Speed Picking - How to pick across strings: th-cam.com/video/E__a61lfceU/w-d-xo.html The Warm Up - picking & legato drills. Free course: courses.benhigginsofficial.com/the-warm-up Tao of Badass Guitar eBook: courses.benhigginsofficial.com/the-tao-of-badass-guitar
Awesome lesson and easy to understand. Is that a Floyd Rose guitar ? never seen one before. What pickups does it have and what wood is the neck...looks great. Also how much do they cost? Subbed for the great content!
@@justice100forwin2 Cheers! It's a Floyd Rose Del Mar, unsure on the pickups tbh - there's more info on them here www.floydrose.com/pages/del-mar-series-usa-guitars
That's what I'm talking about. Talk to me like I'm an idiot. I'm serious. Sometimes, that's exactly what I need. "A kick in the ass".... I was just talking to my wife about that very thing. Nik Nocturnal has this video about scales and modes. He talks like I'm a moron, and I completely get it. I can follow it so easily. It's really is nice. I appreciate your words and how you approached this. Spot on. I'm not that fast......yet. 🙏 Thank you
This is one thing I've never had an issue with, having played black metal since the late 90s. Turning your pick for a smoother back-and-forth attack has been the key to success for me, personally. I recall you addressing that in a previous video, Mr. Higgins. I personally have a fairly unorthodox picking style, though, since I was a cellist before picking up the guitar and hold my pick between the tips of my thumb and index finger much the same as I would hold a bow, turning the pick backwards from a standard picking style for the aforementioned smoother attack. The back-and-forth motion for alternate picking comes from rotating my forearm, again much like I would for playing staccato notes with a bow. The point I am making by sharing that information is to help illustrate Mr. Higgins's point, that there is no one correct picking style and that you have to do what is most efficient for yourself to achieve smooth, sharp attack. I also can't recommend The Tao of Badass Guitar enough if you haven't already picked it up. Even old men like myself need a kick in the arse to motivate us on occasion. Keep doing what you are doing, lad. Whether you realize it or not, you really are making a positive impact.
Loved this! I’ve been walking the path of metronome practice, daily exercises and ‘precision picking’ and it works…up to a point. When I encountered endless videos on upward/downward slanting, hand position etc I seemed to plateau. Many hours of dedicated practice for very little gain. Only a few weeks ago I simply “threw my arm at it” and, holy mother of tremolos, I had my first shreddy experience! Like the video says, sometimes you just need to kick its ass to get to the next level. Once that speed barrier is broken there is probably some mileage in critically analysing your technique. But, until you get that speed, you don’t have a ‘speed technique’ that needs analysing!
My problem is I literally can't break past the 90bpm barrier. Years of trying, different practice routines, exercises and like described, "just going for it"... nothing works. I suck and I think I have a disability.
What if i don't know how to run fast? Because of what I had learned before (wrongly), my body now gets in its own way, and the idiosyncratic movements are blocking progress. For example, running fast for longer that a few seconds requires having stamina, which you can stretch more by having more efficient technique. How can I get to develop the stamina for picking if I don't have efficient technique (and don't know where the efficiency is supposed to come from)? Just saying 'put aggression into it' is not helpful. All I get is frustration in return when my picking is sloppy, doesn't sound right, and something I don't understand about the way I execute it prevents me from developing speed and efficiency...?
This is a fantastic video, and really a lot to learn here, something I wish I had been taught and learned when I had started. My guitar teacher more or less forced a pick hold on me and also preached don't ever play beyond your ability. Well how do you know what your ability is? The human body is an amazing thing and when you push yourself, even if it is sloppy at first, your body will adjust and naturally respond. So yes, get off your duffs and get to picking! It isn't always going to be pretty like me, I mean I am gorgeous, but you get the drift.
My main two obstacles in my shred quest are excessive wrist tension and synchronization with the left hand. I am part Cro-Magnon so my brain hemispheres have great difficulty working together like you more advanced _homo sapiens sapiens_ .... Truth be told, I was the inspiration for Phil Hartmann's "Caveman Lawyer" character on SNL. You "shred guys" with your "flying fingers" and "stammer-ons" frighten my kind. 🐒In other words, I'm a drummer who has always wished he could shred on guitar, or at least play slightly better than Lil' Wayne, and these videos are of great value to me and many others of my species. With your advanced methods I've no doubt my speed will increase by ten or twelve octaves within a year. Fifteen if I remain steadfast.
Yes awesome I'm loving this , you are saying what needs to be said.... At first years ago , I thought if I got too aggressive , I would break strings ,but when your hand understands what you want it to do , it's a mental thing , get over it, and you will achieve it . Great video you said it all .
A perfect example of how different players pick is Marty Friedman, look at what he has accomplished with his picking style, the way his hand is positioned, it works for him!
I sold been trying to learn how to do that better and you've just helped me out the way you showed me with your technique I'm one string up down up down up down and I'm a rhythm player but I'm learning lead now so thank you
I'm a building contractor by trade that's what I do for a living extremely busy I really want to learn your techniques so in the future here I'll have more time on the weekends in the evenings I want to learn every note on the front board and learn how you do all those tricks
@@Davidlovesmusic311 You can do it, David. If you can start by finding 15-30 minutes a day to devote to your playing you will make consistent progress 👍
Oh I play at least that everyday actually I have a lesson this morning at 11:30 from a guy that went to a music school and those theory and everything He's a lot like you so yeah he's teaching me a lot and I'm just a self-taught guy who's learned by ear and I went on hiatus for a while and now I'm back
I’ve been practicing this • One string as fast as I can as close to the string as I can • Then 3 fingers controlled up down 111111 222222 33333 • Then cross clean and repeat • Let your fretting hand catch up in 6 note 2 string bursts • Repeat
Good evening Lord higgy I just applied your picking speed techniques and oh my God in 30 minutes I am faster already and it sounds clean I got my arm angle right my hand angle right I think I got it but I'll practice it everyday
Love it, don't know how i missed this one. Let me stfu and listen ty. Makes sense but don't i need to have the lick memorized and the muscle memory before i try to get real aggressive with this lick?
I have a lot of trouble bending upwards when it comes to the higher strings. Years of bad habits. Any tips on rectifying those habits and developing upward bending strength?
I tried 3 notes per string, from 4th string to 1st string but I'm having a lot of trouble crossing the 3rd to 2nd string, from upstroke to downstroke. Any tips or do I just need to do it over and over again?
pick slanting is an important keyword. Some people overobsess. But truth is, playing 3-notes-per-string scales is one of the hardest things, because you have to veeery slightly switch your picking angle every string. This is nothing that can be paid attention to, it is something that comes only with practice. But playing 3-note-per-string-scales is probably the LAST thing where you will be making progress.
... And what about the fretting hand ? We can pick faster then the speed of light but if the fretting hand is out of sync, it's totally useless to pick super fast.
I have found that picking super fast isn't anywhere near as important as being able to fret the strings in perfect sync with your picking hand at any speed.
Speeding the pick up isnt the issue. I keep the least amount of distance in my strokes. Sometimes my fretting hand doesnt wake up right away. But the picking hand is always there. No disrespect to guys like troy grady or any of them, but if you ask yngwie malmsteen about his oicking technique, he is going to tell you he doesnt know he just does it. To me, keep the movements small, and thats it.
Speed Picking - How to pick across strings:
th-cam.com/video/E__a61lfceU/w-d-xo.html
The Warm Up - picking & legato drills. Free course:
courses.benhigginsofficial.com/the-warm-up
Tao of Badass Guitar eBook:
courses.benhigginsofficial.com/the-tao-of-badass-guitar
Awesome lesson and easy to understand. Is that a Floyd Rose guitar ? never seen one before. What pickups does it have and what wood is the neck...looks great. Also how much do they cost? Subbed for the great content!
@@justice100forwin2 Cheers! It's a Floyd Rose Del Mar, unsure on the pickups tbh - there's more info on them here www.floydrose.com/pages/del-mar-series-usa-guitars
@@BenHigginsOfficial Thanks for the reply, I'm going to look it up :)
Ben Tough Love Higgins!
Love the no bullshit approach.
That's what I'm talking about. Talk to me like I'm an idiot. I'm serious. Sometimes, that's exactly what I need. "A kick in the ass".... I was just talking to my wife about that very thing. Nik Nocturnal has this video about scales and modes. He talks like I'm a moron, and I completely get it. I can follow it so easily. It's really is nice. I appreciate your words and how you approached this. Spot on. I'm not that fast......yet. 🙏 Thank you
This is one thing I've never had an issue with, having played black metal since the late 90s. Turning your pick for a smoother back-and-forth attack has been the key to success for me, personally. I recall you addressing that in a previous video, Mr. Higgins. I personally have a fairly unorthodox picking style, though, since I was a cellist before picking up the guitar and hold my pick between the tips of my thumb and index finger much the same as I would hold a bow, turning the pick backwards from a standard picking style for the aforementioned smoother attack. The back-and-forth motion for alternate picking comes from rotating my forearm, again much like I would for playing staccato notes with a bow.
The point I am making by sharing that information is to help illustrate Mr. Higgins's point, that there is no one correct picking style and that you have to do what is most efficient for yourself to achieve smooth, sharp attack.
I also can't recommend The Tao of Badass Guitar enough if you haven't already picked it up. Even old men like myself need a kick in the arse to motivate us on occasion.
Keep doing what you are doing, lad. Whether you realize it or not, you really are making a positive impact.
Loved this!
I’ve been walking the path of metronome practice, daily exercises and ‘precision picking’ and it works…up to a point.
When I encountered endless videos on upward/downward slanting, hand position etc I seemed to plateau. Many hours of dedicated practice for very little gain.
Only a few weeks ago I simply “threw my arm at it” and, holy mother of tremolos, I had my first shreddy experience!
Like the video says, sometimes you just need to kick its ass to get to the next level.
Once that speed barrier is broken there is probably some mileage in critically analysing your technique. But, until you get that speed, you don’t have a ‘speed technique’ that needs analysing!
Welcome to the speed club!
My problem is I literally can't break past the 90bpm barrier. Years of trying, different practice routines, exercises and like described, "just going for it"... nothing works. I suck and I think I have a disability.
I'm an old man just beginning guitar, but his training advise reminds me of my Track & Field days, if you want to run fast, then just RUN FAST!
Yes a lot of athletic and sport based training applies to developing the physical and mental ability for guitar 👍👍
What if i don't know how to run fast? Because of what I had learned before (wrongly), my body now gets in its own way, and the idiosyncratic movements are blocking progress. For example, running fast for longer that a few seconds requires having stamina, which you can stretch more by having more efficient technique. How can I get to develop the stamina for picking if I don't have efficient technique (and don't know where the efficiency is supposed to come from)?
Just saying 'put aggression into it' is not helpful. All I get is frustration in return when my picking is sloppy, doesn't sound right, and something I don't understand about the way I execute it prevents me from developing speed and efficiency...?
Saw you on FB, but didn’t think of YT until I recommended you for lessons. I’m really enjoying this!
@@Mxgtr1569 Welcome on board! 🤜🤛
@@BenHigginsOfficial 🤘🏼
This is a fantastic video, and really a lot to learn here, something I wish I had been taught and learned when I had started. My guitar teacher more or less forced a pick hold on me and also preached don't ever play beyond your ability. Well how do you know what your ability is? The human body is an amazing thing and when you push yourself, even if it is sloppy at first, your body will adjust and naturally respond. So yes, get off your duffs and get to picking! It isn't always going to be pretty like me, I mean I am gorgeous, but you get the drift.
Love it Ben! No nonsense,common sense take no prisoners picking! Thanks for this!
It's the only way. Anything less is just wasting time!
And then there is time for donuts!! 😂😂😂
“I don’t want to hear excuses!” That earned an instant sub from me (and a like)!
If only we had these videos in the 90’s trying to learn
You had the records in the 70’s and 80’s !! 16rpm and an octave below !! Not only did the hands get trained , but the lugholes also !
Awesome as always Lord Higgy! Thanks dude
My main two obstacles in my shred quest are excessive wrist tension and synchronization with the left hand. I am part Cro-Magnon so my brain hemispheres have great difficulty working together like you more advanced _homo sapiens sapiens_ .... Truth be told, I was the inspiration for Phil Hartmann's "Caveman Lawyer" character on SNL. You "shred guys" with your "flying fingers" and "stammer-ons" frighten my kind. 🐒In other words, I'm a drummer who has always wished he could shred on guitar, or at least play slightly better than Lil' Wayne, and these videos are of great value to me and many others of my species. With your advanced methods I've no doubt my speed will increase by ten or twelve octaves within a year. Fifteen if I remain steadfast.
There it is, simple and true!
🤜🤛
All clear. Thank you. Good lesson.
I am SO glad I subbed to this channel - this is the best, most badass thing I needed to hear to kick my lazy ass into gear. Thank you!!
That's great to hear, Brad. Go and get those guitar gains!
Yes awesome I'm loving this ,
you are saying what needs to be said....
At first years ago ,
I thought if I got too aggressive , I would break strings ,but when your hand understands what you want it to do , it's a mental thing , get over it, and you will achieve it .
Great video you said it all .
👍👍
Yeah, You are absolutely right Ben🤘🤘
really good, big thnx u! excellent job, have a good day and good luck!)❤
Very informative as always 🤘🏻
A perfect example of how different players pick is Marty Friedman, look at what he has accomplished with his picking style, the way his hand is positioned, it works for him!
Best speed guitar teacher!
Thanks duder!
Thanks for this Lord ...and Milady ! From France
Great Lesson Ben!
Thanks so much man, this video helped me so much and motivated me alot! Keep up the great content 🤟
That's great, duder!
Needed this reminder.
100% agree with everything. Well said!
Grate. I will do the same on the banjo!!
I sold been trying to learn how to do that better and you've just helped me out the way you showed me with your technique I'm one string up down up down up down and I'm a rhythm player but I'm learning lead now so thank you
That's great, David. Get those guitar gains 👍👍
I'm a building contractor by trade that's what I do for a living extremely busy I really want to learn your techniques so in the future here I'll have more time on the weekends in the evenings I want to learn every note on the front board and learn how you do all those tricks
I meant fretboard I'm voice texting sorry
@@Davidlovesmusic311 You can do it, David. If you can start by finding 15-30 minutes a day to devote to your playing you will make consistent progress 👍
Oh I play at least that everyday actually I have a lesson this morning at 11:30 from a guy that went to a music school and those theory and everything He's a lot like you so yeah he's teaching me a lot and I'm just a self-taught guy who's learned by ear and I went on hiatus for a while and now I'm back
I’ve been practicing this
• One string as fast as I can as close to the string as I can
• Then 3 fingers controlled up down 111111 222222 33333
• Then cross clean and repeat
• Let your fretting hand catch up in 6 note 2 string bursts
• Repeat
Well done
Love ya Ben! ☺
👍👍👍🍩🍩🍩
Good evening Lord higgy I just applied your picking speed techniques and oh my God in 30 minutes I am faster already and it sounds clean I got my arm angle right my hand angle right I think I got it but I'll practice it everyday
I had always been able to progress at unreal levels of speed by just not caring and going for it
finally found who really tells the truth!
superb im gonna buy your programme,
🤜🤛🎸🎸
I love how this is way more of a pep talk than an instructional video lol
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love you BH.
Love it, don't know how i missed this one. Let me stfu and listen ty. Makes sense but don't i need to have the lick memorized and the muscle memory before i try to get real aggressive with this lick?
I have a lot of trouble bending upwards when it comes to the higher strings. Years of bad habits. Any tips on rectifying those habits and developing upward bending strength?
I can go one better than just advice - an entire step by step process! courses.benhigginsofficial.com/badass-string-bending
Excellent message, thanks Ben
I tried 3 notes per string, from 4th string to 1st string but I'm having a lot of trouble crossing the 3rd to 2nd string, from upstroke to downstroke. Any tips or do I just need to do it over and over again?
pick slanting is an important keyword. Some people overobsess. But truth is, playing 3-notes-per-string scales is one of the hardest things, because you have to veeery slightly switch your picking angle every string. This is nothing that can be paid attention to, it is something that comes only with practice. But playing 3-note-per-string-scales is probably the LAST thing where you will be making progress.
Hell yes
i can do the picking now but left hand is far behind now
I can legato great, but my alternate picking lead wise tops out around 100 bpm. For some reason it just doesn't form past that.
Same here. Anything over 90bpm just becomes a sloppy mess. I can't progress and it's a major drag.
My wife talks to me like I'm an idiot and also follows it up with swift kicks to my groin.
👊🏽
... And what about the fretting hand ? We can pick faster then the speed of light but if the fretting hand is out of sync, it's totally useless to pick super fast.
There's many videos I've made about that
@@BenHigginsOfficial Thank you.
Mincer!!!!! 😂😂
I have found that picking super fast isn't anywhere near as important as being able to fret the strings in perfect sync with your picking hand at any speed.
Speeding the pick up isnt the issue. I keep the least amount of distance in my strokes. Sometimes my fretting hand doesnt wake up right away. But the picking hand is always there. No disrespect to guys like troy grady or any of them, but if you ask yngwie malmsteen about his oicking technique, he is going to tell you he doesnt know he just does it. To me, keep the movements small, and thats it.