Three Finger Guitar Technique

**Shadow of the Sun** · 03-11-2019, 07:32 PM

Reg's approach allows him to think of playing the guitar much like a pianist would because he always knows where every note is and how he can overlay stuff over the top of what he's playing.

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-12-2019, 04:59 AM

Originally Posted by Robertkoa

I say the World Class 4 finger Player wins - not even close ....

That's why he'll probably win a gold medal at the guitar olympics in 2022.
I'm more interested in music than sports.

**Alter** · 03-12-2019, 09:00 AM

For me at least, 3 finger technique is not about efficiency, but about authenticity of style. When learning the music of players that used it, on an instrument like the guitar, it makes sense to approach the fretboard in a similar fashion.

Blues is the same way. You can fret the same old licks a million ways, but if you want to sound like you are coming from somewhere you have to do them in a specific fashion.

For me its all part of finding your voice. I wouldn't use 3 fingers if playing metal or fusion for example, but for jazz and blues i like the way it makes you play and sound, so i mostly use it.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-12-2019, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

O, yes, she would agree that it's a minor key song. But Am is the ii of G. Most think of it as the vi of C, which it also is. The one different note would be F# (in G) for F (in C).

I think of it as the i of Am

**matt.guitarteacher** · 03-13-2019, 09:34 AM

I guess a sizeable chunk of this thread is gone now...

**joe2758** · 03-13-2019, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher

I guess a sizeable chunk of this thread is gone now...

what do you mean, it got censored?

**christianm77** · 03-13-2019, 09:47 AM

Well, that's a loss to humanity

**MarkRhodes** · 03-14-2019, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Yes. This. Exactly. Thank you, Christian.

**monk** · 03-14-2019, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher

I think there is always an assumption of lost opportunity, in choosing "the wrong way" or what may eventually BE the wrong way for you in the end. If you spend too much time chasing after one thing , what's the cost of all that time that could've been spent pursuing one thing well?

I now think that this fear is completely overblown. Hal Galper made a statement that kind of summed up what has become my gut feeling about learning things like this. He said, "All learning is global". If you work on 3-finger playing (or 2-finger) for a time, the end result may be that you "magically" achieve improved results in 4-finger playing as well. The mind doesn't work only in the linear, analytical way that we thing it does.

I think the takeaway might be that not only is it OK to explore other ways without hindering your "real way" but also that the "lost time" and opportunity cost fear may be a non-issue as well.

I feel like much of this discussion is based in the fear of choosing "the wrong way".

Good post, Matt. I think that I may have touched on this in one of my posts early on in this thread. I can't begin to enumerate the number of times over the years that I've changed the way I hold a plectrum or how I address the fingerboard with my LH. I never thought of a change in technique as refuting anything that I had previously learned but rather a refinement of what I had already learned. I understand that some people are reluctant to make extreme changes after spending X amount of months, years, or decades playing a certain way. But for me, making these changes was a logical way to get closer to the music that I wanted to play.

At one point, many years ago, I went on an obessive how-did-Django-use-his-lefthand journey for over a year. During that time I listened to nothing but Django. As I learned to play melodies and phrases that learned from recordings I noticed that the two-finger approach began to insert itself into things that I would play in other styles of music and that it began to blend itself with my use of three and four fingers.

My big takeaway from this period was that I learned that learning to play guitar really well is about solving problems. That's what Django did. In the face of never being able to play again he rolled up his sleeves and he solved his problems.

For me, learning to play the music that I wanted to play, in the manner in which it was played originally required me to do a lot of detective work and commit to making the changes I needed to make. After spending the time on Django's LH I then realized that there was also a RH thing going on that was going to require some serious work. I was willing to make the commitment. I never saw learning Django's technique or Charlie Christian's or George Van Eps' technique as refuting anything that I'd learned before but more an enlarging of my toolbox.

As I've said before, do what you need to do to play the music you want to play. But as someone who has been playing for a half-century I can state without reservation that what you are doing today may not be what you want to do next year or 10 years from now.

I believe the the best thing to be is flexible; flexible enough to realize that to be able to play what you want to play may require changing the way you've always done things.

Regards,
Jerome

**ESCC** · 03-14-2019, 02:38 PM

Monk/Jerome good to have you participating in the Forum once again. Your posts are always constructive and insightful.

**Robertkoa** · 04-05-2019, 12:35 PM

Stochelo has done the 'software upgrade' I mentioned near the beginning of the thread...if you watch some of his other Vids you can see he can use his Pinky at will.

You Guys are great for Theory - and I have learned and continue to learn ..

But if you can't even play most of Stochelo's vocabulary and beyond - you can't teach me how to pick .
I am learning WHAT to pick not HOW .

But I can Play.

So depending upon your Goals - I would do the 'software upgrade '...

Won't matter to me . I been on this road a long long while.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 04-05-2019, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Robertkoa

Stochelo has done the 'software upgrade' I mentioned near the beginning of the thread...if you watch some of his other Vids you can see he can use his Pinky at will.

You Guys are great for Theory - and I have learned and continue to learn ..

But if you can't even play most of Stochelo's vocabulary and beyond - you can't teach me how to pick .
I am learning WHAT to pick not HOW .

But I can Play.

So depending upon your Goals - I would do the 'software upgrade '...

Won't matter to me . I been on this road a long long while.

So, you spend the whole thread basically being the ONLY individual telling others what they should or should not be doing, and then your perception is that the opposite is actually occurring? Why don't you just ALLOW the people who actually WANT to discuss USING this technique the freedom to do so in peace?

I'm probably NOT going to pursue the 3-finger thing anytime soon either, but doesn't that actually mean that it's not really OUR discussion?

**Robertkoa** · 04-05-2019, 11:41 PM

Matt- Your post is ridiculous - I was trying to understand and concede some possible benefits read the thread
Stop trying to be Captain America and defend people against Robert K Scorpio the evil alternate cross picker from the dark matter universe.

Read what I said earlier in the thread ...

And I was never so arrogant to tell someone to leave the thread which you just did to me ..lol.

So sure I never said they can not be 3 Fingered Players and I never said you can't be like a Captain America of the Forum either and carry a metal guitar that doubles as a shield.

Now I did say that to play like the higher tier chops Players they will have to do the upgrade and work the pinky so it's ready - hardly a direct order or something that would hurt their fragile Psyche which you are sworn to protect.
AND they could STILL be 3 fingered Players according to Christian's broader definition AFTER the upgrade .

You didn't get it .And you are blinded by my confidence which is so offensive grrrrr - I get it...

And I am not sworn to justify my thoughts or actions or right to free speech to you either - this is far more than you deserve of my time....

Your Posts aren't even questioning my views or maybe I am incorrect ( sure a definite possibility ) ..on this Topic .

Your posts are' why am I here commanding people to do things? and why am I on this thread .'.. it's twilight zone off Topic.
And nothing was directed at you until now .

Like I said to someone else -

"Only People who like Teles ."

"Only people who use P4 please"

'Only GJ Players '

No Grey Haired People

People who use 3 Fingered Technique Only .

I will stay away .

I am not here to argue .

I am here on this Post partially to put YOU in check for your arrogant exaggeration and mischaracterization of my posts .
Look at what I wrote earlier in this thread And look at what you said above

And telling me to leave ...

Ridiculous .

Leaving cuz out of time ....

Green belts are driving Pros off the Forum gradually ....

**matt.guitarteacher** · 04-06-2019, 07:57 AM

Sheesh. No one is telling you to leave. You have the right to keep debating a topic that others don't seem to be interested in arguing about.

Your "against" vote has been recorded multiple multiple times. At what point DOES it become the person who goes to the thread on "Best Pick up Configuration for Classic Tele Tone" who keeps restating over and over some variation of "You aren't listening. You just don't get it. Teles just suck". It's bad enough to shout down others with a constant opposition to the TOPIC of the OP, but when you basically accuse others of telling YOU what you should be doing re your own PLAYING?
Too much. Never happened and it reads as delusion.

Originally Posted by Robertkoa

Green belts are driving Pros off the Forum gradually ....

Where have you posted examples of your own amazing playing? I must have missed it?

**Robertkoa** · 04-06-2019, 11:35 AM

don't waste your time , didn't read your post ...no one cares ...exiting this thread...
forever...getting too pathetic

**cosmic gumbo** · 04-06-2019, 07:00 PM

I wanted to be post #600 in a nine year old thread. Woo hoo!

**MarkRhodes** · 04-06-2019, 09:20 PM

I love to watch Wes play.

**princeplanet** · 04-08-2019, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

I love to watch Wes play.

Every time I watch Wes part of me is thinking "Damn!, I shoulda gone down the 3 finger road, me and my 4 fingers ain't never gonna sound like that!"... And then I realise that none of the 3 fingered players in the world are ever gonna sound like that either.