Troy Grady, "What is Stringhopping?"

I like Troy's approach as well. Partially for the walk down memory lane, and partially because he is spot on with getting you passed the bad habits many of us have built over the years. He has certainly put a lot of time and effort into this program and he does a good job at explaining in detail the minute adjustments that really make a difference in increasing your speed.


This is been explained many many times, but never to this extent and not exactly this way. Troy is definitely onto something with his pick slanting approach. All of these guys do it, they just don't know that they're doing it, so they don't explain it. Troy use slow-motion video capture to analyze the techniques and you can definitely see it in the videos. It's more than just economy of motion, it's also eliminating sticking points that bog you down when changing direction. It's funny when you think of how Yngwie explained this in his early instruction videos "I move the pick up, and then back down again" "I use a Fender medium pick" shows it to the camera... haha!!!


I realized when going through the program that I am actually using pick slanting on some of the patterns that I'm able to play quickly. Patterns that felt comfortable to me, where I had adopted this technique naturally over the years. Again, I had no idea I was doing this. In other things which feel awkward and clunky, where I get jammed up like I fell off the tracks, I'm incorporating these techniques, but as we know, it's difficult to relearn after years and years...


If you haven't already seen Troy's stuff, you might want to take a look on YouTube. Where was this guy when I was 15 ?! I could have learned it right the first time!
 
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I love this guy's analytical yet easy to grasp approach. The graphics are well thought out and help to explain a concept better than video alone.
 
Never heard of Troy Grady but this is some interesting and entertaining stuff. Thanks much for the heads up.
 
Very cool video. At the start I thought that it was a little too analytical. However, I've never seen anybody tackle the subject of technique with such depth. I must have a look at some of his other stuff.
 
I enjoy how he reduced YJMs technique to a set of rudiments. By using combinations of these rudiments you can more easily play YJMs licks/solos. It will still take the hours to get the speed but the rudiments are critical to the sound and speed. Did YJM actually consiously map out these things? My guess would be probably not. Most of these rudiments are taking the path of least resistance much like water flowing downhill.

I do like the mechanical/scientific/rudimentary approach of his videos sprinkled with just enough cheese and facetime to make them entertaining.
 
Very cool. I've seen a few of his other videos in the past...

One thing not technique oriented that I liked was the state of EJ's pick guard in that old video. Cracks everywhere!


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Ah yes! the Marty McFly of guitar technique, I love Troys vids also. I posted one a while back of the Via Intimidation lick very coool vid!
 
I've been watching a lot of Troy's stuff on YouTube lately -- very insightful. I also feel like we must be nearly the same age, as we've shared a lot of the same experiences.

Has anyone bought his $40 pass to the additional materials/lessons? I've thought about it, but I'm looking for a review -- want to make sure there is more focus on the individual concepts than is shown in the "Cracking the Code" videos. Which are awesome, BTW -- I even had my wife watching some with me, and she has a firm Zero Tolerance Policy for Geeky Things. It's a wonder she can stand to be in a room with me. ;)
 
Not in this video, but in another one he talks about how the fundamentals of playing with a pick are so counter-intuitive and it's only through recognizing the commonalities among the greats that we begin to understand the most useful approaches. Although there isn't one approach used by all the great alternate pickers, there are definitely some common themes, probably foremost being pick slanting. I can say with confidence I would have likely never stumbled on these approaches without his videos. I've watched all these great players, many of whom have instructional videos, and none of them really understood or analyzed what they were doing at the micro level like Troy has. High definition close up video has definitely been a boon to this study, but I think it's Troy's tenacity at solving these age old alternate picking problems that's most responsible.
 
Already a subscriber here. love his works and animations. Surely he put a lot of time and effort into these videos. great job.
 
Yeah Troy has taught me a lot, Like the way he breaks things down and video's them as well, being mostly a visual and auditorial type thinker this works for me..
 
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