Have never seen a thread about this, about Ed's playing today

**bkaraujo** · 07.25.06, 06:16 PM

When you watch older VH 80's through say early 90's. When Ed would pick fast he would hold his hand out away from the bridge and pick extremly fast almost like there was a motor in his wrist. Its hard to explain hopefully one of you guys will understand what I am trying to say. I have tried to pick fast like that and and is hard to be precise and in time.

Anyways fast forward to now I have not seen him pick like that anymore. He now seems to rest his hand on the bridge and pick up and down fast.

Has anyone else noticed this? May be he just can't do it anymore

**Hack** · 07.25.06, 06:33 PM

I'm not a guitar player, but I know exactly what your talking about. When he does it the old way with his middle finger and thumb vibrating like a motor, that's one of my favorite "tricks" to watch him do. I know it wasn't a trick, but I didn't see anyone else doing it. It was fast, smoothe, and precise.

**bsm40** · 07.25.06, 06:33 PM

Since VHIII tour, Ed carries his guitar much lower. Tougher to play the same technique that we all came to love from the 70's and 80's. Just compare the older live videos with the current ones. It's like changing a successfull golf swing for one that looks better on camera. I don't like it, but who am I to critique the king of the guitar?

Tougher to pick fast, palm mute, and to attack the strings like he use to. My best guess is that he want's to look modern. I see this all the time with younger guitar players in my area. They always want to play with better technique, but when I suggest they raise the guitar to improve the techique, they decide that looking cool is more important than playing well.

**Foamfoot** · 07.25.06, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by bkaraujo

When you watch older VH 80's through say early 90's. When Ed would pick fast he would hold his hand out away from the bridge and pick extremly fast almost like there was a motor in his wrist. Its hard to explain hopefully one of you guys will understand what I am trying to say. I have tried to pick fast like that and and is hard to be precise and in time.

Anyways fast forward to now I have not seen him pick like that anymore. He now seems to rest his hand on the bridge and pick up and down fast.

Has anyone else noticed this? May be he just can't do it anymore

I believe it's called "tremelo picking".

**Lightning Fingers** · 07.25.06, 07:13 PM

Whenever my friends asked me how I could pick that fast, I always referenced it to how EVH did it and I'd describe is as fluttering or pendulum picking. It's actually called tremolo picking.

**VH-is-Alive** · 07.25.06, 07:40 PM

Didn't I read somewhere that he used to use a forked pick to essentially double the speed, as well?

.

**Axxman300** · 07.25.06, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by VH-is-Alive

Didn't I read somewhere that he used to use a forked pick to essentially double the speed, as well?

.

No.

**cyberfiddl** · 07.26.06, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Hack

I know it wasn't a trick, but I didn't see anyone else doing it. It was fast, smoothe, and precise.

That fast picking style is just one of the bazillions of things I ripped off him. Maybe I should be wearing a cup...

**DreamIsOver** · 07.26.06, 05:00 AM

The biggest change I've noticed in Eddie's playing started around the time of FUCK. If you listen to almost any song from '91 on, his solo's are all constructed of two bar phrases or licks. Listen to the solo in Poundcake and count to 8 along with the music during the solo. A lick will always start on 1 and end on 8. It's a format he has used extensivley ever since. I'm not saying it makes it bad but it means his solos are more structured and thought out as opposed to the reckless abandon of the CVH years.

**hellohawk** · 07.26.06, 05:59 AM

I always called that his hummingbird picking.

He doesn't do that anymore because I just think he has lost his fastball, which happens with age, no biggie. Do you think Clemens will be pitching a mid-90's heater when he's 50?

But I think Ed's still looking for great innovative sounds from the guitar IMHO. I just wish he'd release some and share "the gift".

**SuckaInA3Piece** · 07.26.06, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by DreamIsOver

The biggest change I've noticed in Eddie's playing started around the time of FUCK. If you listen to almost any song from '91 on, his solo's are all constructed of two bar phrases or licks. Listen to the solo in Poundcake and count to 8 along with the music during the solo. A lick will always start on 1 and end on 8. It's a format he has used extensivley ever since. I'm not saying it makes it bad but it means his solos are more structured and thought out as opposed to the reckless abandon of the CVH years.

Good point there.

About his guitar hanging low, I thought he started doing that after he devoloped problems with his hip. It certainly has effected his playing, that's for sure.

He also doesn't do tapped harmonics during his fills as much as he used too. Matter of fact, he rarely tapped the three times I saw him in 2004.

Wherever he got the tenacity in his playing in 95-98, he needs to find it again. I miss that Eddie. Now he just seems so....predictable.

**sixstring** · 07.26.06, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by cyberfiddl

That fast picking style is just one of the bazillions of things I ripped off him. Maybe I should be wearing a cup...

One billion and fourteen...

**AllThaStuff** · 06.30.07, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Axxman300

No.

Yes he did. I remember seeing it in the US Festival vid. When he's done with the pick he hides it again and then shows his hands to the audience like a magician, as if to say "Where'd it go?!"

Rob

**sinner's swing** · 06.30.07, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by AllThaStuff

Yes he did. I remember seeing it in the US Festival vid. When he's done with the pick he hides it again and then shows his hands to the audience like a magician, as if to say "Where'd it go?!"

Rob

ummmm to reiterate, no.