Using a Bensonish 3 finger grip and position, going from scratching to tremolo on string. It's gotten pretty reliable and I can easily get to even sixteenths at 170 BPM.

Uploaded: Dec 29, 2023 6:59 PM

In my effort to convert to Benson picking, here's a current quick speed test, followed by my best attempt at alternate picking chromatics. What am I doing (or not doing) to prevent me from achieving that natural speed when it's time to address strings?

Uploaded: Dec 24, 2023 1:56 AM

Motion tests: EVH and DIMeola - I'm not the fastest guy in the world by a long shot, at anything, but both test motions are easy and natural. Bakeoff: tremolo and chromatics, my best efforts. Tremolo, regardless of motion, still feels coltish after months, but USX tremolo is certainly easier and a bit faster (to be fair, I've been working on it longer). Chromatics: both motions are a lot slower than tremolo and still feel labored, though Benson feels more surgical and precise, and sounds better to me - I think it makes it hard to string-hop, too, a bad habit of mine. What should I focus on to get more speed and ease?

Uploaded: Dec 16, 2023 8:51 PM

How'm I doing? I think Benson picking gets me away from stringhopping habits, and I like the sound and feel of it, though it's a bit new to me. If I could play lines at the tempo I'm hitting for tremolo, I could die a happy man. I haven't succeeded in bringing this speed into actual single line jazz playing though - what is the way forward?

Uploaded: Nov 29, 2023 2:18 AM

How am I doing? This approach seems to give me a reliable tremolo and the best accuracy and sound with no loss of speed - now I want to take it into speed but an unsure how to go forward.

Uploaded: Nov 13, 2023 1:22 AM