evh fast picking

[buddastrat]

I've never heard EVH's playing describes as having fast picking! He picks very little. But the trem picking where he fans his wrist over the strings is not hard. I wouldn't recommend doing that, as it's limiting your speedy picking to only one string. He can't do fast picking run with and string changes.

He had to do it that way, because he holds pick with his wrist locked tight and can't pick fast his normal way.

That's why about half his solos have that sliding trem pick thing where he goes all the way on the same string, he does that lick too often. Learn to pick properly and be able to do it over all the strings so you're not locking into playing the same thing.

[cram]

Originally Posted by buddastrat

I've never heard EVH's playing describes as having fast picking! He picks very little. But the trem picking where he fans his wrist over the strings is not hard. I wouldn't recommend doing that, as it's limiting your speedy picking to only one string. He can't do fast picking run with and string changes.

He had to do it that way, because he holds pick with his wrist locked tight and can't pick fast his normal way.

That's why about half his solos have that sliding trem pick thing where he goes all the way on the same string, he does that lick too often. Learn to pick properly and be able to do it over all the strings so you're not locking into playing the same thing.

agreed that it is a short trick and perhaps overused, but it does sound cool in context and is worth giving it a whirl. You can also move over to other strings with limited phrasing in my experience. It's just a cheap and easy trick to play with once you figure it out.
evh is the first to disclaim any expert or exact science to what he does. he even said this during his latest ramblings at namm.

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by buddastrat

I've never heard EVH's playing described as having fast picking! He picks very little...... He can't do a fast picking run with any string changes.

When he picks 'normally' (normal to him is with the pick between the thumb and first two fingers, with the 3rd & 4th finger curled into his palm, and paying no attention to his whammy), he is quite quick, and can get all around from string to string without any seeming deficiencies. He's not all hammer-on/pull-off, ya know?

But the trem picking where he fans his wrist over the strings is not hard.

Of all the pro and barroom guitarists I've seen since Ed came out, I've never seen anyone do it with exactly the same form as he does it, other than myself (not bragging here, because it really is limiting to me almost to the point of being a gimmick). The one thing I have to be aware of is doing it while bending the target string, trying to keep the pick from hitting the adjacent string the bent string is approaching.

Here's a visual for you. Back on the Fair Warning tour, he pulled this stunt off during his unaccompanied guitar solo. He barred the 12th fret with his LH index finger. He started his RH tremolo picking on the high E string, moved his remaining three LH fingers around all over the string up to his highest fret, and changed notes with his left hand as fast as the pick hit them with his right. Now, if that alone isn't enough, he then started doing it across the remaining five strings, but never stopped on any one string for more than a fraction of a second. Talk about a pure 'sheet of sound'.

I saw him five times since then, and have never seen him duplicate this feat. It was truly a sight to behold and listen to.

That's why about half his solos have that sliding trem pick thing where he goes all the way on the same string, he does that lick too often.

Here's something cool - try it on two adjacent strings instead of one like Ed does. It adds some variety.

Learn to pick properly and be able to do it over all the strings so you're not locking into playing the same thing.

Amen. Agree'd 100% I think by most of the cats here. Proper trem picking doesn't involve the radical repositioning of your picking hand like it does for Ed, and allows you to smoothly include it in your repertoire.