Post by blackjack on Dec 9, 2013 2:53:19 GMT -6
I often hear people, even very famous and well respected guitarists, say words to the effect that there are many different ways to alternate pick and that nobody can say that it is best to pick using only the wrist, only the thumb and fingers, only the forearm, and so on because everyone is different and therefore there can be no best way to alternate pick that applies to everybody. When somebody says there are many theories on the best way to perform alternate picking and no single theory can be right for everyone, he is committing a logical fallacy known as the fallacy of self-exclusion.
His own statement is a theory. The statement that there is no single valid theory on the best way to alternate pick is a theory in itself; it's a self-contradiction! Do you see that?
There is and can be only one valid theory of anything. First of all you have to understand the term "theory." A theory is a set of principles which purports to be either a correct description of some aspect of reality like physics, or guitar playing, and/or a guideline for successful human action. In other words, reality is the realm of the truth. There is only one reality; therefore there can only possibly be one correct description of any aspect of it.
I look forward to the day when somebody finally presents a valid theory on the single best way to alternate pick. I also look forward to the day when somebody presents a valid theory on the best way to practice alternate picking in order to not only be assured that by following it, a guitarist can be sure to realize his full talent, to actualize his genetic potential for reaching the highest levels of speed and accuracy that his genetic potential allows, but to reach that potential in the most time efficient manner possible.
While I don't claim to be ready to state a valid theory on these matters yet, it is something I am working on and I have an expert in the field providing invaluable assistance to me.
What I can say with a fair amount of certainty on these matters so far, is that if one is intent on maximizing his potential for acquiring alternate picking speed and accuracy, it appears to be something that he can do in a relatively short amount of years but with very long practice sessions during those years. In other words practicing 10 hours a day for 6 years seems likely to yield better results than practicing 5 hours a day but for twice as many years. Why do I say this? How else would two of the true legends of virtuoso level shredding both reached their maximum speed (or damn close to it) when they were still teenagers! I'm referring to Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. Yngwie was 19 when he recorded the Steeler album complete with a tremendous unaccompanied solo on it right before "Hot On Your Heels." Just a few months later he played on the recording for the Alcatrazz album No Parole From Rock 'n' Roll which included such classics as Hiroshima Mon Amour, Island In The Sun, and Kree Nakoorie. Paul Gilbert played on the recording for the debut Racer X album Street Lethal when he was still 17 years old! His alternate picking on the title track and Frenzy is still about as fast and accurate as any alternate picking he's done. While Gilbert started playing guitar at 5 years old, it wasn't until he heard a tape of Yngwie Malmsteen that Mike Varney played for him that he realized he needed to seriously work n his alternate picking!
His own statement is a theory. The statement that there is no single valid theory on the best way to alternate pick is a theory in itself; it's a self-contradiction! Do you see that?
There is and can be only one valid theory of anything. First of all you have to understand the term "theory." A theory is a set of principles which purports to be either a correct description of some aspect of reality like physics, or guitar playing, and/or a guideline for successful human action. In other words, reality is the realm of the truth. There is only one reality; therefore there can only possibly be one correct description of any aspect of it.
I look forward to the day when somebody finally presents a valid theory on the single best way to alternate pick. I also look forward to the day when somebody presents a valid theory on the best way to practice alternate picking in order to not only be assured that by following it, a guitarist can be sure to realize his full talent, to actualize his genetic potential for reaching the highest levels of speed and accuracy that his genetic potential allows, but to reach that potential in the most time efficient manner possible.
While I don't claim to be ready to state a valid theory on these matters yet, it is something I am working on and I have an expert in the field providing invaluable assistance to me.
What I can say with a fair amount of certainty on these matters so far, is that if one is intent on maximizing his potential for acquiring alternate picking speed and accuracy, it appears to be something that he can do in a relatively short amount of years but with very long practice sessions during those years. In other words practicing 10 hours a day for 6 years seems likely to yield better results than practicing 5 hours a day but for twice as many years. Why do I say this? How else would two of the true legends of virtuoso level shredding both reached their maximum speed (or damn close to it) when they were still teenagers! I'm referring to Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. Yngwie was 19 when he recorded the Steeler album complete with a tremendous unaccompanied solo on it right before "Hot On Your Heels." Just a few months later he played on the recording for the Alcatrazz album No Parole From Rock 'n' Roll which included such classics as Hiroshima Mon Amour, Island In The Sun, and Kree Nakoorie. Paul Gilbert played on the recording for the debut Racer X album Street Lethal when he was still 17 years old! His alternate picking on the title track and Frenzy is still about as fast and accurate as any alternate picking he's done. While Gilbert started playing guitar at 5 years old, it wasn't until he heard a tape of Yngwie Malmsteen that Mike Varney played for him that he realized he needed to seriously work n his alternate picking!