Troygrady.com > aliendough's Profile > Technique Critique > Smooth alternate picking isn't clicking for me at all

Smooth alternate picking isn't clicking for me at all

Description

I am sadly coming to the conclusion that it is simply not possible for me to alternate pick cleanly at any kind of speed beyond 120 bpm. I can't get any kind of smooth flow happening with my picking. Since the last TC, I have made absolutely no progress I'm afraid to say and I have been practicing and experimenting. I have tried every pick grip that I can think of and none of them make a great difference.. I have extensively tried different pick shapes and gauges, but nothing has clicked for me in a positive way. Interestingly, Tommo picked up on the fact that I am hypermobile. I was formally diagnosed in the past as being hypermobile, but it never occured to me that it would be evident in my picking. I believe this is the thing that's preventing me from being able to pick at speed with any kind of accuracy. These are my issues: DSX * I have been told on here that I am a DSX picker. When alternate pick using a DSX hand position, I have this kind of weird swing feel that I can't stop. It's like my muscles are locked in to this and I can't shake it off. I have never played jazz or any kind of music where I would have subconsciously have that kind of feel ingrained. * When using DSX, I can't control the speed. It's either really fast, with very little coordination, or no decent speed. For example, the LA Guns song Electric Gypsy is around 120 bpm. If I use a DSX setup I can't even play the simple 16th note open A string in the verse. It's like I have zero control over what I'm doing and the timing is all over the place. Same thing with the Ozzy Osbourne song S.I.N. This is around 130 bpm and the verse riff is a very simple 16th note rhythm on one string and I can't play it at 130 bpm using DSX. Again, the timing is all over the place, uneven, jumpy etc. I think the weird swing thing happening is what makes the rhythm sound uneven. It's like an exaggerated swing, with me sometimes missing notes. * When using DSX on the higher strings, B & E, it's just awful. My hands do not coordinate and the jumpy nature of the picking is even more prominent. USX * When I use an USX setup, I feel slighly more in control of the rhythmic control when playing (but it's still far from perfect or acceptable). Again, this setup works best on the low strings. When I get up to the B and E strings it feels awkward. The pick seems to be grabbing onto the strings and really raking against them. There is also a lot of unwanted string noise. I also find that when I'm playing on unwoundn strings (G, B, E) the pick is sometimes hitting against the middle pickup (I have lowered the middle pickup, but the pick is still catching against the pole pieces). * I find it easier to control the speed of my picking when using USX My picking completely falls apart on the higher strings - especially the high E string. Again, I have no idea why. I have tried different hand positions and pick grips and it just is not working out for me. I do understand the advice given is to start with speed and it makes a lot of sense. However, when I start with speed it sounds absoultely terrible and an uncontrolled mess and I can't bring myself to continue playing in a way that sounds so bad. I feel it's very unproductive. When I slow it down my wrist starts the jumpy movements - these are worse on the higher strings. They are present on the lower strings, but not as much as the higher strings. Sometimes I can get them smoother, but it takes a lot of effort. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. As I said before, I think I have a physiological issue that is not letting me pick fast and smooth. At times I sound so bad that you would think I'm a complete beginner. It feels like my techinque is deteriorating!! If you have any diagnostic licks you want me to play, then please let me know. Thank you. PS. I have put this TC in "Getting Started" because I feel like a complete beginner when it comes to this.