Pickslanting EXPLAINED! Techniques, practice tips, and MORE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- Downloadable backing tracks, bonus guitar lessons, and MORE here: / benellerguitars
This week, all my Patrons, even at the $1 a month level, are getting a TON of downloadable stuff to go along with this video! Practice tracks at various tempos, midi files so you can make your own perfect practice session, and Guitar Pro files so you can play all day!!! Sign up today and get 'em!!!
Grab last week's practice tracks at a variety of tempos, plus the midi tracks so you can build your OWN workout, PLUS the downloadable TABs here! / 50395556
How about a treasure trove of drone tracks that i made!? 12 root notes, 12 major chords, and 12 minor chords, for a total of 36 super long drone tracks! Its everything you need to learn all your scales in every key! Here's the direct link you need: / 49828461
Wanna learn ALL the notes and master the board? Here's the lesson you need: / 45181774
The BEST Half Hour of Alternate Picking Practice EVER: / 33563344
The secrets of note targeting revealed: / 38535524
My followup to my Ditch the CAGED System video: / 40492155
Get sweet deals on all the nice things i use here: imp.i114863.ne...
@troygrady blew the lid off the secrets of alternate picking with his now-legendary Cracking the Code series, in which he showed us how speed demons like Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson, Vinnie Moore, and @andywoodmusic are able to navigate alternate and economy picking at extremely high tempos with ease through the use of upwards escape (USX) and downwards escape (DWX) picking (formerly called downwards and upwards pickslanting). These ideas completely revolutionized my playing and taught me so much about my own strengths and weaknesses! But how did i practice them, and how do you start to incorporate them into your own playing? Like this!!!
In today's video, i'm going to show you an EJ-style B minor hexatonic lick in 2 variations: one to practice your USX picking, and another to practice your DSX. With these two picking styles mastered, there's going to be NOTHING you can't play! I'll be using my Magnet camera mount that Troy Grady gave me to let you all see straight down the barrel of my picking. After i show you the lick, i'm going to break down both picking styles in detail, and give you a ton of tips to make sure you get a successful slant happening STAT! I'm still working on these concept, too, so i'll be hammering away at this stuff alongside you all! Be sure to grab all those practice tracks from my patreon page and get to working on becoming an alternate picking MACHINE!!!
Gear:
Les Paul with Suhr SSH/SSV pickups
Axe FX 3
What do you want to learn next on Weekend Wankshop? Let me know in the comments!
"Shreddy Kruger" is the best thing I've heard all year
Hahaha i like that nickname !
I literally laughed out loud.
There's this "shock rocker" named Demon Boy who had a guitarist named Shreddy Krueger.
Idk, shred-i knights went insane
Shreddy Krueger is my Halloween costume next year! 😅
it is fair to reckon that this is Troy's idea, but your communicative skills make this whole slanting thing much clearer and ..'learnable' for me.. you are the definition of what a proper teacher has to be.. bravo!
Same for me. Just was easier to take in and learn
100% agreed
Yes! Honestly I didnt know what troy was talking about but this explanation blew my mind haha
Agreed. This explanation was great and easy to digest
Totally agreed!
Being a longtime player, I always instinctively knew I had to pick slant to cross strings but I could never do it. Then I saw Grady's vids with MAB and tried something like what he does. Now, chicks love me for my angled in-out motion and attack.
what is MAB?
@@WillVRam Michael Angelo Batio
best lesson on alternate picking ever muhaha
Lmao I can hear your evil laugh
A WILD SHRED APPEARS TO SLAY THE WORLD... WITH RIFFS 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Ha! I just watched one of your videos.
Troy Grady videos should be required viewing for new players. And not new players. And regardless of whether you want to shred. Just super helpful to finally have someone who actually wanted to go in depth into the mechanics of playing rather than just saying “uh, practice slow and do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Thanks for this insight Uncle Ben. Appreciate it
Thanks for showing me what's up about the source of this technique. I checked out Troy Grady and it's really really good.
Holy crap Ben! I used to be a student of yours when you were giving lessons at the Fret Store back around 2007, but had to quit going because I broke my leg and couldn't climb the tiny staircase that place had. I find you here just giving all this stuff away for free now!? Jokes aside, good to see you're still shredding man!
Dude, I hope you're doing well, 'cause damn, you're articulate, intelligent, eloquent, straight-forward, and probably one of the best teachers by this kind of medium (online video) out there... Let me tell you, I'm probably old enough to be your great grandfather... just so you know... I've seen A LOT OF TEACHERS!! REALLY APPRECIATE THIS!!!
Chris Brooks also covers this extensively in his book Neoclassical Speed Strategies for Guitar. Highly recommended.
Agreed! Chris’ books are great.
This one time, at Sweep Picking Camp, I learnt the art of slant pickin and cross combobulating. Highly recommended.
This is why odd groupings on adjacent strings are a challenge for me (without using economy or mini-sweeps). The constant wrist motion to go from outside to inside (and back) string changes and up/down escapes is still something I have to work on every practice session, even after 20 years of playing. Andy makes it look effortless, but it's work for us mere mortals.
The pros of old never talk about how difficult it is. They want to maintain the illusion that it's easy for them. I agree with them, because it makes the show so much more fun when you think they're superhuman.
Vai is a perfect example of this, even though he's more of a legato player. The illusion of ease is the main trick his trick bag.
It's horrendous watching a decent player stressing and trying to squeeze out a difficult line. It might sound fine, but yuck, it looks hard and isn't enjoyable.
Why was I literally having trouble with this last night and lookin for a guide. Little did I know I would be blessed the next morning!
Uncle Ben...your ability to articulate/communicate is off the charts in effectiveness. Your humor is the icing on the cake brother. Signing up for patreon right now.
So you're saying I've been doing it wrong my whole guitar life... nice, knew there was a reason I stunk
When you said "Do it with BIG DUMB motion", it totally opens up my mind. I have been doing it with minimal motion because I am afraid of hitting other strings. It ruins my groove and articulation. I just tried playing with bigger swings for 10 minutes and it feel 10x times better already. The key is to have the right slanting angle.
Myself as well. It runs counter to what many guitar ‘teachers’ advise to make the motion smaller and more economical.
Dude you’re right! I feel more relaxed now
Turns out I'm a downwards escape kind of player and I've also been mostly playing metal, so you were spot on Uncle Ben! Unfortunately, my picking style makes palm muting difficult (I'm a beginner too). Super interesting video anyways.
Not gonna lie this has blown my mind
When you are so fast not even your step dad could keep up!
Fantastic lesson. Such an important one; if you can’t pick properly, you can’t do the first thing u need to learn on guitar. If you’re already starting with bad technique...
I told my girlfriend this, and said it would take her much less time to learn if she gets the pickslanting down first. Once it's baked in, it's automatic.
No way... This video just literally fixed the problem I've been having with my playing!! I'm self taught so it was never explained to me that you have to slant your pick slightly. I've been picking straight this whole god damn time and never realised why I kept getting caught on the strings any time I try to build speed. I've never seen anyone talk about this Thank you. You're the man!!!
Glad to help! Be sure to watch Troy Grady’s “cracking the code” series, it taught me sooooo much!
@@BenEller Will do. I saved it to my watch later list last night after your video for when I have some free time. Thanks again man!!
I "worked" from home today just so i could watch this video and practice...Thanks buddy!
This didn't make a lot of sense to me until about 15:00, and then suddenly I got it. Thanks for posting this vid!!
Yea, completely changes the hand muting too. My pick style is that in between flat style. My pick style developed around what I needed to do to successfully hand mute the other strings. I change angles and my hand muting either doesn't happen, or it mutes the string I am trying to play. I think you should have talked about how the 2 styles effect hand muting. I think they go.... wait for it......
Hand in hand.
LOL
Uncle Ben always taking time to Picksplain things the great do for us. Thanks Ben!
This is a great drill, thanks Ben! I also recommend Troy Grady to all players, not only the shredder-wannabes, they are very beneficial to just learn about technique and perhaps analyze your own stuff a bit.
Dude you've literally revealed something that's been frustrating me for years! I'm a "flat" picker, and even after watching some of Troy's videos I still couldn't quite grasp why until now. Thank you!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen alternate picking explained better than this. Well done!
I cant wait to close up film how shit I am!
Thank you so much! Now i can finally play the bridge riff of "megalodon" correctly
Having played solely metallica back when I was a beginner probably helped with my downward escape picking
More "shred" punery: Night of the Living Shred(as well as all sequels), Shred and Breakfist, Shred Flintstone, Shred Zeppelin, Shredical Device, Shred Dawn, Shreddy Bear, Shreddy Roosevelt, Shredding Chapel, Shred and shoulders above the rest.
Golden Shred.. er.. marmalade.
Hmm.
@@qwargy where the Shred Fern Grows
Hahaha!!!
This is going to sound like a sales pitch for Troy, but pick slanting changed my entire guitar journey. I had given up after about a decade of playing. I had some good fast chops, but hit a wall. As soon as I dedicated myself to learning pick slanting (both one way and 2 way), within a month I was breaking those speed walls. A little over a year later after learning it, I have made more progress than I had the previous 5.
For those on the fence, it is not some gimmick system, it is actually something that most guitar greats do. Since they were likely unaware of it, it probably took them thousands more hours to learn it naturally than if they were hyper focused and aware of it.
It is no longer a challenge to play even 3 note per string segments fast across all 6 strings since there is always an escape with 2WPS. It WILL seem overwhelming at first, and the thought of plotting and planning how you are going to go about a lick may seem daunting. But soon you will have an arsenal of options. Whether it be 2 way pick slanting, one way with pull-offs and economy involved, or straight one way pick slanting for runs with an even number of notes per string, there is always a way for a pick escape!
Thank you for saying this!
Is this something a semi newbie should be working on? Im coming back to guitar after many years of not playing. Seems this would address many of the issues i had with my picking
I made more progress in 1 year than the 20 previous thanks to troy
@@theelfman I’d say it depends on how new you are. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is brand new to the guitar, because these string changing hang ups don’t really reveal themselves until you are starting to pick relatively fast. When you first start playing, you will be alternate picking slow enough to where pick escapes just come naturally. But if you have a solid grasp on alternate picking, I would say learn as early as you feel comfortable to. It’s something I wish I had learned when I was about a year in, because I think my journey would have been a lot easier
@@joshmuz9018 That is awesome. It still boggles my mind how pick slanting is still relatively unknown in the grand scope of things. It is still pretty niche, and it is arguably the most important aspect to improving alternate picking speed and confidence across strings
Thanks Uncle Ben - this is what I need to take my alternate picking to the next level!
Always impressed by the tasteful exercises you come up with to accompany the videos, Ben. Very memorable and easy to digest. Keep up the great work!
Thanks uncle Ben, I always sit down with my guitar and play through with you every time you release a video, they really help and we appreciate it!
Ben, it's never been explained as well to me as you do it here. You are a kick ass teacher! And a phenomenal guitarist!
i watched all if Troy’s videos
BUT
your tip of touching the strings with the base of thumb/little finger. Now I finally got how to change the slant in a comfortable way. It has changed everything
Ben, you are the guru to the gurus. What you teach is priceless. I’m most impressed and I’ve been around for 66 years…so far. Robert Fripp lives just down the road from me and I bet he’s very impressed with your skills.
Troy Grady helped my playing mucho big time super fantastic hundred percent.
I agree with you about the metal players; I naturally learned as an up-pick-slant player. It wasn’t intentional at all. Troy turned my world upside down with down-pick-slant. Combining both now (and being deliberate about picking direction) has made me a much cleaner and assertive player.
High five ✋🏼
Wow...just wow on this one. PERFECT application of a new technique into a means of practice. Even Troy doesn't do this in a way that I believe is applicable. Granted, there are a lot of ways of applying what he has found in his research. Great job Uncle Ben!
Great lesson. Downward Escape and upward pick slant UWPS tend to go together as do Upward Escape and downward pick slant DWPS. Starting on an up pick descending using UWPS is trickier for me. I’m working on having just enough escape to pass over the adjacent string.
You’re the man uncle ben! 💪🏼
after 24 years, cracking the code took me from intermediate level picking to advanced picking in like a week
Don’t believe you
Good call on Zakk Wylde having crazy USX (should that not be UWX?) style. His entire arm curls around under the bridge and back up under the strings. Crazy, but that's how it goes.
Im an economy picker , its more natural for me.A friend of mine make me on a 3D printer that tool to hang the phone to see what a hell Im doing with my right hand.I was blown away , I was using escape pick motion without known.That proves if you can t find a solution , the brain will find a way to bypass you and take you further into getting better.
Pure Gold Ben!!! Thank you.
I don't know why I like you. Everytime I watch one of your videos you tell me my playing sucks. And you're usually right. 🤔
I've been trying to sell my soul, but I can't find any takers.
Been working hard on both downward and outside pick slanting, works wonders.. after working on it, I discovered I was naturally an downward pick slanter..
Learned this sort of thing through trying to replicate the Faceless and Alluvial/Merrow songs wooooo
Holy shit man, I just found a massive revealation. I thought I've been upward pickslanting this whole time (I was actually doing DSX with downward pickslanting) and today I tried exaggerating the upwards pickslanting. Now when I alternate pick, it doesn't matter how fast I'm going, it moves so smoothly I barely feel any resistance. Some licks that used to be impossible are now incredibly easy. I probably have to clean up some old habits now but DAMN. (I also finally realised how MAB can anchor his pinkie while playing so quickly. It actually does help with the picking and I'm starting to do it too)
Thanx 4 makin it easier to understand 👍 AN ABSOLUTE MUST TO UNDERSTAND/KNOW !!!...( TO NOT GET FUMBLED UP IN THE STRINGS WHEN SHREDDING!) I GET IT NOW THAT I, AND MY GUITAR SAT DOWN AND PUT YOUR LESSON TO WORK AND STUDY!!!
What clarity. This lesson has hit the nail on the head for me. Ben always has great info, interesting perspective, and communicates concisely with a great sense of humor.
Thank you so much for this video Ben. You made me realize I naturally have had near no pick slant in my playing. I can now use this to be so much more efficient. I’m really excited to maximize this.
Turkey Time is the name of my 80s 2nd wave ska revival band!
Awesome video man! Pick slanting is a game changer.
Really want to figure out the double escape, purely for those times when you need to switch round quickly. Maybe one day with these kinds of videos!
Watched this channel for the first time yesterday.. subscribed after 5min..this is now my go to lessons/teacher, thanks Ben keep it coming!!
Thanks, Don!!
After “Cracking the Code” and all the previous lesson THIS is the one that makes it all come together- Thanks Ben!!!!
A perfect episode for my birthday...Thanks Uncle Ben!!
Best teacher ever!!!! Thank you so much!!! My guitar playing is improving tremendously from watching your youtube and patreon videos!!!! Thanks
If people still don't watch Troy Grady's channel, definitely go check it out. Easily the best and most comprehensive exploration on picking technique. Helped me improve my picking a TON. Not that Ben here isn't great! But he gets all this pickslanting knowledge from Troy's investigations.
This is exactly what I've been looking for, I just started paying attention to the pickslanting idea and it's already changed the way I pick quite a bit. Thanks Uncle Ben!
OK that neck camera!!!! oh man, I need that for my teaching online!....such an awesome way to get a close view of the picking hand to show to students.
Your videos rock Ben. Thank you for your dedicated work.
Your videos are on point Ben thanks so much! Gonna get the patreon app and I will see you on there!
Ben, thanks! You're hitting on things I've been drilling for a while. I'm glad that there are resources like yours (and Troy's), and there's never any shortage of things to work on.
----
** unimportant stuff **
I found a brutal one that uses both inside & outside picking. The pickslant changes every 3 notes :)
It's the Yngwie 3-1-2 / 3-2-1, but on two strings. The first 3 are UWPS, the second 3 are DWPS:
|----12----------12--------------|
|---------9-10-------10--9-----|
Another freaking awesome lesson, I'll be grooving even more. Thank Uncle Ben 🎸🎶😎!
I saw Al DiMeola live at a free concert at a music store in about the year 2000, I had a 1980 Guitar Player he signed with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia on the cover, he loved it.
Oooo I would absolutely love that camera mount for the guitar. I’ve wanted to start making guitar videos again and I would love to have that angle.
This might be the best technique video I've ever seen. By far the best and most complete coverage of a technique I've seen for sure. Thank ya, Uncle Ben!
Nice addition to the Troy Grady videos. I couldn't figure out the pickslanting on my own so I've been using legato technique during faster passages for many years. I discovered Troy's videos a year ago and have upped my picking game tremendously. This is another great video on the topic.
Troy’s videos actually made me focus on my picking technique, made me decide to try to copy Al Di Meloa’s picking style.
This is AWESOME! I will start doing this today.
Thank you Ben for the outstanding lessons and clarity in your explanations. You are helping us be better guitarists and in the meantime making us smile with your humour. Great guitarist and hands down the best guitar professor on the web. Greetings from Colombia 🇨🇴 God bless ✌🏼🎸
It's crazy how the guitar Immortals aren't even aware they do this, yet we sit there for hours practicing
I can assure you guitar legends probably practiced 10x harder and starting from 5 years old :D
which is why studying is important
@@SaintFranssoix what I mean is playing without realizing the dwps/uwps technique. Just natural without the need to focus on it
I downstroke naturally but its hard to Consciously up stroke
I was doing it back in college (circa 99) and didn't realize it.
It was the Michelangelo Batio 3NPS pattern.
I had juries (playing every semester for a panel of judges), and they would randomly drop 2 and 3 octave scales, like Bb Mixolydian, and I would have to immediately execute it. Gak!
Note #4, which is the string change note, was always messy, until I tipped the top of the pick upwards, and it worked! I started playing it all the time and I actually did notice it, but disliked the angle, and I didn't analyze why it worked. Troy did all that for me much later :)
great video. the karate analogy is perfect, really helps you realize that this is refinement process. thanks Ben!!
I think you nailed a point on metal players. I have found that my downward escape picking is significantly faster and smoother and more better especially on descending runs. I’ve basically been a metal guy for 30 yrs and that has always felt natural. My upwards is much less good.
The fighting analogy is also 10000% accurate
This is the best demonstration of picking
I really do hope I get more better at this, thanks good buddy 👍
Yep. ...I’m definitely a downward escape picker...got to get to work on the upwards....thanks Uncle Ben for showing me my short comings!!!!
“My upstroke is so big and dumb…” love it
This video is so good and so well explained that Troy should upload it to his site!
What are some easier popular phrases we can learn to practice this technique and also learn new songs?
awesome
very nice work bro
congrats from Rio de Janeiro Brasil
karate analogy is golden. im adding that to my toolbox along with the picking tips
Thank you, Uncle Ben.
You totally nailed me on the down escape player... started with metal 30 years ago.
amazing explanation 🎉😊
Thanks for all your videos! They’re always helpful
very informative, thanks for taking the time and patience to reply explain it
I have watched this video probably 10 times now, I think I got every shred of it down. I'm off to go buy a guitar so that I may demonstrate this new skill myself. Wish me luck.
This is one of your best videos Uncle Ben. True greatness. Thank you.
I feel the best confirmation of perfect pickslanting is playing Reb Beach's Black Magic intro. ALL PICKED!
Have you made a video (or a segment in a video) on skipping strings with this method? Skipping as in playing a song all over the F. board I love the system. I know its for speed picking but some of it could be incorporated into playing any song. It has solved my biggest picking woe! Two days practice and starting to feel natural! Thank You.
My live guitar teacher (who rocks hard like you) tried beating me over the head about this and I just didn't get it, till I found your explanation here (still had to watch twice at 1/2 speed lol) and finally said AH HAH. Thanks so much for what you're doing here!
Thank you shredi master. I was pretty confused by some of Troy Grady's videos, so this is an excellent starting point for me.
This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. THANK YOU!
Another great video! Thanks, brother!
sold! I've been watching your channel for a while but when I hear "shreddy kruger" i knew it was a sign that I needed to go to patreon and sign up NOW!
Thanks, you save me 35 bucks. This is a perfect supplement to the series.
MAB's two-note-per-string warm up works great with this. It's USX down, DSC up.
Best vid I’ve found. I love it! Thanks
man my current playing technique is so well ingrained into my muscle memory that its really causing me some trouble trying to overwrite it but im making some progress, albeit slow. I just gotta keep working at it. anyway, love the video!
Thank You!🤘🤘