Cracking the Code

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Cracking the Code Cracking the Code is a groundbreaking documentary series that explores the puzzle of virtuoso guitar picking.

The acclaimed Cracking the Code project melds archival footage, in-depth interviews, animations, and advanced video analysis to solve the puzzle of virtuoso guitar picking.

07/02/2026

“There was no Instagram...” Well, not gonna lie... In the meantime, turn the Devil’s weapon against him with the Steve Vai sevens lick! Get your hands synchronized with the Synchronicity seminar, now 58 lessons and almost four hours as of today’s update. Link in bio.

What shape is cat? Magnet shape.
05/12/2026

What shape is cat? Magnet shape.

05/01/2026

You know the formula! Alternate on the string, sweep in between: that’s strict economy picking. Here’s Cracking the Code instructor with a favorite Maj9 shape for getting into this style of playing.

04/23/2026

In Cracking The Code, we like to start solving the “inside” Paul Gilbert pattern first. With this pattern, if you get stuck in the strings, you’ll feel it. This gives you strong tactile feedback, so you’ll know when it’s working. And two, the rotational two-way pickslanting motions (“2wps”) that help you escape during the string changes also provide strong tactile feedback. They feel “obvious”, because they are something you consciously “do”. This is a powerful double signal to your motor system. In plain English, this pattern may feel more snaggy to navigate the strings at first, and the motions may feel exaggerated if you are new to them - but that’s actually a great starting point. For personalized video review of your technique, find us at Cracking The Code! Link in our bio.

04/22/2026

“Slanting the pick” is not enough. The most common pickslanting fail is when you can do the form while stationary or fake the motion while playing slowly, but when you speed up, you still try to move parallel to the strings. This can prevent you from moving at all due to garage spikes. Here’s how that works.

usxmotion pickslanting downwardpickslanting escapemotion shredguitar shred guitarlesson guitarlessons guitarsdaily riffwars lickwars guitarsolo guitar

04/22/2026

Young Joe Pass melting faces on a Jaguar is just the coolest thing ever. Our latest lesson is a collaboration with the amazing who contributed the musical and historical erudition while Cracking the Code handles the picking plumbing. The lesson clocks in at 40 minutes and man was this a workout. Joe is a serious athlete, downpicking at 270-280 beats per minute eighth notes like it’s nothing. It took some time to get these lines down and I only had to a play a few bars of it. Try to get those three-string sweeps in time without too much of an obvious gap, and then quickly come back for yet another downstroke right after it to start the pentatonic bit. Lord. You can check out the full lesson on YouTube - link in our bio.

usxmotion pickslanting downwardpickslanting escapemotion shredguitar shred guitarlesson guitarlessons guitarsdaily riffwars lickwars guitarsolo guitar

Magnet packaging 16-pound stress test.
11/11/2025

Magnet packaging 16-pound stress test.

Infinite thanks to the amazing for inviting me to play *way* too many notes over their classic closer “Muffin Man” at t...
04/17/2025

Infinite thanks to the amazing for inviting me to play *way* too many notes over their classic closer “Muffin Man” at the storied Town Hall here in NYC. What a thrill! Dweezil, the band, and the entire crew were so gracious and accommodating, this felt like a free massage at the Plaza Hotel. Also, in an era with so many questions about authenticity in music, everyone in this band is a RIDICULOUS player: on guitar and whatever else is lying around, on keys and every possible wind thing, .morgan.music on the low end, on the kit, and Bobby Victor on keys. They get up and deliver these impossible tunes nightly with improv from the instrumental to the vocal to the physical. Shout out to who also guested on two songs and absolutely *slayed*, as you would expect. I don’t have those notes on my guitar but I’m glad someone does. Finally thanks to for the after-hours guitar tech support and Leslie Valdes for the clutch videography. Pics or it didn’t happen!

Instead of pumping quarters into Galaga at the pizza place, imagine you and your school friends started a band instead. ...
03/23/2025

Instead of pumping quarters into Galaga at the pizza place, imagine you and your school friends started a band instead. Now imagine 40 years later, Wyld Stallyns has become Dream Theater and still tours the corners of the globe, thrilling the people. Congrats to and for the amazing tunes and continued success! Truly an inspiration.

Trying to find the power adapter for the Powerbook G4 used on the early Cracking the Code interviews. It’s amazing how ...
01/21/2025

Trying to find the power adapter for the Powerbook G4 used on the early Cracking the Code interviews. It’s amazing how much old digital stuff I have that still works. The TV is a Sony Trinitron the from ‘80s that came stock with RGB input. (Model KV-25XBR for the curious.) There wasn’t much you could actually plug into it at the time. But the RGB-modded 2600 and 2800 go right in with no upscaling needed. Picture is killer - just as good as contemporary monitors like the Commodore 1702. If you’ve only ever played the old systems through the antenna, this is a whole other animal. CRT video is notoriously hard to photograph, but the Ataris all output essentially 60p without interlacing in the traditional sense. This is incredible for a 1977 device. So with a few tries to get lucky on the frame rate, you can actually film it. Here’s a pretty representative clip.

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