Chris Brooks - Licks on Demand #4: Economical speed picking ala Yngwie

You ask about it - I play it! It's the series where the material is chosen by you. In this episode, I explain the picking economy of motion that I've been asked about many times, but as recently as this week due to the video mentioned in the annotations. I'll be offering a complete picking package very soon.

Gear: YJM Strat, Suhr Koko Boost, Suhr Badger 30 head, Port City cabinet

Yes, that's my cat Lily meowing to be let into the music room. She's a big fan of electric guitar! I tried to drown her out with the background music but she's got a set of pipes that one!

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[expressyourselfist]

Hi Chris,I have been concentrating mostly on playing,and less on gear.I need better sound.

I saw how good you can make rectifier sound with Koko Boost,Can you make more videos on gear and setup.For example,I like Suhr Badger but I do not know what it would sound like on Mesa Recto 212 cab such as yours,and I have no opportunity to try this combination.

[chrisbrooksmusic]

@expressyourselfist I actually sold all the Mesa gear last year when I moved to the Suhr / Port City combination. The V30s in the boogie were very harsh sounding and the Port City is a lot smoother sounding. But I'll try to incorporate some gear videos in what I'm doing.

[merseyguy1974]

Great advice - thanks Chris.

Q1. Would you say that you pick mainly from your thumb and index, or from the wrist ?

Q2. where do you place your pick hand as a pivot point ? - do you rest your fingers on the body of the guitar when picking ?

[chrisbrooksmusic]

@merseyguy1974 1. The whole of the thumb bones along one string, and incorporating wrist from string to string. Tip of the thumb only would not have much stamina. 2. Hand rests towards bridge with pick over middle pickup, 3rd & 4th fingers very loosely resting sometimes

[merseyguy1974]

@chrisbrooksmusic I hate to be a pain in the ar*e mate, but I'm not entirely sure I follow you.

I interpret your answer as your thumb bone being in line (like one continuous line with the string) - (this would mean that the pick is parallel to the string too) - correct ?

From watching the vid, your thumb is diagonal across the strings ???

Apologies for my confusion.

Thanks for replying btw.

[chrisbrooksmusic]

@merseyguy1974 Yes, diagonal as if my wrist was pinned down and only pivoting from one point when going string to string. I mention the whole thumb thing because I've seen ppl try to do this weird thing where only the tip phalanges of the index and thumb move, and long term that doesn't work. My wrist gets me to the string, the thumb portion of my hand (not whole hand) moves along the string from then on.

[bufIIk]

Great lesson! But I would like to ask: If I am speed picking on A string (for example), the movement has to be greater because it is wider string, right? And if I am trying to speed pick while standing up I tend use lot more my forearm than while sitting down, can it be caused by inapropriat strap length?

[expressyourselfist]

@chrisbrooksmusic thanks,I can not wait to see.

[merseyguy1974]

@chrisbrooksmusic Ah, I think I undestand. so you mean that the movement is mainly from the wrist and you never flick you index and thumb.

Not sure I totally understand what you mean by your thumb moving along the string; but I'll stop bugging you now anyway ;-)

(An indepth vid would be very cool)

Thanks again for replying Chris.

Btw, I looked into purchasing the lesson package you mention in the vid (on your website), but found no link in the lesson section. I guess it's not available yet ?

[chrisbrooksmusic]

@swedo88 Glad to hear it!