Roy is the man! I tried to slow down his picking by watching it frame by frame and the video couldn't keep up with his right hand! So he picked faster than the 25 frames/second video file (I'd say it looked and sounded like 27 notes per second at times)! That is insanity! It is so far beyond what anyone else is capable of doing with their right and left hand synchronized, that it simply blows your mind! To gauge Roy's speed, let's just say that he is playing WAY faster than the fastest double bass drum speedy tries that you can find anywhere by anyone! To top it off Roy is playing real notes in strange combinations that are extremely hard to do accurately at any fast speed! So in my mind there is no question about it, Roy really is the man! Cheers!
Use a DAW to slow down the audio - the opening lick at 0:00 is about the equivalent of 16th notes (semidemis) at 270bpm, which is 18 notes per second. Roy himself has said that 19 nps is towards the ceiling of what he does for scalar picking patterns across the strings (i.e. 16ths at 285bpm) in his picking exercises video. 33nps is a little bit out there guys lol!
He angles the pick upwards like Shawn lane did. It seems.a requirement for beyond-fast picking speeds, but you need to have the hitch-hicking thumb (so extra flexion in the thumb joint).
16:50 I'm pretty sure the reason is inertia, outside picking requires more movement vs inside, increasing the force required to reverse its movement. You both play so fast, it's inspiring.
FASTER than Shawn Lane!!! Amazing. Surely this is approaching the theoretical limit of human ability. Thanks Roy for showing us what is possible. Thank you too, Rowan, for introducing me to Roy's playing- that first video a while back blew my mind! This reminds me of when I first heard Yngwie. I had never even conceived of that kind of speed, just knowing it could be done motivated me to become way faster than I ever would of have on my own. Lol, I was typing this as I watched and I see you guys are saying similar stuff to my comment. Cheers gentlemen, you both inspire me.
+Tube Jam. Roy is way, way, way past Shawn's absolute top speed! It really is beyond amazing! It is unique in the sense that I don't know, if there is another human on this earth that can do it! Cheers!
I'm with you bro. I will never be able to get close to Roy's jawdropping technique, but his example will inspire me to greater heights than I would have. It already has!
@@supernumberguy6804 Exactly. And Roy's left hand is not playing as fast, he doubles up on notes and slides while picking. If he can play this fast over some of Shawn's bebop phrases then I'd be impressed. He plays fast but it's the same patterns every time, very linear. Shawn lane could play fast with wide stretches go watch his clips in India playing pentatonic on the bottom frets, no-one's played that fast.
@@kurglekreutzer6344 Roy is not "way, way, way past" Shawn's absolute top speed. What exactly do you think Shawn's max is and where have you heard it? Shawn has cleared 16ths at 300bpm (faster than the opening section of this video) in many, many instances and he did it without having to pick near the saddles (which even with the Phatboy pick creates a horrible secondary/non-musical grind or 'chirp' tone to go with the already damp and trebly tone of picking in that location) on an outrageously low action guitar that needs not one but two string dampeners (removing a big portion of the neck) to even function without unbearable noise.
monster of a player and a really nice fella too also, there's a lot more to his playing than just speed he can be extremely soulful too.. but that side of his playing tends to get less coverage..
today is the first time i ever heard of Roy Marchbank and damnit he angles the pick upwards instead of downwards - that's how i do it and the bastards at G.I.T. including Paul Gilbert were forever telling me that "oh you are doing it wrong, you should hold it the right way like everybody else does!" damnit
Fascinating vid. One thing I notice about all players with a phenomenal technique is that it rarely happens by accident. A lot of thought and analysis over each detail of the technique takes place.
Been waiting for this in-depth study for some time now, thanks, guys. There's been a lot of talk over the years about how to develop incredibly fast picking and we're starting to acknowledge some of the constants so hopefully, even those not wired to play freakishly fast, will be able to improve. Also, stop bloody slouching ;-)
Fascinating insights, not least because when I first heard Roy shredding I immediately thought his phrasing was reminiscent of, yes you guessed it, cartoon music!
Me too. I've only recently discovered Roy. Astounding player. Even if you don't aspire to play at his speed, there's a massive amount to learn about clean picking technique from him. Really cool guy. No secrets and happy to tell you exactly what he does and how.
Economy of motion in the picking action makes perfect sense…Economy with precision. One can observe this with VIOLIN bow technique. If one watched players like Jascha Heifetz ….Interesting how Roy applied what he heard in cartoon soundtracks to guitar…With improving technique must have started like trial and error becoming trial and success. It is like a ‘spasm’ yet accurate and articulate. Picking near the bridge because the string vibrates less also makes perfect sense because the vibration created by pick might be in opposition to other vibrations. His string muting is another interesting aspect. Could that possibly also reduce excessive string vibration? ..Has Roy ever heard the sweep picking of players like Mattias Eklundh ? He does interesting things with that but that’s something different again..Very interesting video this. Thanks.
Curious on how string gauges seem to facilitate or prevent the fast picking - does lighter gauge seem to work better or heavier to a point? Is there a point where too light is too "floppy" or too heavy too restrictive? I suppose I should watch the entire video but I wonder - I know Roy has used larger than normal picks on occasion. After watching - picking closer to the bridge gives you more tension with lighter gauges? OH! WOW. That makes a huge difference.
Phat Bhoy Pick.Have you ever seen one up close? Ma be you should get one, they're not as big as you'd think. Everything about his technique is all described on his own channel so there's really no guess work to be involved.
Is this possible on a Les Paul (with that pick and obviously figuring out one’s mechanics and putting the work in)? How should the ideal guitar for this be and is there no go obstacles to this on more traditional guitars?
I dunno about basing your style off a particular position on the strings, it's a little too locked in for me considering I play a bunch of styles. The concepts here are still super strong but sometimes I just need warmth and roundness that you can't get picking that close to the bridge. Sick vid though, he's a killer player.
@FlaxeMusic I think he is referring to a particular mode of his playing, rather than his playing as a whole. If you check out any of his recorded work, especially his new album, you'll hear an incredibly diverse musician, who just happens to have one of the best techniques on the planet, which although absurdly developed, is always put at the service of the music.
Wrong statement my friend! The most terrifying picking technique ever (Roy’s one) cannot make even half of what Shawn was, you have to come to terms with that!
Yes, but can he play a chord? Legend has it Roy sold his soul... AND... his ability to play chords so that he could pick this way. ...Legend has it... SERIOUSLY.... LEGEND... HAS... IT...
Well I think so too but you'd be amazed at the polarised reaction to his playing. I'm not wishing to paint all the detractors as insecure haters who really know deep down that they are being faced with something remarkable and rare and realise that they could never reach that level but it explains a lot I think.
The problem with this sort of player is that they achieve ridiculous speed by barely brushing the top level of atoms of the string! Consequently, the note (these are the things music is made out of btw boys and girls), is barely discernible above the pick noise, rendering the performance pretty much useless for actual music not to mention in a live musical setting. Conversely, the "greats" like DiMeola or McLaughlin or Gilbert etc.etc. actually dig in enough to get a real tone. You'll also notice that most of these UA-cam shredders sound terrible when they play slow (e.g. no timing) , very ordinary in fact, whereas the 'names' sound great when they play slow and fantastic when they play fast. Still, it takes all sorts....
Robert Brown Yeah, the problem with your statement is that you haven't listened to any of his actual music now have you? You've watched one video then made an ill informed statement. Bravo.
I had actually. If I remember, the vid featured a drive through the countryside. It was all fairly innocuous until the vehicle was apparently attacked by a swarm of bees. Seriously though, when he switches to warp mode, the note is all but gone. What the 'big boys' do, is they allow the pick to flap in their fingers. This enables them to dig in enough to get a decent note whilst pushing 'through' the sting rather than inefficiently bouncing over it as non-shred inclined guitarists tend to be content with. But it requires timing - something lacking amongst the YT shred fraternity.
What I find interesting here is your determination to dismiss a whole category of players. A guitar player who releases content on You Tube is just a guitar player, not some other species. I can name 3 guitarists who have made their career on YT who are all incredible; Tom Quayle, Rich Graham and Andy James. I'm pretty sure these guys qualify as 'big boys'. Your comments about alternate picking are ill informed. Look at 10 great pickers, they all do things in a different way. There is no one single way to achieve a good result, people are not some homogeneous mass. I think what's really going on here is that you just find it too threatening to deal with the all the amazing players you can see on YT so it's much easier just to ignore them by lumping them into the category of YT players. It seems pretty sad to me that when confronted by something remarkable you just can't acknowledge it for what it is. It's hardly the sign of an open open mind, consider that. Cheers Rowan
We know it’s near impossible to make money selling music today. I didn’t aim at all ‘YT players’. I’d *listen* to Jess Lewis play a ballad or cover the Aristocrats. She’s a phenomenal player - technique, feel, tone. And I’d exclude you, yourself from this ‘category of shame’. But apart from his mother and yourself (for some ill conceived reason), who’s going to select an *audio* recording of Roy Marchbank et al for their Desert Island Discs? This is a category of shredder that exist almost exclusively on YT and that males like to *watch*. Guthrie’s referred to the syndrome. The motivation seems not dissimilar to achieving a high score in a video game. Nothing to do with music as evidenced by the lack of rhythmical precision, tone, phrasing, not to mention what they actually play when at discernible nps. OK, 'cold reading' the situation and based on your comment of taking 90 yrs (or whatever it was ;)) to discover "edge picking", I reckon you're more of a musician than a mechanical intelligence type guy, and are just mesmerised by this nonsense. Get well soon. ;)
Robert Brown I just don't agree with you. There is room for everybody to pursue whatever interests them and I'm not going to judge them for it. Now true I know Roy personally so possibly I'm a bit biased but I've heard the range of things he can play and to paint him as mindless shredder is just false and I wonder why you are so desperate to do so.
Ah, another guy who cant cope with an advanced technique and retreats to the bunker of 'where's the emotion man'. I've got a suggestion, why not stop wasting your life carping about someone whose talent is far in advance of your own and go and practise your guitar. Cheers.
@@paulcollins5586 EVERYTHING is technique. That's just a dumb statement. Let me see what your playing is like. Clicks on your YT profile. Zip. Imagine my shock. All very easy to moan from behind your keyboard, while not exposing yourself to any scrutiny. Seems to me your contribution is basically zero, so we aren't obliged to take what you say with the least bit of seriousness.
@paulcollins5586 Yeah, sure. You know what they say, opinions are like buttholes, everybody has one. However, that doesn't mean all opinions have equal validity, so unless you adduce some compelling reason why I should listen to yours, I'm just going to continue to mock you for being doxactically closed. Cheers R
Roy is the man! I tried to slow down his picking by watching it frame by frame and the video couldn't keep up with his right hand! So he picked faster than the 25 frames/second video file (I'd say it looked and sounded like 27 notes per second at times)! That is insanity! It is so far beyond what anyone else is capable of doing with their right and left hand synchronized, that it simply blows your mind! To gauge Roy's speed, let's just say that he is playing WAY faster than the fastest double bass drum speedy tries that you can find anywhere by anyone! To top it off Roy is playing real notes in strange combinations that are extremely hard to do accurately at any fast speed! So in my mind there is no question about it, Roy really is the man! Cheers!
Use a DAW to slow down the audio - the opening lick at 0:00 is about the equivalent of 16th notes (semidemis) at 270bpm, which is 18 notes per second.
Roy himself has said that 19 nps is towards the ceiling of what he does for scalar picking patterns across the strings (i.e. 16ths at 285bpm) in his picking exercises video.
33nps is a little bit out there guys lol!
Roy Marchbank is MASSIVE news! I can’t believe I didn’t know him much sooner. Amazing player, just amazing. My mind is BLOWN.
He angles the pick upwards like Shawn lane did. It seems.a requirement for beyond-fast picking speeds, but you need to have the hitch-hicking thumb (so extra flexion in the thumb joint).
16:50 I'm pretty sure the reason is inertia, outside picking requires more movement vs inside, increasing the force required to reverse its movement. You both play so fast, it's inspiring.
FASTER than Shawn Lane!!! Amazing. Surely this is approaching the theoretical limit of human ability. Thanks Roy for showing us what is possible.
Thank you too, Rowan, for introducing me to Roy's playing- that first video a while back blew my mind! This reminds me of when I first heard Yngwie. I had never even conceived of that kind of speed, just knowing it could be done motivated me to become way faster than I ever would of have on my own.
Lol, I was typing this as I watched and I see you guys are saying similar stuff to my comment.
Cheers gentlemen, you both inspire me.
+Tube Jam. Roy is way, way, way past Shawn's absolute top speed! It really is beyond amazing! It is unique in the sense that I don't know, if there is another human on this earth that can do it! Cheers!
I'm with you bro. I will never be able to get close to Roy's jawdropping technique, but his example will inspire me to greater heights than I would have. It already has!
Shawn lane technically had a much more complicated style of playing than Roy . Roy is super fast but it seems almost packaged .
@@supernumberguy6804 Exactly. And Roy's left hand is not playing as fast, he doubles up on notes and slides while picking. If he can play this fast over some of Shawn's bebop phrases then I'd be impressed. He plays fast but it's the same patterns every time, very linear. Shawn lane could play fast with wide stretches go watch his clips in India playing pentatonic on the bottom frets, no-one's played that fast.
@@kurglekreutzer6344 Roy is not "way, way, way past" Shawn's absolute top speed. What exactly do you think Shawn's max is and where have you heard it? Shawn has cleared 16ths at 300bpm (faster than the opening section of this video) in many, many instances and he did it without having to pick near the saddles (which even with the Phatboy pick creates a horrible secondary/non-musical grind or 'chirp' tone to go with the already damp and trebly tone of picking in that location) on an outrageously low action guitar that needs not one but two string dampeners (removing a big portion of the neck) to even function without unbearable noise.
monster of a player and a really nice fella too
also, there's a lot more to his playing than just speed
he can be extremely soulful too.. but that side of his playing tends to get less coverage..
Roy is the man. Diamond in the rough - a real find!
25:17 I know it's very technical but it still sound beautiful when he applies it to nice arpeggios like that maj9
'It's difficult, that!' Then he plays it perfectly... great video both of you!
This is a branch reality where Captain America goes to Scotland to study pecking techniques instead of marrying Peggy Carter
He has MARVELous chops! See what I did there...
wish i had my time again and new this guy love guys like Roy thats dedication and lots of sore fingers
today is the first time i ever heard of Roy Marchbank and damnit he angles the pick upwards instead of downwards - that's how i do it and the bastards at G.I.T. including Paul Gilbert were forever telling me that "oh you are doing it wrong, you should hold it the right way like everybody else does!" damnit
Fascinating vid. One thing I notice about all players with a phenomenal technique is that it rarely happens by accident. A lot of thought and analysis over each detail of the technique takes place.
Been waiting for this in-depth study for some time now, thanks, guys. There's been a lot of talk over the years about how to develop incredibly fast picking and we're starting to acknowledge some of the constants so hopefully, even those not wired to play freakishly fast, will be able to improve.
Also, stop bloody slouching ;-)
Fascinating insights, not least because when I first heard Roy shredding I immediately thought his phrasing was reminiscent of, yes you guessed it, cartoon music!
Me too. I've only recently discovered Roy. Astounding player. Even if you don't aspire to play at his speed, there's a massive amount to learn about clean picking technique from him. Really cool guy. No secrets and happy to tell you exactly what he does and how.
Economy of motion in the picking action makes perfect sense…Economy with precision. One can observe this with VIOLIN bow technique. If one watched players like Jascha Heifetz ….Interesting how Roy applied what he heard in cartoon soundtracks to guitar…With improving technique must have started like trial and error becoming trial and success. It is like a ‘spasm’ yet accurate and articulate. Picking near the bridge because the string vibrates less also makes perfect sense because the vibration created by pick might be in opposition to other vibrations. His string muting is another interesting aspect. Could that possibly also reduce excessive string vibration? ..Has Roy ever heard the sweep picking of players like Mattias Eklundh ? He does interesting things with that but that’s something different again..Very interesting video this. Thanks.
Curious on how string gauges seem to facilitate or prevent the fast picking - does lighter gauge seem to work better or heavier to a point? Is there a point where too light is too "floppy" or too heavy too restrictive? I suppose I should watch the entire video but I wonder - I know Roy has used larger than normal picks on occasion. After watching - picking closer to the bridge gives you more tension with lighter gauges? OH! WOW. That makes a huge difference.
Phat Bhoy Pick.Have you ever seen one up close? Ma be you should get one, they're not as big as you'd think. Everything about his technique is all described on his own channel so there's really no guess work to be involved.
HOW THE FUCK IS HE ABLE PICK THAT FAST?!?!?!?
yeah...but what's that stuff on the fretboard??...explain please...
String dampener
First and last word in awesome.
Can he play the gambler though?
Vinnie Moore's the only guy I've seen (elbow pick) very clean the speed (I'm sure he would agree) just isn't there . A huge influence and a great guy.
Is this possible on a Les Paul (with that pick and obviously figuring out one’s mechanics and putting the work in)? How should the ideal guitar for this be and is there no go obstacles to this on more traditional guitars?
The guitar has nothing to do with it. The talent of Roy has everything to with it. Cheers R
I dunno about basing your style off a particular position on the strings, it's a little too locked in for me considering I play a bunch of styles. The concepts here are still super strong but sometimes I just need warmth and roundness that you can't get picking that close to the bridge. Sick vid though, he's a killer player.
@FlaxeMusic I think he is referring to a particular mode of his playing, rather than his playing as a whole. If you check out any of his recorded work, especially his new album, you'll hear an incredibly diverse musician, who just happens to have one of the best techniques on the planet, which although absurdly developed, is always put at the service of the music.
As much as I can appreciate the effort of attaining this skill, I do feel that 4 notes/sec is fast enough.
You lack ambition.
Hey Rowan, will there be a in depth video about Roy's left hand technique? Cheers
Anthony Farrugia Watch this space...
Amazing
Modern day Shawn Lane.
Wrong statement my friend! The most terrifying picking technique ever (Roy’s one) cannot make even half of what Shawn was, you have to come to terms with that!
Bro said the exercise feels wrong "like being in a hotel with Harvey Weinstein". 🤣
Yes, but can he play a chord? Legend has it Roy sold his soul... AND... his ability to play chords so that he could pick this way. ...Legend has it...
SERIOUSLY....
LEGEND... HAS... IT...
Legend has it that he can play G Major...
At those speeds, he can just pick the arpeggio and it would be indistinguishable from a chord. 😂
Yeah,great technique....
What the fuck
bader That's the usual reaction...
Rowan J Parker it's so cool
Well I think so too but you'd be amazed at the polarised reaction to his playing. I'm not wishing to paint all the detractors as insecure haters who really know deep down that they are being faced with something remarkable and rare and realise that they could never reach that level but it explains a lot I think.
Rowan J Parker He deserves a cookie
Double chocolate chip?
5:52
Rowan this is what I was trying to tell you....
The only limits are the ones you place on yourself.
Dam id play that fast too if my guitar was that high😂😂😂
Soooo much feel🤦🏽♂️😆
The problem with this sort of player is that they achieve ridiculous speed by barely brushing the top level of atoms of the string! Consequently, the note (these are the things music is made out of btw boys and girls), is barely discernible above the pick noise, rendering the performance pretty much useless for actual music not to mention in a live musical setting. Conversely, the "greats" like DiMeola or McLaughlin or Gilbert etc.etc. actually dig in enough to get a real tone. You'll also notice that most of these UA-cam shredders sound terrible when they play slow (e.g. no timing) , very ordinary in fact, whereas the 'names' sound great when they play slow and fantastic when they play fast. Still, it takes all sorts....
Robert Brown Yeah, the problem with your statement is that you haven't listened to any of his actual music now have you? You've watched one video then made an ill informed statement. Bravo.
I had actually. If I remember, the vid featured a drive through the countryside. It was all fairly innocuous until the vehicle was apparently attacked by a swarm of bees. Seriously though, when he switches to warp mode, the note is all but gone. What the 'big boys' do, is they allow the pick to flap in their fingers. This enables them to dig in enough to get a decent note whilst pushing 'through' the sting rather than inefficiently bouncing over it as non-shred inclined guitarists tend to be content with. But it requires timing - something lacking amongst the YT shred fraternity.
What I find interesting here is your determination to dismiss a whole category of players. A guitar player who releases content on You Tube is just a guitar player, not some other species. I can name 3 guitarists who have made their career on YT who are all incredible; Tom Quayle, Rich Graham and Andy James. I'm pretty sure these guys qualify as 'big boys'. Your comments about alternate picking are ill informed. Look at 10 great pickers, they all do things in a different way. There is no one single way to achieve a good result, people are not some homogeneous mass. I think what's really going on here is that you just find it too threatening to deal with the all the amazing players you can see on YT so it's much easier just to ignore them by lumping them into the category of YT players. It seems pretty sad to me that when confronted by something remarkable you just can't acknowledge it for what it is. It's hardly the sign of an open open mind, consider that. Cheers Rowan
We know it’s near impossible to make money selling music today. I didn’t aim at all ‘YT players’. I’d *listen* to Jess Lewis play a ballad or cover the Aristocrats. She’s a phenomenal player - technique, feel, tone. And I’d exclude you, yourself from this ‘category of shame’. But apart from his mother and yourself (for some ill conceived reason), who’s going to select an *audio* recording of Roy Marchbank et al for their Desert Island Discs? This is a category of shredder that exist almost exclusively on YT and that males like to *watch*. Guthrie’s referred to the syndrome. The motivation seems not dissimilar to achieving a high score in a video game. Nothing to do with music as evidenced by the lack of rhythmical precision, tone, phrasing, not to mention what they actually play when at discernible nps. OK, 'cold reading' the situation and based on your comment of taking 90 yrs (or whatever it was ;)) to discover "edge picking", I reckon you're more of a musician than a mechanical intelligence type guy, and are just mesmerised by this nonsense. Get well soon. ;)
Robert Brown I just don't agree with you. There is room for everybody to pursue whatever interests them and I'm not going to judge them for it. Now true I know Roy personally so possibly I'm a bit biased but I've heard the range of things he can play and to paint him as mindless shredder is just false and I wonder why you are so desperate to do so.
Too gimmicky. Wheres the emotion.
Ah, another guy who cant cope with an advanced technique and retreats to the bunker of 'where's the emotion man'. I've got a suggestion, why not stop wasting your life carping about someone whose talent is far in advance of your own and go and practise your guitar. Cheers.
@@RowanJParker Scales is not technique. My guitar is fine thanks.
@@paulcollins5586 EVERYTHING is technique. That's just a dumb statement. Let me see what your playing is like. Clicks on your YT profile. Zip. Imagine my shock. All very easy to moan from behind your keyboard, while not exposing yourself to any scrutiny. Seems to me your contribution is basically zero, so we aren't obliged to take what you say with the least bit of seriousness.
@@RowanJParker I wasnt moaning. Its called an opinion.
@paulcollins5586 Yeah, sure. You know what they say, opinions are like buttholes, everybody has one. However, that doesn't mean all opinions have equal validity, so unless you adduce some compelling reason why I should listen to yours, I'm just going to continue to mock you for being doxactically closed. Cheers R