For some time now I’ve been working with an idea that one of the major playing constraints of guitarists is ambidextrous up down picking. Most guitarists tend to favor down picking, which is very limiting in terms of speed and accuracy, especially across strings. This has led me to spend weeks on end favoring my left hand to accomplish simple routine weekly tasks (I’m right handed).
For example, I noticed that I always use my right hand to turn on the kitchen sink, so now, I use my left hand, or how I turn the keys to the front door with my right, and now I do with my left. By doing this, I’ve noticed a considerable improvement in my left hand dexterity on the guitar neck.
A good friend of mine, Andy Ziker, who also happens to be an incredible drummer recently released a book called Drum Aerobics. This contains exactly the hand-bending left right coordination exercises that if properly applied, can benefit us guitarists too. Andy, has generously allowed me to use one of his recent blog posts as an example. Below is the original, and then how I would use it to create a guitar exercise.
For the guitar exercise, I’ll changed the “R” for an Up pick and “L” for a Down pick.
Thanks Andy for the example!
I also found how important it is to understand how close you hold your pick to the strings and how much pick you use. and especially what KIND of pick you use. Also how much you plant your fret fingers for runs, like scalular passages. these concepts can also add to speed and accuracy.
Right! I changed picks about a year and a half ago to dunlop ultex III for that very reason
no offense, but i seriously used to hate those horrid orange dunlops you used to use! hahahaha. It felt so mushy and fat in my fingers…I always seem to come back to the dunlop standard nylons and I fluxuate between the .60’s or .73’s. I’ve even played .88’s but it goes back to the “mushy fat” thing again if it gets too thick. I like the firmest thinnest pick possible outside of a stainless steel, which I was playing at one time too, it used to tear up my strings and then I found out it gave a little “static pop” when I’d touch the strings. oh, the trials and tribulations over my pick frustrations I’ve been through. HA!
I do keep those orange guys around for acoustic work, I think they have add a sizzle. You should really check out Dunlop XL Series Jazz III picks. They’re a little hard to find but they are a hybrid size between regular and small picks.
sounds good.