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Originally Posted by setemupjoe
So, Joe, how does Rodney start you off? What were the exercises that sold you or trained you to use this picking technique?
I've watched Benson videos and played around with it, some. But, if one wanted to get serious, where does one start?
Thanks for any insight you might provide.
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11-16-2011 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by JakeAcci
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Originally Posted by M-ster
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Originally Posted by JakeAcci
Last edited by fep; 11-17-2011 at 03:19 PM.
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Cool, this is fun to talk about...
The big picture from my perspective: find your technical strengths and work those to your advantage via re-fingerings or changing which pick strokes you're using. Alternatively, isolate pairs of notes and find what movements within the line are causing you the most trouble (then groups of three notes, then four) You'll find some parts are stronger than others.
Also, as with the other video, some of the 'mistakes' indicate to me coordination problems or left hand problems rather than picking problems, so that is something to investigate as well.
Combining all the possibilities I mentioned with "economy" picking you get a lot of options and different ways to play this, looking for symmetry in the right movements, making the right hand movements more consistent...I didn't mention many/any of the possible ways you could combine consecutive downstrokes or consecutive upstrokes (with or without slurs)
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Hey Jake,
You did nail the way and position of how I'm doing it with my left hand.
Great video and ideas, I'm going to play with the different positions and spurts.
Bummer about my tensing up, I really don't want to do that. That's why I don't like playing from the elbow, playing from the elbow tenses me up. My goal is to be relaxed, and for me to do that I've got to try to have it come from the wrist.
Edit: It is inspiring to see how fast and clean you play. There must also be an innate bit to picking fast... perhaps slow twitch vs. fast twitch muscles? Also, the brain's ability to coordinating the right and left hands together?Last edited by fep; 11-17-2011 at 04:28 PM.
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Originally Posted by fep
Bummer about my tensing up, I really don't want to do that. That's why I don't like playing from the elbow, playing from the elbow tenses me up. My goal is to be relaxed, and for me to do that I've got to try to have it come from the wrist.
Edit: It is inspiring to see how fast and clean you play. There must also be an innate bit to picking fast... perhaps slow twitch vs. fast twitch muscles? Also, the brain's ability to coordinating the right and left hands together?
I'm sort of a fast/fidgety/high energy person and that might have something to do with it...but I have worked on a lot of very detailed technical stuff on guitar and learned a lot...I really like the challenge of guitar technique! it's really fascinating to methe way different people try to solve the problem of playing fast lines on guitar...everybody from Paul Gilbert to Jimmy Bruno. Tim Miller also has a very interesting approach, same with Holdsworth or Kurt Rosenwinkel. FWIW, NONE of these guys are purely position players who alternate pick everything.
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Hey fep one thing (a big thing) that differs between you and Jake.
You are playing a small bodied guitar and Jake is playing a big one.
When you put your picking hand in position it is being held up by your shoulder.
It can't be helped. To hold your hand going over the bridge and being exactly where you want it to be is requiring your shoulder muscles to hold it up.....before you even begin picking.
Jake's arm is resting over the body of the instrument. The body is supporting the weight of his shoulder. The effort of Jakes hand assuming the picking position is much less than yours.
You are already tense by just holding your hand in position. The big muscles are already working.
Most players who play smaller bodied instruments do this. It's just the way that things have evolved and people haven't really studied what's happening with the entire arm and shoulder.
Even though Jake isn't using the Benson technique I think that playing a large bodied instrument is more supportive of the shoulder and frees up the wrist and hand.
One of the advantages of the Benson technique is that your shoulder is relaxed. The big bodied guitar is tucked up under the shoulder and the arm kind of drapes over the body. The side of the hand or just the side of the little finger is resting on the pick guard.
You are NOT holding up your arm with your shoulder and your arm is relaxed.
Then your hand is free to move. It's a wonderful and liberating feeling.
Now I'm not saying that this one "shoulder" thing will solve any coordination problems but it will give you some control back....that your shoulder is taking away. Players have just taken the "playing position" for granted. Perhaps it's not great?
That's my theory anyway. Make of it what you will.
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Hey Phil, interesting observations. However, I play a solid body half the time anyway and do the same stuff. Also, I play with a footstool so the size of the body of the guitar doesn't affect my right arm much.
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I mean it as a more general observation for guitar playing in general.
It seems that lot's of players have a problem with picking technique.
Evaluating every aspect of what that part of the body is doing could uncover the source of the problem.
People who are great pickers could probably get great results whilst standing on their heads in a zinc bathtub facing North.
Mere mortals need to explore every option and question things that are taken for granted.
I play a Tele and a jazz box. Like you I can play the same on both. But I notice it's way more comfortable and "free" on the jazz box.
For me it's the resting shoulder.
Thought I'd put the concept out there.
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Originally Posted by Jazzpunk
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Here's Rodney doing it ...
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Originally Posted by M-ster
I'm heading out to a gig but tomorrow I will post a few exercises that Rodney gave me on our first few lessons. This is all from 20 years ago so I'll have to dig them up. The main thing to remember is this. Get the hand position right. Hold the pick the correct way. Get the correct angle for the pick. Use sweep picking going from the low strings to the high strings. Use cross picking going from the high strings to the low strings.
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Originally Posted by setemupjoe
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Originally Posted by brwnhornet59
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Someone has done a compilation of GB and that right hand.
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Originally Posted by Philco
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The benson video at 4:49-4:50
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Originally Posted by fep
A lot of those little fast descending triplets (mainly blues) are achieved with a small "picking slide"...sometimes only 2 frets. This puts your hand in a whole new position with very little effort.
Pat Martino also employs this technique and demonstrates it in his first video.
On the other hand (so to speak) you have Bireli who can do similar stuff and doesn't use the Benson technique.
That's what I love about the guitar. It's a DIY instrument.
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Originally Posted by setemupjoe
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11-23-2011, 10:11 AM #46Nuff Said GuestOriginally Posted by setemupjoe
Nuff
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Sorry I'm dragging my heels guys. I will get this to you ASAP. I'm under a sea of sheet music right now on a deadline. I'm copying music for the orchestral sessions for a movie and also copying for a video game, both need to be finished on Friday, (didn't anyone tell them about the Thanksgiving holidays?) If I can't get to it this week I will definitely post stuff early next week.
Last edited by setemupjoe; 11-23-2011 at 02:46 PM.
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Better late than never. I hope this gives you some idea of how Rodney taught me about the Benson Technique.
Last edited by setemupjoe; 11-29-2011 at 08:49 PM.
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nice explanation joe. I think that's the most straightforward demo I've seen for this style of picking.
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11-30-2011, 11:03 AM #50Nuff Said GuestOriginally Posted by setemupjoe
Thanks again
Nuff
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