How to do line runs fingerstyle??

[NSJ]

You cannot go wrong checking out Steve Herberman's master class on electric finger style playing .
Electric Fingerstyle Guitar | Lesson by Steve Herberman | Mike's Master Classes

He writes

"Playing fingerstyle on an electric guitar or steel string acoustic can be a very different experience than on a classical guitar. If you use nails you need to keep them in prime condition and steel strings can sure be tough on nails! In this class I’ll demonstrate which techniques have personally worked for me though years of experimentation in various playing situations. The material presented is also applicable to acoustic steel string guitarists and the jazz nylon string player.
For most guitarists playing single note lines on an electric is frustrating because it’s hard to equal the tone, conviction and swing of an expertly flat-picked line. But it can be done and can often give a fuller sound than a flatpick possibly with more tonal variation and nuances. The class will address many issues: principals in achieving" a full sound before plugging into an amp, ideal free stroke angles, muting techniques, all things nail; nail lengths, nail shapes, filing etc, left hand slurs, right hand one finger sweeps, discussion of string gauges and types, alternating index and middle, alternating index and ring, using the same finger to play 2 and 3 consecutive notes between slurs, pattern picking, and more. Written examples accompany the video that further clarify the right hand fingerstyle picking techniques applied to distinct musical phrases. In the examples the left hand notation is also given to show the optimal positions that make the lines swing, project and yield a horn-like phrasing and articulation that can only occur when both hands are in sync and balanced. Fingerstyle guitar can add another dimension to your electric playing by expanding the variety of textures and adding counterpoint much more easily. Join me for a fun and informative class on fingerstyle electric guitar techniques.

[lawson-stone]

Joe was mostly finger style player, but when he wanted to really burn especially in terms of lines and bebop, he always picked up the pick . Usually a very small teardrop pick that he cut in half

Watching videos, I think you'll find Joe could burn bop lines finger style much faster and cleaner that most of us ever will with a pick. Sure, he'd grab the pick when he wanted a certain attack at a certain tempo, but I've watched a lot of Joe Pass video, and he can do those lines interspersed with chord passages finger style at an unnaturally quick tempo.

[lawson-stone]

Here's a pretty representative example of Joe Pass clipping along at a pretty nice tempo (170 or so) mixing chord-melody and single-note bop lines on "Satin Doll" all finger style.

[lawson-stone]

One last... Joe Pass playing "Stella by Starlinght" at about 190-200, finger style, with bop runs all over the place.

Also... his RH technique owes much to classical playing. He doesn't prop on his pinky, for example. I have always admired the cleanness of Joe's technique, both RH and LH. This clip shows it.

[NSJ]

One last... Joe Pass playing "Stella by Starlinght" at about 190-200, finger style, with bop runs all over the place.

Also... his RH technique owes much to classical playing. He doesn't prop on his pinky, for example. I have always admired the cleanness of Joe's technique, both RH and LH. This clip shows it.

Joe's technique is beautiful but it more of a DIY thing than any classical training--which he had none. As he told Steve Herberman, "do whatever you need to do that makes you feel comfortable". That's the most important rule. Which includes repeating fingers instead of strictly alternating. Repeated fingering is a BIG classical/flamenco NO-NO. But it worked for Joe, and that's all that matters.

The interesting thing is, my old teacher, whom I mentioned here before was really close to Joe (and a world class classical guitarist in his own right who sought out instruction in that field from everyone from Bream to Manuel Lopez Ramos ) really tried to get Joe to play 7 string because he felt Joe had the right fingerstyle technique for it. But he failed. Joe wound up returning the 7 string to him, saying it would be too much work to re-learn everything.

It just tells me that Joe's technique was very much a personal thing a DIY operation. And not exactly copyable.

Basically, Joe was truly one of a kind. But we all know this.

[lawson-stone]

I see a lot in Joe's technique that is very worth trying to copy. I admire how he does not need to prop his RH on the pickguard, how his LH thumb stays on the back of the neck, how his LH technique always involves playing in position and rarely features big jumps or stretches. His RH looks rather effortless. I think these are in fact habits he acquired when he first started on the Carcassi book before his teacher dumped him.

[NSJ]

I see a lot in Joe's technique that is very worth trying to copy. I admire how he does not need to prop his RH on the pickguard, how his LH thumb stays on the back of the neck, how his LH technique always involves playing in position and rarely features big jumps or stretches. His RH looks rather effortless. I think these are in fact habits he acquired when he first started on the Carcassi book before his teacher dumped him.

Yeah, one thing I love about his technique is he operates by the credo, "if it's too hard or uncomfortable, I ain't doing it". People like he and Wes had complete mastery of the seemingly simple stuff, and that contributed to them making it look effortless.

The more I get into it, the more I realize it's the critical importance of mastering of the elemental and simple things in music, the fundamentals.

[goldenwave77]

There is a little bit of the "dumb paysan" routine, I think, in Joe Pass' description of his knowledge. I think he knew, a whole lot more than he let on, and more importantly, could play it.

Conti, as well, describes himself as a "street musician" of sorts...but he studied with Joe Sgro, a classical violin prodigy who took up guitar and was a famous Philly area teacher. His recommended fingerings are very classically based it seems to me...4 fingers in position, minimal use of slides, etc.

It really can't be debated, it seems to me, that fingerstyle ought to be faster, and better for string skipping playing. In that sense, it probably is best for bebop heads.

The question, I think, is articulation, and a lot of fingerstyle players seem to be a little more toward the "polite" end of the playing spectrum...without a lot of the pop that the pick can give you. Play "Hot House" and try to make those phrases pop, like they should, and it's easier with the pick.

I prefer Joe P's playing with small groups, usually pick-based, but I think his finger style got more developed and better as he went on.

[lawson-stone]

Yeah, one thing I love about his technique is he operates by the credo, "if it's too hard or uncomfortable, I ain't doing it". People like he and Wes had complete mastery of the seemingly simple stuff, and that contributed to them making it look effortless.

The more I get into it, the more I realize it's the critical importance of mastering of the elemental and simple things in music, the fundamentals.

Right on all counts there. What's hard to know is whether what seems easy right now will actually be easier at an advanced stage? Some "hard" techniques once mastered make many things easier, but yes, getting the basic stuff down is central. I haven't paid much attention, for example, to my pick strokes until I started pushing tempos past 120 or so. Suddenly then it because important, so now I'm paying a lot of attention to my RH pick technique, especially since for most of my life I've been mainly a finger-style player.

[sunaj]

Yup ... ping pong ball is actually the industry standard. Sounds and feels more like real nail then even highest quality fake nails. Weird as it sounds.

Jason Vieaux's fingers are so long that he keeps about and inch of ping pong ball permanently attached to his thumb to even it out with the rest. It looks bizarre

I started using Guitar Player nails and it felt like advancing to another dimension, like anything else takes some doing to put them on right and maintain them, also they have much better tone than typical nails sold at a drug store; you break a nail your toast, with these you just fix it.

It does seem silly some guitar purist would disparage a good tool, but its no different than using a fingerpick-if it enhances your technique use it

[Alter]

i always thought Kevin Eubanks was a monster player in that. I remember hearing the Live at Bradley's cd for the first time!!

--hehe notice he has the brand of the guitar taped on the headstock! No free advertising..

[emanresu]

I've never ran out of nails when playing even 4-5 days 7-8ish hours on vacations. They take a certain shape but thats it. They grow faster than needed. But I don't use nearly as much force as with classical guitar, so there's that. The annoying naily sound is actually the same with classical guitar - just have to adjust and experiment with the tone a lot. And sandpaper.. Then it's gone. Nice and round.

[kraml]

MG, with a thumbpick and that big Super Eagle, you must learn a Merle Travis tune or two! kraml

[Hadifuld]

Thanks. This is helpful for me since I'm currently mastering the guitar.