fast picking for soloing help

[davekllawre210]

i've been playing guitar for like 4-5 years now. i can play most dave songs fine, but i can't solo for shit. i am wondering what i can do to speed up my picking. my right hand can't keep up with my left, and my left still needs work too.

[MattJ]

Check out the finger exercise thread:

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=24626

Both the quoted exercises and the exercise linked in that thread will help. Key is to start slow so you can develop pick control and coordination between your left and right hand.

Try dedicating 15 or 20 minutes a day as a warmup to them and you'll find yourself improving. When I do exercises like that, I break them up into manageable sections and play each 10 times in a row before every practice session, and if I can't do it perfectly I slow down until I find a speed that I can.

If you allow yourself to get sloppy while you practice, you're probably going too fast and you aren't helping yourself as much.

Also just a simple ascending descending thing using all four fingers helps an awful lot too. Start slow and ramp up as you can

Code: Select all

E||------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-| 
B||----------------------------------1-2-3-4---------| 
G||--------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------| 
D||------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------| 
A||----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------| 
E||--1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------| 

E||-4-3-2-1------------------------------------------| 
B||---------4-3-2-1----------------------------------| 
G||-----------------4-3-2-1--------------------------| 
D||-------------------------4-3-2-1------------------| 
A||---------------------------------4-3-2-1----------| 
E||-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1--| 

[ekoositk]

also use a stiff pick, for improvising/solo'ing i use a dunlop 1.5
for all strumming, the orange tortex

[MattJ]

also use a stiff pick, for improvising/solo'ing i use a dunlop 1.5
for all strumming, the orange tortex

Good call, forgot about that. 1.09's for me...

[fatjack]

Check out the finger exercise thread:

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=24626

Both the quoted exercises and the exercise linked in that thread will help. Key is to start slow so you can develop pick control and coordination between your left and right hand.

Try dedicating 15 or 20 minutes a day as a warmup to them and you'll find yourself improving. When I do exercises like that, I break them up into manageable sections and play each 10 times in a row before every practice session, and if I can't do it perfectly I slow down until I find a speed that I can.

If you allow yourself to get sloppy while you practice, you're probably going too fast and you aren't helping yourself as much.

Also just a simple ascending descending thing using all four fingers helps an awful lot too. Start slow and ramp up as you can

Code: Select all

E||------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-| 
B||----------------------------------1-2-3-4---------| 
G||--------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------| 
D||------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------| 
A||----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------| 
E||--1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------| 

E||-4-3-2-1------------------------------------------| 
B||---------4-3-2-1----------------------------------| 
G||-----------------4-3-2-1--------------------------| 
D||-------------------------4-3-2-1------------------| 
A||---------------------------------4-3-2-1----------| 
E||-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1--| 

i find it quite disappointing that you didn't mention alternate picking ANYWHERE in this post. most disappointing indeed...

this exercise will help your left hand, but it wont do a damn thing for your right if you dont use alternate picking while doing so

[MattJ]

i find it quite disappointing that you didn't mention alternate picking ANYWHERE in this post. most disappointing indeed...

this exercise will help your left hand, but it wont do a damn thing for your right if you dont use alternate picking while doing so

The finger exercise post I linked to says it first thing. You're right though, I shouldnt have left it at implication.

[dmfollower]

Check out the finger exercise thread:

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=24626

Both the quoted exercises and the exercise linked in that thread will help. Key is to start slow so you can develop pick control and coordination between your left and right hand.

Try dedicating 15 or 20 minutes a day as a warmup to them and you'll find yourself improving. When I do exercises like that, I break them up into manageable sections and play each 10 times in a row before every practice session, and if I can't do it perfectly I slow down until I find a speed that I can.

If you allow yourself to get sloppy while you practice, you're probably going too fast and you aren't helping yourself as much.

Also just a simple ascending descending thing using all four fingers helps an awful lot too. Start slow and ramp up as you can

Code: Select all

E||------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-| 
B||----------------------------------1-2-3-4---------| 
G||--------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------| 
D||------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------| 
A||----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------| 
E||--1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------| 

E||-4-3-2-1------------------------------------------| 
B||---------4-3-2-1----------------------------------| 
G||-----------------4-3-2-1--------------------------| 
D||-------------------------4-3-2-1------------------| 
A||---------------------------------4-3-2-1----------| 
E||-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1--| 

i find it quite disappointing that you didn't mention alternate picking ANYWHERE in this post. most disappointing indeed...

this exercise will help your left hand, but it wont do a damn thing for your right if you dont use alternate picking while doing so

Preach it fatjak
I was just playing that exercise and noticed that i was naturally alternate picking, didn't even notice it until you said something.

[davekllawre210]

yeah i would hope its common sense to use alt picking