Paul Gilbert

• Start every technique at 50% of your target speed — if the mechanics are clean at slow tempos, speed comes automatically. Speed practice at tempo is wasted practice
• Alternate picking is the foundation — every note is picked with strict down-up-down-up unless an open string or position shift makes economy picking necessary
• The pick barely protrudes from the fingers — Gilbert holds the pick so that only 2-3mm of pick tip is exposed, reducing wasted motion
• Use a thin string set (.09s) — lighter strings allow greater speed and the bend range needed for his phrasing without excessive hand fatigue
• The tone is warm and mid-forward — do not scoop the EQ. The warmth comes from the amp's natural midrange, not treble boost
• Rhythmic precision matters more than fast notes — Gilbert counts subdivisions (sixteenth notes at 120bpm is 8 notes per second, know exactly where each one lands)
• The Whammy is used for dive-bomb effects on specific, composed points in solos — not as a constant effect
• Economy picking bridges alternate picking and sweep picking — on three-note-per-string descending runs, use the extra pick motion efficiently
• Video record your practice — Gilbert has always advocated watching your own technique to identify inefficiencies invisible to the player

Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big and Racer X is the pinnacle of discipline-based shred — his technique is the product of thousands of hours of deliberate, methodical practice rather than natural talent. He emphasises the importance of economy and precision over raw speed.