As far as getting it up to speed, I don’t think there’s any substitute for putting in the hours. It can be good to play beyond the speed at which you can do it cleanly with a focus on staying relaxed and plowing forward rather than playing every note perfectly. Even if you can’t execute playing it at that speed cleanly you want to develop the sensation of what it feels like to play at that speed. The cleanliness and notes will come.
Hey Tim, that sounds great! And yes, it looks like the right pick direction throughout. Great job of working on it. It is indeed very tricky to keep the timing accurate and flowing this way, especially if you’ve been alternate picking all of your life! But the timbral reward is worth it, IMHO. It also provides a great look inside TR’s highly unusual right hand approach. I think he just figured out how to flatpick that way when he was a little boy because nobody told him not to, and he built a beautiful style around it.
I use those types of sweeps in my playing now when I want to give extra texture and color to the notes I was going to play anyway. It’s a great tool to have in the toolbox.
Thanks Chris,
That's actually exactly what Tony Rice said one time at a festival - someone asked him how to work up to those insane speeds he sometimes plays at...
His response was "learn the tune, how you're going to play it, then play it fast - your hands will eventually catch up"...
Hmmm...I've been playing "fast" for about 40 years now and my hands haven't caught up to the speed he plays some tunes at! Lol...
There you go!
Thanks Chris!
Yes, it is MOST highly unusual! Very cool way to pick though - I'll definately inject a little of this into other tunes!
And you're right about the timbre/texture - I just now attempted to do it with alternating picking. It changes the whole "feel"
of the tune. Seem to lose some power nuances to the notes as well...
Any suggestions for speed, or is it just "work at it"? I've worked it up to about 165bpm, but after that the timing starts to fall apart
fairly quickly & substantually! Ha!
As far as getting it up to speed, I don’t think there’s any substitute for putting in the hours. It can be good to play beyond the speed at which you can do it cleanly with a focus on staying relaxed and plowing forward rather than playing every note perfectly. Even if you can’t execute playing it at that speed cleanly you want to develop the sensation of what it feels like to play at that speed. The cleanliness and notes will come.
Hey Chris,
This is slightly different from the way you are playing - my own interpretation of the Youtube vid with most of yours added...
Think I got the pickstrokes in the right direction, and I think I'm at least getting the flavour of it.
Man, it's tough to pick this way and keep the timing right!!!
Hey Tim, that sounds great! And yes, it looks like the right pick direction throughout. Great job of working on it. It is indeed very tricky to keep the timing accurate and flowing this way, especially if you’ve been alternate picking all of your life! But the timbral reward is worth it, IMHO. It also provides a great look inside TR’s highly unusual right hand approach. I think he just figured out how to flatpick that way when he was a little boy because nobody told him not to, and he built a beautiful style around it.
I use those types of sweeps in my playing now when I want to give extra texture and color to the notes I was going to play anyway. It’s a great tool to have in the toolbox.
My God Chris, are you kidding me?!
How did TR every figure out those pick strokes??? Almost alien when you've played alternating picking
strictly...
Can you please take a look at the pick strokes in the pic ('specially the second to last note of measure 2, the C).
Are these the correct pick strokes? If I do it as a down, 4 down strokes doesn't seem to flow...