Hi Ben! Thanks for the tip. I started experimenting today with my picking hand position instead of my picking motion and in only 1 day I have improved more than in 1 year trying to develop a “pick slanting motion”
I think no matter what the technique is, having a reference point for your hands is a good thing and something that is developed over time with consistency. About "pick slanting", from my understanding, it's more about during which motion your pick _escapes_ the string during picking. "Downward pick slanting" (wrist slightly supinated) is an "upstroke escape" motion. "Upward pick slanting" (wrist slightly pronated) a "downstroke escape" motion. Also, out of all the incredibly diverse styles I'm not entirely sold on pick slanting or pick escape motions being 100% gospel. There are all kinds of players that seem to be unhindered by pick angle, wrist position, etc, etc. Sure it can make certain lines easier to physically play. However, many people can play these same lines with various techniques so it's not impossible without pick slanting. IMO, it's something to experiment with but not something to be constrained with. Anyways, great lesson. 👍
It is all about escape motion, but it’s more importantly about having a natural physical movement that coincidentally does what you want it to. I’m seeing a lot of my students pick up the Troy Grady stuff by forcing the motions to work from awkward neutral positions - which causes marginal improvement but generally sounds shit. When you ‘get it’, it’s completely effortless. However you get there is up to you!
Thank you! This was very helpful. When I tried to change my pick slanting from upward to downward, I made too extreme change with my hand position. When I applied your approach, the moovement was way more suttle but just enough to change the angle and still feel somewhat natural. I still have lot to do getting famialiar with the new position, but I feel I have the starting point. This video and the one where you talked about the reference points of the hand gave me some hope!!
Watching you here I see your pick angle (not pick slant) to the string is 45 degrees, like many players, or maybe even more, which I understand helps the pick slide off the string more easily. I’ve been trying to get my pick much closer to parallel to the strings to improve tone but also because I’m finding it more fluid to switch between ups and dps and works better when economy picking from e, b, g to E. Maybe we can address this in our next lesson. Btw, I’m blown away by the left hand stretch increase you showed me placing the 3rd and 4th fingers and extending the index. Able to play chords I couldn’t before
Glad you are finding it useful! Tone is a weird thing. Sometimes making pick angle changes only sounds weird for a day or two as your brain adjusts to having more pick noise, just as you might tune out a nee ceiling fan or computer hum. It’s not always as egregious as you think when recorded!
It’s only nuanced if you buy his material and I don’t believe that is a fair way to disseminate information on the internet. I’ve taught hundreds of people who have got the wrong idea from a Troy Grady video!
@@KerribenThat’s not really a fair assessment. Unless your argument is that he should take down all of his old work, he’s completely changed tact for nearly ten years. Besides, even if pickslanting is an inelegant idea, “escape motions” are catching on more these days and it’s another phrase he popularised, so it’s not like he just dropped “pickslanting” and said “buy my courses” before dropping off the face of the earth.
