What are you struggling with?

Yeah I know what you mean. I am getting slowly better and not pausing on a mistake. But you’re right you can get away with a lot if you’re confidant enough.

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I learned that stuff when I got into the band… on stage… you can’t say “start over” :rofl: … you roll with it… best you can :slight_smile:

And the reality is … the worst time to make mistakes is FIRST SET … when everyone in the bar is still SOBER… so… you set up your STRONGEST songs FIRST…

Once people are hammered… no one cares :slight_smile:

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:rofl:

You haven’t played in too many bands yet, have ya?

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Hahaha I thought about putting quotes around that but he was generally concerned about it so we’ll give him the benefit. :rofl:

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Unless you play the same wrong note every time that bar comes around. Then it sounds like it was supposed to be there all along.

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Influenza A.

Jesus this sucks.

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Gomen nasai. Is it going around?

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Hopefully not. My in-laws got it and the wife and I got it from them.

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Hope you feel better soon!

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Learning to play with a pick. Tougher than I thought it would be.

Not sure if there are good resources or drills to practice that will help me get up to speed faster on this, or if I just need to put in time. Go until things get awkward and/or crampy. Rest. Come back to it later.

I’m doing okay with downstrokes. Upstrokes are tougher. Mostly I feel like my timing is especially uneven.

There is too much information online giving too many drills. I need to narrow down what I’m working on.

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This is where our good friend the metronome comes in … or a beat maker. Start by doing a simple scale pattern… using alt picking to beat …

Then as you improve … change the picking pattern … ex: starting on the up, or down, down, up… or economy picking (same as finger raking when using fingerstyle)…

EDIT: actually a good picking exercise is scale doubles and triplets. Work your scale shape (any scale)… pick the notes as doubles ( down/up ) to a metronome. Then also same thing with triplets… each note getting 3 picks (down/up/down)… again… with a metronome :stuck_out_tongue:

Like everything else… its about starting slow, to build the muscle memory, then speed up your metronome :slight_smile:

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Feeling this right now. Last night I decided to just practice with a pick. It was hard. I bought textured picks and they are nice. There is a Dunlop sampler on AZ that I found.

Largely though I think skill with the pick is muscular in nature. My right hand hurts after an hour or so.

I’m guessing time will make my hand stronger and gentler on the strings. There is also a good deal of coordination needed.

I agree I think downstroke are easier right now. But just like with 2 fingers up/down strokes should be practiced until even/controlled.

Only picks I can use are Dunlop Tortex … everything else slips away from me… I can get a grip on those :slight_smile:

LOL but everyone has thier own preference :slight_smile:

This is gonna sound silly … but you can practice picking anywhere … no bass needed … but only if yer wearing jeans… pick on the outside seam of your jeans… same feel. :slight_smile:

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Ha that’s what I do with my plucking fingers in the car. Good idea!

“Sir were you aware you were driving erratically”

“Oh no sorry, I was practicing picking on my pants”

“Uh… Yea, I’m going to have to ask you to come down to the station with me.”. :rofl:

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I went down a pick rabbit hole a few months ago and ended up on the Jazz III max grips. They’re tiny, especially coming from the Tortex (what I used back in the day on guitar) but those little jazz picks allow you to be so precise with your plucking and the max grip on them is no joke.

Oh, also, if you’re hand is cramping force yourself to not death grip it as much.

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Solid advice @faydout … I had this problem BAD… when I first started with picks… it took a while to learn the finesse involved :slight_smile:

I think this is just going to come with time and practice. “Cramping” is probably too strong of a word.

It’s more fatigue - the mental and muscular from focusing on something that isn’t yet reflexive.

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