Circular picking
A picking motion that traces a small ellipse, blending the downstroke and upstroke into one continuous loop.
Instead of a straight up-and-down see-saw, the hand moves in a tight circle, so the pick follows a path that dips below the string on the downstroke and rises above it on the upstroke. The loop is continuous and never fully stops, which makes fast repeated picking sound smoother and less mechanical than a strictly linear motion. It also reduces the amount the hand has to reverse direction, which is why some players find it less tiring at high speeds.
Example: A bluegrass player whose right hand seems to be drawing small circles while playing a fast fiddle tune is using circular picking.
See also
Related
- PagePick slanting
- PageWrist rotation
- PageTremolo picking
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley