Picking Grip, Techniques & Exercises?

LiveeviL2000

LiveeviL2000

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When it comes to picking, there isnt a right or wrong way, you do what is comfortable. That's what I tell any beginner I teach, after I show them the basic thumb/pointer finger grip.

I'm curious about how you all hold your picks and what practice exercises you do for various picking techniques. Such as sweeps, alternating, pinch harmonics, etc..

I do a basic grip
For picking practice I do spider walks with my fret hand. I start these exercises on the 10th fret and work my way down to the 1st and back. Each trip up and down the fretboard I change the picking pattern to include alternate picking, down picking, sweeps, and string skipping (which is 2 trips 1st time picking the E, D, B and second time around picking the A, G, e) for a total of 5 trips up and down the fretboard.
I do that exercise 1 to 2 times per week.
 
I do a few drills I got from Steve Stine, daily.
3 minutes each with metronome down pick only, then alternate picking, all on low e string.
Triplet picking / both hand synchronization fingers 1-2-3-4 then 4-3-2-1 all strings each fret, ascending to the 12th fret then descending back to 1st fret.
I also do a hammer/ pull off drill all finger combinations running timer 20 seconds each, on the G string 5th fret, also from Steve Stine.

I also do some spider walk drills trying to tame the fly away fretting pinky, but not daily anymore, usually 1-2 times per week.


 
jtcnj said:
I do a few drills I got from Steve Stine, daily.
3 minutes each with metronome down pick only, then alternate picking, all on low e string.
Triplet picking / both hand synchronization fingers 1-2-3-4 then 4-3-2-1 all strings each fret, ascending to the 12th fret then descending back to 1st fret.
I also do a hammer/ pull off drill all finger combinations running timer 20 seconds each, on the G string 5th fret, also from Steve Stine.

I also do some spider walk drills trying to tame the fly away fretting pinky, but not daily anymore, usually 1-2 times per week.


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Triplets are where I stumble.
 
An interesting topic that appears to have generated no interest.

It's well worth the effort to spend a load of time on your right hand technique and while you do it, contemplate that there is a fairly large minority of players who..........PICK BACKWARDS!!!!

Edit to add: If you want to get good, practice the way a drummer practices. Do singles, then doubles, then triples, when playing scales. Pretty soon being able to start or finish will be hitting the downbeat without having to think about it.
 
I’m experimenting with playing with my pick backwards. Robben Ford does it and I got curious how it felt and/or sounded. It’s a softer attack, for sure. I always end up reverting to using the point.
 
Seamus OReally said:
I’m experimenting with playing with my pick backwards. Robben Ford does it and I got curious how it felt and/or sounded. It’s a softer attack, for sure. I always end up reverting to using the point.
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I did a terrible job of describing my picking. Wasn't talking about turning the pick, but rather that I pull through the downstroke rather than push. George Benson does it that way and plenty of others.
 
Here is George Benson's picking hand: 1718486808529.png

Notice that he is picking pulling through the stroke on the string, rather than the very popular way that many play where the pick is being pushed through the downstroke.
 
Well, my comment were not addressing that issue. I will say, that Schenker has been good for a long time, and that his right hand technique is similar to mine.
 
I dont pay huge amounts of attention to it but I have noticed in faster passages I tend to pidk using finger movements like writing with a pen as opposed to wrist motion. Circular pattern, just somethjng that developed, I guess.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
I dont pay huge amounts of attention to it but I have noticed in faster passages I tend to pidk using finger movements like writing with a pen as opposed to wrist motion. Circular pattern, just somethjng that developed, I guess.
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We all have over time developed all kinds of technique that in some cases we may not be totally aware of. I'm pretty OCD so I pay loads of attention to my technique and always have and I still practice technique all the time despite having played for over 50 years. ....still learning.
 
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