Boost Your Picking Speed NOW: The Secret I Wish I'd Known Earlier!🎸🔥

Faster Alternate Picking In 2024?
jonbjork.teachable.com/p/my-d...
🎼 Get access to the tabs here: cutt.ly/jonbjorkguitar
#alternatepicking #speedpicking #guitartechnique

[@JonBjork]

Faster Alternate Picking In 2024? jonbjork.teachable.com/p/my-downloadable-516690

[@BenEller]

Yes! Speed bursts are absolutely the key. It's the ONLY way I warm up anymore, wish I would have started doing them earlier!

[@JonBjork]

It's a great tool for sure!

[@sole__doubt]

As soon as I heard him mention "speed bursts" I thought of your videos.

[@bradsims5116]

Oh yeah can you play faster than my stepdad !

[@LifeAdvisorSigma]

Even the Master @BenEller is still roaming YT looking to learn from everyone ❤

[@ubatooba8467]

I discovered this on my own in the mid 1990's. It's the only way to fix things. You are deconstructing things and then rebuilding them better. You are deconstructing the riff vs. your mechanics and building a better nervous system response to when it's time to fire the riff.....hopefully shooting for muscle memory (one day) and at that point you think very little about executing the riff and just think of "here comes that riff" and it just happens. This is the kind of self diagnostic you need to go thru to work around your problems. Another one that goes hand in hand with this (as it's almost the same thing) it putting a premuim on note quality.....and I mean each and every note.....nothing slurred or cheated. Don't worry about speed, keep playing things with quality (typically 1/2 speed, or even less) and the ability for speed will be added in relative short order, I promise. Bravo on teaching the mechanics of shredding!

[@philjones8693]

Holy shit! I just tried this and the bursts really can go a lot faster than I thought. Going straight into my practice routine. Thanks mate!

[@JonBjork]

That's awesome Phil! Thanks for the feedback:)

[@jasonday8334]

How important is it to keep the fretting hand pinky finger curled in? Does the pinky finger being loose and flying out there have any impact on how fast we can fret notes or is it just a cosmetic thing?

[@JonBjork]

@@jasonday8334 Definetly impacts your playing. Today's video will address left-hand problems so stay tuned:)

[@randomdude93-93]

Heyyyy! Another Phil Jonas is the former guitarist/singer from Secrets of the Moon. :D

[@JonBjork]

@@satchrules101 Hey! Not sure what you mean exactly, but if you solved the problem with this approach that's great!

[@producer2123]

This is a smart approach. Thank you!

[@Soloist1983]

Good video, I found my way through doing rest-strokes and 2-way pickslanting. I used to pick "at" the strings, rather than the push-through/twist motion of a rest-stroke. No matter how hard I tried, and I spent 3-4hrs a day for YEARS, maybe even 6 years with my old method, and I just never got there. Turns out I was doing a slight "lift-off", almost hovering over the string plane, diving-in, and jumping-out, this is INCORRECT. It's a push through, like a rest-stroke, it's straight-lines basically, no arcing in and out slivers of a millimeter above the string plane. There should be NO lift-off, NO hop, only straight-line movements, which absolutely requires pickslanting. I never found synchronization the hard part, it's the picking mechanic itself that seems to trip up most people. I hope this helps, don't lose years like I did, Get the mechanic down right, from that point, you shouldn't need insane amounts of hours per week, just consistent practice, maybe an hour a day.

[@timothyleard]

Absolutely, speed bursts helped me immensely 😊

[@meljohnson5579]

Spot on lesson 😊

[@janoskaism]

Thank you

[@thaighaudio]

Glad to see this technique excerpted from Alternate Picking Mastery.. it's a really powerful lesson because that "glimpse into the future" provides much needed motivation that you CAN increase your speed. It's like being allowed to blip the throttle of the Lamborghini 🙂

[@teeoff406]

Thank you, I needed this so much.

[@JonBjork]

Great!

[@ricardofigueiredo60]

Very nice tip mate! Is the second time that you mentioned this way of picking! Graetfull

[@pauljenkins68]

Good stuff Jon, as always

[@JonBjork]

Thank you Paul! See you soon😊🎸

[@brinkoftime7982]

Thank you Jon

[@JonBjork]

Thanks for watching😊

[@DJ33]

Great vid Jon

[@JonBjork]

Thank you Paul!

[@benikifle5585]

Thank you mannn... you're always like my ambulance of my guitar journey love ya....

[@JonBjork]

Haha! Thanks man😊

[@joemusicman64]

I saw another video that discussed a simular method. I haven't been using this burst method and I'm going to try it. Makes a lot of sense.

[@rynwncy]

Thanks, Jon! Greetings from PH 🤟

[@migueldemaria3830]

You're a great teacher, Jon. Hope your channel takes off.

[@JonBjork]

Thank you!

[@Comoguitargeek]

Keep making videos like this. I love this style of video. Watched it all the way through.

[@JonBjork]

Thank you! See you tomorrow😊👍

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

​@Jon Bjork just one question (that nobody really shows) where to you rest your picking hand? Is it lightly on the strings or do you rest it between your wrist and elbow (so you picking hand sits slightly above the strings at all times). Maybe a good subject for a video as practising with your right hand in the wrong place means you are wasting your time and will need to re learn at some point..... many thanks.

[@JonBjork]

That's because it's depending on your overall technique. Paul Gilbert rests his picking hand on the bridge as do most wrist pickers who doesn't plant any fingers on the body of the guitar, Michael Angelo Batio on the other hand doesn't rest his hand on the strings at all, instead he anchors his three fingers on the body of the guitar. Both sound great but do it completely differently.

[@commanderc.l.i.t5772]

I have said it a million times now, I wish there was youtube like 30 years ago when I was a teenager so I could of got all this help. I never would of quit

[@JonBjork]

You can still learn now, we only start slowing down a bit after 80, and that's just slowing down not being unable to learn new things. So get after it if you still want to:)

[@paulbaglio6295]

Yeah this is REALLY helping build alternate picking speed, thanks so much for this Jon

[@JonBjork]

Great to hear Paul, thank you!

[@satchrules101]

Good lesson! I been watching ur lessons past few , weeks! Very helpful.

[@JonBjork]

Thank you!

[@RikJSmith]

I definitely could have used your skills and knowledge about 3 years ago when I was trying to re - learn my Instrument 🎸 . I took a fall at Work and woke up 3 weeks later in the ICU Unit of the Local Hospital . To this day I remember nothing of what happened . But I know I can barely play after the Brain Damage because of the location of the injuries . I've been playing Guitar since I was 11 years old . I'm now 58 . Everyone has that one thing that they're good at and they love to do . For me it was playing Guitar . Until this Covid BS took over I was working for Princess Cruise Lines as a Professional Musician . After that back home to New York to a Factory job . Anyway , I'll be going through all of your Videos to pick any and all exercises that you've offered . Your Picking Skills are no less than AMAZING !! And thank you for sharing this Lesson . I hope you're doing well and staying safe .

[@JonBjork]

Sorry to hear that man! The brain is very adaptable though so you might be able to in the future. I’ve read a lot of accounts from various books on learning how people have recovered from quite severe injuries. It takes time though. Best of luck!

[@RikJSmith]

Thank you Jon .

[@saadshah7857]

Very good advice!

[@JonBjork]

Thank You!

[@timothya2742]

I so get that. I am definitely having issues with my picking styles. I sometimes even change mid stream

[@siennagarcia1459]

Michael Romeo is a Monster guitarist so underrated!!!! He only moves his wrist not his elbow when he plays compared to the other guitarists!

[@JonBjork]

Michael Romeo is one of my all time favourites😊

[@s4tchowns]

Great Video! I will start adding bursts to my routine!

[@JonBjork]

Awesome!

[@furryz666]

With strict alternate picking I have learned the hand, finger, wrist and elbow mechanics change as the velocity increases So for me I will use a metronome up to a challenging speed, but once I hit that “wall” that you mentioned Then i try playing a fast and cleanly as possible but using very simple even one string 2 or 3 note licks You will find once you control that 180-220 bpm for some maybe 160-180 or much slower depending on one’s practice habits and motivation but at that point you can build more complex licks and runs you would never be able to build up to with a metronome and eventually for many including myself economy picking and legato will blend in to a uniform attack where you won’t hear anything but burn arpeggios still sound like arpeggios unless string skipping though, my own experience Then fiiiiiiiinally you can feel confident enough to forget about speed as a pursuit that tenses muscle and brains, learn to relax at any speed and use all your tools with speed being only one of. Lastly, I have also found that interjecting a pretty fast cleanly played line against a slower overall performance can sound faster that a balls to the wall Frenzied-Blitzkrieger

[@danmenez]

Gold!

[@JonBjork]

Thank you!

[@mr.blue.2]

Very good video !!! Thank you !!!

[@JonBjork]

Thanks man!

[@chrisking6695]

This is so helpful! I’m just like you were. I’m changing from Jeff Loomis style to Brandon Ellis to Andy James to Teemu from Wintersun and back. I cycle through these. And what I notice is that I seem to pick more like Jeff when I get faster BUT here’s the issue: I can’t cross strings with his technique. If I do the speed bursts I seem to want to pick away from the body. But that’s an issue for even note patterns started on a downstroke. Just try picking away from the body and do a simple pentatonic run started on a downstroke. You’ll notice you’ll get stuck quick. In order to fix that you have to change the angle of the pick and pick into the body (upward escape stroke). But that slows me down because I lose stability in my wrist. And I also have extra string noise from my knuckles dragging along the string (because every down pick goes toward the body and thus brings my knuckles closer to the strings which forces me to fan my band to avoid that which slows me down).

[@JonBjork]

I'd suggest getting the general technique using the speed bursts and then work on a lot of short repeating patterns to get used to small detailed changes you''ll need to do depending on the phrase. It's so easy to overthink this stuff and none of the players Troy analyzed got their technique down by thinking of every detail. Just a crazy amount of repetitions at a speed where everything is working. I've had a lot of students that have come from the Cracking The Code school and really gotten into their own heads about every single motion.

[@RobTackettCovers]

Thanks for this one, Jon...going to give it a go...hope you and yours are doing great!

[@JonBjork]

Thanks man, you too!

[@fretfirestudio]

This is a great Video, Thanks for sharing

[@JonBjork]

Thank you!

[@meltoninyourmouth]

thanks mate, this was very helpful for me.

[@JonBjork]

Great to hear!

[@marinstefan9918]

Niice tip on this man !! 🤘

[@JonBjork]

Thank you!

[@n8dawg85]

Thankyou for this video. I've been playing for 20 years and have a pretty reliable picking hand but speed has always been an issue for me and those scale/metronome exercises always end up with me hitting a wall at 130 bpm..these short burst drills are already working after just a few sessions🔥

[@JonBjork]

Awesome!

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

There's something about the way Paul Gilbert and Yngwie where when they play really fast they both maintain this level of excitement that a lot of the other players don't have for me? Something in the way they attack they strings catches my full attention!🤘

[@JonBjork]

I agree, they both have a fire in their playing that few players match.

[@danielk301]

Great video. I have the same exact experience with banging my head against the wall with straight 16th note workouts. Speed bursts make so much more sense and it's obvious why. You can draw endless comparisons from sports. Let's say you practice tennis and you know that backhand is your weak point, the bottleneck, so to speak. What do you do? Just play more tennis? No. You grind the damn backhander until it's no longer your weakness. Learning to shred with the traditional straight-16th-notes approach is like trying to increase your bench press by doing more push-ups. It works but only to a certain point, which probably isn't very high.

[@xertiasstrat8957]

amazing video thank u. we also have to not forget these guys practice way more than people do pettruchi talked about 8 hours a dya paul gilbert too steve vai 10 jason becker too. It's also very important to stay slow, but our biggets mistakes and weakness is to fats it up too much sometimes. so yeah, maybe some are real virtuoso, but ohterwhise they put alot of hours into this. and only this. i mena i could learn tons of songs but i prefer only play and practice this, so i guess i'll learn songs later i dont see this as an excuse but tone is also so important, a amazing tone like u helps to me more motivated and helps ourselves our playing better but for beginging, even mid level playing i guess a room amp 200 euros 300 is enough for now. also idk if it s normal but i I grit my teeth when i fast picking it s really hard to not do it idk why

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

Great playing mate! A lot of people can play fast, but not everyone has great feel, sense of dynamics, and vibrato like you do! Cheers from cloudy old England!

[@JonBjork]

Thanks mate! Really appreciate it! My wife to be is from England, we're actually going there soon:)

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

@@JonBjork Very nice, congratulations! I hope you're not coming over too soon - as the weather has reverted back to our stereotypical overcast skies haha... from mid-June we should have nice 20-30 degrees, cloudless blue skies.

[@stevenstahlberg5469]

Damn! I did the same thing and thought I was the only one always changing the picking style and then wonder why I am not getting better...😅

[@KRayxKodessA]

Great video, as always. I did find the captions a bit distracting though.

[@DeadShred9]

I mix Legoto with Speed busts like this & it opens things up for runs that sound faster then they really are .

[@larryd7196]

Thanks Jon Yeah, I've tried to just keep increasing the metronome and hit the wall. The speed bursts seem obvious now. Why didn't I think of that? I'm definitely going to incorporate this in. Also I like the captions. I usually put them on anyways, but the CC on KZbin usually has wrong words or puts them in the way. So I appreciate the extra work on your part.

[@JonBjork]

Thanks Larry!

[@BDashnaw06]

Great video! I love your speed burst practice technique.❤ But...I would reconsider using captions in the video because they are quite distracting. Awsome stuff! Keep up the good work!

[@JonBjork]

Thanks!

[@mbessle5102]

Man I wish I knew this years ago! Great advice

[@JonBjork]

Start today😊

[@chrispage2782]

I appreciate you adding the subtitles; for some reason, it made it easier. Probably because I (like every other guitar player 😂) noodles while someone else is talking….lol

[@JonBjork]

Thanks!😊

[@yarndeano3494]

Thanks Jon. I would love to see a lesson on your picking style for sweeping. I have been trying to mimick your technique but can never get as consistent and solid as you.Just a thought...many thanks

[@JonBjork]

Thank you! Will get a sweeping video up as well😊

[@yarndeano3494]

Awsome bro ❤

[@filipebeltraodiniz]

Great video! Is it allowed to do economy picking or it must be alternate? Does it work with other kinds of picking?

[@JonBjork]

Thank you! It works for economy picking as well so give it a go:)

[@armandobravo4L]

That guitar is gorgeous

[@JonBjork]

Thanks!

[@MrPaul8870]

Its up to the individual on this subject of what type of pick you use and what exactly for strumming is thin best as qhen using thin you get no dig aound as if soloing with a thick. Years agp when thrash started out back in the late 80s there was and still issuing these plectrums called sharkfin known to used by the beatles. They ate in diffemt dilours representing thickness red is normal yellow thick and other colours but the light blue ones are the best for playing thtash fast The other thin plectrum is a dunlop nylon 38 , I recromend that every serious guatarist to have light blue sharkfin in there toolbag 100% If you use it at its thin end you can presise pick but beware it can cut through to hole in plectrum so make sure itsnot your last ! Speed comes down to competitive playing a pieceover seasons over time its all do with being comfortable thats the trick or aim point

[@MrPaul8870]

People might argue over this due to the dig of a fatter plectrum and if this is the case the answer is simple crank up the amp so it does I'm not into arguments on this the answer is there to try out you will be amazed when using tube screamer harmonics says it all about thick and thin. But Mr Malmstreen insisted on using bass picks and the term comes from there whereas sharkfin was Anthrax which was noted in metal hammer magazine in interview which I recall many moons ago

[@diagonalhelix2578]

Hey man i started with a up pick and had it down to the next string but now reworking with a down stroke to start

[@JonBjork]

Hey! Both work and are good to be comfortable with.

[@Ugoeh2]

Thanks for the video! The text is astonishingly annoying. I'm trying to watch your hands but basically get constant interruptions. Again, very good info, thank you!

[@HarbingerOfAnarchy]

Have to say that flickering subtitles are distracting

[@Jacksonnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Would you recommend doing the reverse engineering of speed bursts to legato as well? Or the does the left hand motion not really change from slow to fast tempos?

[@nik8ivnv]

Cool! 1st saw it in Troy Stetina's book with the Flight of the bumblebee as an example😊 it's the most effective invention of our civilization! It's the seventh miracle in our galaxy😅

[@DeadShred9]

Very nice Solar Guitar you have what Model is that whats the Spec's ? The lesson was helpful & I have 40 yrs. as a Guitarist .

[@JonBjork]

Thank you! It’s one of the prototype poplar ones😊

[@TheGazza83]

What model of Solar is that? It looks great, plus it has the dot inlay. I need them 😂

[@JonBjork]

It's one of the first Poplar Solar Guitars, I don't think this exact colour ever made it into full production mode. Ola gave it to me so that's how I got ahold of it.

[@TheGazza83]

@@JonBjork wow, what a good guy Ola is

[@DHgtr1]

Hi..Great lessons...one ?? say take a C major scale ..3 notes per..kind of Paul G..AND START ON AN UP STROKE..SO that on any pair of strings you end on a downstroke..IYO IS THAT A Worthwhile goal??? or not...I seem to feel more fluid but less in control..as Ive only beeen doing it bout 2 wks..btw I mean with strick alt. picking..Thanks for the lessons...and if u have any time to answer Thanks Dave

[@JonBjork]

Hey Dave! For alternate picking I also go by the advice of Steve Morse, John Petrucci and Al DiMeola. They all have said at various times that you're best off practicing every alternate picked phrase in two ways. Starting with a downstroke and starting with an upstroke. I've done that from pretty much the beginning and it has served me really well over time. I hope that helps!

[@DHgtr1]

@@JonBjork Hi Jon...Thanks a lot...i have never tried it b4..wonder why i seem faster as you hit the 2nd string with a down...which should b harder...Thanks for answer and keep the lessons coming...Dave

[@bingbongbingbong4305]

Love the vid! Super helpful. However, I disagree that you need to have the same pick motion when playing fast vs slow. Their are plenty of blues players that don’t have this but above a certain speed they switch into a new mode. I willing to be wrong here so what do y’all think?

[@JonBjork]

Thanks! The only issue with switching is that you can get a gap of a certain tempos that occur right before you need to shift that will feel super awkward. There's no one size fits all in music though and it'll depend on your overall goals.

[@zenchiefengineer]

Great vid. I AM working on my speed. It drives me crazy these videos where they show the slow part and then they go to 100 MPH the next time. Like, wait... how?

[@JonBjork]

Thanks man! Anyone can get there with the enough & correct practice😊

[@JONNIE_ROCKER]

👍👍

[@joelsmith4816]

Hey bro just came across your channel. One of the best and effortless pickers I've seen on KZbin is Cesario Filho. His playing is Yngwie style. Check him out.

[@JonBjork]

Cesario is amazing!

[@michaelshearer3559]

I wish a teacher would have told me the importance of picking early on. Technique is the hardest thing to learn late after years of strange habits.

[@JonBjork]

It's never too late to change though. Paul Gilbert used to hold the pick in a completely different way, he used two fingers and the thumb and angled it the opposite way. He did it this way on the first Racer X album. He then realized it wasn't the best way to do it since it hurt his thumb and he had a really hard time with sweep picking. He then changed it to the way he does it now WHILE being in Racer X, not ideal in any way but within around 6 months he said he was even better with the new grip. He can still do it the old way which also shows that when we change a habit we're actually building a new one and not "overwriting" the old. So even if you've done it one way for 20 years it doesn't mean that it'll take you as long to change.

[@jeffreykarbonhara2727]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🎸💥❤️

[@knivesarequiet3706]

This helped! Your thighs helped too btw. Congrats on all fronts sexy bro!!

[@JonBjork]

😂

[@paulbaglio6295]

I also saw a Rick Graham video on this... awseome practice technique. I didn't really try it when I saw Ricks video but after spending some time I'm quickly feeling results😁

[@buntline1873]

If you engineer your patterns to use inside alternate picking then everything works out like you wouldn't believe.

[@WickBeavers]

Ha! If I get a little hammering on and add a little well timed Delay, I get faster fast. But...are you using the sharp part of your pick?

[@JonBjork]

Yes, I do.

[@RobTackettCovers]

You mention Al Di Meola...he's a speed picking monster...

[@JonBjork]

He sure is!

[@nicosanchez1980]

06:01, this is when the video starts.

[@JonBjork]

Well, if you skip to that point you'll miss the whole point of why this works and what to do.

[@jasonb7693]

So I see some do what I call cheating by using a hybrid pic/finger technique when soloing. I’ve always wanted to use my pic and not do the hybrid pic thing that some players do.

[@JonBjork]

I don’t see any technique as cheating. It’s just another tool. Would a carpenter feel like using anything other than a hammer is cheating?

[@jasonb7693]

@@JonBjork valid point and taken. I mean I guess if it makes it easier or adds by expanding then you’re right. I kinda boxed myself in by thinking I had to pick the notes with my pic and not use hybrid picking but I mean Marty Friedman and others use their fingers and pic in solos. I just have difficulty with it and didn’t focus on it as much. 😞

[@JonBjork]

@@jasonb7693I get it man. It’s a very easy and reliable technique once you get the hang of it though so give it a try. I have several videos on my YT channel where you can get the basics down and build from there.

[@harrisfrankou2368]

Fast twitch type 2 b fibers must be worked out, adding the proviso that "playing slow aids synchronization" as this great teacher said pays off. It's Pat Hicks' (Rip ) Theory as well Shawn Lane said he played above his ability every day for hours and for decades. You cant break a 10 second Hundred Meters by jogging. And speed bursts are the go.

[@LeeGee]

Those subtitles are annoying

[@JonBjork]

The retention rate is through the roof though so they'll hang on for awhile, thanks for the feedback.

[@elasticmachinery]

​@@JonBjork like them personally. Perhaps not word for word though. KZbin does have a auto caption feature for the viewer if you want to stop putting them in yourself though. I appreciate the effort.

[@anttt___]

You spend 80-90% of yout time playing slowly?

[@JonBjork]

When practicing technique yes😊

[@anttt___]

@@JonBjork I see 👌 great channel learning a lot 👍😁

[@Io-Io-Io]

Throw away your pick and learn to play like Matteo Mancuso

[@JonBjork]

I think it’ll take a bit more than that to play like Mancuso😁

[@Io-Io-Io]

@@JonBjork once you achieved to play like him- let me know ☝🏻😁

[@JonBjork]

Nah, I’d rather play like myself even though I love his playing. We’re all different and there’s no need for copycats, I’m pretty sure he’d agree😊

[@Io-Io-Io]

@@JonBjork I'm talking about his Finger technique instead of a pick

[@tymanngruter1808]

This is not for every guitarist, is speed your thing? You have to begin very young, very slow and do not get married😂!

[@JonBjork]

Not true at all. You can improve your technique in a massive way with proper practice and 90-120 minutes per day for a 3-6 months. Most people don’t just like most people can’t stick to a workout or a diet. I’m with you on practicing slowly though😁 (and the marriage thing unless you’ve found a keeper like I have).

[@tymanngruter1808]

@@JonBjork Jon, where married for 34 years now, you watch the smiley! 🤣

[@JonBjork]

@@tymanngruter1808 Congrats! That's admirable and impressive in equal measures:)

[@sole__doubt]

Killer playing but whats the deal with grown men wearing super short shorts? I cant be the only one who finds it strange. Maybe its a European thing like Speedos.

[@JonBjork]

Thanks! Check out my OnlyFans for the Speedos, that costs extra😂

[@trevorbantleman916]

Just sounds like bees buzzing , Sorry guys playing music is all about tune and soul it’s not a race .

[@JonBjork]

🐝

[@john-acellera]

Thank you