Three fingered technique - actually RIGHT?

[lawson-stone]

As luck would have it, I who have never endorsed or liked the 3 finger LH approach, was watching video of Pat Metheny playing live, and with a start noted he plays with a very strong 3 fingered LH technique. Obviously not exclusively, but I was shocked at how much of his playing was 3 fingered.

[Christian Miller]

As luck would have it, I who have never endorsed or liked the 3 finger LH approach, was watching video of Pat Metheny playing live, and with a start noted he plays with a very strong 3 fingered LH technique. Obviously not exclusively, but I was shocked at how much of his playing was 3 fingered.

Yeah crazy isn’t it.

For the follow up for things you can’t unsee… everyone plays in low positions if they can.


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[GuyBoden]

Yeah crazy isn’t it.

For the follow up for things you can’t unsee… everyone plays in low positions if they can.

To my old ears at least, the notes on the Guitar sound best in the lower to middle positions.

[Jonah]

As luck would have it, I who have never endorsed or liked the 3 finger LH approach, was watching video of Pat Metheny playing live, and with a start noted he plays with a very strong 3 fingered LH technique. Obviously not exclusively, but I was shocked at how much of his playing was 3 fingered.

I incorporated 3 fingers in my (originally classical technique) as well as thumb over the neck and other technique not very typical for classical guitarists. And it definitely gave me more flexibility, more options for phrasing, articulation etc.

But I also think that most great players just stick to what they learnt at certain age.
I even dare think that one of the features of musical gift on the instrument is that technical decisions and details are treated much from practical perspective, the decision is taken quickly and then they move on.
They do not experiment a lot with strings brands or gauges, with 3 or 4 fingers technique, they choose solution, stick to it and then focus on music. And if there is an obstacle, they normally again find some solution quickly and do not come back.

[paulkogut]

A lot of the standard jazz advice gives you just the tip of the iceberg and leaves the student to work out the rest. "Chord Tones On Strong Beats" really means you need to be able to control the tension/release consonance/dissonance of your line. "Tap Your Foot" means you need to internalize a steady sense of pulse..

I think its good advice for anyone to explore the phrasing possibilities of moving diagonally across the neck, opting to shift instead of stretching, pronating the left hand, thumb slightly over the neck like violin instead of centered like classical guitar, which is what "Play With Three Fingers" is code for, Just check out any video of Wes Montgomery or Peter Bernstein to see the obvious benefits of this approach


PK

[Jonah]

A lot of the standard jazz advice gives you just the tip of the iceberg and leaves the student to work out the rest. "Chord Tones On Strong Beats" really means you need to be able to control the tension/release consonance/dissonance of your line. "Tap Your Foot" means you need to internalize a steady sense of pulse..

I think its good advice for anyone to explore the phrasing possibilities of moving diagonally across the neck, opting to shift instead of stretching, pronating the left hand, thumb slightly over the neck like violin instead of centered like classical guitar, which is what "Play With Three Fingers" is code for, Just check out any video of Wes Montgomery or Peter Bernstein to see the obvious benefits of this approach


PK

Yes.. but I think they just learnt it naturally this way... mostly self-taught (or learnt the basics from the self-taught). It is quite natural for a self-taught to put a guitar on the right-leg, put the left wrist at the sharp angle to the fret-board, grab it with a thumb over the neck, leave the weakest finger out and figure the way out with 3 fingers.
Of course, historically this approach shaped out certain articulation and phrasing.
And we look at it already a bit retrospectively like at a 'historically correct technique' for the style.


I like Scofield technique. He is not quite a 3 finger player, and the pinky is always there, but he shifts and slides a lot.

So... if I quote you, I would say '"Play With Three Fingers" is a code for'... learning to play lines with shifting positions on musical purpose (not only when it is technically efficient), incorporating slides in the phrasing ... and how many fingers you use at the end.. .if you can use four, the better for you.

[Christian Miller]

I like Scofield technique. He is not quite a 3 finger player, and the pinky is always there, but he shifts and slides a lot.

No-one is a pure three fingered player.

So... if I quote you, I would say '"Play With Three Fingers" is a code for'... learning to play lines with shifting positions on musical purpose (not only when it is technically efficient), incorporating slides in the phrasing ... and how many fingers you use at the end.. .if you can use four, the better for you.

Yes - although I think the pronated left hand position is important too, because it naturally disadvantages the fourth finger.

People seem hung up over the three fingers thing. It's more effect than cause IMO, as I try to show.

With this hand position there are times when using the fourth finger is actually really stylistic - those specific 3-4-3-1 turns Wes, Grant Green and Metheny all play, for example.

[lammie200]

I play with four fingers on my fretting hand - both chords (obviously) and single notes. I kinda agree with Jerry Garcia on that. Can't do the thumb over though. But if I could I would probably levitate off the floor.

[Jonah]

No-one is a pure three fingered player.


Yes - although I think the pronated left hand position is important too, because it naturally disadvantages the fourth finger.

People seem hung up over the three fingers thing. It's more effect than cause IMO, as I try to show.

With this hand position there are times when using the fourth finger is actually really stylistic - those specific 3-4-3-1 turns Wes, Grant Green and Metheny all play, for example.

I was in masterclass of Xavier Diaz Lattore long ago… there he also showed 3 grips: approximately I would describe it as 1) index finger parallel to frets (guitar) 2) index at the angle to the fret from above (violin style) 3) index at the angle to the fret from below ( cello style)

it was first time I saw that the grip was discussed as a few options you can master and use for different purposes