Metal Genre: Easiest way to pull off fluid, fast and tricky riffs? Fingers or Pick

[dialtone]

I recently hooked up with this band in the technical metal genre. I am new to this genre and find myself having alot of trouble trying to pull off the faster riffs were he moves around alot on the fretboard (I play with a pick). I started doing the 2 finger technique. I am not as fast or accurate now. So I recently have been practing 3 finger technique (1321 3213 2132 1321) but since I am new to this I sound even less accurate and fluid than with the 2 finger. So my question is, if I adaquetly practice a solid 3+ hours a day, than am I best to stick with the pick and work up that techinque since I am closest to keeping up with him. Or, Do the 2 finger and practice, practice, practice. Or do the 3 finger and practice< practice< practice>

[El-Bob]

Demystifying Metal styles, how to make fingerstyle playing heard in Metal take a look through this thread and start working on three finger picking

[Audiophage]

Originally Posted by dialtone

I am not as fast or accurate now. So I recently have been practing 3 finger technique (1321 3213 2132 1321)

Your fingering technique sounds needlessly complicated, maybe consider revising that and you'll gain more fluidity.

[Gawd]

I find that to be the easiest way to approach three finger.
But it takes time, to get into the whole idea of getting 4 out of 3.
just practice, be very very very patient, it will pay off.

[elpelotero]

whichever style you decide to go with, all it would take is practice. Consider the tone more than anything...pick will give you less low end but a biting top. Fingers will give you more low end with less cutting top.

Ultimately, you can achieve either with practice. When I joined a band, I began playing with a pick. We are not a fast metal band, and I had trouble with speed and accuracy despite the fact that I was originally a guitar player. I spent this entire summer redefining my 2 finger technique and now I have no trouble with speed or accuracy and am playing much more difficult riffs. However, I can't play riffs as complex as I can with a pick. SO, it may take you a while to develop those fingers up to par.

I can still go back and rip it with a pick though...

Bottom line is you can achieve what you seek with either method. You just need to pick the method that you feel most comfortable with, will give you your best tone, and will help you get to their level fastest.

[Nicka]

What everyone else said...

Start slow and WITH a metronome. You don't need know all of those different patters in my opinion just as long as you can do one pattern in time and consistantly. I use the 321 pattern and practice alot of string interval excersizes.

Oh and learning a few Iron Maiden tunes never hurts!

[jollygiantchris]

id say work on all of them if you're practicing for 3 hours a day you should be able to budget enough time to spent an hour just working on right hand technique thats pretty much what i do then you can switch in between pick/fingerstyle depending on what you want to do for the particular song/riff

[dialtone]

thanks for all the suggestions! I have been going with the 3 strategy with your suggestions. Now I revised it and just do 1321. But I am having diffuculty, I discover that when I ascend on my left hand fingers, I also ascend on my picking fingers. Subconsiously my fingers on both hands are reverse and so on with eachother. Is this OK or should I break this habit now and always desend 1321. And if so, than when switching strings on the right hand, do you typically start over from the positioning finger again (being 1). Or try to finish the pattern from were you left off on the last string. THanks again

[WeeMann]

Originally Posted by Audiophage

Your fingering technique sounds needlessly complicated, maybe consider revising that and you'll gain more fluidity.

Needlessly complicated? I'd say this is as easy as it comes - I've used this technique for years with little problem and it also works well for Billy Sheehan.

Check out any of Billy's videos for tips on how to approach this tehnique, but realy it's practicing until you don't need to think about what you're doing anymore, the fingers do the right thing naturally.

[dialtone]

as far as the 3 finger technique goes. Do you typically use 2 fingers for slower parts and only break out 3 fingers on the faster riffs. Or try to always incorporate 3 fingers at all times, slow and fast.

[WeeMann]

Personally I vary between the two as it suits. I'm definitely of the opinion that the only rule in music is that there are no rules - if it sounds right it is right - so I'll slip into whatever is working at the time for me.

[Audiophage]

Originally Posted by WeeMann

Needlessly complicated? I'd say this is as easy as it comes - I've used this technique for years with little problem and it also works well for Billy Sheehan.

Check out any of Billy's videos for tips on how to approach this tehnique, but realy it's practicing until you don't need to think about what you're doing anymore, the fingers do the right thing naturally.

It just seems like that method of plucking would be confusing, especially when playing faster riffs that switch between strings. That could be the route of the problem there. I've never found a need to be able to use all 3 fingers at once.

Really the best way to play something fast is to slow something down and think through it a little more, no matter how many fingers you use.

[Gawd]

Originally Posted by Audiophage

It just seems like that method of plucking would be confusing, especially when playing faster riffs that switch between strings. That could be the route of the problem there. I've never found a need to be able to use all 3 fingers at once.

Really the best way to play something fast is to slow something down and think through it a little more, no matter how many fingers you use.

mmhm. only by slowing it down and really paying attention can you grasp whats going on and get it under your fingers.