Pickslanting and Sweeping (The Marshall Harrison Interview, Chapter 1)

[@D4veJap4n]

Marshal deserves way more recognition

[@TexasGuitarist]

Marshall is the most virtuosic player I have ever seen in rock /shred guitar. The cool thing about him is that every Friday night at about 10 to 10:30 Central Time on his KZbin channel he does a two-hour session where he teaches his techniques for free on a live video stream. That's the kind of guy he is. I admire that. People of his caliber very rarely offer their time on a regular basis to give free advice and show examples of their playing for anybody who wishes to be a part of it.

[@marcthacker4walls]

Yeah, I just discovered this guy!

[@mrmisterman999]

if you like marshall you should check out rick graham, he's fucking immortal at guitar

[@aliensporebomb]

@César Rabbit Shawn was indeed one in a million and was pretty forthcoming on how he did what he did. It's too bad he's gone. The endless story of musicians who didn't have health insurance and better options to treat chronic manageable conditions is a sad and old one.

[@hampstershat123]

​@@aliensporebomb What could they have done if he had insurance/unlimited money? My understanding is there is still no cure for his disease and he would have been on similar if not the same drugs, and he didn't die from psoriatic arthritis he died from some kind of lung disease. He died in a hospital, they will always give treatment even if you can't pay then bill you after. Also i'd say at least 1 in a billion, no one comes close except marshall... that I've seen.

[@vanguard4065]

César Rabbit Marshall has taken everything shawn did and created a larger musical and technical vocabulary that is presently unmatched.

[@cprservices2484]

Marshall has the best guitar playing technique I've ever seen period! Both hands are impeccably flawless. Really just fascinating to watch.

[@TheKZOShow]

Him and Derryl Gabel

[@danbenkert]

Marshall Harrison is an amazing guitar player. I watched a number of his videos a while back . His legato is 2nd to none he's an Alan Holdsworth fan and Shawn Lane. His playing is so effortless at least looks that way I was shocked at the skill level and talent is insane.

[@aaronbergAPB]

He's a true authority on the instrument. Amen

[@MrPyroguru]

He is better than Allan Holdsworth!

[@Dreamdancer11]

Marshall Harrison was probably the only player that made my jaw drop as far as ultimate picking efficiency when i watched his videos.Combo of sweeping and hybrid picking for some amazing sequencing played with such perfection and ease.....dont know what you guys think of him as a player but man this guy is a technique powerhouse.

[@vonmilash823]

You're an amazing player Troy. You impress me every bit as much as any of the guys you study.

[@ethanGuitar]

Whenever Jason Becker is mentioned my heart skips a beat. please do something to do with Jason soon Troy

[@judoka227]

Has anyone else noticed that while Yngwie is a master at his thing, EJ at his, Rusty, Marshall, PG, MAB all masters at their own technical aspects/styles of playing, Troy has essentially mastered them ALL in order to demonstrate them properly. Not only demonstrate, but he BLAZES and DESTROYS on all of them. Troy - you sir are an absolute BEAST!!! Not only that, but I truly believe that your highly academic approach in this series will prove to be a MONUMENTAL turning point in guitar technique and pedagogy. Seriously man, thank you for your efforts. Now if I only had the time to sit and work on ALL of this myself lol.

[@MrPyroguru]

+Tommy G He is also willing to share these "Secrets" as well. Some guitarist are unwilling in revealing things like their secrets.

[@fenderoid1111]

I waited for this since you "relaunched" the series. Marshall is one of the few true technical masters.

[@The1stMrJohn]

Thank you Troy. Marshall Harrison is one of greatest living guitarists; talent, techniques and knowledge, etc... and he can play piano. There are many other notable guitarists that you have helped many learn from. It would have been great to have Shawn Lane could have visited you, but his bad health took him away far too soon in 2003. Maybe in an alternative universe there you both are, giving us the joys of Shawns hands close up in slow motion. ;~) fromEngland

[@tommyheneisen9426]

Troy your videos have helped me tremendously. I just wanted to thank you for the time and effort you take to help fellow players find ways and give them the tools to get out of the technical ruts we can all find ourselves in. Pickslanting has changed my playing in a big way. Thank you

[@merrittmussorgsky2937]

Troy you should do a new video with Marshall! He's such a beast and it's been so long since the first one you did with him. Plus he's really starting to gain a following and his playing has only gotten better. Swybrid picking insanity!!!!

[@thejuiceweasel]

This is a real prime example of how the pick angle affects the playing style. Subtle, yet very distinct and effecive. Also, I'm a bit gobsmacked how I have never heard of this guy.

[@merrittmussorgsky2937]

Love Marshall Harrison been a big fan of his playing for 14 years. Thanks so much Troy for this! Your detailed vids are simply the best/

[@ramonoliveira1036]

Marshall doesn't look like a pro guitar player at all, he looks like the regular guy who works at Walmart, if you saw him on the street, you'd never guess the he's such a legend.

[@tonyfaelens3626]

Is he a legend ?

[@thepiegamer5180]

You suck his grand father owned a oil company I bet your just jealous of his skill now go fuck off

[@hassaanawan367]

He's a petroleum engineer not a Walmart worker

[@rushpittsburgh4]

@@thepiegamer5180 it was more of a compliment than an insult. I think he meant Marshall is like a superhero just looks like a regular guy. Telling someone to fuck off because you don't understand a comment is not cool man

[@eddiem4868]

What do pros look like? They got horns and wings?

[@Kenman540]

Troy remember that Marshall's slanting is going to differ from so many for the fact the guitar he's playing in the video has no fingerboard/string radius. Glad you posted this,

[@shredfreak83]

Are you ever going to do something on Shawn Lane again? Apart from harrison you're pretty much the only one who's even dared to touch his playing & get in depth on it.

[@MrKittles1123]

Marshall is sooo scary lol blows my mind how small his hand movements are as well. But Troy you are no slouch and videos like this are what are needed in the guitar community and have been for a long time. So much fun to watch, fascinating and insightful. Thanks!

[@Progressivemusician]

What I think is most inspiring is that everything that Troy teaches is possible because of the extremely detailed analysis. Playing in a rock cover/original band there are some parts of solos that have been challenging for many years. I am now starting to do a detailed analysis of what I am doing and fixing the trouble spots. Once example is the ascending 4's in Bark At The Moon solo by Jake E. Lee. Thank you Troy for sharing your revelations in your own special way :)

[@gilldanier4129]

I find Marshall a very interesting person, he does not worry about his tone when teaching or anything amp but just shows what he has learned and how to play it, and reveals his passion about the guitar and technique which is magnetic, and all for free. Top Man.

[@rescareguy]

Best video I have EVER seen about this approach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tomeklawreszuk]

Marshall is one of the best guitar players on youtube (and not only)!

[@BrianAnderson-7]

This is one of the best interviews and analysis you've ever done ;) Great!

[@lukemagiera3356]

“But I swept it all” hahahaha you fucking legend

[@countchaoss]

Great work as always Troy, will be buying this very soon. Marshall is ridiculously underrated! No one sweeps like him.

[@DaveBrons]

Another brilliant video Troy! Thank you

[@ShredTraining]

Just purchased and watched this video series. Inspiring stuff, you did an amazing job! It made me realise some things about my technique too.

[@Runesson1959]

How much I've learned thanks to your show(s) Troy! My technique has improved and I can play much closer to the things I hear in my head. (I still ignore the strange voices =) ) You've given me the tools to evolve my playing... Excellent!

[@SalHEMI-g3i]

awesome troy ! thank you once again for a great lesson and break down on pick slanting an sweeping and thank you Marshal Harrison as well .

[@kiplukewhitehead8522]

Another wonderful and insightful video. With all these great players, their breathing tendencies in terms of being unhampered will indicate a major common clue to the natural evolution of subtle techniques such as these perhaps. The body must ebb and flow before minutae can be considered I would suppose. Alexander Technique is marvellous. Thanks. Marshall is brilliant.

[@damonstewart70]

Great as usual troy,personally I came across pick slanting by watching a Paul gilbert video,I tried it & was floored by it's effectiveness.Marshall is a guitar monster,I joined his Facebook page,great musicality & speed!!!These are great times to be guitarist with all this knowledge & inspiration from other players.That les Paul sounded explosive

[@chrisparker7106]

Marshall is incredible. Beautiful technique.

[@CaptainCrash1995]

God, thank you for this series. I am a newer player, and in seeking speed and precision I encountered the same problems you had. As I continued to listen to more and more technically gifted guitar players, I knew that there was something I was missing, especially when I stumbled across Jason Becker and his sweep style.

[@johnhuldt]

I'm learning so much from these videos :)

[@DeathBringer769]

One of the smoothest, fastest guys around. I remember finding him and Rusty about the same time back around 2006ish from the early KZbin days. I think it was from one of the old "Guitars Suck" videos, named in referenced to a Ron Thal/Bumblefoot song, not saying guitars actually suck. I believe I also first found Troy Grady himself from a clip in one of those videos as well, him covering an Yngwie song "Now Your Ships Are Burned" ;)

[@todd0000420]

marshall is hitting shawn lane speeds big time

[@recipoldinasty]

No, close tho.

[@recipoldinasty]

Thatoneguy onyoutube in this video he doesnt come even close to the amount shawn could play per second at full speed, hes at best at 16 notes per second here

[@recipoldinasty]

Thatoneguy onyoutube incluiding his hybrid so no fact here...

[@recipoldinasty]

Thatoneguy onyoutube swybrid*

[@vanguard4065]

@@recipoldinasty marshall is faster and smoother than lane and he plays more advanced musical lines arpeggios licks etc

[@kendesjarlais7577]

It's amazing that gambale was doing this 35 years ago

[@don_m3ga461]

I wish I could afford this right now! glad you've released some of the Marshall footage at last

[@JohnJohnson-op4gq]

Someone is a Shawn Lane fan ;)

[@samuelthomasengardio]

Shawn Layne is an alien being, EFF everything that you said.

[@tripledoubletroubful]

I'd love to see some of these videos for players like Russell Malone, Isaiah Sharkey, or a young Benson...I know it's a whole different thing, but guys who've developed techniques that produce a fat tone with a clean sound and their playing doesn't seem to rely on motion and patterns and they still burn. The Steve Morse one was amazing in this regard.

[@MILLERTRANSCENDENT]

Marshall is a genius.

[@gdkopinionator4356]

Bloody Marvelous, Troy!

[@IAmattadams]

Dweezil Zappa kind of goes over this in his new video on True fire. He calls it "economy picking" but I'm super pumped up on this and while I was running I figured out very quickly where I could fit this in my current songs I'm working through. Great video Troy

[@orangenoise8350]

What's the pattern marshal plays at 1:20?

[@DoggoWillink]

This is the only way I can pick fast, by “directional” picking (switching strings in the same direction, meaning sometimes you’ll do two up or downs in a row). Unsurpsingly, I can also sweep a ton better than I can alternate pick. I can’t actually alternate pick at any decent speed, because I never could figure out string changing from up to down descending (and less so from down to up ascending, I think this is because of my natural slant that I can do this better than the other). Until I saw these videos I had NEVER seen this explained properly.

[@ItzCollapsabLE]

That lick @ 2:08 sounds like the same Lydian motif one from the rusty video you put up

[@jerryoutlaw3396]

Great analytical stuff!! Thank you.

[@Wehrmacht777]

amazing how complex it all becomes , after the fact

[@TheHog107]

I'd love to see a Masters of Mechanic series on George Lynch. Your Malmsteen one is fantastic!

[@rolandlemus203]

For Marshall I would to have it slowed down not on the right hand but on the LEFT hand, that would be a very cool extended learning experience because of his legato and fluidity of style, just very cool to watch here and on his other vids.

[@sapientbudgie5652]

Marshall is a technical wizard. Rusty is a speed hack.

[@severalpaperclips]

Really interesting how much a lot of these upward pick slanters seem to lean more toward a wrist deviation mechanic vs the "classic" forearm rotation of people like Yngwie. While I wouldn't call Marshall and Paul Gilbert's mechanics identical, they bear some striking similarities (as you touch on in the seminar).

[@troygrady]

severalpaperclips Indeed! Everybody from DiMeola to McLaughlin, I suspect most of these guys are "wrist", in the sense of radial/ulnar deviation. And for that matter when I play uwps lines I suspect I am also no longer rotational. This is not to say that uwps can't be rotational, but that for whatever reason it does not seem to be commonplace.

[@eduardocervantesaca]

I think uwps is also rotational but because how your arm and wrist rests on the guitar it is not as pronounced as people tend to do with dwps

[@severalpaperclips]

I'm certain my own uwps has a subtle rotational component, and I've seen Troy do it with a visible rotational component on occasion. But I still think some of the high profile uwps guys might have essentially no rotational component. But I also think some of them may have an elbow flexion/extension component that doesn't get acknowledged. I agree that the geometry of conventional arm posture on the guitar allows for more pronounced forearm rotation with dwps than with uwps.

[@eduardocervantesaca]

I dont think the high profile uwps guys have no rotational components because if they would be doing something less efficient like the pendulum wrist or using the whole arm. I think they use super subtle rotational motion just because it comes naturally to them.

[@severalpaperclips]

I think there are some guys who do "pendulum" wrist deviation coupled with a subtle elbow flexion/extension component rather than a subtle forearm rotation component. I suppose we could split hairs over whether it's apt to still describe those cases as wrist deviation.

[@davidvarela8739]

Troy did NatGeo already call you? they should , u r really helping a lot of players

[@severalpaperclips]

But if they ask you to take your top off, make sure you get the money first. ;-)

[@mikedegroff7766]

Hey Troy, Mr Harrisons guitar reminded me of something I read about ages ago. 1:21 at the slow-mo sweep, notice how he sets his pickup pole pieces? Its probably a string volume balance thing for him, however I remember seeing a guitar (I want to say its a classical acoustic) that had its action setup almost exactly like his pole pieces are angled, Low E staggering the saddle height up for the A and D, then dropping the G string down and staggering up to the high e, and the picking technique was basically all combinations of 3 string sweeps. I can't remember the guys name or where I saw it, but I remember thinking it would hinder a lot of other techniques. Did you talk to Marshall about setup? Is he THAT guy? Do you know what video/guitarist has his gear set up like that? Was I hallucinating?

[@iraskal1706]

great lesson thank you and of course marshal and rusty

[@Dynamitarian]

Wow ! What is this ? Marshall !!!

[@MarkBreton]

I would love to see you analyze Phil Keaggy's playing. He hybrids so good.

[@JackCarlino]

excellent video. these must have been shot ages ago. they look so young!!

[@ismelljello]

When you did the close up at 1:19, wouldn't that technically be considered economy picking since he's doing a down up down down (and vice versa) picking pattern? When I first started, I used to refer to economy picking as "mini sweeps" I can see why people get the distinction a little mixed up.

[@MrPyroguru]

+ismelljello This is my thoughts. I use economy picking with Intense Rock I just like Marshall did when he first learned it! I don't alternate pick things like Paul does. It never felt right to me for speed.

[@orangenoise8350]

Anyone know what marshall is playing at 0:50? Tabs would be great

[@Ghandjaloodah]

Love your videos, really helpfull thanks a lot.

[@dougsteeleguitar]

MH is a fucking badass!!

[@dougsteeleguitar]

Fucking 'ell.

[@henrygeroge6666]

Ok but there's a more to playing then being one dimensional a lot to discover believe that.

[@dougsteeleguitar]

Thanks for the tip, Jagoff.

[@henrygeroge6666]

All is well l have play and seen thousands of players a lot to learn.

[@dougsteeleguitar]

Good. And I'm just acknowledging massive talent when I see it. Goodbye.

[@Dooality]

Troy. I purchased this and just finished the 8th part of the analysis. It's amazing! I need to know, which of your packs/products goes the deepest into two-way pick slanting? I feel as though I still don't fully grasp it. I play economy/sweeping, but my hand is always neutral. I don't slant at all, and I think that's why I've never been able to reach the accuracy and speeds I want.

[@troygrady]

Dooality Glad you're enjoying the Marshall stuff. The Antigravity seminar is where we outline two-way pickslanting as a concept. This is why the Marshall seminar only mentions it in passing. But we try to make the material accessible from context even if you haven't watched our other stuff. Two-way pickslanting concepts will also eventually appear in the second half of Cracking the Code the show, when we get there.

[@jcspaziano]

This is closer to how I do things....albeit not nearly on this level LOL! It sort of explains while DPS / upward seem like more work.

[@juancabral1129]

Hey Troy nice video. Is it possible that most of the two way pickers out there that have efficient picking is due to the mechanics that they plant their wrist on the body of the guitar and seem to be muting any unwanted noise or unplayed guitar string with their thumb? A thumb muting technique? Because Harrison, Cooley, Gambale seem to deploy this technique when playing. That's my observation.

[@ShootoutguitarcablesUK]

Yes your angles and distances can be huge! Like perhaps watching Eric Johnson play all the styles if he did! Frederick Taylor might have been freaked out by it though.

[@troygrady]

Shootout Guitar Cables UK Ha, I had to look that up! To your point, I think he'd be fine with this, since these movements are in fact the most efficient way to play, both large and small. That you can move totally outside the strings and still play complicated, articulate patterns at high speed is testament to that. It's simply a matter of the sound you're looking for -- dial it larger for aggressive, dial it smaller for smooth.

[@tfjzz]

i was wondering when you were going to mention this type of picking...:) discovering this style has opened a new dimension for guitar playing to me...as you say it allows you to play interesting non guitaristic patterns and combinations..

[@merrittmussorgsky2937]

Hey Troy do you have the Rusty Cooley video available for purchase? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[@Sixxiron]

Troy, at 6:50ish what amp is that? Sounds REALLY nice! Great breakdown too!

[@troygrady]

Brad Spalding Same amp I always use! Cornford Hellcat.

[@Sixxiron]

***** Sounds great

[@hrosemd]

What an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I thought Marshall was one of those virtuosos I could keep to myself. I know you're particularly interested in picking mechanics but it seems you've purposely avoided discussing hybrid or "swybrid" (as Marshall dubs it) picking. Has this been purposeful? As one of the old guard who developed his picking style before hybrid picking was a "thing", I just can't seem to make it part of my playing no matter how much I work on it. What say you, Troy?

[@tman6495]

Troy, what picks are you using and MM? Looks like 1mm nylon pick...yes?

[@Tjp7624]

Do an interview with Rober Fripp abouty his techniqe! Please!

[@Tjp7624]

Larks Tongues in Aspic pt 1, FraKctured, Fracture

[@hveguitar]

Amazing!

[@Yamagatabr]

Hey Troy! How do yo keep control to chose between alternate or sweep picking when you are improvising? because if you for example start a down sweep ater a Up picking, you will eventually play a dead note. How do you engage your mind to on the fly decide if it can Sweep, or should jump the string and all of that? :)

[@nikolasowenby6742]

I think the commentary above should offer clarification in its conflation of sweeping and "economy" playing. At respectable speeds, those long economy runs really just look like sophisticated sweeping blocks. I'm actually kind of curious as to your question. Do you mean the common problem of getting "trapped" between the strings (IE Upstroke on say G, followed by a downstroke on say D?) is yours a question of like, "interrupted momentum"? Confused by your use of the words "dead note". Would you mean say: Upstroke on A string followed by a sweep down starting on say the D string? And, to "assist" with the first part of your question, I'm pretty sure their picking strategy is practically second-nature. I think some passages call for sweep/economy on a technical and practical level more so than a creative one.

[@tobiaswolf6630]

I have an most likely very interesting question on this: How do you mute when you´re downward pickslanting? At the end of the video, you say you "still have muting capabilities in both directions". I highly doubt that, and I´ll explain why. If you´re upward pickslanting, you mute the strings with the "outer" part of your hand (the side of the right hand where your pinky is). When you are downward pickslanting, you have to rotate the wrist forward, so that the pick will be directed in the right direction in order to get over the next string. But in order to do so, you have to remove that "outer" part of the hand from the strings, so you basically have nothing to mute the strings with. Could you do a video on this? That would really help. :) I think a lot of people have the same problem.

[@dannybrown3870]

Tobias Flow apparently, you missed the point of the last part of this video. The whole point is that you don't have to make any drastic changes to your hand position to pickslant in both directions, i.e. you simply don't have to rotate the wrist forward to get a downward pick slant. Even in Troys' case (in which he does rotate the wrist forward) the wrist movement is subtle enough to allow him to continue muting anyway. If you look closely at the slow mo footage near the end of the video when Troy is downward pickslanting you can see that his palm is still resting on the strings. Next time you're holding a pick try twisting it toward the ground with JUST your fingers (don't move your wrist) and you should be downward pickslanting while still muting the strings. Marshall demonstrates this perfectly at 4:40; it is very clear if you pause it while he's downward pickslanting that he's muting the lower strings

[@AnthonysMajesty]

So I’m confused, is it best to have a slant or better to let the pick move itself?

[@alexjackson8841]

Well…both. Having a somewhat relaxed grip will allow the pick to slant itself up/down when you play. The key to maximising on the benefits of this natural slanting caused by the force of the pick against the strings, is to relax your hand- you’ll notice that insanely economic players like Marshall or Frank gambale will look like they’re putting absolute no energy into their right hand what so ever because they’re allowing their relaxed hand to move slant slightly while the pick slants. The pick almost guides the super relaxed hand

[@josiahluethje9028]

Is he switching his slant ever time he hits the string?

[@gabrielbeginlarocque653]

Awesome series, awesome player. Just curious, he was using his line 6 flextone ?!?!?

[@troygrady]

Gabriel Bégin Larocque I actually don't remember what amp he used!

[@gabrielbeginlarocque653]

Ok thanks!

[@montyburns9991]

Hey Troy Grady! Are those Snarling Dog Brain picks you're using on here?

[@romanchiva4688]

What program do you use for animations?

[@jsoye]

Brilliant as always, Troy. Do the mechanics alter in any way when you play with a clean sound? I found when I felt when I made recent breakthrough (I discovered your videos around the same time) that I was perhaps lightly brushing the string, but with a conventional pick it sounded like a "swipe", compounded by edge picking and down slanting, but then using a Jazz III pick (as Eric Johnson and, I think, you, use) that allowed me to have a more positive attack on the string, but perhaps less so with a clean sound. Is this a question of refining the technique? Joe Bonamassa is perhaps switching between up- and down-slanting, but he has a very clean picking technique even with a relatively clean sound!

[@troygrady]

Jonathan Soye Hi! I can't imagine any way that amp settings would influence the difficulty of playing with accuracy. If you can make these movements happen, it doesn't matter what you're plugged into, or whether or not you're plugged in at all. Apologies if I'm misunderstanding the question!

[@jsoye]

I'm sorry Troy! I suppose that after chasing this type of technique for over 25 years I'm just worried that I'm not quite on the right track! I definitely find that when practising unplugged the timing and attack of the notes is sloppier - and I'm aware of that when I then plug in. I guess the questions were, do you use a Jazz III pick, and if so did that choice matter to you? And I suppose I'm just clumsily making the observation that all of these players use a very distorted sound. But you said in the video that you had a very accented movement and I wondered whether that helped when it came to playing with a clean sound. My movements become very small when playing faster! Thanks for the reply, it really makes a difference for the ordinary guy!

[@troygrady]

Jonathan Soye If there's any effect there it's entirely psychological. Think about it -- sound emerging from the amp has no effect on the physical position of the pick, your hand, etc. (Except for that one scene in Back to the Future when he blows himself across the room. I would advise not playing at those sorts of volume levels!) Historically we have had so little concrete information about how picking accuracy is achieved that all kinds of illogical superstitions have evolved. If you've been watching the show, you now have a basic understanding of how two elite players (Yngwie and Eric) do this, and the strategies they use are pretty cut and dries and will work on any kind of guitar, and indeed almost any plectrum-based instrument. I don't have any strong preferences re: pick choice - I like them all / use them all!

[@MrBTBusch]

Great Technique.

[@Swpb666]

for those of you who know #FREEMARSHALL

[@thebusko]

Hey Troy, love your channel and ive changed a lot about my picking because of cracking the code, its helped a lot, do you know what pick Marshall was using, i asked on his channel still got no response and another question, Whats your opinion on alternate picking vs sweep vs legato? Which one is the right one, i feel alternate picking is the right way but i love the cascading sweeping and smoothness

[@ItsPandatory]

+pavlo busko It looks like a Jazz3 to me

[@InfinityDz]

Hey Troy! Do you think it's important to have a thick pick for fast playing? Everyone says so but I've made way too much progress now with a very thin one, about 0.48mm. I have plenty of other picks too so it's not a matter of not having other choices, I just feel more comfortable with that thin pick and I like the sound better.

[@InfinityDz]

+InfinityDz Wow, everyone's asking pick-related questions on this video!

[@severalpaperclips]

Paul Gilbert is one of the all-time great alternate pickers, and for many years he used Tortex .60mm. It's easier to get loud, clean attack with a more rigid pick, but in many scenarios a thinner pick will work just as well. For one-way pickslanting (where you can still pick fast even with more of the pick biting the string) I think the thickness of the pick becomes not very important.

[@progmanmike]

It's worth noting that Marshall guy is using a jazz 3 pick, great pick for these techniques

[@don_m3ga461]

Progmanmike he uses a big stubby

[@progmanmike]

Little stubby huh, looks the same. maybe I'll check out those bad boys

[@don_m3ga461]

***** in more recent comments he's said he switched to the big stubby

[@MrPyroguru]

+Boob Wiley Stubby Picks are the greatest picks for clarity in my humble opinion.

[@severalpaperclips]

Good stuff, Troy. Who makes the textured green pick you're using here? It doesn't appear to be Snarling Dogs Brain or Dunlop Max-Grip.

[@troygrady]

severalpaperclips Planet Waves DuraGrip! .85mm

[@MrPyroguru]

+Troy Grady Relax a little bit to reduce your movement. You are playing awesome but seem very tense. Use everything you're teaching.... But relax with a light touch and pick with the right amount of tension. Not too light but not too hard but just right!

[@mottbone]

I just take any nylon pick and burn a few dozen divots in it with the tip of an 20 - 30 watt soldering iron

[@severalpaperclips]

Excellent idea. Might have to try it on a Jazz III XL.

[@willpeters-seymour5608]

So economy picked

[@Shmucko21]

Yeah I don't know why he kept saying sweeping

[@svilendenchev9984]

Shmucko21 It basically is sweeping with extra steps

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Economy picking is a sweep across two strings combined with alternate picking. That said, I think using the term _economy picking_ is certainly more descriptive.

[@stevenstahlberg5469]

Shmucko21 economy picking is sweeping

[@MrIkesimba]

Economy picking is a combination of sweeping and alternate picking used to maximize economy of motion, hence the name.

[@Dejoblue]

Marshall appears to use his middle, third and pinky to mute the strings as he sweeps up, high to low. Is this habit of being prepared to hybrid pick, as he clearly does on several of the runs in the beginning, or is this part of his muting technique? I am going to work on this. I have the downward muting nailed and have long since mastered using both hands to mute and control the strings. However, upward sweeping has always been difficult for me. I have tried this, maybe I need to practice more. What are the mechanics of this upward sweep muting? Cheers! :)

[@troygrady]

Dejoblue For me, pickslanting doesn't affect muting at all -- the right side of the picking hand rests on the bridge during both dwps and uwps. If you use a different hand position your results may differ, but that's how it works in my case!

[@anesthetism]

***** RIP Shane Gibson. He was a buddy of mine and we had a project going on when he died. NIce to see his name on this thread! :)

[@Dejoblue]

WARSEED VENICE OMG I didn't know Shane passed away :(, No wonder I haven't seen him around lately.

[@anesthetism]

Dejoblue Yes, suddenly on April 15 2014. Terrible loss.

[@MrPyroguru]

+Dejoblue You're right in your first paragraph. It works for me. I use those fingers to keep strings quiet.

[@damianrjames]

awesome!

[@seventhplace]

Okay so where is the interview?

[@chrisnaishguitar]

Awesome! :D

[@bradleystroup1457]

Jason Becker is like the poster boy for this

[@Andybaby]

Q: How do UPSers mute the higher strings?

[@JuddOakes]

I use my fretting hand first finger a lot for that

[@srdjanbosnjak7413]

Andybaby They basically use the bottom flesh of the thumb and not edge of the palm.Nevertheless it can be difficult on the highest strings (B and E)

[@72dreaton]

Some UPS players such as tosin abasi play with dramatic hitchhikers thumb, and their palm is it the same position as a DPS players is

[@SteenGroentved]

Andybaby I mainly use my left indexfinger :) It also mutes the string right above (Vertically speaking : Deeper frequency-wise) with the tip. Check out Frank Gambale! he makes a very detailed explanation in one of his videos.

[@MrPyroguru]

+Andybaby Try laying your second third and fourth fingers down on the strings when going towards the high E string.

[@DylanClemons]

shawn lane.......

[@ibbym7910]

why has troy not done anything on Jacky Vincent? :(

[@ProGoTones]

what has marshall harrison played on? Is he just an “internet” guitarist?

[@snaxandviolence]

Marshall and rusty look so young on this

[@horstlippitsch]

Which Kind of pick use Marshall Harrison??

[@Knosferatu]

+Horst Lippitsch small stubby 3.0mm

[@gonzalooliveraalves]

+Horst Lippitsch Marshall uses the Dunlop Big Stubby

[@MrClass91]

This guy remind me Shawn Lane