential for inprovement.

[@Mikkokosmos]

@@jneily6074 glad if it helps

[@marcoottaviani2942]

@@Mikkokosmos the green pick with the alligator or the purple one?

[@kidpoker007]

Every talks about George Bensons picking style

[@kidpoker007]

Is your pic hand floating

[@Mikkokosmos]

Yes most of the time. Sometimes my palm is resting against the strings or I might even be touching the guitar but very lightly

[@mwicks1968]

There's a pandemic on, so all we can do is PRACTICE, as nobody can perform just now - so GET! IT! DONE!!!

[@Mikkokosmos]

Imagine how great we're all gonna be 😎👍

[@kidpoker007]

it looks like you don’t have any angle to your pic

[@Mikkokosmos]

Sometimes I do the George Benson thing for a better tone but only a little