Solo 3 Improving picking speed and accuracy

[mark]

Does anybody have any suggestions for building speed and accuracy on the parts of this solo where you bounce between two notes on two strings (i.e., bars 13 thru 16, 3rd string, 5th fret and 2nd string 4th fret)? I've tried the trick Griff demonstrates using your pick and middle finger, and I've also tried hitting both notes with a pick. I'm slightly faster using the pick for both notes, but nowhere near as fast as you need to be to play the solo at full speed.

Thank you,
Mark

 

[Ivan]

I'm working on this solo right now. I tried using the pick and my finger as Griff suggested but it just doesn't work for me. Like you I pick both strings with my pick and it seems to work and sound much better.

Mind you I'm only playing at about 75% speed right now. I don't think I'll ever get this one up to 100%....maybe 80 tops. It's just to fast for me.

I really can't offer you any suggestions in terms of building speed other than keep working at it. I'm not a fast player so I'll sacrifice speed for accuracy, call it a victory and move on.

It is a pretty quick solo so playing a little slower is totally acceptable....I think Griff actually suggests playing these at different speeds.

Just though I'd throw in my 2 cents.

 

[glynnd]

I'm also working on this one right now. I tried the pick and finger approach briefly but found it didn't work for me and so I stayed with the pick only. At 80% speed I don't have any trouble with bars 13 thru 16 or bars 24 and 28 where you don't have to move your fretting hand, and I think I can probably get close to full speed on those sections. I do have to count them carefully and I find that helps a lot.

It is bars 39 and 40 that are holding me up and limiting me to 80%, I'm not sure how to get past that bottleneck.

 

[mark]

I tried something last night that seemed to help. I set my metronome at a slow setting where I was able to bounce between the two notes successfully. I then set the metronome one setting faster and tried playing the notes again. After some practice, it sounded OK, so I set the metronome one setting faster and tried again. At the third setting, I was making way too many errors, so there was no sense going any faster. But I think this technique might help. The frustrating thing is that when I tried it this morning, I had to slow things down again. I'm only up to bar 26, so I still have a long way to go.

 

[MikeS]

Mark, I've had trouble using my pick and finger, so I found that alternate picking works well for me. (Up on the B string (4) and down on the G string (5)).

 

[mark]

Thanks, Mike. By trial and error, I've found that alternate picking works best for me, too. I'm up to about 80% actual speed. Getting any faster is tough!