Tremolo

[ChrisWallace]

Hey guys,
Just curious...what type of exercises do you do to improve your tremolo playing? Recently, I've been trying to improve my tremolo in terms of speed, switching strings, smoothness etc., and I'm not exactly sure how to tackle the issue. Any nuggets of wisdom you could give me would be much appreciate!!

Thanks!!
CWallace

[John Flynn]

Well, I am likely the odd-ball on this, but I don't think in terms of "improving a technique," like tremlo, in the abstract. I call that the "Mel Bay" approach, LOL! (Starting guitar on Mel Bay Book 1 as a kid just about ruined my interest in playing music!) I have tried that approach and it seems too much like work!

The way I pick up techniques is I hear someone's redition of a tune that uses a technique, like tremlo, to create a sound that I like and want to learn to do myself. Then, I will practice tirelessly to try to re-create that sound until I have it. Then I start finding places the technique will fit in other tunes and creating my own variations on it.

The hints that have helped me with tremlo are:
> Loose grip on the pick
> Loose wrist
> Limit pick travel
> Go for an even tone between up strokes and downstrokes and across the whole tremlo run
> Only go as fast as you can do all the above.

[Tom C]

I play waltzes. They are great for tremelo practice.

[August Watters]

I think it's important to consider what you're using for a fulcrum -- you need a pivot point close to the pick. I like to use the little finger planted by the E string. If you're planting with the wrist behind the bridge, as some players do, or avoiding planting completely, you may have to figure out another way to make the tremolo work. I've noticed some pickers who avoid planting will make an exception for tremolo.

August W

[mandroid]

Slow start with attention to even timing and tone , Is what advise I got,place pick atop tight curl of the index finger and R hand (analogy was the difference between a skater with their arms out and close to their body, that angular momentum thing.)

[Pete Martin]

Use a metronome at 80 beats per minute. Play two notes per beat. Bring the metronome up in tempo 4 or 5 beats a minute until it is as fast as it can go, or you can go. Go back to 80, play 3 notes per beat, repeat. Repeat playing 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 notes per beat, starting slower on the metronome if necessary. You'll have a controlled tremelo in a few weeks.

[John Flynn]

I've noticed some pickers who avoid planting will make an exception for tremolo.
That may well be true, but you don't have to plant or post or even brush to do tremlo well. In fact, posting can be downright limiting if you are doing double-stop tremlos. As I worked to cure myself of habitual posting, though, tremlo was the second to the last thing I gave up posting on. Cross-picking is my last hold out, but I think I have that one mostly licked now also. Not-posting is very liberating!

[ira]

i have been forcing myself not to post on tremolos as it can cause a thump with my pickup. i have found that when unamped my tremolo is much smoother as well.-bonus!

[Fretbear]

Getting good tremolo from planting or posting, will be in spite of it, not because of it. I know a virtuoso guitar player who gets a nice mandolin tremolo from his elbow, through a locked wrist, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[steve in tampa]

pactice scales, arpeggios, applying the tremelo to every other note.