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Masters in Mechanics: Inside the Volcano Digital

By February 4, 2015 September 13th, 2018 News
Despite launching a wave of interest in three-note-per-string scale playing, the irony of Yngwie’s system is that it lends itself much more naturally to unusual asymmetrical groupings — like sevens.

February’s Masters in Mechanics seminar is here!

Inside the Volcano is the ultimate investigation of the Yngwie Malmsteen picking technique — and the ultimate introduction to downward pickslanting.

In the seminar, we examine a trove of fascinating historical footage of the master, and demystify piles of his trademark phrases.

It’s a whopping four hours (and five minutes!) of lecture, plus a massive download pack with over 100 slow-motion clips. If you’re a Masters in Mechanics subscriber, you already have access. Inside the Volcano is also available as a standalone purchase.

It Ain’t Just Yngwie

The majority of our time is spent elaborating Yngwie’s sophisticated solution for string switching: the five rules we elaborate in the Volcano episode of Season 2.

The system that results from these five simple rules is surprisingly sophisticated and powerful, and although it means abiding by the constraints of an overarching structure, it paradoxically grants tremendous freedom to play an incredible array of amazing things.

We also take a look at Yngwie’s fascinating system of motion mechanics. Historically, we’ve tended to evaluate picking techniques by what we can see across the room: wrist, elbow, and so on. These observations never solved the accuracy problem, but they’re important nevertheless. In particular, Yngwie’s rotational alternate picking mechanic is easy to use and worth a look for anyone interested in experimenting with a flexible and efficient method of moving the pick at high speed.

And it’s not just Yngwie. Inside the Volcano is an incredible introduction to the world of downward pickslanting. DWPS isn’t just an angle, it’s an entire system, and it’s the key to unlocking the mechanical genius of so many legendary players: George Benson, Django Reinhardt, Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, and so many more.

The DWPS Pack

Here’s a look at a classic Yngwie single-string lick from the song “Evil Eye”. Like all Yngwie’s ingenious creations, it sounds cool and makes for a fantastic motion mechanic exercise.

Introducing the DWPS Pack: the ultimate “getting started” manual for Cracking the Code Season Pass holders!

The DWPS Pack is a six-chapter, one-hour introductory seminar that covers all the fundamentals: hand synchronization, pickslanting, string switching, string tracking, anchoring, motion mechanics, and more.

It includes answers to many of the questions we’ve been asked since launching Season 2, and it’s adapted from our amazing four-hour Inside the Volcano seminar.

Free with your Season Pass, the DWPS Pack includes 55 minutes of lecture, 20 slow-mo clips, tablature, and performance notes.

UPDATE: The Seasons Pass has evolved and is now the Pickslanting Primer! It’s available both as download and with Masters in Mechanics subscription. Click below to check it out!