Steve Morse Lesson: Arpeggio Picking (The Steve Morse Interview, Chapter 6) 

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The one thing I like or love about Steve Morse is he has no ego he's such a good person.

Practically a living legend - really!!!! Steve Morse has been a recognized legend since the late 70’s - in fact he is unmatched - even today 2021. No one even discussed to take his place one day!

I think Troy Grady is generating a very important legacy in guitar technique education. We are watching history as it happens.

My fingers and muscles hurt just by watching Steve alternate pick every note. Insane skill level

Yet another fantastic video. Thank you all so much.

Dear Troy, Your approach towards the learning of our beloved instrument is unprecedented. You're making history here. Congratulations, and thank you very much.

You want to see a thorough analysis of Steve Morse's right hand technique? Here you go! Great stuff! Thanks Troy!

Been playing almost 40yrs. Been a fan of Steve since I first came by him on the plastic 45rpm insert in Guitar Player Magazine in early 80s. This is one of the most useful guitar videos I have ever watched in my life.

What's even more amazing is that Steve Morse is left handed. I noticed that the night he autographed my guitar. He confirmed that later in an email response. He's a great player and a very nice guy in person. Unfortunately, being left handed and having the same first name are the only two things we have in common. :(

Steve played on my first two albums,Eveing Pastoral and Kamikazie Christian..we sat in the control room with our jaws on the floor in 1979..He would practice on my guitar while waiting for the next session to not stretch his strings.I still play that guitar because now it is special.

Steve's technique has eluded me since the early 80s. No matter how hard I tried to master his alternating picking approach it always wore me out. So seeing this video and revealing how he does his right hand technique is incredible, amazing, makes me want to cry with joy type of feeling!! Thanks so much for sharing this video!!

I am playing guitar since more than 40 years, all kinds of techniques and different styles. But this is the first time i see a highly scientiific video regarding right hand plectrum playing. Thanks to Steve Morse and Troy Grady it is real professional clinic !

Steve Morse is one of the great magicians of guitar.

I've met Steve several times, and he's always been such a gracious and nice person. You can sense it as soon as you speak to him - he's the REAL DEAL! Easily, my favorite guitarist/musician...EVER! Great job Troy\m/

This is the best guitar video I have ever seen. A solid scientific approach to technique analysis is what society has been missing. BRAVO!

This is the most scientific examination of guitar technique I've ever witnessed. Superbly captured🤔

amazing video. really your videos deserve an award for excellence in teaching. unparralelled

I didn't expect to find such quality of a guitar video lesson for free, many thanks.

By far the best tutorial video I've ever seen, completely in depth and analyzed under a microscope that you may need to create your own particle collider. Fantastic job!

I get that you are one of the “premier” guitar instructors around, today. That said, to have a freaking MASTER like Steve Morse or Vai or whom ever sit down and do a “mechanics” tutorial is astounding. Thank you for your effort. But, THANK them for their musicianship and willingness to pass knowledge to those who seek it. If the entire planet could relate the way musicians do, we’d all be better off. Plus, no one would have that silly “not me” feeling when we try a new guitar at the local music shop.

"Cracking the Code" is a good place to start for beginners, next you'll want to move to more advanced concepts like "The Pick of Destiny". Once you've got that down, you'll be able to understand the tools that all the pro's depend on like Van Halen's Secret Cable, Steve Vai's Magic Comb, or Yngwie's Super Shred Shoes.

Dude, you make AMAZING videos. The editing and content are so superior to anything I've seen out there... congratulations!

Steve Morse is not only an incredible player and composer(I have actually seen him live too), but his technique is Godlike.

Never really seen guitar technique analyzed like this. I've got no formal training, but the way this is presented was just really easy to digest. You got a new subscriber, thanks for sharing!

This video is way beyond amazing. Thanks! And Steve is... Well, it the humblest and most incredible guitar artist I've ever listened to. Let alone that High Tension Wires is one of the albums I never leave home without.

Troy, your vids are the bomb! There's not enough guitarists - and other synonymous stringed instruments - which pay attention to the importance of the strumming hand. Superb vids, bud!

Troy - What exceptional analysis, demonstration, and fitting tribute to a legendary guitarist, Steve Morse. Thank you for sharing this.

This kind of analysis is what I've been looking for all my guitar life! It really answers a lot of ergonomical questions that I've been struggling with!!! Thank you so much for sharing your rigorous research!!!

The counter-rotation technique is almost like a magic trick. I never thought alternate picked arpeggios could be played by mere mortals, and yet somehow I can do a passable version of it. Thanks so much!

Steve always has been an astonishing and influential player.

Awesome video Troy!! You are to be commended for putting this together with Steve. Absolutely amazing!

This is amazing. Such a great in depth-analysis brought with more conviction/produiction value than most stuff on tv nowadays. Learned a lot and it was also a super entertaining watch!

I'm about 20 minutes into watching the complete interview, and it's so neat watching this exploration in hindsight, armed with what we now understand about picking mechanics and pickslanting. It's cool to see Morse use two-way pickslanting to accomplish the 4-note per string chromatic exercise starting with a downward-slanted upstroke, and talking about how it feels "unnatural, still". He can play it, but you see the increased difficulty from his facial expression. At that point in the video it's not clear whether Steve is consciously aware of the two-way pickslant "rotation" movements he makes to escape from between the strings in that style of pattern. Beyond the instructional aspect, this is fascinating as sort of a study in musical anthropology. Edit: Ha! Just got to the bit where Morse talks about the regularity of the pendulum motion of the right hand when you avoid two-string sweeps. Of course Yngwie would probably disagree on how big a deal that is (if Yngwie even wanted to have such a conversation), but getting inside Morse's head like this is gold!

Saw Steve at Seattle's Paramount in the late 80s ... he opened for Al, John and Paco ... so cool ... they really loved him ... they all played together at the end ...!

Fantastic video. Extraordinary as usual, Mr. Steve Morse. Thanks for the vid!

I'm not a guitar player but I was enthralled by the entire video. Nicely done! Of course, I am a huge fan of Steve Morse.

Well done.Huge respect for Steve....and Troy.

The thing that always struck me about Steve Morse’s playing vs a Steve Vai or Yngwie is it is so melodic. Not just technically brilliant and blazing speed but beautiful melodies like pretty much every song on 1989’s High Tension Wires...

Your videos have helped me 10 fold. I can play super clean and pick faster than ever! Thanks!!

Thank you for documenting all these legends from angles no one had done! these will remain in the history forever!

I cannot belief you just referenced Magic: The Gathering! My two favourite things!

Great analysis, Troy! One thing you didn't highlight is Steve's precise and consistent pick angle. He maintains that by progressively flexing the first joint of his thumb as he moves the pick upward across the strings to play the wound strings. By the time he's back on the high E string, his thumb is straight.

I really appreciate what you're doing in these videos. I've only recently started paying attention to the technical aspects of musicianship in guitar music and feel Michael Angelo Batio is right when he says that classical and jazz are miles ahead of rock in terms of musical knowledge. It's amazing that you're putting this resource together that can translate that knowledge to the players of the future, pushing the boundaries of what can be done on the guitar and within rock music and it's subgenres. Great work.

Killer video!! All in all this makes things easier once in muscle memory I bet. Steve is such a pure guitarist who keeps appearing when I am not looking for him, but reminding me how great he is.

It is a Morse's Code.

My favorite guitar player since I was a wee lad. Must have seen the Dixie Dregs 25 times in and around Macon back in the late 70's/early 80s, and the SMB throughout the 90's all along the east coast. An incredibly artful composer of nuanced, powerful music, he is also one of the most naturally technical guitar players, able to do incredibly complex things and never sound like a robot in the process. EDIT: I was so wowed with Steve I forgot to thank you for the excellent video and analysis. Amazing insights.

I've never seen a video on youtube so Analytical on guitar playing. Thank you man you are also one of the greats

Remarkable analysis of one of the greatest technicians (and my personal favorite) of all time. Thank you for the effort you put into these videos!

Thank you Troy and the team for these revolutionary videos! They are well thought out and professionally produced to the point of amazement! Here is my analysis of applying this lesson to a six string alternate picking single note G major arpeggio. Try saying that 10 x fast LOL I hold the pick with a "medium grip" so that the pick "pivots" between my finger and the pick. I find it more difficult to play when I use a "firm grip" which creates a strong string attack at higher speeds. It would be great to be able to share ideas and analysis's with like minded musicians. Maybe even a contest where we submit a lick or practice exercise for review and you pick a winner and offer a prize? Just thinking here and looking forward to what you all think? The more ideas we share the more we will learn together by applying the concepts in these lessons.

That was insanely interesting. Learned so much.

I remember seeing these "Cracking the Code" videos YEARS AND YEARS ago... I almost forgot about them until these showed up. Awesome stuff!!

This type of sharing by just giving away all (almost all) his secrects elevates Steve in my estimation all the way to 1#. He mounts the camera to the guitar from multiple angles so that we don't miss a thing, how cool can you get? Honestly I have never seen an instructional video this detailed before in my entire life. Steve I want to thank you very much, and I will be supporting you and your band.

I didn't know this level of obsession of analysis was possible. it's scary actually

Been to a couple of Steve's Ernie Ball-sponsored clinics that he used to give on tour. He's a great guy and honestly wanted to help and answer everyones questions. I try to catch the Dregs and SMB anytime they are through, have always managed to miss the Deep Purple tours, sadly.

I love it! All these years I danced around alternate picking, I've opted to starting licks like these on an upstroke with a sweep across/to the next string to reset the picking so the riff ends on a 2 string downwards sweep. Then I'm right back in position to start with an upstroke again. Great video again man 😊

This has got to be the best guitar lesson channel on RU-vid. Just incredible.

I've been alternate picking arpeggios and chords at high speeds for well over 36 years since my early teens, and it's all over my recordings. I don't really do any economy picking at all unless I'm playing a cover and minimally do sweeps. My multi octave arpeggios are all alternate picked which I prefer. I did a simple instructional video and how to do it about 19 years ago. Besides Steve Morse and myself I really didn't know any guitar players that did all alternate picked arpeggios, chords or across all 6-7 strings. I'm glad to know Rusty and yourself Troy do it too. What I noticed in this video is that your first animation is wrong with the angles, which are too extreme compared to Steve or Rusty even tho you are able to do it your own way. Which I'm sure you worked hard at and I give you credit. But the real secret is Steve's, Rusty's and my way of doing it all incorporate the pick more perpendicular to the string with only a slight downward angle. Which 351 or larger very thick pointy picks set up more naturally. Steve used a Medium 351 back in the 80s and played with the rounded edge back then as he explained in guitar player magazine, which I'm sure it helped him develop his technique because the side of the pick requires a more perpendicular way of playing. In a more recent interview I've seen him say now he uses a thicker medium/heavy, and in this video he's using the point instead of the rounded edge. Which the pick rule is a thinner rounded pick is similar to a thicker pointy pick when it comes to grabbing the string. Of course there's tonality differences but I'm discussing mechanics. So Rusty's thick swiss pick with a fist approach is acting like Steve's extended fingers with a medium/heavy. But they're both more perpendicular. Yngwie and Joe Stump also achieve a perpendicular attack with a Delrin 500, which is a slightly smaller 351 with a lot of bevel and works more like a smaller pick while using 8s on the treble strings so they're digging in there. If you notice Steve anchors on the high E with his pinky, and what's actually going on is there's an element of "Flexion". You actually demonstrate it correctly at 16:00 with your anchoring of the ring finger, which is exactly as I do it and demonstrate in my video. This type of Flexion is slightly hovering above the strings or barely resting, and creates a type of center point and digs into the strings. The example around 16:53 is incorrect because you flip the pick upside down and is an extreme form of Flexion. What that tells me is that your pick size and gauge make you play too angled, slicing the string to get a sound regardless of direction and you're trying to compensate. Which is good if you wanna be more of a sweeper which is all wrist and arm, but creates more difficulty for this technique because is requires control with the fingers at the pick as well as the wrist and arm. You probably need a heavier or larger pick which will make you adjust more perpendicular. When correctly done like at 16:00 each pick stroke down goes past the next string clearing it but can pick it on the up stroke or vice versa because the arm slightly adjusts, kinda like your Flamingo cartoon. This is literally "Flat Picking". Because of the anchoring whether with pinky or ring finger with the hovering or barely resting, the arm, wrist and extended fingers slightly, all work together for the position of each string ascending or descending. Steve and I both play with our fingers extended as opposed to the fist approach, so the fingers actually make micro adjustments and pick slanting, kinda like "circle picking" but much more fine tuned because the forearm move for positioning, with speed coming from the wrist and adjustments from the extended fingers with pick slanting that is less extreme. Steve plays with 3 fingers on the pick like Eddie Van Halen or early Paul Gilbert, so resting on the ring finger wont work for them because the middle finger on the pick brings in everything too deep and not enough room for the wrist to work. I play with extended index and thumb and rest on the ring finger. Rusty when shredding is in more of a fist approach barely resting/hovering on the upper palm, because you can see the arm adjusting positions over the strings, but you can also see his attack is also more perpendicular with a slight angle. Because everybody's physiology isn't the same along with different pick and string gauges, each that can do this type of alternate picking for extended lengths of time has particular ways of achieving a more perpendicular attack with slight angle.

Alternate picking arpeggios are so badass. I always go between practicing them sweep picking and alternate picked, but I still have never hit Morse level of single note alt picking across all the strings that nicely, haha. It's easier for me to alt pick arps if I double or triple up on each note, or just trem pick the entire thing, but I still try to practice the way the legendary Morse does it as well ;)

I woke up and saw this had been released and watched the entire interview at 7am! Haha! This was great, especially after the Marshall Harrison interview. Their techniques are so different, yet equally brilliant. The Masters in Mechanics series just keeps getting better, always look forward to seeing what you've got planned.

Troy - besides being an incredible educator deserving of the highest awards for services to guitar, you are also an insanely amazing guitarist! The way you are able to learn these virtuoso techniques for your demonstrations completely blows my mind!

good presentation, animation and video work.

That's just wonderful... now I really feel like a spaz...

Steve is the greatest and this is probably the most informative video i've ever seen on youtube. thank you!

He's one of the true gentlemen in the business. Great guy and amazing guitarist. Great piece, Troy! Thanks.

When I saw the fist series on Malmsteen, Vai and Johnson in the Cracking the Code series I was wondering how Steve Morse would fit into that. I knew he was pretty much only an alternate picker, so how was Morse flying like the others? This is the best detail I've seen of his mechanics after years of studying Morse.

If it's possible, I think I love Steve Morse a little more after watching this. (You too, Troy, for bringing all this amazing information to us. Thank you!) But getting this one-note-per-string alt picking down is a bitch! You are absolutely right, it does not seem to work at slow speeds. And I also think you are right in saying that one day it will all simply fall into place... Damn... I wonder whether breaking down into 3- or 4-string chunks (first the lower, then the higher strings, then mix it up) might help...

What an unbelievably informative video, i broke my left index finger a couple weeks ago, and this is now what ill be practicing for the next 4 weeks before I can play again. I've always been some what of an economy picker like EJ or YM. When it comes to alternate picking, nothing explains it better than this video. Thank you so much.

Wow. This video explained a few things I've consciously worked on, but it also elaborated and showed me things I hadn't thought of. Steve Morse is amazing, humble, and intelligent which is fortunate for us that he can articulate what he does so we can learn from it. Troy, you're also phenomenal as a player, teacher, and video editor! Your skill and intelligence is the gateway to making this video so effective. Thank you!

Totally understood Deep Purple is where the $$$ is, but man do I ever miss his playing in The Dixie Dregs!

“The beat here is Mach 1, and reaching it really is no problem.” Cmon man....

Love your lessons, thanks ,you have taken techniques that people don't even know how they are doing it themselves ,and break it apart and you use stop camera action to explain. .thanks for all your hard work.

What a great video! The best I've seen on Steve's amazing playing style.

How do you explain Steve Morse's technique? Well imagine you've got a row of lawn flamingos... This is amazing. Thanks Troy!

You should do a video on guthrie govans technique.

The best dollars I've spent in the last years... Watched, digested and now I'm crazy trying my way in this Steve Marvelous-Mechanic... It's a bit strange but somehow familiar and organic. Troy as always you are awesome with this! Steve Morse Pack RULES!

steve morse, such a nice man and an advanced artist in his own way

*This is literally a science show*

The way he holds his pick...

With all due respect to the other amazing episodes Troy made, but this one is my very favorite and also the most overwhelming. That's brilliant!

Hi Troy! im a guitar player for 17 years, I played with many amazing players around the world and I have to tell you, I love your work! It's amazing for me to see the same study I was doing when I was a young guitar player! you did it so perfect and enjoying to watch and learn, and I recommending every student and friend of mine who play the guitar to watch your channel! I can see on your playing that you are a phenomenal player and every note you play is top notch! Thanks for the amazing work! I hope I to play with you some day.

Now that Troy and crew have covered even-numbered alternate picking (Volcano and Cascade), odd-numbered alternate picking (Antigravity), sweeping (Marshall Harrison interview), and now 1-note-per-string alternate picking (Steve Morse), let us all look forward to the next logical chapter: zero-note-per-string alternate picking!

15:20 yeah, with a forearm like that, I could play all those licks.

This a whole new level of analysis. Excellent graphics!

What an amazing video . So detailed and excellent on every level . Superb

Troy is the Carl Sagan of the Picking Technique!!!

Thank you Troy. This video is solid gold… both the info and the presentation… bravo!!!!

Awesome!!! I end up forgetting about your channel because I have to wait so long for each new episode. But I'm so happy you made this video!

Playing like Steve Morse is easy. You just need to love music, be smart and practice 5 or more hours every day.

steve morse is the most under-rated guitarist ever.

Thank you! It's great to observe and learn from Steve's incredibly efficient picking style.

I'm turning 42 this year.. 8/20 & been playing off & on since I was in single digits. I love the fact you take math to this madness, you cannot go wrong with it. Videos are awesome I've seen a few & love the method approach..I know!!! me & DimeBag share the same birthday.. RIP to Dime, Big Vin & all the rest who left us to soon.. God bless the musical soul😎😎😎😎

1:23 song?

SM71, oh my god what a nerd! 😊

Troy your discoveries about technique are like the discovery of the law of gravity or the invention of fire, or a wheel, or a computer. Revolutional

just one word: sensational. Analysis, playing and video editing.

Al Di Meola does the same alternative picking.

But is this a healthy style? It seems Steve has suffered some serious RSI over the years.

The holy grail of lessons is contained within this series

Amazing! Steve is the man. Thanks for producing and sharing this, Troy.