|
Post by BigBadDom on Sept 29, 2004 20:27:46 GMT
Michael, Love your CD's! (unashamed creeping before revealing my bad habits...). I'm planning on attending the Acoustic Blues weekend at Pocklington in November and I'm interested to get your views on the following...
1. I've tried playing with fingerpicks, but got used to playing without them. Is it worth the effort to re-adjust using picks? I tend to play in a more laid back style, not necessarily needing the extra volume and attack of using picks, but wonder if I'm missing out on a fundamental ingredient of slide/reso playing.
2. My worst habit is not resting my thumb on the back of the neck to support my hand when using a slide. It just hangs free, with the weight of my hand supported by the slide. Is this a real no-no?
3. Can you recommend any particular songs/drills/exercises to improve my playing. I've learned some of the basics and want to move on.
Thanks, Dom
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Sept 29, 2004 23:11:47 GMT
REPLY TO DOM:
Hi Dom,
Good to hear from you. Thanks.....glad you like the music! I will do my best to answer your questions and hopefully see you at Pocklington in November.
Fingerpicks: Well I have used them for a long time, over twenty years, so I am very used to wearing them. I wear plastic Dunlop heavy gauge finger picks & thumbpicks, sometimes different brands, but mostly Dunlop. I used metal (old National ones) for ten years and then changed to plastic. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and the only way to find out is to try both. I do not believe that you have to wear fingerpicks to play a National guitar & pick delta blues music. These days there are too many rule books, DVDs and Internet websites that tell you what you should be doing to play this music....you gotta wear these picks & use this slide and make sure you do it this way or that way..... This also relates to your second question about resting your finger behind the neck; personally speaking, I reckon it is more controlled and better to rest your thumb, however Ican think of some great slide players who don't rest their thumb behind the neck at all times. The main thing is to play in tune & get a good tone, that is what you are looking for....good tone & getting the notes in tune. Don't worry about the rule books.......most of the people who create styles that everyone copies did so by doing what they felt was right. BUT....this has to be done with a certain amount of quality control & logic.
Your last question about recommendations for improving and developing: To begin with, don't complicate your life by trying to learn too much at once. Pick one or two of your favourite artists and become obsessed with how they play & what they play......listen to their music until you know it inside out. There is no better way to develop your ear & understanding than by listening to a lot of music. Try & copy the style, perhaps pick one or two songs and work on them. Pick up any hint you can from anywhere, go and see other players, read about it, and so on. These days it is almost too easy to gather information, so be careful!
Dom, don't get bogged down in over-learning and studying, but if you want to learn and develop your playing....just become obsessed and play music & practice until everyone around you, including the cat, is asking for some peace & quiet.
Have fun & keep in touch.
Oh....in addition to the above....I also play lots without fingerpicks, it's a great sound.
Shine On, Michael.
|
|
|
Post by leeophonic on Oct 1, 2004 8:52:20 GMT
The world of guitar players are full of people with bad habits, Mark knopfler, cedel davis,Roy smeck, ted hawkins and Ry cooder does not use picks and yet he nails the sound he wants! Whenever I think about the traditional classical approach to playing I am reminded of the opening scenes in the crossroads film where the tutor wants nothing to do with the student unless he follows the correct technique, OK it did save his Ass from the devil but play the way you feel and develop hybrid techniques along the way!
|
|
|
Post by ChickenboneJohn on Oct 4, 2004 8:52:57 GMT
Dom, don't worry about your technique...as long as it works for YOU. I don't get on well with finger picks, but sometimes use a thumbpick, and more often use a really thick flatpick.
As regards your thumb, I find when teaching slide novices, the thumb postition is often the thing that causes problems, as they are too used to gripping the neck and tend to "grab" the slide onto the frets. Also getting the vibrato right can sometimes be inhibited by the the combination of a hand that's not relaxed enough and the thumb anchoring the hand to the neck too strongly.
When teaching people slide, I always emphasise that you should let your own guitar technnique come through, especially with the right hand, so if you are used to using a flatpick or just fingers, and that feels and sounds right for you, go with it.
If it works for you, don't fret over it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2004 11:47:40 GMT
Hi BigBadDom As Michael said, there are no set rules, find out what works for you and develope it. Regarding Picks, thumbs, slides, and all that technical stuff you just have to work out what suits you. No two guitar players hands are identical so while one can bend his thumb back to his wrist and does not need a thumb pick another cannot (thats me!) and uses a thumb pick for most of the time. You'll know which you are. To learn techniques there is no better way than listening to and mastering existing styles (try MM and Robert Johnson for starters). Don't just practice up set pieces, you can be hamstrung by memorising the correct TAB and then forgetting to play the music. Allow yourself some relaxation and enjoyment by jamming and letting yourself go. Forget about being note perfect. Experiment. All of those new technical skills will run under the surface on automatic and your music will begin to flow. You'll also accidentally play interesting sequences etc that you can use later. Piece enough of them together and you'll have a distinctive style. ChickenBoneJohn said 'if it feels and sounds right for you, then go with it.' I agree. Don't let the rules get in the way of your music.
|
|
|
Post by Larry Conrad on Oct 4, 2004 18:18:48 GMT
Hi BigBadDom, I read your comment about fingerpicks as perhaps having to do with frustration at getting used to them. At least, that was how I felt at first. I would put them on and then get fed up at the clumsy results. So what I did was to tell myself that I would give them two weeks and never play without them, just to try to get used to them. By the end of that time I could actually say that I liked them. I still like to play with and without, but I'm glad I perservered with them. The results are still clumsy , but that's a different thread. Larry
|
|
|
Post by Big Bad Dom on Oct 4, 2004 19:30:21 GMT
Thanks for the positive replies and for not telling me I'm wrong! I've played guitar for several years, but learning slide has taken patience to start at the beginning again.
Chickenbone, I've tried quite a few slides and your bottleneck (eBay purchase about a year ago) is still by far the sweetest, mellowest sounding.
I'm feeling even more inspired now, as I've booked my place on the Blues Weekend in Pocklington at the end of November.
Cheers all, BBD
|
|
|
Post by ChickenboneJohn on Oct 7, 2004 6:35:42 GMT
Hey Dom, glad to hear you like that slide! Such kind words.... totally unexpected and unsolicited too! Keep on slidin'
|
|
|
Post by Colin McCubbin on Oct 15, 2004 1:19:54 GMT
Having watched many of my favourite players doing, er, unusual things with their instruments, I have to concur with the line of thought that says:
Rule #1... There are no rules! <smile>
Watch Stuart Cumberpatch play Hawaiian... First finger through a bottleneck, over the top of the guitar... & da bugga (that's Hawaiian for good guy) still plays way better than most!
Colin
|
|