From beat 3 of the 3rd bar there's a number of string changes preceded by a downstroke. What's the strategy being used here, and wouldn't that be just as valid for the whole lick?
@@effortlessguitarist great question! The passage you're referencing would be executed with DSX (the opposite of USX) to effectively hit the new string on an upstroke. You could also employ Double Escape Picking (an entirely different topic, but worth looking into on Troy Grady's channel). If you are going with pick slanting and NOT double escape, I'd say the first half (bars 1-2) should be executed with USX because you run the risk of getting your pick caught between the strings when trying to shift to the new string. I know that was a wordy reply, but let me know if that helps! 🤠🤘
@@HayesGriffin thanks, I was just curious. I personally use double escape, but I'm new to Bluegrass and wondered if there were similar stylistic idiosyncrasies as gypsy jazz guitar that uses USX exclusively as far as I'm aware.
@@effortlessguitarist no problem! I'd say most of the flatpickers I've come across are double escape pickers, but many modern folks (like Jake Workman) incorporate pick slanting (USX/DSX). Kind of all over the place when you start to look at right hands in bluegrass, it's pretty fun to observe :)
Billy strings is my nephew, so some of these comments I do take very personally. He is the most amazing thing to happen to Bluegrass in a long time. He’s genuine, talented, brilliant, and his playing, and his ability to play Bluegrass and transform into any genre Has never been mastered by anybody else that I know of! Not prejudiced, just real. I love my Billy.
I couldn’t agree with you more Roxanne. Billy is undeniably the biggest ambassador for the bluegrass community in recent years and I love him too. It’s disappointing to hear a lot of my friends and colleagues throw shade on him, but I think it says more about them than it does your nephew. Long live Billy 💙
You can’t really hate on the guy, dudes playing is flawless. I think he’s keeping old music from being forgotten & introducing it to a younger audience.
Billy is best when he's in the traditional mode but not because he brings all those old-timers to a new audience, but because that's where his heart is.
I don't understand how anyone could hate Billy. He's such a beautiful soul and one of the most talented artists I've ever heard. I've also been to so many concerts I couldn't even count and the two times I've seen Billy live was by far the best shows I've ever been to. Billy has inspired me so much and brought so much joy back into my life💜
Obviously those that hate him are just jealous of his talent. I'm not really into bluegrass, I like classic rock but that kid can play. He's got more talent in his little finger than most have in their whole body.
I've pick a bit with Billy and I done a workshop with him at Wintergrass. All good players work that hard and practice a lot. I've been playing guitar for 56 yrs. I know what I'm talking about. @@joejones9520
Billy isn’t the best nor the fastest. But he is the full package. Super accurate, perfect timing, great songwriting and that voice. If his voice wasn’t tailor made for bluegrass, I don’t know how it could be better.
Negative? People bash him? I would have never listened to ANY bluegrass had I not stumbled upon a video of him playing dust in a baggie. I’m 54, dont listen to country or bluegrass, would never have bothered listening to him a few months back. I now have a small catalogue of bluegrass music on iTunes. Billie is the reason I even bothered. Bringing more fans to bluegrass can’t be a bad thing.
I completely agree. There are jealous people and elitists in every art form and every genre. Example: In Metal, people love to bash Lars Ulrich from Metallica. Just because there are more technical musicians, it doesn’t mean they are more musical or contribute anything new. And if we just keep everything traditional, nothing moves forward.
Ill never understand haters in music, especially other musicians… its so antithetical to what art is all about which is celebrating expression, individualism and honestly. If you want to hate on industry pop creations made only to make money go for it but folks who choose the artlife with honestly and integrity will always have my support, whether I dig the style or not. You can only stay in this kinda life if you absolutely love it and thats an admirable thing in a world that most do stuff they hate
I never learned guitar by learning theory alone. I was unable to fall in love with playing that way. I learned by playing along with tunes and tablature. Eventually, that turned into moving shapes and keys up and down the neck. Ultimately leading to my own fusion of my favorite artists. Jazz, bluegrass, blues, soul…music is a gift to us all.
Billy Strings fingers know every note by rote. And that he can sing and sound off the other members simultaneously is Mozart genius! Plus write. I don't believe he's introduced a new bluegrass genre but writes the current issues many have. But he can put both old and new together on a set and just the picking alone ..by all in the band blows our minds. And they do it humbly! ❤
Strings is analogous to Willie Nelson in Austin, back in the 70's. Willie brought the 'Hippies' to Country Music, Billy is doing much of the same, today.
He's also an amazing vocal stylist who can get the feel of a singer like Doc without sounding like a mimic. His bandmates alone could have one of the best groups in bluegrass, but Billy is sort of out there beyond the stratosphere like if Jimi Hendrix decided to reincarnate as a bluegrass guy.
I love Billy Strings and the boys. Amazing 3 day run this past weekend in Nashville. Especially The Ryman show. Straight traditional bluegrass every song.
Billy is one of my very favourite artists and I love everything he does. That being said I also understand the pushback he gets and I actually appreciate it to an extent. I think gatekeepers play an important role in traditional forms of art such as Bluegrass because many of the elements that make them so special deserve to be respected and preserved. You can tell Billy has a deep respect for the musical traditions of Bluegrass and this is definitely in part because of the type of culture that pushes back on divergences. Good art has a healthy balance of new artists pushing and old trads pulling back, hopefully doing it in a respectful and healthy way.
That is a fantastic, balanced perspective. I am thankful that in a time where American culture is far swung toward individualism, that a prominent rising star like Billy is steeped in traditional and communal roots. He chooses to prop up those who came before him instead of taking the glory for himself.
How can not live Billy. He isn't the fastest, but he us the most fun, and his multi genre curiosity and humility shines through. I don't think that he's a very good electric guitar player, but that he would pick one up and do it is awesome. Music'd jobs is not to be perfect, but bring joy and escape and right now Billy is King on that score.
I have been listening to Billy Strings and I myself am an amateur at best on guitar and also harmonica. I am 72 and really like that he is pulling many young people into this beautiful music. He is against hard drugs and more into pot. We will see how that plays out over time. I hope he has a bright future . He is a major force in bluegrass , especially in a young crowd who wants a certain genre of music to listen to and enjoy. A sense of identity and I can’t think of a better form of music to fill their needs
wow, how naive am I - prior to listening to your opening remarks, I had never come across ANYONE who professed to hate Billy, or heard anyone online, on-air, or on-anything else say so either. But your analysis and teaching is absolutely first rate, thanks.
Billy is a young man with an old soul. And like Hayes said he reveers the history and incorporates it in his playing and writing every chance he gets. Class act.
Supination and pronation are two words I hadn't heard or given much thought to until I watch a few of your videos. Especially in terms of flat picking. Thanks Hayes
Interesting term. I started guitar by learning flatpicking bluegrass and celtic tunes, and this technique is just something i've always done. Maybe b/c i learned mainly by watching vids of all the bluegrass guys like Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Brad Davis, etc. and i tried to mimic some of what i was seeing in their hands. I'm sure a lot of bluegrass pickers developed fluidity picking through this technique without putting much thought into it. Kinda of the path of least resistance when working on speed and legato . Awesome vid. Thx u!
Thanks for the kind words! I think you’re right that most of the great players have intuited this technique through the “path of least resistance” method. Really appreciate your thoughts, thanks again!
I never had a lot of exposure or interest in playing Bluegrass until I stumbled upon a few Billy Strings videos on TH-cam. After that I was hooked and started learning Bluegrass licks and incorporating it into my practice routine! I think there are flat picking snobs out there that are jealous of his skill and notoriety and success... Like any entertainer, it's the whole package that makes a break-out star! He was the right talent, at the right time, with the ability to create millions of new Bluegrass fans! He's to the Bluegrass scene, as Caitlin Clark is to the WNBA. Lots of haters from the old-guard, but Caitlin's incredible abilities lifted the entire WNBA business up within just a few weeks, tripling their gross revenue, and now all the haters on all the other WNBA teams get to fly Charter aircraft flights to their games instead of traveling by bus. Just get over yourself and enjoy the millions of new Bluegrass enthusiasts that are bringing $$money$$ and attention to your music scene!
I am super happy for him- I discovered Doc Watson thru him four years ago and haven't stopped playing bluegrass since. I don't love or hate anyone I don't personally know- somewhere left of dead and right of wrong I guess. Much Love to you and yours
A lot of people in the metal community love the way Billy plays. With a lot of my students I actually teach them the picking technique. Helps them relax their picking hand and gain speed faster
I would say it’s a specific type of efficient alternate picking. I can’t do the topic justice in the comments, but if you’re curious, check out some of Troy Grady’s videos on USX vs. DSX picking. Thanks for watching!
Some of us are more taken with Clarence White's style of playing than by Doc Watson's and would rather hear someone inspired by Clarence instead of by Doc. Some of us also wish that Billy was better at separating bass, treble, and midrange in his playing. Those are two of the more magnanimous reasons for disliking Billy Strings' music. Even so, I'm rooting for him to develop as a player.
This picking has some similarities with the rest stroke that Django and the gypsy jazz players use, except they always start a new string on a down stroke. It’s playing like this that’s made it slightly easier to get into learning bluegrass.
I've also picked up on the resentment among some of the original bluegrass pickers, but also appreciation that the style is being preserved. I'm definitely in the second category!
I love me some Billy Strings! Sittin' here with my Martin box just trying to keep up... I am a finger picker by nature, but am excited to get my flat pickin' chops up... Let's do this!!!
In rock and metal playing, you can mix alternate picking, sweep picking, and legato. Different genres, but the same playing dynamics can be achieved. However you want to call it, it’s a great thing to practice.
Been a bluegrass fan since 1967 and a player since 1972. Billy Strings is a wonderful talent and breath of fresh air in a very stale and uninspired era of music. IMHO of course!!
Great video with clear & concise explanation. So this is basically alternate picking with 4 notes per string. As a long time rock player who's interested in bluegrass for something new to play, I like this. I'm so used to 3 note per string runs, it should be a fun "escape". 😉
Glad you liked it! You are dead on with your summary. I humbly stole my approach to this analysis from Troy Grady and his analysis of rock players, so this is right up your alley as a rock guy 🤠🤘
I got introduced to this style of music through a Norwegian folk-musician and comedian, Øystein Sunde. Always loved that guitar just having a field day with so many notes in a small span. I remember he did a cover of Black Mountain Rag which is titled "De Hebraiske Alper". I think I heard it on repeat for days on end trying to figure it out.
One secret to fast and clear picking in any style, is to find a correct guitar pick (for you) for the style in question, especially when playing on an acoustic guitar. This is quite a neverending quest too, as there are so many different picks to choose from!
Dude, you said it right there. I’ve changed picks at least every 3 months for the last year. Keep landing on Blue Chip TAD 50 for acoustic and Dunlop flow for electric 🤷♂️
"3-2-1-0" a simple chromatic scale which includes alternate picking. Useful for flash because it tends to throw most players off since they only use the typical 3 note per string Ionian or Blues runs.
It's called dedication to the art of playing guitar. Billy lives guitar. If anybody reading this would put the same dedication into anything they do, they'd be proficient in whatever it is they're doing.
I had a feeling after watching one of your other lessons that youve seen troy gradys material on picking! Troy really has done incredible work on picking technique. I found that i was using these techniques early on all by feel from lots of playing you learn how to escape but without really knowing all the mechanics or how to describe it.
I haven't met anybody that hates Billy Strings. Billy is among many who play fast or slow lead bluegrass guitar. Billy does a nice job...Jack Baker NYC/NJ
How to do this stuff is different for differnt folk. I don't do a rest stroke or make contact on an adjecent lower string. You made a rad video. Crosspicking is well worth the thousands of hours to get solid.
Wow. Amazing insight and analysis. I love this kind of stuff. Thank you for the time you spent putting together this video. I don’t see this level of player analysis anywhere else.
Absolutely. Also showing how you apply this to another song and why you picked that song is such a great additional tool as the cherry on top. I think that part in general is the part where I learn songs and licks but have the harder time with how to apply things in context
Billy is basically doing something musically that no one else has ever done. Combine that with incredibly technical and precise playing and you have the best thing in music right now.
thanks for such a thorough breakdown.. I've been learning to flatpick and have a number of tunes down but just realized after a year of playing i'm moving the pick with my double jointed thumb and can't get any faster!
I've always known it as either upwards or downwards pick slanting. Never heard of this "escape" term before. Usually players naturally are better at one or the other, personally I'm an upwards pick slanter, comes more naturally to me but you have to find what is better for you.
I saw billy and his amazing band on a whim in NC Oct '21. It reminded me so fondly of the music I had grown up around but somehow forgotten. My mom had passed around a year earlier. We had a tumultuous relationship, putting it mildly lol. But she was a loving and artistic, musical soul, and her soul was in bluegrass. I had grown up hearing Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, and so many others that I had almost forgotten. You see, bluegrass wasn't "cool" growing up in NJ. After she died, while moving through grief, I devoured her old records (including recordings of her playing/singing). Seeing Billy on Halloween 2021, on a total whim, made me realize "Hey, this shit is fucking cool! I don't have to listen to my mom's music while alone/drunk/in a pit of grief - this man and his friends are legitimately making this music fucking cool again!" Not gonna lie, I cried a little hearing Ole Slew Foot in such a big arena (I turned to my bf and said This is Jim and Jesse OMG!), seeing thousands of people dancing and smiling to music I had secretly loved but outwardly shunned. And for all these moments of pure awe that this type of music is having a moment, I am forever grateful to Billy and his band. So much love and respect for all of them
I appreciate more of the breakdown. I am working on my flat picking because I love the style but I struggle with the down and up. Here, you say the picking hand does more of a rolling action vs side to side. Is this true with all bluegrass picking?
Different BG players take different approaches, but Jake Workman is king of the pick slanting/pronation/supination thing IMHO. Billy uses a lot of double escape picking but you can see him dip into some of the pick slanting. Check out Troy Grady’s channel and watch the Molly Tuttle and David Grier videos. Lots of good angles there!
I do this a lot and didn't know it was a thing. Very interesting! I can't play fast (left hand skill issue), but it's still good in a slower context. For example, when I play Cardinals by The Wonder Years, I start on an up stroke so I can take advantage of this on the next three notes (two-note group as mentioned in the video and then the third note that skips a string--much easier for me if I've done it as an upstroke that I angle up "freeing" me from the strings).
In fact, this kind of motion is WHY I started up picking to begin with. The rock background really put down strokes in my head and I tended to rely only on those, and was getting caught between strings. So, I started up picking at an angle, in that doorknob kind of motion, without ever developing a differing kind of upstroke technique!
Yep! Oddly enough, I figured this stuff out on mandolin first and transferred back to guitar. Give me a shout at hayes@hayesgriffin.com if you want to chat about it 🤠
Thanks! I love the new D’Addario XS strings, but often find myself using a set of Elixirs if I’ve got a run of gigs coming up and don’t want to change as often. Generally speaking I find myself gravitating toward anything Phosphor Bronze 😊🤘
I imagine its a mix of natural ability and mostly practicing his ass off. Hes played since he was three folks. He still goes to gutar class camp. Humble and open to listen and learn. Guitar is hard and takes a lot of work
Very cool video. I am a upward escape picker, though I didn't learn this until recently. Your body seems to instinctively adjust your playing and what you play to sort of conform to that. For me where it gets difficult is learning things from other players which can seem impossible to play. The "Paul Gilbert" lick for example feels very awkward. Anyway I really enjoyed this, thanks.
i always thought the opening to dust in a baggie was just a regular "G-run" with fancy picking.... turns out its just a chromatic run with fancy picking 😅.... THANKS FOR THIS 🙏
Very informative on the USX approach, but at 10:07 it seemed as if you were still going up and down rather than using the doorknob motion that you suggested.
Thanks for the comment Dan. The doorknob motion at this time marking might be a little obscured by the fact that my wrist is bent or the angle of the camera. Try shifting your focus between my forearm and my actual wrist joint here and you’ll see that the wrist joint itself isn’t really moving, but the forearm is subtly rotating to achieve the motion. It’s impossible to go side to side on the wrist (at least for me) at that speed, so another clue that it is rotational not side to side.
Do you have experience with USX picking?
No I do not and now I will be
From beat 3 of the 3rd bar there's a number of string changes preceded by a downstroke. What's the strategy being used here, and wouldn't that be just as valid for the whole lick?
@@effortlessguitarist great question! The passage you're referencing would be executed with DSX (the opposite of USX) to effectively hit the new string on an upstroke. You could also employ Double Escape Picking (an entirely different topic, but worth looking into on Troy Grady's channel).
If you are going with pick slanting and NOT double escape, I'd say the first half (bars 1-2) should be executed with USX because you run the risk of getting your pick caught between the strings when trying to shift to the new string.
I know that was a wordy reply, but let me know if that helps! 🤠🤘
@@HayesGriffin thanks, I was just curious. I personally use double escape, but I'm new to Bluegrass and wondered if there were similar stylistic idiosyncrasies as gypsy jazz guitar that uses USX exclusively as far as I'm aware.
@@effortlessguitarist no problem! I'd say most of the flatpickers I've come across are double escape pickers, but many modern folks (like Jake Workman) incorporate pick slanting (USX/DSX). Kind of all over the place when you start to look at right hands in bluegrass, it's pretty fun to observe :)
Billy strings is my nephew, so some of these comments I do take very personally. He is the most amazing thing to happen to Bluegrass in a long time. He’s genuine, talented, brilliant, and his playing, and his ability to play Bluegrass and transform into any genre Has never been mastered by anybody else that I know of! Not prejudiced, just real. I love my Billy.
I couldn’t agree with you more Roxanne. Billy is undeniably the biggest ambassador for the bluegrass community in recent years and I love him too. It’s disappointing to hear a lot of my friends and colleagues throw shade on him, but I think it says more about them than it does your nephew. Long live Billy 💙
Im74 and got tired of hearing the same old Bluegrass stuff all the time...Billy made me love Bluegrass again like when I Learned to play...😊
Are you on drugs woman?
She's says I love my billy. What a weirdo
@@rharrington828i dunno u ever heard dillards or some might call em darlingtons . thts bluegrass yo
You can’t really hate on the guy, dudes playing is flawless. I think he’s keeping old music from being forgotten & introducing it to a younger audience.
Billy is best when he's in the traditional mode but not because he brings all those old-timers to a new audience, but because that's where his heart is.
🤘
@@HayesGriffin th-cam.com/video/LFycHPcJIKg/w-d-xo.html
Completely underrated comment
I don't understand how anyone could hate Billy. He's such a beautiful soul and one of the most talented artists I've ever heard. I've also been to so many concerts I couldn't even count and the two times I've seen Billy live was by far the best shows I've ever been to. Billy has inspired me so much and brought so much joy back into my life💜
Obviously those that hate him are just jealous of his talent. I'm not really into bluegrass, I like classic rock but that kid can play. He's got more talent in his little finger than most have in their whole body.
Who can hate Billy? He’s awesome! I’ve been a fan of bluegrass forever and Billy is a breath of fresh air!
🤠💙
Word
You beat me to it. "Who the hell hates Billy?" 🥴
The competition and their fans don't like Billy.
Swifties
Billy is good because he sat his ass down and worked on the minute and tedium to perfect his playing. No real secret here.
if you knew what you were talking about youd never have written that.
I've pick a bit with Billy and I done a workshop with him at Wintergrass. All good players work that hard and practice a lot. I've been playing guitar for 56 yrs. I know what I'm talking about. @@joejones9520
@joejones9520 if you knew how much the Internet cares about your opinion... I think you can finish the rest;)
@@M4dM4n96 well we know you care...
@@joejones9520 You don't know shit cause you probably can't play anyways.
Billy isn’t the best nor the fastest. But he is the full package. Super accurate, perfect timing, great songwriting and that voice. If his voice wasn’t tailor made for bluegrass, I don’t know how it could be better.
Indeed!
And great cover songs to boot(Nutshell). He's a powerhouse!
To me, it doesn't matter how fast a person plays. It is about how well someone plays and the soul they play with.
Technical prowess is not the point. Who cares who is fastest or most accurate? That is the least of what music is about. Long live Billy.
He's a great player but not incredibly accurate. He somewhat masks that with his improvisational skills
Billy has rejuvenated bluegrass. Hands down.
I’ve played guitar for 15 years, I’m just learning flat picking starting today. Thanks for this.
You’re welcome! Welcome to the dark side 😆
Negative? People bash him? I would have never listened to ANY bluegrass had I not stumbled upon a video of him playing dust in a baggie. I’m 54, dont listen to country or bluegrass, would never have bothered listening to him a few months back. I now have a small catalogue of bluegrass music on iTunes. Billie is the reason I even bothered. Bringing more fans to bluegrass can’t be a bad thing.
I completely agree. There are jealous people and elitists in every art form and every genre. Example: In Metal, people love to bash Lars Ulrich from Metallica. Just because there are more technical musicians, it doesn’t mean they are more musical or contribute anything new. And if we just keep everything traditional, nothing moves forward.
Ill never understand haters in music, especially other musicians… its so antithetical to what art is all about which is celebrating expression, individualism and honestly. If you want to hate on industry pop creations made only to make money go for it but folks who choose the artlife with honestly and integrity will always have my support, whether I dig the style or not. You can only stay in this kinda life if you absolutely love it and thats an admirable thing in a world that most do stuff they hate
I never learned guitar by learning theory alone. I was unable to fall in love with playing that way. I learned by playing along with tunes and tablature. Eventually, that turned into moving shapes and keys up and down the neck. Ultimately leading to my own fusion of my favorite artists. Jazz, bluegrass, blues, soul…music is a gift to us all.
Billy Strings fingers know every note by rote. And that he can sing and sound off the other members simultaneously is Mozart genius! Plus write. I don't believe he's introduced a new bluegrass genre but writes the current issues many have. But he can put both old and new together on a set and just the picking alone ..by all in the band blows our minds. And they do it humbly! ❤
Thanks for the comment Cheri! You're dead on 🎯🤠
He knows his fingers up his 4$$
Strings is analogous to Willie Nelson in Austin, back in the 70's. Willie brought the 'Hippies' to Country Music, Billy is doing much of the same, today.
I always loved country music and I am happy that I am not from the US. So it has no connection with conservatism and nationalism for me.
He's also an amazing vocal stylist who can get the feel of a singer like Doc without sounding like a mimic.
His bandmates alone could have one of the best groups in bluegrass, but Billy is sort of out there beyond the stratosphere like if Jimi Hendrix decided to reincarnate as a bluegrass guy.
I love Billy Strings and the boys. Amazing 3 day run this past weekend in Nashville. Especially The Ryman show. Straight traditional bluegrass every song.
Billy is one of my very favourite artists and I love everything he does. That being said I also understand the pushback he gets and I actually appreciate it to an extent. I think gatekeepers play an important role in traditional forms of art such as Bluegrass because many of the elements that make them so special deserve to be respected and preserved. You can tell Billy has a deep respect for the musical traditions of Bluegrass and this is definitely in part because of the type of culture that pushes back on divergences. Good art has a healthy balance of new artists pushing and old trads pulling back, hopefully doing it in a respectful and healthy way.
That is a fantastic, balanced perspective. I am thankful that in a time where American culture is far swung toward individualism, that a prominent rising star like Billy is steeped in traditional and communal roots. He chooses to prop up those who came before him instead of taking the glory for himself.
How can not live Billy. He isn't the fastest, but he us the most fun, and his multi genre curiosity and humility shines through. I don't think that he's a very good electric guitar player, but that he would pick one up and do it is awesome. Music'd jobs is not to be perfect, but bring joy and escape and right now Billy is King on that score.
I have been listening to Billy Strings and I myself am an amateur at best on guitar and also harmonica. I am 72 and really like that he is pulling many young people into this beautiful music. He is against hard drugs and more into pot. We will see how that plays out over time. I hope he has a bright future . He is a major force in bluegrass , especially in a young crowd who wants a certain genre of music to listen to and enjoy. A sense of identity and I can’t think of a better form of music to fill their needs
wow, how naive am I - prior to listening to your opening remarks, I had never come across ANYONE who professed to hate Billy, or heard anyone online, on-air, or on-anything else say so either. But your analysis and teaching is absolutely first rate, thanks.
You’re welcome!
I’m not even a huge bluegrass fan, but I am thoroughly impressed with Billy. He’s a phenomenal guitar player.
Billy is a young man with an old soul. And like Hayes said he reveers the history and incorporates it in his playing and writing every chance he gets. Class act.
🤠🙏🏼
If you think about it He is connecting with people outside of bluegrass just like the bluegrass artists of the 70s and 80s
Supination and pronation are two words I hadn't heard or given much thought to until I watch a few of your videos. Especially in terms of flat picking. Thanks Hayes
Until about 2 years ago, I’d never heard them either! I’ve found it to be a game changer though. Thanks for watching, hope it helps 🤠🤘
Interesting term. I started guitar by learning flatpicking bluegrass and celtic tunes, and this technique is just something i've always done. Maybe b/c i learned mainly by watching vids of all the bluegrass guys like Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Brad Davis, etc. and i tried to mimic some of what i was seeing in their hands. I'm sure a lot of bluegrass pickers developed fluidity picking through this technique without putting much thought into it. Kinda of the path of least resistance when working on speed and legato . Awesome vid. Thx u!
Thanks for the kind words! I think you’re right that most of the great players have intuited this technique through the “path of least resistance” method. Really appreciate your thoughts, thanks again!
I never had a lot of exposure or interest in playing Bluegrass until I stumbled upon a few Billy Strings videos on TH-cam. After that I was hooked and started learning Bluegrass licks and incorporating it into my practice routine! I think there are flat picking snobs out there that are jealous of his skill and notoriety and success... Like any entertainer, it's the whole package that makes a break-out star! He was the right talent, at the right time, with the ability to create millions of new Bluegrass fans! He's to the Bluegrass scene, as Caitlin Clark is to the WNBA. Lots of haters from the old-guard, but Caitlin's incredible abilities lifted the entire WNBA business up within just a few weeks, tripling their gross revenue, and now all the haters on all the other WNBA teams get to fly Charter aircraft flights to their games instead of traveling by bus. Just get over yourself and enjoy the millions of new Bluegrass enthusiasts that are bringing $$money$$ and attention to your music scene!
he put in the work for the love of the music and it shows in his playing and live shows. wish him nothing but success.
How could anyone hate Billy? They’ve obviously never been to a show. Best I’ve ever been to
Billy is the most amazing picker I’ve seen in years.
I am super happy for him- I discovered Doc Watson thru him four years ago and haven't stopped playing bluegrass since. I don't love or hate anyone I don't personally know- somewhere left of dead and right of wrong I guess. Much Love to you and yours
This is beautiful and I’m with you. No room for hate, we’re all just trying to make our way 🤠💙
A lot of people in the metal community love the way Billy plays. With a lot of my students I actually teach them the picking technique. Helps them relax their picking hand and gain speed faster
Love this!
Is this not just efficient alternate picking? I love Billy's playing, he is absolutely phenomenal.
I would say it’s a specific type of efficient alternate picking. I can’t do the topic justice in the comments, but if you’re curious, check out some of Troy Grady’s videos on USX vs. DSX picking.
Thanks for watching!
Billy is terrific and he’s carrying the bluegrass torch for the next generation of players!
Agreed!
How in the HELL could you hate Billy ???
Billy is the greatest !!
Some of us are more taken with Clarence White's style of playing than by Doc Watson's and would rather hear someone inspired by Clarence instead of by Doc. Some of us also wish that Billy was better at separating bass, treble, and midrange in his playing. Those are two of the more magnanimous reasons for disliking Billy Strings' music. Even so, I'm rooting for him to develop as a player.
@@berachtdorian6191 that's fair ... :)
I've never heard of Clarence. I'll check him out. Thanks !!
@@terrybeaud9348 Enjoy. Clarence is amazing.
This picking has some similarities with the rest stroke that Django and the gypsy jazz players use, except they always start a new string on a down stroke. It’s playing like this that’s made it slightly easier to get into learning bluegrass.
Billy is awesome. Keeping the bluegrass tradition alive.
🤘💙
I've also picked up on the resentment among some of the original bluegrass pickers, but also appreciation that the style is being preserved. I'm definitely in the second category!
I’m with ya!
Billy is a TRUE ARTIST!!
10 shows and counting!!
I hope for DOZENS more!!!
I love me some Billy Strings! Sittin' here with my Martin box just trying to keep up... I am a finger picker by nature, but am excited to get my flat pickin' chops up... Let's do this!!!
Yeah!!! Billy is great, hope you have fun with this one, don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
In rock and metal playing, you can mix alternate picking, sweep picking, and legato. Different genres, but the same playing dynamics can be achieved. However you want to call it, it’s a great thing to practice.
Totally agree!
Been a bluegrass fan since 1967 and a player since 1972.
Billy Strings is a wonderful talent and breath of fresh air in a very stale and uninspired era of music.
IMHO of course!!
Preach!
Great video with clear & concise explanation. So this is basically alternate picking with 4 notes per string. As a long time rock player who's interested in bluegrass for something new to play, I like this. I'm so used to 3 note per string runs, it should be a fun "escape". 😉
Glad you liked it! You are dead on with your summary. I humbly stole my approach to this analysis from Troy Grady and his analysis of rock players, so this is right up your alley as a rock guy 🤠🤘
How can anyone hate him? Pure talent
I got introduced to this style of music through a Norwegian folk-musician and comedian, Øystein Sunde.
Always loved that guitar just having a field day with so many notes in a small span.
I remember he did a cover of Black Mountain Rag which is titled "De Hebraiske Alper". I think I heard it on repeat for days on end trying to figure it out.
One secret to fast and clear picking in any style, is to find a correct guitar pick (for you) for the style in question, especially when playing on an acoustic guitar. This is quite a neverending quest too, as there are so many different picks to choose from!
Dude, you said it right there. I’ve changed picks at least every 3 months for the last year. Keep landing on Blue Chip TAD 50 for acoustic and Dunlop flow for electric 🤷♂️
"3-2-1-0" a simple chromatic scale which includes alternate picking. Useful for flash because it tends to throw most players off since they only use the typical 3 note per string Ionian or Blues runs.
It's called dedication to the art of playing guitar. Billy lives guitar. If anybody reading this would put the same dedication into anything they do, they'd be proficient in whatever it is they're doing.
🔥🔥🔥We Love Doc And Billy Here In Johnson City Tennessee🔥🔥🔥BET🫶🏼
🤘🤘🤘
I had a feeling after watching one of your other lessons that youve seen troy gradys material on picking! Troy really has done incredible work on picking technique. I found that i was using these techniques early on all by feel from lots of playing you learn how to escape but without really knowing all the mechanics or how to describe it.
Lemme answer the question the video was titled after in a short summary he does it with practice, lots and lots of practice
Thank you, Sir. Excellent lesson and demo!
I haven't met anybody that hates Billy Strings. Billy is among many who play fast or slow lead bluegrass guitar. Billy does a nice job...Jack Baker NYC/NJ
The king of acoustic guitar,I love that guy and his playing
Tommy Emmanuel
How to do this stuff is different for differnt folk. I don't do a rest stroke or make contact on an adjecent lower string. You made a rad video. Crosspicking is well worth the thousands of hours to get solid.
Totally agree! And thanks for the kind words 🤘🙏🏼
Great video. I’m as impressed with your vocal delivery of the info. Such an eloquent and polished orator. I enjoyed hearing you speak. Good job.
Wow, thank you! Really appreciate the kind words.
Billy and the band just get better and better.
Like a fine wine 🍷 🤠
The best thing about the Billy Strings band is their willingness to improvise and jam. Obviously, they’re all very talented musicians.
He rocks. He has his finger on the pulse of hip covers and music.
Agreed 🤘
Nice to see the CtC ideas spreading outside the community!
Troy gave the world of guitar a HUGE gift with his codification of right hand pick slanting techniques. I owe him so much!
Wow. Amazing insight and analysis. I love this kind of stuff. Thank you for the time you spent putting together this video. I don’t see this level of player analysis anywhere else.
That’s the best thing I could ever hope to hear. Glad you enjoyed the lesson and thanks for the kind words John!
Absolutely. Also showing how you apply this to another song and why you picked that song is such a great additional tool as the cherry on top. I think that part in general is the part where I learn songs and licks but have the harder time with how to apply things in context
That’s great feedback! Thanks 🙏🏼
Billy is basically doing something musically that no one else has ever done. Combine that with incredibly technical and precise playing and you have the best thing in music right now.
An excellent introduction to core mechanics…fun to follow,too, and even…..reassuring 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! 🤠🙏🏼
Troy is the GOAT!!!! SLANT picking was a tolat game changer to me!
Agreed and same!!! 🤘😊🤘
Billy is a legend!
🤘🤘🤘
in his own time!
Hating on Billy is like kicking a puppy.
thanks for such a thorough breakdown.. I've been learning to flatpick and have a number of tunes down but just realized after a year of playing i'm moving the pick with my double jointed thumb and can't get any faster!
You’re welcome! Glad you found something valuable in the video 🤘
I've always known it as either upwards or downwards pick slanting. Never heard of this "escape" term before. Usually players naturally are better at one or the other, personally I'm an upwards pick slanter, comes more naturally to me but you have to find what is better for you.
I saw billy and his amazing band on a whim in NC Oct '21. It reminded me so fondly of the music I had grown up around but somehow forgotten. My mom had passed around a year earlier. We had a tumultuous relationship, putting it mildly lol. But she was a loving and artistic, musical soul, and her soul was in bluegrass. I had grown up hearing Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, and so many others that I had almost forgotten. You see, bluegrass wasn't "cool" growing up in NJ. After she died, while moving through grief, I devoured her old records (including recordings of her playing/singing). Seeing Billy on Halloween 2021, on a total whim, made me realize "Hey, this shit is fucking cool! I don't have to listen to my mom's music while alone/drunk/in a pit of grief - this man and his friends are legitimately making this music fucking cool again!" Not gonna lie, I cried a little hearing Ole Slew Foot in such a big arena (I turned to my bf and said This is Jim and Jesse OMG!), seeing thousands of people dancing and smiling to music I had secretly loved but outwardly shunned. And for all these moments of pure awe that this type of music is having a moment, I am forever grateful to Billy and his band. So much love and respect for all of them
Thanks for that tab too. I can finally see those notes that those guys use!
No problem!
That rotating motion of the wrist comes easy if you can play slap bass among other things
I know Billy and Molly want to do their own things. That said I think they should collaborate for the best success.
Hard to deny talent!
You said it!
Getting that good takes a lot of love for music, and a good deal of OCD to practice practice practice.
Great video. I happened upon this, but I'm fascinated. Love to learn something new. And I love driving Bluegrass. XLNT.
Awesome lesson Hayes
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
I can’t imagine anyone hating Billy Strings. I think it’s probably more that they’re envious of his skill!
I’m with you Chris
I appreciate more of the breakdown. I am working on my flat picking because I love the style but I struggle with the down and up. Here, you say the picking hand does more of a rolling action vs side to side. Is this true with all bluegrass picking?
Different BG players take different approaches, but Jake Workman is king of the pick slanting/pronation/supination thing IMHO. Billy uses a lot of double escape picking but you can see him dip into some of the pick slanting. Check out Troy Grady’s channel and watch the Molly Tuttle and David Grier videos. Lots of good angles there!
8:00 Right into the juice - Love it
Great lesson amigo
Thanks James! Appreciate the kind words 🤠🙏🏼
I do this a lot and didn't know it was a thing. Very interesting! I can't play fast (left hand skill issue), but it's still good in a slower context. For example, when I play Cardinals by The Wonder Years, I start on an up stroke so I can take advantage of this on the next three notes (two-note group as mentioned in the video and then the third note that skips a string--much easier for me if I've done it as an upstroke that I angle up "freeing" me from the strings).
In fact, this kind of motion is WHY I started up picking to begin with. The rock background really put down strokes in my head and I tended to rely only on those, and was getting caught between strings. So, I started up picking at an angle, in that doorknob kind of motion, without ever developing a differing kind of upstroke technique!
Thanks for sharing! It’s always great to hear other people’s experiences with this stuff. It’s pretty new to me (2-3 years), but was eye opening.
Id like to see this applied to mandolin. Is this something you could teach on a private mandolin lesson with exercises to walk away with?
Yep! Oddly enough, I figured this stuff out on mandolin first and transferred back to guitar. Give me a shout at hayes@hayesgriffin.com if you want to chat about it 🤠
I went out and bought an acoustic the day after seeing Billy Strings play don't think twice
🙌🔥
Hayes thanks for the video. What guitar are you playing? Beautiful dude
You’re welcome Rob! The guitar is a Leo Posch DM. Love that instrument.
What strings do you prefer. Congratulations on winfield.
Thanks! I love the new D’Addario XS strings, but often find myself using a set of Elixirs if I’ve got a run of gigs coming up and don’t want to change as often. Generally speaking I find myself gravitating toward anything Phosphor Bronze 😊🤘
@HayesGriffin awesome. I love the sound of dead strings on my Martin so I avoid coated strings most times
I imagine its a mix of natural ability and mostly practicing his ass off. Hes played since he was three folks. He still goes to gutar class camp. Humble and open to listen and learn. Guitar is hard and takes a lot of work
He plays fast because he has been doing it since a kid at a very high level !! I live Billy’s music he makes it fun
Gotta hate a guy that kills it on guitar, writes amazing songs and is a charismatic performer. /s
Good job on giving Troy is credit
Troy is revolutionizing the way we think and talk about guitar technique and I’m so here for it. He’s the best!
Billy is the Man !
💙🙌
Damn . Learning the secret made me feel even more helpless . And BMFS !
Practice, dedication & talent
Very cool video. I am a upward escape picker, though I didn't learn this until recently. Your body seems to instinctively adjust your playing and what you play to sort of conform to that. For me where it gets difficult is learning things from other players which can seem impossible to play. The "Paul Gilbert" lick for example feels very awkward. Anyway I really enjoyed this, thanks.
Thanks for the comment! I started life as a Down Stroke Escape player, working out the USX now 😃
Waittt..... Are there even people who hate Billy strings ??? What on earth would make anyone hate him?? Let the guy keep shredding dude... 😁😁😁
🤠🤘
i always thought the opening to dust in a baggie was just a regular "G-run" with fancy picking.... turns out its just a chromatic run with fancy picking 😅.... THANKS FOR THIS 🙏
Haha you’re welcome!
What a great Chanel! ❤
Thanks! 🙏🏼
And buy the way Billy strings is incredible. He's like the srv of bluegrass
Very informative on the USX approach, but at 10:07 it seemed as if you were still going up and down rather than using the doorknob motion that you suggested.
Thanks for the comment Dan. The doorknob motion at this time marking might be a little obscured by the fact that my wrist is bent or the angle of the camera. Try shifting your focus between my forearm and my actual wrist joint here and you’ll see that the wrist joint itself isn’t really moving, but the forearm is subtly rotating to achieve the motion. It’s impossible to go side to side on the wrist (at least for me) at that speed, so another clue that it is rotational not side to side.
Billy is like all the best pickers I have seen at fests over the last fifty years combined. He has parking lot cred and it is very easy to like.
Anyone who dislikes Billy is just jealous of his talent.
yep