At 90,000 views and counting, our lesson on unlocking wrist motion picking speed using “reverse dart” technique has been up for a couple weeks and the response has been amazing. This is gratifying because it took years of work to research, test, and learn how to teach the concepts it contains. If you haven’t seen it yet, here it is on our YouTube channel:
Numerous players have tried the techniques, both among YouTube commenters and in our own private Technique Critique teaching. We’re getting great results on both fronts. One YouTube viewer posted a clip a day after the lesson went up, demonstrating an amazing 40 bpm increase in alternate picking speed, and an incredible 60 bpm increase in “all upstrokes” metal rhythm playing. Here’s what that looks like:
Even Better Tutorials!
At the same time, we’ve been super busy overhauling the lessons on the Cracking the Code platform to provide step-by-step details not found in the public YouTube lesson. The many new updates include:
- A simplified overview of reverse dart motion, explaining the end goal of “one technique” for all phrases
- A POV “hand in the air” demonstration of how to perform a reverse dart pickstroke
- Updated instructions for achieving optimal pick attack without losing ergonomic advantage, including specific details for achieveing “bluegrass tone” on acoustic guitar
- A simplified set of steps for testing your joint motions on a guitar without a pick
- Two exhaustively detailed 14-minute lessons for translating picking motions to the guitar — one lesson for index and middle finger grips, and another for extreme metal 220+ bpm speed with trailing edge grip
- Two 10+ minute lessons on improving speed and endurance, including with closeup, slow-motion shots of motion “flip flopping” that can lower your efficiency
These updates are all hands-on tutorials. If you’re interested in the kind of science-oriented technical deep dives that we typically feature in our YouTube lessons, we still have those! You can find them in the growing “Technical Reference” section of the Pickslanting Primer:
- The Pickslanting Primer Wrist Motion Technical Reference
Awesome, how do I watch this stuff??
As usual, these updates are included free for Pickslanting Primer purchasers, no matter how long ago you purchased the Primer, and no matter how much you originally paid for it. We’ve been delivering updates to this product for over eight years and are proud to continue doing it.
Of course, these updates are also free for current Cracking the Code subscribers.
Just make sure you’re logged into your Cracking the Code account, and you can access the new tutorials here:
