Can anyone give me some hints about playing staccato? (hope I spelled it right) I've been playing for only a few months now, but I'd like to become proficient at some of the basics of surf guitar. Anyway, are there any good exercises out there? Is there a special way to hold the pick? I'm getting pretty good at getting the timing down but of course I'd like to get faster. And also, when I palm mute, it usually mutes too much or not enough, though I have been lightly placing my palm on the bridge (I have a Dano Hodad) So is this just one of those 'practice makes perfect' deals, or is there something that I can do to really improve my staccato? Thanks for any suggestions!

yes, i agree, you'll get faster.

the way you hold the pick is up to you, but definetely choose the most comfortable way. when i first started staccato picking my hand would get tired in the most comfortable position, but now it's like second nature to me-and only about a year and a half after starting. it seems like that's a long time, but once the time has passed you'll be very suprized. it just takes muscle memory and indurance, and it'll become a lot easier to you over time.

also, my suggestion is start out with lighter strings. if you plan on moving up to heavier strings they will slow you down a bit at first, but by then you should have the muscle memory and the pick placement down from the lighter strings.

practice with a metronome as well, decide what your current speed threshold is through that, and just keep it on that and learn to keep a steady pace, then go faster...and faster...and faster...

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Thanks for the suggestions, they seem to be helping. I've also switched to using a heavier pick, and that seems to make a difference too. So, thanks a lot!

Short detached notes, as opposed to legato.

In my experience, I use a medium/heavy (.060") pick and use the more rounded edge (larger radius) and angle it slightly downward with the leading edge and hold it like you would pitch a penny. The strum comes from the elbow with the wrist accelerating/vibrating/even shaking. I try to vibrate my Strat while fretting too, push/pull, up/down on the neck slightly.
You don't have to pick hard on the strings. It's like a grinding sweep of the pick for friction (hence the term melting-the-pick) and a whole lot of fun.
I have see Dick Dale three times a few feet from the stage and observed his style....WOW!.. Feet planted, pick angled and he starts to build the speed and flies through the licks...awesome. Check out Youtube DD doing Nitro you'll get the idea ........and practice until you get it right.

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Just want to say that there is no correct way to do it-- people pick near the bridge, or over the pickups; some are all wrist, others have a stiff wrist and use forearm motion and some keep their wrist anchored on the bridge and just use finger motion; thin pick or heavy, light strings or cables. Try 'em all. you really need to find what you are comfortable with, and practice that A LOT!
--ferenc

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Oh, I need help with trem picking too then.

he was saying that it's just another word we use for it. although trem picking is the incorrect term, it still seems to be the most used.

tremolo(trem) picking=staccato picking=double picking...at least in this forum.

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zak
From the usually utterly unreliable wikipedia, a correct definition:

"In musical notation, the Italian word staccato (literally detached, plural staccatos or staccati) indicates that notes are sounded in a detached and distinctly separate manner, with silence making up the latter part of the time allocated to each note."

Staccato (at least where guitar is concerned) is palm-muting individual notes.

Technically speaking, Dick Dale-style double-picking is "tremolo" picking:

"A regular and rapid repetition of a single note, which is scored as a single note, and particularly used on bowed string instruments, the balalaika and plectrum instruments such as the mandolin family. On these latter instruments it is more often called a trill, but on electronic organ stops imitating these instruments it is generally called tremolo. In classical and flamenco guitar, tremolo refers to the technique of playing a bass line on top of a treble line consisting of rapidly repeating notes, often over a chord (i.e., with the same treble note over and over), although tremolos can become very complex. The effect is of two separate instruments playing the bass and treble lines, respectively.
A regular and rapid alternation between two notes, which is scored as a trill."

hmm...i guess a lot of people get tremolo confused with vibrato, with both are used in the same ways on fender amps...damn Leo, he confused us with his incorrect terminology.

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Some other examples of staccato playing are the Ventures version of Apache when they use heavy palm muting on the melody the second time around. They do this sound a lot, especially when they reiterate the melody to a tune up an octave and pour on the palm muting.. Other examples are Calcutta, Walk Don't Run, etc. Junior Brown's Surf Medley has this too. Staccato is the proper term for Miserlou and other "machine gun" tremelo picked tunes, but it also applies to the muted notes in the above mentioned tunes too.

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You're right man, nothing helps like practicing. I should do more of it. I got pretty good at it after a few years, but the last time I cranked one out on stage...muff. It was terrible, like ppphhhhbbbbbtttttttfart.

You can never practice too much.

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