fast picking

Duke

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hi folks.

i searching for a good CONTROLLED fast picking technique.
first: i feel good with the thumb and indexfinger; thumb and middle sounds not fluent.
well...
moving just my fingers my fingermuscles getting tired after a while.
moving my fingers on picking and support the up-downmovement with my hand its getting better because my fingers dont have to go all of the way.

so; trying jakes 3rd stream or doing the fast running on turkish march like aldrine... wow.. its so hard, guys.... the more speed i get the more i loose control and clear tones.
ok i try to do it very slow and getting slowly a little faster... a normal way.
hm... i dont see an easyer way...

some advices to get the right techniqe?
or a way getting good speed?
or do i just need practicing and time and have a little patience... :mad:....;)
 

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Hey Duke,

I moved your thread to the Tips and Tricks board.
 

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Hmm..

Fast picking is a little hard to explain. I changed styles a million times before I found something I was happy with. Pretty much, every song calls for its own style of "fast picking"

There's the thumb tremolo that a lot of people are crazy over. Then, the thumb and pointer/middle. Or the pointer tremolo.

All these, basically just takes a lot of practice. I would suggest practicing each technique on scales going slow at first then gradually increasing your speed. Songs like 3rd stream, I really cranked it with the metronome on the slowest setting possible before I reached the CD's 144 mark (I think it's 144)

So start slow and work on the technique, then apply it to the song.

:D
 
its always the same... i like to do it fast... NOW!
don't understand that behind a good technique is a hard, long practicing and time. so i break up in frustration from time to time...

good to be remembered from everywhere. begin slowly...
thanks very much, mister g.
 
A great picking idea is to apply bass style picking to the ukulele. So you rest the bottom of your palm on the top of the uke, and play using your index and middle fingers, just like on a bass/flamenco guitar.
 
I alternate thumb-middle thumb-pointer (and sometimes thum-ring) for faster single note/arpeggio stuff. It approximates what you do with a pick (down-up = thumb-finger).

I kept switching between guitar, ukulele and bass and wanted a unified technique that worked well on all three and that is what I came up with.

The plus side to this is that you can switch from fingerstyle stuff to single note lead stuff easily and quickly and still get really articulated lines. I am still working on it and tweaking it though and it isn't perfected just yet. For stuff like sweep arpeggios and really really fast linear picking, I still think it is a lot easier to control with a flatpick.
 
Hmm..

Fast picking is a little hard to explain. I changed styles a million times before I found something I was happy with. Pretty much, every song calls for its own style of "fast picking"

There's the thumb tremolo that a lot of people are crazy over. Then, the thumb and pointer/middle. Or the pointer tremolo.

All these, basically just takes a lot of practice. I would suggest practicing each technique on scales going slow at first then gradually increasing your speed. Songs like 3rd stream, I really cranked it with the metronome on the slowest setting possible before I reached the CD's 144 mark (I think it's 144)

So start slow and work on the technique, then apply it to the song.

:D

Hey Aldrine, when is the picking tutorial video ^_^
 
I really cranked it with the metronome on the slowest setting possible before I reached the CD's 144 mark (I think it's 144)
:D


At least I wasn't too far off. I calculated it to be 148 so it is good to know I was in the same ballpark.
 
Does anyone use just their index finger to pick really fast up and down? That's the only way I am able to do it at this point.
 
Does anyone use just their index finger to pick really fast up and down? That's the only way I am able to do it at this point.


This is how I have to do it when trying to play 3rd Stream. I hold my thumb and first finger like I'm holding a pick. It sounds kind of thin and metalic like though because of my fingernail.
 
This is how I have to do it when trying to play 3rd Stream. I hold my thumb and first finger like I'm holding a pick. It sounds kind of thin and metalic like though because of my fingernail.
Hey Dom, isn't that my "so far" questionable technquie we have been talking about.. If not, what is the difference...thanks....e....
 
Hey Dom, isn't that my "so far" questionable technquie we have been talking about.. If not, what is the difference...thanks....e....

I don't think so, because you use both the thumb and index finger to play the notes. I use my index finger only to sound the notes on both the upstroke and downstroke. My thumb is used just for stabilization as if it were squeezing a plectrum.
 
I don't think so, because you use both the thumb and index finger to play the notes. I use my index finger only to sound the notes on both the upstroke and downstroke. My thumb is used just for stabilization as if it were squeezing a plectrum.
Dom, got ya dude, thanks...e....
 
I'm from the 3-finger banjo roll school. If you want the same note, try fretting the same note on the first and fourth strings then strike them with the index finger and thumb respectively. You can go very fast and it's clear.

You can do that on a single string but if you use two different strings it rings better and is smoother.
 
Another vote for the 3-finger banjo roll.
 
A disclaimer on my previous posted on this thread. I have abandoned these experimental techqunies in favor of some that are more tried and true.

1. Recently, I have had steady success with Jake's lighting fast thumb (down) and middle finger (up) picking techqunie as seen on his live Third Stream vid as showed through out but a close up at 2:10 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUamjTt5zyI . I definately think this one is a keeper.

2. I also have had a slower but still promising success with Jake's single thumb (up down) picking motion as shown in his Orange World vid at 1:34 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_Jr3vasOo

3. Lastly, I have added a single pointer finger (up down) picking motion as seen in Jakes Bach vid at 1:55 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ad39Qv3qKg

Surprising this techqunie has greatly improved my overall power, control, and speed of my basic pointer finger strum.. Go figure...!

e.lo....
 
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