I've been having the same picking problems for years... help!

[Ben Johnson]

It might not be much fun, but going up and down various modes for about an hour a day has done wonders for my picking abilities.

[Spidervenom]

would picks have anything to do with it? I am using Jazz III's. I think a lot of metallers use them. I notice the pick gets somewhat hard to grip due to sweat or whatever and I have to continually squeeze it harder and harder. At some point it seems like I have to re-grip.. I have found that squeezing the pick harder helps me pick more consistently but I have problems with pinch harmonics. When I squeeze the pick harder, my index finger curls in more and exposes more of my thumb to the string. I have more control

I use Jazz III's as well, but I'm moving to Jazztone 205's because of the grip issue. To pick relaly well, you have to learn to hold the pick as loose as possibly - you shouldn't be gripping it hard.

Is it true that as long as you develop a technique that works for you and allows you to play/hear what you want to hear it does not matter how you do it? I know different guys pick differently.

If that is the case, I guess I will just have to take it a little slower and try to develop a technique that works for me.

Yes and no. The problem with the mantra of "if it's comfortable for you, do it that way", is that it can lock us into doing things in a bad way. I used to have very poor pick technique (anchored pinky, holding the pick against the tip of my index, a lot of finger movement). Moving to a floating, wrist only technique was highly uncomfortable for a while, but I saw a lot of benefit after I pushed through. Of course, if I'd stuck to the common mantra of "whatever's comfortable", my right hand would still be basically retarded.

[busdriver]

Late reply, I rarely look in this section...

Do you play with alternate picking? I had the same problem many years ago. My guitar-teacher noticed it and this is how we got rid of my sloppy alternate picking

Watch your upstokes! Can you play your upstrokes as effortless as your downstrokes? No? Then practice upstrokes, practice upstrokes and practice upstrokes (play what you like with upstrokes only, songs, scales, etc.) until you can play them as effortless as your downstrokes. Don't exaggerate it, play something else when you're fed up with it. But it's very important that you master this. It takes time though, you can't do it within a week, but after a week you'll notice a small improvement.

Once your upstrokes are fine go back to the alternate picking and start with a thin/flexible pick. Once you mastered it with the thin pick move to a thicker one, ect. until you end up on your favorite thickness.

And don't forget the metronome!

[Spidervenom]

By the way, Jon Schaefer of Iced Earth = The Gallop/triplet master!

+1

The thing with Iced Earth is that once you get the hang of galloping, boom. 95% of their catalogue is a breeze to play :P

[metalhead28]

+1

The thing with Iced Earth is that once you get the hang of galloping, boom. 95% of their catalogue is a breeze to play :P

Haha, true!