From Doc Watson to Carl Miner: The Power of Bluegrass Crosspicking
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
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Carl Miner's amazing crosspicking technique bears the imprint of bluegrass guitar legend Doc Watson in its unique pickstroke curvature. Watch both our interviews with Carl Miner interview here! troygrady.com/...
Carl is special not for speed, but for beauty of tone and control over dynamics. Every note is perfect.
food
This film is pure genius. Never seen such perspicacious, insightful analysis of bluegrass technique anywhere. And articulated so eloquently. I am completely gobsmacked, as we say in England.
Ruddy jolly good!
Honestly, this is hands down the best video you've ever done. Not only is the crosspicking technique described super powerful, but through experimentation with my hand position, my downward and upward pickslanting technique has improved as well. Jumping back and forth between scalar sweeping and cross picked arpeggios is a lot of fun.
This is such great material. I'm watching it for the 5th time and finally feel like I'm getting it. I watched a few times a couple months ago and practiced it as a brand new concept, and now coming back to it I'm really seeing it. This is the best video on guitar technique I've ever seen on UA-cam. There is so much here. Thank you for putting in the work to educate the curious!
Utterly captivating. Great work you doing here Troy.
Thanks!
The fact is...this type of pickin can actually be done if you work at it! Thank you Doc!
This is actually some fantastic editing - you managed to maintain the level of captivating entertainment throughout. Many more subs are deserved here. Thank you for taking the time to create this.
This is really awesome...thanks for putting this together. Priceless. LOVE the clips of the greatest cross-picker of all.......Doc Watson!
These videos change my playing ability literally overnight. I have some lick I'm struggling with, I check some video, try that technique... and realize now I can play something way cleaner or groovier than before.
That move around 29 or 30 seconds in to this video is absolutely sublime. Mesmerizing. Sir, I am in awe of your genius.
Great job boss, a hearty thank you for sharing your endless hours of work with the community! You're a legend!
Thanks Danny!
Man, this guy plays some beautiful stuff. It also seems clear that things like sweep picking sacrifice the sort of tone that can be had from crosspicking. At the end of the day, a rest stroke just sounds different than a free one.
Yes man and a slanted sounds different from a straight one. I believe its all about the genre and tone.
This is brilliant. Both the playing (obviously) and your analysis of it. I'm just venturing in to cross-picking and didn't want to learn in way that would restrict me in future or I'd have to unlearn. Thanks for your great work!
What an incredible video! I'm self-taught, and never realized just what the right hand was doing. I've just done it. This will make me much more aware of what's going on down there. Thanks.
Troy - Once again - you changed my playing in one video. Excellent. Super Excellent Work. Wishing you only the best in the New Coming Year. Bravo Sir.
It'd be interesting to speculate how much of the development of crosspicking was an intuitive response to the problem of producing a pleasant tone on an acoustic instrument, balancing the need for speed with a nice round timbre. I find the more exaggerated angle of attack you find in downward pick slanting, for instance, to produce a really nasal quality on an acoustic instrument. That's not an issue when shredding with a lot of gain, but Wildwood Flower has to sound sweet rather than edgy. Great video.
+lachrimaestro good point. I noticed the same thing because I picked up an acoustic after I already been playing electric guitar and using pick slanting.
Pickslanting has no effect on tone by itself - the string is round in cross section, so there is no pickslant you can use that is sonically different than any other. Where would that neutral point be? It doesn't exist. Note also that Carl's slower rhythm playing is downward pickslanting crosspicking and his faster stuff is often uwps. Some pickslant is almost always at play in his technique. Ultimately it's edge picking that controls tone and indeed finding the sweet spot for you, while also using the string switching tactic you want, is definitely part of the challenge!
+Troy Grady Hi Troy, amazing video. I would suggest that pick slanting does effect tone, because you are getting the string to commence vibrating in a direction closer to up-down than to side-side (relative to the guitar body), causing it to slap against the frets more easily. You mentioned this effect when referring to funk players using an aggressive down slant to get a spank sound - similar to slap bass.
This is my default picking technique I just fell into after years of playing. Didn't know Doc Watson started it. I knew it was different than all the other techniques Troy has covered bit was all alternate. Its a very tight arc and the pinky being braced is big part it that helps to get the bit of lift. It is not as fast as pick slanting but is often fast enough when you practice enough,, but for really fast stuff I have to switch to other techniques. Great video.
This is a great video, many really interesting points made!
Regarding Carls (and many other bluegrass guitarists) playing, I'm impressed by the fact that not only does he catch air on every pickstroke as you mention at 13:27, he also don't anchor on the guitars bridge. If this was about electric guitar, the combo would seem inappropriate and unefficient - at least I would have said so before watching this video. But you can clearly see it works and that's very cool!
Also, I think it's nice that you do these analyzes on a lot of different guitarists, especially both electric and acoustic players. Thanks Troy!
Really interesting and extremely well put together.
Thanks for covering this subject. Excellent informative video- BRAVO!!
Can’t find this kind of awesome content on cable tv! Enjoyed this and learned a lot.
Carl Miner is awesome -- thanks for the video!
Outstanding video. Top notch production on an exciting topic.
Your relentless work on the topic of picking is amazing. Thank you!
WOWSER, THIS IS THE BEST VID ON CROSS PICKING TECHNIQUE I HAVE SEEN. MANY THANKS
this feels like cheating, what have us guitar players done to deserve this, troy this is going to spark the biggest revolution in guitar playing history to the point that fast playing will become so common it wont be impressive at all and skill will be shown in the phrasing of a player and the musical ideas they show. The future is bright and its thanks troy
I think what you're references is jazz and blues
I think you overstate how it will affect most guitar players.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made!!!
That's a interesting take on pick slanting I love Carl's playing he's so clean and very tasteful player a beast
Wonderful video! I love Carl’s playing, but what guitarist wouldn’t? You do a great job too. Thank you for putting so much effort into showing cross picking styles.
Wow!!! That was so great Troy.
Fantastic! Great exploration.
Brilliant analysis and excellent video, a must view for those wanting to understand the variety of subtle approaches to a subject more complex than most can see, without understanding the variety of approaches to producing their unique sound. Adding a detailed analysis of Tony Rice' right hand technique would compliment the exaggerated thumb movement employed by many flat-pickers. This allows faster attack, by I would guess, maintaining the power and volume needed for live performance using a sound systems over which the player has little control. This is in contrast to studio playing where everything is controlled to the nth degree. Thank you for your inciteful and intelligent work !
These videos are fascinating! Nice work man :)
Thank you for dissecting this technique into a very understandable method!
Outstanding, Troy. As always.
I asked Doc Watson about how he picked the B section of Beaumont Rag at Bean Blossom in 1971. He told me he used alternate picking. In fact, he seemed incredulous that you could do it any other way. I don't think he was aware of any type of sweep picking techniques. I did mention that Jesse McReynolds did not alternate pick his reverse cross picking on mandolin, but I'm not sure he believed me.
Real fab old guy from sunny Glasgow-years Of driven need to keep playing so thanks for the great lecture!!!! Ta JOHN
this is a damn good video!
I wish there were more like this
Absolutely fascinating!
I'm a PGA golf teaching professional, and we've been using high speed technology since about 2003 teaching the golf swing. First it was high spee video, then it was Doppler radar (Trackman) and now 3D motion capture motion capture has been around for years, but now the sensors are much smaller, and the user interface is more inuitive, so makes it easier for the student and the instructor. One thing everyone should be advised on, being able to to understand bio-mechanics is a great learning/teaching tool, but in golf, many players can get caught up in "chasing numbers" and left brained analytical players lose their way because they start playing golf swing, instead of the game of golf. Musicians would be advised to learn why proper technique and an understanding bio-mechanics will allow you to "become your own coach" and understand the whys and how's. I've had TWO carpal tunnel surgeries, and had I known what I know now, I could have avoided th surgeries by finding a manual therapist to help me instead of going under the knife. This is great stuff,
Dude. Look how high Carl's action is at 13:10. Looks like a freaking pedal steel from that angle. No clue how he is so fast and clean with that much height. Unreal.
Excellent work so groovy
Please do a seminar on Pat Martino! I'm sure he would love to do an interview with you, Troy
That was sooo useful.. thanks for making this video!
After seeing Blind Doc Watson in 1971, I started playing with my Eyes Shut, I had run my Left Hand through a Press in 1970, lost my Thumb, but Plastic Sergery Doctor build me a Stub-THumb with witch I am able to play. Playing with Eyes Closed "I Reckon" makes the EARS to do the work. Of course Guitar Playing is like Shooting a Gun....TACTILE MEMORY LEARNING. TACTILE is the OPRANT word here.
Great video my man, thanks for posting.
Damnit, man. Once again, THANK YOU
Super cool stuff... If you could get footage of Robert Fripp from King Crimson, that would be amazing. He is a monster cross picker!
I loved to watch this video and the others on your channel, Troy! Very useful to actually rationalize the kinds of movement you can do while picking any phrase. But I have to say this Crosspicking talk made me curious about one thing... what if the phrase is palm muted partially or completely? I'm sure there must be examples of that on country music genres, but I'm unsure if the Crosspicking technique would survive with the same speed if you have to nail your right hand to the strings at some degree. If you had any commentary about your experience on this it would be very cool. Thanks anyway for the awesome videos and sharing this kind of knowledge and precious footage with the rest of us. Keep rockin'!
Hi Igor! Steve Morse's technique is crosspicking and he mutes quite a bit. So does Martin Miller who we've also profiled here on the channel. Crosspicking isn't so much a single technique as it is a family of techniques where the pick has a curved trajectory. Players that need muting will find a way to do it that allows the hand to rest on the bridge at the same time.
Damn, I've been converted to a bluegrass fan 🤘
Love the DNA-Replication in the back.
Thanks for this video
awesome, thanx troy
excellent video.
Great video. I remember reading a Steve Morse essay a long time ago where he describes his right-hand technique as exactly this. I seem to remember him thinking that he might be limiting himself, but I would never say that. Or maybe it was that he hurt himself using this technique so aggressively and intensely.
+Jason Vanzant Yep, Steve wins big points for being aware of his picking motion at a level most of us never think about. Unclear why he's injured though - it could be weakness unrelated to his technique.
Yep. This is how I play unless I need to play very fast. When I need to play over around 540 NPM, I have to use a different technique with downward pick slanting and a wrist/forearm motion. When I sweep pick, I use dual pick slanting. A problem I have is, when playing fast, my finger gets uncomfortable where the pick is gripped and I often switch to a fist grip to give my finger some relief.
wow listen to the tone on that Gibson.. Wonder what that white pick is and thickness and what strings he uses (brand/gauge/type)
Same
Yea, the player has nothing to do with. It's all equipment. Moron.
I’m guessing it’s a Clayton white acetal, possibly the 1.26 mm
I feel like this is going more in depth than necessary. I learned this way on my own because its comfortable for me. I always rest my pinky finger on the pickguard for reference and doing that lends intself to this style. if you dont have a reference point on the guitar itself you arent consistently capable of crosspicking. notice how every example of crosspicking shown has an anchor point on the pickguard. until the end of the run where he leads into a full strum and breaks it for the last second.
Molly Tuttle and David Grier, who we've also filmed, are great examples of players with no finger anchors. They both do wrist-bridge anchor. And they can also both do a completely floating crosspick with nothing but forearm anchors to the upper body. They're amazing!
his fucking tone is so good.
You should look into Robert Fripps cross picking technique also!
+fryBASS No survey of rock picking would be complete without a look at Fripp, a guy who's given a *lot* of conscious thought and attention to his right-hand technique.
+fryBASS how does he do it? down down up?
Good job Troy , as usual
Shocked to see The Avett Brothers referenced here. Did Carl specifically site them? Seth Avett is a incredible guitarist and plays all his own guitar parts as far as I know...and I should, I listen to their music and see them live enough to recognize his tone and touch.
This is a really fantastic video.
Awesome vid
This technique shows a little bit more of Michael Angelo Batio. He doesn't rest or anchor his hand on the guitar. He anchors with the pinkie when he does his runs kinda like Batio anchoring his pinkie ring and index.
Love me some Winfield!!!
This is a great video!
Top Tier youtube content.
Well done. I enjoy these videos. I just wish I could play half as well.
Really great analysis.
I tried this technique and it's very effective, but I don't find the way to mute properly. Palm muting stops the wrist rotation and range of motion.
Sounds chill
Tony Rice changed my life on the first Grisman Quintet album.
I was taught by a blues guitarist (wayyy back in the day) to hold my pick turned (almost) sideways. I use either of the two dull/rounder corners. It's the only way I'm comfortable holding it now, plus it has been advantageous as far as I can tell. I wonder how/if this will work for me as I try learning this crosspicking method. It's already been a brain f#@% relearning my approach (correcting bad habits). I'm hoping I don't need to relearn how I hold my pick, too. We'll see!
So how's it working out?
I crosspick with the butt of My picks.
It can be done 😊
@@alan4sureI've been making some good headway! Actually watching and learning Carl Miner's TNAG demo arrangements have helped a ton with my technique! I'm revisiting this video today to gauge my progress and I'm pretty happy with it. I can't wait to get better still
Best I give my guitars away and find a nice deep hole to sit it.....sublime playing skills!
very useful
Wow top ! What’s the song in the beginning of the video ? Where can I obtain the tabs ? Thanks a lot ( sorry for my English I’m live in France)
It's one of Carl's songs, called "Spicy Drive Noodles". We have notation for it in his interview with him, which you can check out on our site. Not sure if Carl has published any other versions of it himself. Awesome tune.
I'm left handed but learned guitar on right handed models. Therefore fingering the chord structure came a little easier since my left hand was on the neck. But unfortunately, my weak right hand still feels cumbersome and clumsy trying to flat pick individual notes. I often wonder if I should have flipped the guitar over and strung it for left hand.
He's not super shreddy but I think JD Simo would be a awesome case study of this electric bluegrass style. Find some vids from his time in the Don Kelly band it's amazing to watch his picking technique when he does these high speed country phrases .
Any chance of a Steve Kaufman interview?
Where do you get those phone holders for the guitar
Great video, Troy! You should try to get Chris Thile on your channel, he's a flatpicking god.
He's a mando player though. If he plays guitar, it's rarely seen.
"Give me some Tosin Abasi, but with a Chet Atkins feel and a solid bluegrass foundation".
Does anyone know what song Carl is playing at 5:49 ?
This makes the simple difficult. All bluegrass instructors teach it as a simple down/up. One naturally learns to lift a bit to avoid hitting the next string. Also note how they hold the pick.
This is actually a pretty complicated subject for a number of reasons. We've filmed elite players like Molly Tuttle and David Grier, and when these players speed up, they change their motion from the semicircular motion we're looking at in this video, to the angled / diagonal motion used in very fast rock and jazz playing. You can watch David's faster Wheel Hoss take here on our channel ( ua-cam.com/video/9X-CKn6I6Z0/v-deo.html ), and the diagonal nature of the picking motion is pretty obvious in the closeup camera, even without slowing it down. In order for string changes to work with this motion, lines must be rearranged on the fretboard to produce even numbers of notes per string. David does this subconsciously, which is pretty amazing in and of itself. This subconscious element is why these things aren't described or taught in traditional teaching, which usually just mentions "down and up" and leaves it at that. In short, there are different types of alternate picking motion, and not all motions can play all phrases, even in bluegrass.
Amazing
13:05 that action was real high
awesome!
Are there tabs and clips that go along with the more recent interview with Carl?
what song/piece is he playing at the start of the video? Really want to find it.
What about the triple upper backward rotating double slanting side stroke ..
Anyone know where can i find the first tune he played in its entirety?
Chet set the bar high in the studio
GREAT stuff. This guy plays beautiful stuff in a very elegant way. Does anybody know what the tune he plays in the beginning (or any of the other places) is? It males me want to take up the struggle with the acoustic a bit again:)
Agree wholeheartedly! The opening piece is called "Spicy Drive Noodles". Carl's putting some tab together for this which he's going to throw up on iTunes with a studio version of the track. We'll link to it here on the channel when it's ready.
+MrMacGaunaa pretty sure it's a drop d
Song at 6:05?
Haha cool, wanted to ask the same. Anybody, please?
Darude-sandstorm
Hi Troy, what would you suggest to learn/teach at first, when it comes to details on picking? One-way, two-way or crosspicking? Greets from Germany!
Still waiting for that suggestion?😋
Wow!
Great video! Is it important to anchor your pinky and/or ring finger for crosspicking? It looked like all the practitioners you showed including yourself were doing this. Also, can this be used for electric guitar? It seems like you wouldn't be able mute as effectively with your picking hand.
+something's gone arai Crosspicking is an entire category of techniques - what you're seeing here are just specific examples. Steve Morse is a crosspicker and he mutes effectively for high-gain playing. There are lots of ways to do this, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of this down the line.
I find that it helps to drag my pinky around on the top - not really anchored- but feeling the location of the top and occasionally the location of the high E string or edge of the pick guard. But watch David Grier. He uses all of these techniques but all of his right hand is clear of the guitar almost always. I’d love to be able to do that, and keep from dampening the vibration of the top with my finger. Just another thing to work on during practice.
I might've missed it, but was the pick Carl's using mentioned? I ask because I've been looking at Steve Kaufman's style and he uses fairly thin picks, stating it gives him more speed due to the flex. Interesting, huh?
Dave Owens I think it’s a wegen pick. Not positive though, definitely check em out
In bluegrass flatpicking, thick picks are used and acoustic strings are almost always mediums. You need a thicker pick for those. Thick is 1.4 mm for example.
@@alan4sure Interestingly, I’ve seen a few players including Kaufman using .73 picks.
@@daveowens really good players giving themselves a slight handicap😄
@@daveowensdoc always used a 1mm, in nylon no less. And Norman blake describes on the liner notes of whiskey before breakfast, a triangular (346) medium fender pick.
Do you have something against animating eyes?