-
Originally Posted by christianm77
Last edited by MatsP; 06-01-2015 at 08:13 PM.
-
06-01-2015 08:11 PM
-
I hold the pick (Dunlop II) so that it goes through the strings at an angle. I did this years ago to try and get a rounder, fuller tone. I figured it out by comparing it to my classical guitar technique, where the nails pass through the string almost diagonally. If you twist your hand and pluck the classical guitar so that the nails pass through 'perpendicular' to the strings, it sounds thin and unpleasant by comparison. I assume the reason that the 'angled' attack sounds better is because the nail profile is presented to the string more gradually, i.e. it sort of slides through the string with a 'longer/rounder' profile. The perpendicular attack is like a straight edge which passes through the string instantly, therefore a thinner, harder sound.
So I decided to apply the same approach with the pick, and it did seem to make a difference. The problem is how to hold the pick so that it is always presented at an angle. Eventually I evolved a slightly odd method of holding the pick between thumb and second finger to achieve the required angle. The first finger is just used to stabilise the pick without really gripping it. I never noticed the angle making a scratchy sound on the lower strings, not even when I used to use roundwounds. It still passes through the string too quickly for that to happen, I think.
I'm not sure if this method might limit my picking speed a bit (intuitively I think it may do), but I'm not really that interested in speed. I'm more interested in getting a big fat tone like Kenny Burrell for example.
Other than that, I alternate pick (with some slurs/pull-offs on the left hand) and I rest the base of my wrist very lightly on the strings near the bridge.
I think everyone just has to figure out their own picking approach, see if it works, if it doesn't change it. Everyone's hands (and goals) are different!
Some of the videos in my youtube link below probably give an idea of my picking approach.
-
Originally Posted by grahambop
-
Originally Posted by MatsP
-
Originally Posted by MatsP
-
I've been experimenting with picking in various ways lately- Benson picking, Gypsy picking, etc. I've settled on 'gypsy picking while allowing upstrokes on string changes'. So, a rotational movement of the wrist- what Pebber Brown refers to as "sarod picking".
To others who use a rotational picking approach, how much do you bend your wrist? I try to keep mine between flat and a 30 degree angle for single not picking, and increase the angle to perhaps 45-50 degrees for high speed chord work, like in funk (or, in a more jazzy context, la pompe).
-
Originally Posted by Shadow of the Sun
That wasn't an answer to your question, just wanted to let you know that I've tried your approach myself. I might get back to it, who knows
-
Originally Posted by MatsP
-
A floating hand gives you a lot more tonal flexibility with your legato playing than anchoring -- because you aren't stuck to the bridge, you can control your dynamics and the warmth of your playing to a much greater extent.
Anchoring is useful when you're playing really fast passages, or need to control how staccato your notes are.
Both techniques are useful though -- don't limit yourself to just one.
-
Originally Posted by Koshchei
-
Originally Posted by MatsP
-
Hi Mats,
Could you elaborate as to what "meaty" means? As in forte/fortissimo or ?
Also, for me at least, the guitar doesn't move. My playing is very loose and relaxed, and so the instrument tends to stay where I've put it. The guitars I play also tend to be very well balanced (Carvin/Kiesel), so I'm not fighting any inherent neck dive or other guitar defect.
hope this is useful
-
Originally Posted by Koshchei
-
I haven't noticed a substantive change in the fullness of my guitar's tone either way. However, I can make the tone darker by picking closer to the neck, and control the snap of the attack to a much greater extent when floating.
Definitely try relaxing more, if you're tense. As a rule of thumb, tension means that you're working a lot harder than you need to.
-
Originally Posted by Koshchei
-
I like to practice with the pick almost falling out of my fingers if that's any help.
Don't think that works for everyone, or all techniques.
-
I know what you mean, Christian. I've heard it advocated here and there. With a stiff pick it surely helps a lot to avoid getting stuck in the strings. I've just now realized what I'm doing wrong by the way, well this is in my book: I don't curl the index finger enough inwards, resulting in unnecessary force to keep the pick between the thumb and the index finger. Currently I let the first knuckle of the index finger *almost* meet the first knuckle of the thumb. It gives me a great stability, and I can focus on the wrist movement instead of caring about whether the fingers move, since they won't move a lot this way anyway. And the pick will sit fairly snugly, while still able to move, with no excessive force needed to keep it in place.
-
Originally Posted by MatsP
-
Originally Posted by christianm77
-
Nice clip of Harry Leahey's playing and his right hand/arm.
-
Harry was a master. Can't express enough how disappointed I am that as a fellow New Jersey guy, I never got to meet or study with him. He died very young. Too many jazz greats died too young.
-
Great memories Patrick. I remember going in 1979 to Gulliver's in Jersey to hear Harry's trio. Also, I remember Harry would be at Gulliver's with Phil Woods. Jimmy Raney had a trio there too. So did Jimmy Ponder. I remember my buddy Gene Valls taped those gigs with a cassette recorder we snuck in. Harry was incredible.
Last edited by ChuckCorbis; 07-16-2015 at 08:49 AM.
-
Gypsy guitars don't sound their best when the the top is dampened.
-
I've taken the liberty to send an e-mail to the great Andreas Öberg himself regarding his picking technique, etc. Nowadays he uses a floating right hand, not only for gypsy guitar, but for electric guitar as well. He is very close to the strings though, and the hand touches them occasionally as some kind of reference. As far as I understand it, he uses a Dunlop Delrin 500 1.14 mm, and he only lets a small part of the tip show. To each his own. Steve Kaufman lets a lot more of the pick show, but he's a flatpicker on acoustic guitar, so I suppose he has different requirements. Andreas told me he uses a 1.12 mm pick, but they don't exist, as far as I know.
-
Originally Posted by Philco
From Bar Chords to Bebop
Today, 02:33 PM in Improvisation