Improve Your Tremolo Picking Technique, Part 1

[@nathanwilson7061]

I played with my elbow for over 10 years before realizing speed comes from the wrist, and I've been trying to break that bad muscle memory. These exercises are already helping with that so thank you!

[@thomasparadise3550]

Nathan Wilson - All Things Metal Im hoping to do the same. If you like death, my goal is the beginning of together as one. I got the rest but can’t trem fast without tensing instantly fml

[@acpg]

Glad you're finding these vids helpful! Yes, some people pick from the wrist and can make it work for them but I think they're in the minority. Most fast pickers you see, it's all about the wrist.

[@ComradeBucket]

Same. Been trying to get out of the habit for years but no joy. You had any luck? I just cannot get passed a certain bpm without my entire arm tensing up and my elbow taking over, no matter how hard I try to train my brain out of it. Just seems like it's been so long that I've played that way (15 years or thereabouts) that it's just baked in.

[@nathanwilson7061]

@@ComradeBucket I’ve gotten better with the wrist, my main problem rn is staying on the string. I seem to want to pick inbetween the strings.

[@TheEpicRandomGuy]

None of the other videos on this that I watched talked about pick shape 😭, i just took a pair of scissors out and cut my pick up and this immediately improved my consistency, holy cow thank you for this.

[@RC-Flight]

Yes please do a detailed lesson !

[@acpg]

Yes, think I might have to...!

[@rasta1017]

lmaoo

[@minimalsynth420]

you truly feel like a teacher and not a youtuber and i mean that in the best possible way. thanks for a clear no nonsense video that isn't boring or bland at the same time

[@theredguitar212]

Thanks!

[@jayirwin3190]

This was incredibly helpful. I still suck, but I saw immediate improvement with using just the tip of the pick/thicker pick and the exercises provided

[@dougslawin4725]

Best, most tasteful, guitar teacher on the internet!

[@GassyGrant]

Been trying to figure out Miserlou all day, and this video answered all of my questions. Thank you!

[@harveymulock5891]

I agree! Best rendition of Miserlou I've heard to date! I appreciate and trust your teachings! Play on Adrian!

[@ronpopeil7]

Definitely would love a miserlou lesson. Just found your channel and already learned some new songs. Great teaching style!

[@JBAubry]

Another vote for a Misirlou lesson!

[@joemcclinton1344]

@@JBAubry he just has!!

[@SaxJockey]

@@joemcclinton1344 Thanks, I somehow missed that; maybe before I had notifications set.

[@capitaldharma]

There is almost nothing useful on KZbin about tremolo picking, so this is a service to the community. Thanks Adrian!

[@acpg]

Thanks Kipp. I was actually looking for some info on tremolo picking to help my own technique but couldn't find anything that was quite right, so thought I'd make my own video.

[@SaxJockey]

Didn't even know it had a name until this video popped up!

[@joemcclinton1344]

a misirlou lesson would be amazing, you always nail the tiny details in songs and I prefer to learn techniques through songs than exercises :)

[@5olas]

Tremolo picking is exactly what I am working on right now. Thank you for this lesson and God bless.

[@WarrenAndrews-w5x]

Very helpful thanks. 😎

[@drutgat2]

Thanks very much for this, Adrian. Much needed for me, as I cannot maintain any kind of tremelo picking rhythm because I either get caught up in the strings, or my plectrum ends up 'bouncing' off the strings occasionally. It is very frustrating.

[@lowonlife_highondeath]

One of the many origins of black metal that many don't consider. 👍🏻

[@zeldanah9579]

Thank you for giving up so much of your time creating and posting your videos, I really value and enjoy them. They are fantastic and informative.

[@ronlight7013]

You had me at “Rumble!” Now I know how (what) to practice (x 3 strings).

[@zacharyshaw6220]

Would love a detailed guitar lesson on The Strokes Vision of Division!!

[@opaaria195]

Another great lesson. Thanks for sharing!

[@acpg]

Thanks Gene!

[@SaxJockey]

That is a great lesson, set of tips and exercises. Never thought of using a metronome (try to avoid mostly), but to master this technique it would be useful. The pentatonic and burst exercises are a good lead into the Misirlou.

[@wellerazorlight]

Would love a breakdown of Miserlou, your channel is great and I love your lessons!!!

[@DJG016]

Thanks Adrien, always trying to get faster at trempicking. It's Interesting you mention those guys who shrug off the efficiency of small wrist movements and trempick from the forearm. The guy that comes to mind for me that that rebels against this as well as the thickpick thesis is Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. On the records and live he has mind-blowing speed when trempicking, and he uses .60 dunlop nylon picks as you have pictured in the video(i think he turns it to use the grip for serrated attack on leads and trempicking). If you go watch live footage, especially older live footage you see that he is flailing his arm in a frenzied manner the whole time he's blazing through those octave runs. I've never seen anyone else play like that and I've just never understood it but it also seems to sound just that little bit grittier when he plays like that. I've always wanted to get that sound but my arm just isn't that fast. Sorry for the paragraph but I was wondering if you'd noticed the same thing when learning his parts or had any advice for going that route or getting that kind of articulation on tremolo runs. Thanks again for the lesson, I really appreciate your channel.

[@acpg]

Yes, interesting! Surprised Jonny uses such a thin pick. He's a guy who seems to break the 'rules' and still sound amazing. (though I think I'm right in saying that his frenzied arm flailing has lead to wrist/hand injuries!?) I suppose there are different styles of them picking - precise and metronomic, or frenzied and wild like Greenwood. Don't know if I have any particular advice beyond what I say in the video. Keep trying and you'll find what works for you!

[@ellisfarrier]

Awesome lesson. Thanks for the help getting my picking hand up to speed (no pun intended).

[@allanmunro3893]

Heavens yes,a Miserlou lesson please ! Brilliant work as always on your channel Adrian👍👍😃

[@Tomadair1]

Just subscribed this is the best site I have found for learning guitar, so clear, so well explained even an old non talented bloke like me can feel that I am progressing. Thank you and best wishes from Adelaide Australia regards Tom Adair.

[@BlackRaven156]

Fantastic lesson!!! Great playing!

[@johnreddan9879]

Fantastic lesson

[@edgarbustamante3371]

Thank you very much for doing this video lesson. Very positive Karma!

[@dorielementary]

Swiss picks are a very good choice. They come with pointy or round tips.

[@jaytee8188]

Excellent video Adrian, thanks again. I’ve applied some trem picking on a few 60’s numbers, the only one I can think of right now is Duck Pond by The Cougars and I seem to be able to manage that sort of...! I will definitely be taking on board your guidance here because I think I’m keeping my right hand too rigid. I would love a Miserlou video from you, that one is on my immediate list to have a go at, so yes please, it would be great if you did that one. 👍👍👍 👌

[@lionelPROHypnose]

Marvelous adrian, the tips about the angle of the pick change evrything ! I was wondering if you use angle changing for other stuffs too, like playing chords ... ? Thank you !

[@cskueny]

I can't remember ever hearing the advice before to rotate the pick to be non-parallel to the strings. I was trying this and some other advice from this lesson in a different context this morning: trying to improve my palm muted up-and-down strokes on the palm-muted part of Sheela-Na-Gig that Adrian taught a while back. I found that holding the pick at an angle really adds to the pick noise on the low strings because of their winding probably, so it was tricky to use there. Anyway I will be experimenting with pick angle. I think this lesson had a lot of great advice for picking in general.

[@AlissonBirck]

God like tutorial! Thanks man!

[@SaxJockey]

I also favour the type of pick you use. Those are heavy celluloid; nice crisp/clear. I sampled lots of picks and ended up with the one I started with (0.81mm Celluloid)! Thin => flexible, bright. Thick => rigid, warm. For me, the gauge/feel seems more important than the material; the 0.8mm Dunlop Tortex (Delrex a type Delrin) are my next choice. Gator (Delrex) are a little smaller and inflexible. Those Ernie Ball ones look like Delrin so guess very similar to Tortex picks...maybe worth a try too. Celluloid picks wear to a sharp edge, which on one hand creates a nice biting sound, on the other hand it looses attack/power. Nylon picks are too mellow for me.

[@user-hz5yb4bh5v]

You mentioned having the pick strike the strings at a relative angle on the vertical plane, so that it glides off the string. That makes sense. Also please show, up close, another pick angle. That is, please demonstrate the relative horizontal angle the pick is held, with respect to having the point of the pick being pointed more toward either the headstock or toward the bridge, and not at a 90 degree angle to the guitar body. Thanks

[@ToppaliniTube]

once you get your technique down, pick thickness won't make a difference; you'll still be able to do it with light picks. however when you're new to it, you'll be wanting a thick and nice pointy pick to make it easier

[@jacko717]

Very helpful, I've been struggling to get the 'solo' sound right in "Rumble" for a good while!

[@TheVampireKit]

11:54 😄"Actually, they're not that fun, but they're good for you."

[@xcx8646]

FWIW this is one technique when I found 'start slow and speed up' didn't work for me. I found the mechanics of doing this at slow speed can't easily be sped up in increments. I went with the other school of thought - I did it fast, but with terrible technique, then improved my technique. This meant a tense elbow or forearm at first, but with practise I relaxed and the technique is now pretty easy. I find practising arpeggios on one string is a good beginner exercise, both for technique and fretboard understanding.

[@LunchBXcrue]

The hardest part I'm having with tremolo picking, more so the types on songs I'm trying to play (a lot of black dahlia murder) is tremolo picking while jumping two strings but without an audible pause there

[@romero6062]

Hey! Amazing lesson, really clear and helpful, thanks! I just found your channel last week and it's great, all the videos are very acurate and well explained. Would deffo love a moserlou lesson and more smiths/Johnny marr as well.

[@androvingie8334]

Hi Adrian, yes a misirlou lesson would be Awesome. thanks

[@UndeadPrezUK]

Really useful thanks!

[@djcharmschool]

Would love to see your take on Miserlou.

[@martijngroenendijk3146]

really very useful again many thx!!!

[@enriquegebaguer9882]

very good thanks.

[@SkarredKage]

What’s the best way to get the pick from falling out of your hand? Especially if you’re picking with a relaxed wrist?

[@duaneulman9915]

Thank you

[@Dreyno]

I always used Dunlop Tortex. Yellow (.73mm I think) The last couple of years I started using Dunlop Ultex as well. They seem stiffer than the Tortex in a given thickness. Seems to give more control without adding thickness. Hate thick picks. Any more than 1mm is too thick for me.

[@acpg]

Yes, it's all a matter of personal preference. I rarely go thicker than 1mm. For more strummy stuff I'll often use a medium pick or thinner.

[@mikel4797]

Great lesson as usual. Do you have any video where you talk about your guitars and amps.

[@duanerykhus9425]

Thank you :)

[@ThomsenTower]

Another great video, and this one with some funny moments (at least for me): “thick pick”, “pointy pick”, and “tip of the pick”. Call me childish, but I was hoping you got stuck when repeating these! Thanks for the lesson!

[@acpg]

I actually edited out the bits where I was stumbling over the words - might have been funnier to leave them in though!

[@cskueny]

You can include the outtakes on the Blu Ray edition.

[@Kevin-nr9lj]

THank you for the lesson

[@ThomsenTower]

By the way, question: there are also some accents among the tremolo picks, no? It is not just a “machine gun” effect. I recently saw a video tutorial on Miserlou showing this was one of the things to master. Am I right?

[@acpg]

Yes, certainly for Miserlou, the accents are important if you want to get it sounding right. I didn't have time to go into accents in this vid, but it's certainly an important and interesting subject - maybe in another video!

[@johnbarker4539]

miserlou lesson 🙏

[@kukumuniu5658]

Hi :) how fast You can play tremolo but on two strings,one note per string,alternate picking?

[@sunjamrblues]

Very cool! After watching your video one time and playing along on your exercises, I'm already 50% faster than I was. Many thanks!

[@HSTRTGMS]

Is there a preferred string gauge, as some suggest? Dick Dale used 16s! That's a BASS string gauge. What do you used on the Jazzmaster?

[@simdoyle]

Spot on dude

[@acpg]

Thanks Simon!

[@riffbynik4967]

But if a song has a little section with tremolo, i have to use a tick pick just for that section? What about the rest of the song? What if a tick pick is not appropriate?

[@barryduff3047]

Yes to a Miserlou lesson!!!!

[@ak2010utube]

Very helpful lesson! Excuse my ignorance as i'm new to this and had a little problem understanding, but for the first exercise how many times are you picking the string between metronome clicks for the 1/8th note subdivision, 1/8th note triplets, 1/16th notes and 1/16th notes triplets. Thanks

[@acpg]

Thanks. Check out my video Learn to Love the Metronome where I go into this stuff in detail!

[@nicolasexequielmarquez1014]

thanks!

[@DrrUnKenSTeiN]

Great Vid!! Thanks!!

[@plantagenant]

I think tremolo is much easier with a thin pick...less resistance. It also has a brighter tone..thick picks lose the top end.

[@littlegoobie]

WTF? a 25minute 2 part lesson on tremolo picking. This is the kind of practicing that makes parents smash guitars.

[@joebrowning3433]

My cats name is mittens!

[@narta11]

I switch up tremolo picking techniques in the middle of songs when I start to cramp up or get tired.

[@Miarchieve]

Hahaha lol I get into your channel somehow while looking the lesson for tremolo picking,, and ACPG it's sounds too creative name so I can't stop laughing as like tremolo picking sound.

[@slcrickvillage9292]

What is the best pick for tremolo picking? What is the size of mm?please help

[@acpg]

People have different preferences, but for me a thicker pick works better for this technique. I'd say 1mm or thicker. I usually use a Fender heavy. Jazz III is popular too and worth a try.

[@slcrickvillage9292]

Thank you

[@indiamalwa]

@@acpg what is the thickness of the pick for tremolo picking on an acoustic guitar

[@cskueny]

When Dick Dale passed away, I was sure you would whip up a Misrlou lesson since it seemed so much up your alley, but I'd forgotten all about it. Sounds like the crowd is clamoring for one now! Thanks for the lesson! Really helpful and clear technical advice (as usual).

[@acpg]

Yes, definite interest in a Miserly vid - I'll see what I can do later in the year.

[@louiserawman258]

Anyone else here for Jonny's bit in Just??

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

Nice one. Ta

[@sleepnaught]

No matter what I do, it just feels like my pick is getting caught in the string a bit. I've tried a few different picks, really at a loss for what to do about it. Watched a dozen videos on tremolo picking and practiced for hours, just can't seem to figure out what Im doing wrong.

[@acpg]

That sounds frustrating. It's impossible to diagnose the issue without seeing you play. It'd definitely be worth you going to see a good teacher and getting them to take a look at your technique. There might be something simple you can do to improve the situation.

[@pan-k5o]

I am also struggling with this, I would suggest to focus more on the feel of the beat (the end) and the accents and the technique (the means) will eventually follow. Adrian's tips here greatly helped me in this though I still have way to go.

[@aydenrivas1022]

Stuck in the sound let's go

[@andrewdkussmaul]

Please make a Miserlou lesson!

[@MercurialToys]

A couple years ago I bucked common advice of using heavy picks which I used for a couple decades. I prefer the sound of thin picks now. I tried all after viewing this video and the small jazz pick was easiest for sure. Standard sized heavy, mediums & thins were all about the same as far as feel with some technique adjustment but definitely different sounding. Funny tremolo picking was one of the earliest things I ever learned, I hadn't really used it or thought about it in a long time.

[@acpg]

Yes, it's really worth experimenting with different picks I'm not particularly loyal to any one pick. The tone does vary massively depending on what you're using though. For certain things a medium or a thin pick sounds better to me.

[@willelliot8928]

Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead is a great song to learn if you want to improve your temolo picking. Lasts for fucking ages

[@willelliot8928]

tremolo picking for over a minute why Jonny

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

Then, of course, there is the entirety of the Norwegian Black Metal catalogue.

[@stephenhart9918]

Hi Adrian,Thats one of sexiest Les Paul's ive seen in a while. Whats the model,and finish Has it got an ebony fingerboard ? Love your relaxed style of teaching in all your videos. no gimmicks,just solid instruction from start to finish, balancing theory and technique. How about some XTCand covers of My Sharona,Turning Japanese,Back of my hand etc Best wishes, Steve

[@deniskvasnevsky4221]

Eddie Van Halen R.I.P.

[@r3art]

No one in this Tremolo Picking Video or in the comments seems to have heard of Black Metal, which is very very weird.

[@scandinaviandriver2475]

Seems it is not popular channel in metal community, but worth checking

[@acpg]

Not much metal on my channel I have to admit. But I do love a bit of Celtic Frost - might have to do a bit of that in another video.

[@Satrapo]

"...and that piece of music is the greatest example I can think of of the guitar technique of 'tremolo picking'" You might want to check out some black metal :D

[@btoff9856]

What about 15-25 mm picks? I've seen a bunch of Metal stylists playing with them. Anyone use these rather clunky and ugly looking things? I bet despite the on paper comparisons, that thing would feel better, maybe slip a less amount and that bit of weight helps cut through maybe?

[@elliotvernon7971]

Miserlou lesson - yes please.

[@mathquir190]

Could you remake the video with the camera slowly cropping for 20 minutes straight to that puppet eyes. (with any kind of halloween music in background)

[@dubiousdevil9572]

Greatest example? Black metal would like a word

[@solidus32]

Lol I think my guitar's broken

[@cskueny]

F.U.N. was quite funny

[@acpg]

I try my best. I certainly amuse myself when making these videos, whether many others find it funny I'm not too sure...

[@SultanBenjamin]

Tremolo with accents is hard 💔

[@johnkramer2349]

He clearly hasn't heard Satanic Warmaster...

[@ahlifengshuii]

10 dislike from pop guitarists

[@crinimal_]

How were there only 3 black metal comments here??

[@jackieboixx3063]

Greatest example lmao? Ever heard of metal.

[@urphakeandgey6308]

Learn a bunch of DIck Dale songs and I guarantee you'll have tremolo picking down.

[@sergeiorlov5096]

Black metal.

[@nunyabidness117]

Pls tighten up your dialogue a bit. Guitar players have no attention span.

[@killbean449]

how to i track my speed with a metronome doing this?

[@brittanydance7597]

subdivisions bro