Try Downpicking Like This! (a surprising discovery)

I was getting way better using the techniques from my first video along with the daily routine, but this new discovery just kicked it to another level. Try it and let me know if it agrees with you too.
Check out all my lesson videos at: www.the-art-of-...
Patreon: / theartofguitar
Thanks!

[@gngrblls2thwall]

Your recently intensified obsession with Metallica’ing is delightful.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

In times of uncertainty I fall back to my comfort bands. ;)

[@8tonystark8]

I can listen to a whole lot of bands and music genres but I always come back home to MetallicA P.S. No Remorse '85 live version is a great downpicking practice/test

[@metalrebel7506]

@@TheArtofGuitar Excellent

[@mikehunt5134]

@@TheArtofGuitar I hope you're okay bro

[@triledink]

The key of downpicking for a long time is to relax, even when you play fast you should relax don't stress.

[@mutantkoffee]

But that just come with practice and time.

[@diegofiorillo6412]

Yeah amazing how hard it actually is to do.

[@Jamsville]

Studies not necessarily true, you have to know to relax yourself as much as possible. Some people tend to keep playing over and over with high amounts of tension and it never goes away because they don’t know that’s what they should be doing. It sounds weird, but you need to make a conscious “effort” to relax haha

[@luiscirca2002]

I find moving my wrist instead of my elbow easier to pick. Using my elbow makes me sore easily.

[@joshs5135]

Studies lol for real

[@DAVFABlp]

the-art-of-metallica (not complaining tho)

[@Adrian-uc7bi]

4:22 - chugs Creeping Death riff Auto generated subtitles - "Applause" That's how you know you're doing it properly. Nice video, thanks for the tip :)

[@prometheustv6558]

Imagine if someone had the right hand of James Hetfield and left hand of Dave Mustaine.

[@StamateTudorGuitar]

The it would be awful to be a lefty.

[@micpal176]

Then I would hope that sick psycho would spend their life in prison for mutilating two guitar legends.

[@fredriksvard2603]

PrometheusTV or better yet, the right hand of hetfield and the left hand of hetfield, with hetfield's sense of rhythm

[@alig.20]

We call him "John Petrucci".

[@prometheustv6558]

Kennedick Peterman That’s funny because when Dream Theater covered Master of Puppets, he alternate picked it.

[@Ryan_Haydon84]

Hetfield must've really kept that wrist strong since he was a teenager 😂😂

[@hanreality.7266]

Ryan H you being cheeky?? 😱

[@rangamsarmah2061]

Yeah, also probably why his picking technique is like a hole grabbing something elongated. Just an observation.

[@QuikdethDeviantart]

Nah he was up to his eyebrows in poontang by high school... singer/guitarists were actually admired back in the day believe it or not..

[@aasmundhald7638]

He did do alternate picking for å while tho

[@TheGhostOfFredZeppelin]

His pp probably has a slight bend to it

[@saywhat9158]

Ironic how something that doesn’t seem natural can actually be easier and more comfortable. I will definitely give this never before considered “tips & tricks” idea a shot next practice session after seeing you show its validity.

[@peterscissorbike2405]

And? Did it work out for you?

[@TheJynx2011]

Dude you just changed my life with this video. As someone who's learning different techniques to see what feels right, I have tried some different things to really get the guitar art form down. This picking technique has a HUGE difference in feel and I'm so glad I tried it. Thank you!

[@el-cata]

Same here! This technique changed everything to me! Need to practice more but it feels so comfortable to me to downpick this way!

[@OmarMFarghaly]

I just watched one video of yours, and immediately bought the online lesson for a year! You rock dude! very simple and logical demostration for beginners to learn.

[@drinkspecials]

Marty Friedman is no fool. When I saw him holding his pick and his arm all "uncool", I thought..hes onto something here. What is it? And its comfort of picking. That's why hed a genius. I still find myself falling into other old habits But time and practice erase those. I've been playing 25 years and this is what I have learned....you can play anything you want if you're willing to put in the time to learn it. Slow the song down. Learn the parts. Dont allow long periods of time to pass without playing. Good luck God bless

[@wodemovie]

That's weird, let's be honest.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

To respond to the main questions I'm getting: It's my belief that Tornado of Souls is downpicked that way. If you listen to the isolated guitar tracks it sounds like all downpicking power chords. I know Kiko plays it alternate picked in his video and that's how they do it now, but watch Megadeth play it live in 92. Both Dave and Marty are downpicking that part. For my guitar tone I'm sadly using a UAD plugin of an ENGL amp. I want to use my real amps but too much buzz in this studio. The bridge I'm using for the SG is a Deusenberg Trem. It's decent but I don't use the trem arm much because my strings go slightly out of tune when I do too much. I'm so used to Floyd Rose. :/ :( And what else? Um....I forgot so just wanna say glad this is helping so many people. I'm off to do more frantic video creating. haha. ;) -Mike

[@benjiplaizier2935]

Ola englund holds that pick the same way but admits its the wrong way to hold the pick, its just easier, but you must not copy his style and practice learning the pick forwards. hes just to afraid to change his picking style cause itll take a long time to adjust. but he has picking videos where he tells people he picked up the wrong picking habits because he learnt him self and encourages people to learn the right way. lifting weights is hard till youve done it for a long enough time, do go to the easier but wrong style, just practice the right way more. youll also get elbow or shoulder cramps for playing the wrong way also so stick with angling the pick toward the neck pick up.

[@luizalves8071]

I also used to think it was downpicked, but when I saw the sound that Kiko got out of the guitar just mixing up alternate and down picking made me click HARD

[@timcotter8178]

I didn't realize that, but yes.

[@timcotter8178]

I don't find down picking this way to feel as natural.

[@Selrisitai]

@@benjiplaizier2935 You have to explain how picking one way or the other is "right" or "wrong." You can't simply assert that it is wrong without an explanation.

[@ethan-gy2sx]

I actually found this on my own to I just never tried it in practice. It’s actually pretty embarrassing but I don’t care. I was in the shower jamming to Master of Puppets and I was air guitaring the heck out of it, like a guitar player does. Then I realized I down picked the whole song with out getting tired. I found out it was because, since I was air guitaring and not holding an actual guitar, my hand was in the same pulling position which made it easier on the muscles. Gotta day it worked like magic.

[@_FadetoOrion_]

I down-picked my imaginary guitar too for a very fast Metallica song to see if I could keep up, it helped me play creeping death more cause I did it every time.

[@giDDRu]

I'd say that reducing picking depth is crucial for downpicking.

[@MrBoccetta23]

Creeping depth...

[@royalcat10]

In general, I'd agree with that. But, a lot of the more difficult riffs don't just use one string, but usually cross over to another string too. No matter how efficient your picking depth is for one string, you still need to have the stamina to downpick a distance of at least two strings. So it won't really make much of a difference unless you're doing something ridiculous. (Blackened, Creeping Death, Master of Puppets all require you to use the E and A string, all downpicked.) When I was learning how to downpick myself, that was a big problem I ran into. I used a practice method I picked up from Steve Stine, another good KZbin guitar instructor. Where you play all 8th notes to a met for exactly *3 minutes* and try to make it the entire way without messing up. I managed to make it to 210bpm and had that pretty solid. But I quickly found that when putting that into context in a song, that I just couldn't do it right, even at lower BPMs. That's because I only practiced downpicking with a depth required for *one* string, but not two strings. I've since fixed that, though.

[@Cthulhu_Awaken]

@@royalcat10 Can you link the exact video?

[@MetalCooking666]

What I like about your videos on this topic is that you demonstrate how you used to struggle but now you manage it. As a viewer, it increases my confidence that your tips will work

[@YokaiShinigami]

This video made me realize, I don’t think I’ve ever held a pick the “regular” way. The backward angle always felt more comfortable and I’d never noticed there was a difference until this video pointed it out lol.

[@SeemsLikeSomething]

Yet again, I find myself going “oh neat, I do that but didn’t realize I do it!” I keep noticing how many things I eventually figured out naturally without being taught. All these little details that happen on their own through just playing. Neat!

[@rhesreeves5339]

I lost feeling in my left hand and had to start guitar over with the 50% I've got left. I've learned more cool things that help with efficiency here! I wasn't a lick learner and like to try to understand techniques so I'm grateful for the great content & I'm learning things I wouldn't have otherwise.You're doing God's work in my book.

[@rangamsarmah2061]

I dont know why, but when I down pick, say, sanitarium, I can go for a long time just down picking the main riff, but if I play the 16 notes before the riff kicks in, my arm feels like exploding. Same with puppets. I can play the main riff for hours and hours, but if I play the verse, i feel stressed and out of time. I've noticed that when its alternating between muted and open, I do fine, but when it's all muted, my arm chokes up. Also, when I skip strings while down picking, find it easier than doing just one string.

[@gerben880]

Interesting, me too. You would think skipping strings while down picking is harder but for some reason i can keep up a little longer when I skip strings instead of staying on the same string.

[@princemjbp695]

I'm the opposite. I can play the Master of Puppets verse riff for hours, but not the main riff.

[@odykoutsoubakis]

the verse has an odd time signature

[@ryangreene50]

I can play the MOP main riff no problem but I can’t keep up with creeping death for more than a minute

[@AceMcshred]

Yes! I thought I was the only one. I find it much easier to downpick across multiple strings fast then one string at same tempo. Doesnt Make sense to me.

[@funkleberryfinn123]

It's unbeliveble how such subtle differences at first glance can make incredible differences in playing! Please do more videos like this!

[@thexombie3225]

Been setting my forearm on fire trying to get better at speed, really looking forward to trying this method!

[@nickrkr]

I had discovered this a few years back and have been using it since ...the other thing that really helped me was using pointy picks rather than the rounded ones ...it helps with faster movements too ...glad to see this helps in the downstrokes ...I'll be trying some Metallica songs now 🤘

[@tomsmith184]

You uploaded this while I’m learning MoP, hopefully this helps a bit as I’m struggling with the speed, thankyou🤘🏼

[@JamesContos85]

I'm glad you mentioned this. I didn't realize it, but this is how I've been doing it for years. I alternate pick leaning it forward and rapid-fire down pick leaning back. Never put much thought into why, but now I see that there was a reason why it worked like it does.

[@ibanezadam]

I’ve played like this for years. Visually it makes more sense when you’re looking down at your guitar because your can see the exact swing of the pick and where it hits the string. It looks like an wave downing back and forth. Versus when you flip it forward and it looks like the string alternates what side of the pick it hits.

[@nathanbell8932]

Can't believe what a difference this made. The end of much frustration. Thank you!

[@katerinas4970]

I think you've just saved my dignity. I felt embarassed for holding my pick in a different way than guitarists usually do. So I tried to change it to improve my downpicking. I am about to train it with another video of yours, but I told myself it would be a good idea to heard the tips first. So, I tried your tip out and it is exactly what my hand needs. I felt it immediately. Thanks a lot.

[@cervgiovanni]

I love you dude. Totally an improvement. First with the rotation of the wrist, now this. Best lesson along with Nirvana Smells like Teen Spirit in depth look

[@BibleStorm]

I tried this out today while teaching. (via video conference...) I'm doing Highway Star by Deep Purple with a student and there's so many consecutive downstrokes in that song that I was getting tired giving a demonstration, and that made me remember this video. It helped me so I told him and now he knows too. So thanks!

[@iangreene8720]

Guitar down strokes are the best. I could listen to that all day. I look forward to trying this pick tilting technique...

[@shanebrady7647]

Beginner here. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was looking for. Thank you!!

[@Sakanis]

I am a very lazy guitarist in terms of metal, but I've given that technique a shot. I can't believe that something as simple as that can make such a huge difference. I always had trouble playing Master of Puppets, but now those times are over. I could not only keep up with the Studio Version, but also with live performances AND a cover with 115% speed. It's ridiculous. I have seen a bunch of your videos but this is the one that earned you a new subscriber. Keep up with your awesome videos and stay healthy.

[@J2Metal]

That’s how I’ve always held my pick. Tilting backwards. When I first started playing back in the 90s I read where Hetfield tilted his pick to get more speed. It actually adds a slight hint of crunch as your pick edge hits the string ridges too. I always saw guys tilt forward but I assumed I was opposite because I use the pad of my index finger to hold my pick instead of the side like a lot of players.

[@shuffaristeffree3252]

Nice SG too 🤟👍

[@andrecorona4354]

I'm not even kidding, I was watching the video and thought it wouldn't work. I picked up my guitar and played master of puppets like it was nothing. I'm beyond surprised right now!!

[@z.s.n.]

This is how i use my pick when i play fast.. i am left handed and play a right handed guitar like everyone else, and using a pick properly has made huge impacts on my playing. Great video!

[@michaelsnydermusic]

That’s very interesting. I never studied other players pick technique visually as I could never actually see what they were doing. However, in this video I finally could and oddly enough that’s how I started picking (angled back) when I began getting better at down-picking. Confirmation bias confirmed! 😆

[@jonsnow6979]

I’m loving the wave of videos you’ve been having. Any chance you can make a gear rundown video?

[@suegates5]

🚩Nice Tip.. worth trying. I found holding sideways helped in certain situations. Same idea, the point tends to kinda get stuck. Makes me also wanna sharpen my picks, see if that helps at all. Been working on being Faster. Learned, if ur hand gets tired, make adjustments. U should be feeling in arm, bending ECT. It's also stronger. Thanks.. nice to see you 😊

[@CMM5300]

I've been working on down picking a lot lately. I'll give a slight back tilt a try. One thing I noticed is down pick can be more of a percussive pick attack instead of a down pick attack if that makes sense. Try just hitting the string and not pushing all the way through the string like a normal pick stroke. Thanks for the tip. I've made a lot of progress with my down picking. I can almost down pick master of puppets at album tempo. I'm using the 5% slower version backing track. Props to who ever made that on youtube.

[@Punttipate62]

I have been doing the tilting technique accidentally all of the time haha

[@shehannanayakkara4162]

Ikr I've always tilted backwards for tremolo picking and downpicking, didn't realise most people did it the other way for ages. Tilting backwards just feels way more comfortable at fast speeds for me, almost like you're chopping at the strings with the side of the pick.

[@arcgamer8688]

Same

[@Mustaine1ify]

@@shehannanayakkara4162 Me too, I always slant up. Can't do it slanting down it feels weird.

[@TheArtfryne]

This is an amazing tip! i got so much more articulation angling the pick almost upwards

[@oisinbrownmusic7923]

This video has already helped me so much its hard to believe.

[@Live2Win230]

When I first started learning guitar I made it a goal of mine to focus on learning down picking and have worked on getting myself to the point I can down pick entire songs for long periods and things I’ve found for me that work is placing my hand so no motion comes from the elbow having my guitar a bit below my waist so my hand and elbows aren’t cramped up and just relaxing and feeling it out and not trying to force it I used to or at a point where I would have to switch to alternate picking but not any more my down picking has been fairly consistent recently

[@thomasr.1677]

I really like your videos. They helped me a lot allready, thank you. Keep it up. Greetings from Germany and stay safe and healthy. Thomas

[@456asd654]

Ola Englund is actually doing the opposite currently, he used to pick "backwards" but is testing out the regular way. Anyways I think the "backwards" way can be a cool thing to test, but I will keep doing the regular way so that I'm always ready for a lead section or something and I'm not thrown off.

[@adameves5970]

It's easy to switch any time you want, even during a song.

[@lordvalen8133]

@@adameves5970 Depends on how you grip it.

[@raza1313]

Great tip! Something that unlocked fast down picking for me was to not rest my forearm against the body of the guitar, because it hinders wrist motion. Give it a try… for evidence, check out Hetfield’s fore arm technique… you may notice that he never rests it against the body of the guitar-it may also be a reason why he wears the guitar lower than most.

[@jameshetfield8289]

I tried this and it works!! Thanks! This is a game changing technique.

[@geraldvalentine5329]

When I first started playing guitar, I was a huge Metallica fan and wanted to play their music. I didn't know crap about the technical stuff, I just bought a tab book and dedicated hours to figuring out how to read it and actually play. The result was pretty rough, but I developed a really strong downpick that's extremely similar to what's shown in this video and I stuck with it because it felt good. My upstrokes needed work though, at the time, so I moved on to learning other ways to play, but it never felt as natural as it did starting off. I was always told that I'm holding the pick wrong, or not doing it right, but in the end, my way works for me and your way works for you.

[@dupawolowaish]

:-D nearly the same here

[@ratsalad178]

i don't even have a guitar but I'm binging all your videos. can't wait for this virus thing to tide over so i can get one (been saving up for 2 years). stay safe!

[@denkobert2342]

Let me tell you, starting to play the guitar was the best decision I've ever had. Hope you'll have as much fun as I have with it!

[@FabioPeruchi]

So cool Mike! I'll try this technique right down. Downpicking destroys my arms. I feel like losing energy every time I play for more than a minute or something. God bless you!

[@kenny8675]

I've been playing this way ever since I started and I didn't even realize how weird it seems but now I know why I've never had that tired problem so thanks for the vid

[@thestikbotwarrior670]

It’s 4 am bud. But I don’t have school and my sleep schedule is out of wack. So Im ok with this. I’m very ok with this.

[@oi1e319]

That picking adjustment with stubby pick is like running your hand through a tall grass in the summer so smooth and comfortable 😂

[@DrugabrieL]

Dude, holy shit lol... I wasted almost 20 years being wary of downpicking, but wishing I could do as much of it as possible 'cause of better sounding, bouncier palm mutes. This advice finally unlocked my picking hand completely. HUGE thanks. - It's funny how overthinking, nitpicking and listening to Malmsteen's "advices" makes you forget to just take an approach with a more natural and fluid feel to it (which turns out to be the obvious but suppressed one, too lol).

[@PsychoKiller24601]

you picked a great day to drop this. thanks man

[@joesloan2207]

Great tone brother and thank you for the Intel. Nice insight.

[@thatoneinternetuser7356]

new-ish guitar player i used to pick parallel, but when I started faster picking my hand always drifted to have the pick positioned like that. i thought it was weird, but I realized it was easier than parallel picking. now I'm here learning that this is actually more efficient.

[@dezraq1984]

Wow thank you so much you just solved an issue that has plagued me for my entire 22 years of guitar playing

[@dgkallday9]

Just started applying this in combination with the downpicking exercise you put up the other day. Before my form was breaking down when I got to straight 16ths at 100bpm. From doing this there was way less tension and feels easier. Thank you!!!

[@BriddahOnFire]

I just tried it out, it really makes a big difference! Thanks!

[@johnboyer903]

Hallo, long time viewer, first time commenter. I've recently started playing bass, one of the songs I've been using to practice is Slayer's At Dawn They Sleep. I had the same problem you've just described and made the same adjustment, and I'm quite pleased with the results. Thanks for all that you do to help us become better musicians! \m/

[@appetiteforguitar]

Wow! This is sooo helpful... like a lot of people I've been struggling to speed up my downpicking and was getting a lot of pain in my elbow - this technique has made a huge difference! It seems to change where the pressure comes from so my elbow no longer even comes into it. Very interesting, thanks!

[@anthonywitman9934]

Holy crap did that work. I never would have thought to tilt the other way. I gave up a while ago on massive downpicking and just did alternate picking and lied to myself saying it sounded fine.

[@TheFunky57]

Your guitar tone is on point!!!

[@mattlovesguitar12]

Roll with it if you're double jointed in your thumb like me. I'll have to try this!

[@canofnothing]

I picked this way when I was starting out because it just seemed like a more natural way to hold the pick. No one taught me otherwise. I agree that it worked really well for this type of riffing, but personally I found it limiting for playing faster lead stuff because the pick wasn't locked between my thumb and index finger that well. I eventually switched over to the more traditional way after years of doing it the other way. It was a painful transition! For a while I even tried a hybrid style of switching back and forth depending on what I needed to play. Glad you found something that works in your favour!

[@piotr.czerski]

Big thanks for this!!! I was able to increase my downpicking by 10 BPM after 20 minutes of trying. Now can hold for longer 210 BPM and still see some room for further improvement :)

[@rodrigopinera]

Wow, will be testing out for sure. It does seem to be more of a pulling of muscle than pushing which makes it easier. thanks

[@marshawnlynch6244]

This technique may have broken a barrier for me. A lot of things I've been working on just became easier. It will take some getting use to, but the results are stunning. Great work.

[@beaknewcomer3835]

Thanks for this vid, you are awesome! Take care of your wrists and arms! You are a great guitarist! Thanks again!!❤️

[@AliJr_MetalGames_MetalGuitar]

Here's a strange improvement to my technique: For some reason, my down-picking and tremolo-picking improved when I started holding the pick with both my middle and index. I use the middle finger to ease tension on index and help keep the pick tilted.

[@LastAshesBand]

I've been playing like this for years mostly because I'm double jointed in my thumbs and it just felt more comfortable. Oddly enough, when I switch to lead, I have to tilt the pick back forward. Glad to see that this works for other people, too

[@rjc7289]

I still use the forward slant on my pick when I'm down picking. I can't do the reverse slant like Marty Friedman or Vernon Reid because it feels awkward to me. What I found out that helps relieve the tension as I pick faster is to not let the picking hand tense up, and to keep the movements as small and focused as possible. In other words, don't flail your picking hand all over the place. Only move just enough to make the pick cross the string. If you feel a burn, slow down until you get to a speed that's comfortable, work on getting your picking as flawless as possible, and then gradually increase the speed. Using a metronome for this would be extremely helpful.

[@Apollos52]

This is how i always have done alt picking, however never tried it for just down strumming. Such a simple concept, but it's damn powerful.

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

I'm guessing that a big part of why it's easier is because it requires much less muscle tension in the forearm to hold the pick like that because you're holding the pick against the inside of the knuckle in your thumb, rather than trying to push it with your thumb into the side of your other fingers. I noticed a similar thing when I started using black mountain thumb picks: as soon as I didn't have to actively grip the pick I was able to pick incredibly fast and clean compared to what I was doing before. Interestingly, the most efficient down picking technique I've found using the black mountain picks is to try and play thumping/slap style with the thumb fully extended and not supported by the fingers at all. It just pushes through the string really easily and then the reset is a really easy motion, but I've not found an easy way to switch back and forth with alternate picking as of yet.

[@nicksalvatore5717]

I like to do phantom alternate picking, (coined it this morning). so I use the up stroke to recover for another down pick rather than actually striking the string on the upstroke.

[@gergoaltorjai8096]

Nice video and simple explaining! I had this problem since the first day i picked up a guitar cause i can only do downpicking.

[@jfo3000]

A couple big things about Hetfield's downpicking... He holds the pick with two fingers...more meat on the pick means you can loosen the grip slightly. This can really reduce fatigue and increase endurance. He doesn't keep his palm firm on the strings all the time while muting, he's picking from the elbow, and allows his mute to slide around a bit. This also makes it less fatiguing than using primarily wrist only with the mute firmly locked down. It is definitely worth "mastering" this technique. It's pretty easy to get the feel of within a couple days. Watch live clips of him, entire forearm moving while muting, not a lot, he's mostly picking one or two strings, but the motion is there. His secrets are hidden in plain sight.

[@atwinchester]

Damn it, Mike, you might've just fixed my downpicking problems with this approach! (and I'm not kidding. I'm being 100% honest right now)

[@zankerfeld9596]

My picking hand's thumb bends slightly too much in reverse, so it's always been natural for me to pick like this. I've just very recently been trying to tilt the pick the other way, as it makes string skipping a tad easier.

[@dreadsoft99]

I have a ridiculous hitch-hikers thumb coupled with long fingers, and this is how I've adapted to play since day 1 😂 It actually seems to give you a ton of control over your rhythm and makes upstrokes in any context a breeze!

[@keithmatry8939]

I am noticing this now, I wasn't aware of it. Thanks Mike 👍

[@search895]

I also learned the "wrong" way when i started, and after i forced myself the "official correct" way. But some years later i decided to bring the "wrong" way back because i remember it felt ok. I now use both whenever i feel like to.

[@Dutcharmytent]

Great tips for picking and the angled pick really works

[@Guitar387]

I also find trail edge picking helps me a little when doing fast down picking. Trail edge is using the other side of the pick to what is usually used. Which is exactly what the art of Guitar is demonstrating in this video.

[@victorhugobrondolofrancoju9256]

Me and my brother we both play guitar, and he used to do the down picking the way you just teached now. He can do it SO MUCH faster than I. I just can not do this way because of my thumb, it did not have a good "curve" to hold the pick in this position. Sorry for bad english. Greetings from Brazil.🇧🇷

[@gabrielsantiagoacevedobuen2944]

Hi, Mike. I love your videos. I'm gonna try downpicking like this.

[@dbo4506]

I did that when I started out too and same as you I started using it again a few months ago. I find I play a lot more consistently and tighter for down picking. Watch Joao’s guitar covers. He does the same thing when I downpicks. That’s what got me back into it. I was playing a lot of monuments and they are the gods of downpicking bar none. I was struggling hard but that change helped heaps.

[@BearintheWoods848]

Another great lesson, brilliant teaching, really appreciate it!

[@Diggerdog2nd]

Disposable Hero's always tired me out quick. Something I noticed was I have to remember to breathe normally. Believe it or not I realized when I'm playing something intense I would I guess be breathing less ( If that makes any sense) & as soon as I started taking bigger breaths the cramp in my arm would go away. Thanks for your tip & that's a beautiful SG..

[@mattfleming2287]

Awesome! It’s exactly what I’m looking for at this moment in time. Any epiphanies about gallop picking?

[@Millweed]

Yup, that's how I always did it. People used to mock this until they saw Ola Englund's picking the same way. Hey, try the intro from The Kids Aren't Allright from Offspring. That's a real challenge to downpick

[@marcelinesclover4902]

Johnny Ramone did this technique as well I believe

[@Ryan-wr8fx]

I find rotating the pick with the long side parallel to the strings also work for picking faster, no need to tilt it

[@vladpandur1274]

Holy cow, I've been picking like this since forever! I'm self-taught, and it always felt natural for me to pick like this, so I never analyzed it too much. But over the past few years, watching all these guitar channels on KZbin, I started feeling kinda self-conscious, seeing everybody else using the more 'conventional' pick grip. I thought I've been doing it wrong all this time, turns out it's a actually a life hack. I feel so validated, haha!

[@joshuamichael4312]

Shawn Lane, Jimi Hendrix, Tosin Abasi, and a bunch of others pick(ed) that way. Even Paul Gilbert started off picking that way. For me I found it was good for down strokes and it was really good for sweeping arpeggios. It did hold back my alternate picking picking though.

[@brentchristman1776]

Thanks mike. Would love to see an autobivideo about you some day! (assuming it doesnt already exist)

[@Kuhlyedascope69]

so weird ive always been a classic rock guy but for some reason just been jamming into metallica. i love the sound and feel of downstrokes. shay shay

[@Robher85]

The relief part that’s being talk about here makes me think of when you try to play GOJIRA “FIRE IS EVERYTHING” try it if you think is easy or hard.

[@pumbar]

Great tip. I'm going to give that a go. Cheers, mate.

[@strat0871]

Frank Zappa also used to play this way, even more slanted, often down to up during solos, with a quarter dollar as a pick, that gave so much attack and harmonics !