Pasquale Grasso

**oceanslider** · 01-01-2022, 07:14 AM

Is all his “jazz” guitar playing Hybrid Picking? It’s hard to tell. But it looks like it is. Some of the best hybrid technique I have seen. Anyone know the best video showing clearly his right hand hybrid technique?

Edit: I only read the first two pages of this thread then posted the above question. I looked back one page and found a pretty good video but it’s done in dark light but it’s the best I’ve seen. Anyway.

His right hand hybrid picking technique is superb. Right up there with Chuck Wayne. Listen to Chuck’s album Tapestry, his ability to weave single line with hybrid is about as good as can be.

**grahambop** · 01-01-2022, 09:17 AM

Look at the trailers for his lesson videos on youtube, you can see his right hand quite often.

e.g.

**grahambop** · 01-01-2022, 09:29 AM

Also he uses long nails on his right hand, like classical guitar technique. Probably helps make his hybrid picking very accurate and well-defined.

**oceanslider** · 01-01-2022, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Look at the trailers for his lesson videos on youtube, you can see his right hand quite often.

e.g.

Those fingering exercises are probably super beneficial. I've not seen his sight yet, but will definitely be checking it out. Thanks

And interesting he studied with one of Chuck Wayne’s students: Agostino Di Giorgio. I took lessons with one of Chucks students also and haven’t gotten that good yet

Pasquale Grasso - Artist Profile - My Music Masterclass

however he doesn’t use the pick guard like Chuck did. Chuck had that pick guard designed for his technique as described on the Wikipedia page for Chuck.

Pasquale Grasso - Technique & Warm Ups - Jazz Guitar Masterclass

**grahambop** · 01-01-2022, 11:29 AM

There's some stuff about his picking technique in this trailer. I have several of these videos by the way, they are very good.

**Danil** · 01-01-2022, 02:07 PM

I find all these vids very encouraging to put the guitar away and do something else on my spare time

**oceanslider** · 01-01-2022, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Danil

I find all these vids very encouraging to put the guitar away and do something else on my spare time

You know what it is. It is putting in the time and loving doing that. Yeah, some might have a bit more talent than others. But I was watching something by Joe Robinson (finger picker like Tommy Emmanuel) where he was saying when he first started playing leading up to winning Australia's got talent, he was playing 12hrs a day and loving it and he's been putting in hours a day after that.

All these guys that are super good put in the time.

My teacher who studied with Chuck Wayne for 10 years said that is all those guys did was play, all the time.

I went down and had a lesson with Sandy last week and he told me a story about about something Chuck once said regarding playing all the time. Because I was asking Sandy just that questions: "how much time did you put in to get good?" They were in a restaurant together with some other band member and one of the guys said watching people having fun. "Look at all the people having fun" Sandy said, Chuck said something to the affect that "But we love what we do". My telling it is not quite right, but I think you get the drift.

So that video that has you down. Pasquale has probably done that for thousands of hours. Those exercises he shows, and the dedication to doing them till you master them is what makes you good.

I had never used a thumb pick before about 4 months ago. And I bought a course by Joe Robinson, beginner thumb picking. Well, when I first tried some of the examples, I felt like I was inept and could never do it when I first tried it. And at one point I was getting pretty good at hybrid picking from the lessons I was having with Sandy years ago. So I thought I could do it, but at first that was not the case, I had never used my thumb like that before. Well after doing it as Joe was explaining it started to come to me and now I'm WAY better, a little over 1/2 way through that course, and only putting in 15 minutes a day on that course. I will be able to play Freight Train in not too long from now :-)

**grahambop** · 01-01-2022, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Danil

I find all these vids very encouraging to put the guitar away and do something else on my spare time

haha, oddly enough they have the opposite effect on me! I know I will never be much good compared to any of the great players, but seeing this (I have the full video) always inspires me to at least pick up the guitar and try doing some of the stuff he talks about.

**Danil** · 01-01-2022, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

haha, oddly enough they have the opposite effect on me! I know I will never be much good compared to any of the great players, but seeing this (I have the full video) always inspires me to at least pick up the guitar and try doing some of the stuff he talks about.

I was kidding, that was just appreciation of the mastery. I enjoy my time with the guitar anyway, no urge to be anywhere as good as top players. For those who do have ambitions the bar is set insanely high. It is just stunning how he casually pulls out amazing things seemingly endlessly.

**Christian Miller** · 01-01-2022, 04:20 PM

Man, even you can pick up a small portion of what he’s doing you have many cool things to employ in your own music

**oceanslider** · 01-01-2022, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Danil

I was kidding, that was just appreciation of the mastery. I enjoy my time with the guitar anyway, no urge to be anywhere as good as top players. For those who do have ambitions the bar is set insanely high. It is just stunning how he casually pulls out amazing things seemingly endlessly.

Then for sure you won't be. Simple fact.

Not saying that in a mean way, just fact. If you want to be good, you got to put in the time. Like I was saying about what Joe Robinson says. He was saying "there is no such thing as talent". I don't quite agree, but I understand what he is saying. It's a matter of being motived to put in the hard work to get good. Some people do have better ability at things. But having the passion at youth, when you have the time without many worries in the world, with good guidance and training is often what sets the best apart.

Back to what Joe Robinson said. He is all about this philosophy, to the point that he is an avid reader on the subject. Here is a video he put out this morning.

**jameslovestal** · 01-01-2022, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Danil

I find all these vids very encouraging to put the guitar away and do something else on my spare time

Something similar happened many years ago when my circle of fellow trying-to-learn-jazz-guitar buddies heard Biréli Lagrène's album Fifteen. There were 4 of us and we were all around 25. We were having a jam and I put on the album. I can still recall my friend saying "I'm going to find another hobby!".

**David B** · 01-10-2022, 07:13 PM

A trio romp through All the Things You Are in December.

**bigaure** · 01-27-2022, 06:30 PM

A new episode of "Live at the Flat in Greenwich Village" with Rossano Sportiello.

**Oscar67** · 01-29-2022, 01:49 PM

I remember when Malmsteen first came out. When I first heard Pasquale, it had a similar effect on me. Boundaries shifted. His abilities are off the chart. I’ve listened to most of his material and (like Malmsteen) I’ve not been able to really get into it. My jaw’s on the floor but at the same time it sort of gets tiring. Deep respect for Pasquale’s devotion to the instrument though.

**EarlBrother** · 01-29-2022, 02:59 PM

Hello miss you.I always loved Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass duet LPs And heard Samara Joy and Grasso do one and it was just as much loved.!!!!Thanks for posting hope things are well with you sir.Sorry i thought dest tot just posted.haha still love the duet with joy and still hope destiny tot is well.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 02-04-2022, 08:05 PM

Popped up in my YouTube feed... Start practising for next Xmas!

**Oväder** · 03-19-2022, 02:31 PM

Starting at the 8:42 minute mark Samara Joy and the Pasquale Grasso Trio perform a six song set. The audio is good except for a few brief overloaded moments. They even perform BUZZ ME popularized by Louis Jordan which reminds me of my September 30 post last year about rarely hearing Grasso play a 12 bar blues.

**Oväder** · 03-21-2022, 12:09 AM

Just came across on Facebook two episodes of IN THE MOMENT w/Ken Peplowski & Friends dated from last September. I quickly took a brief look at the two episodes and the sound is good. This is the first time for me to see PG using his right forearm with greater movement playing rhythm than from what I have seen him do in the past.

Starts after the 16 minute mark.

Starts after the 10:40 minute mark.

**sgosnell** · 03-21-2022, 11:54 AM

Watching those convinces me once again that having the volume and tone controls on the tailpiece is not the best idea anyone ever had. Grasso keeps fiddling with them, and it takes time to move his arm way back there, adjust, and move back to playing position. The controls need to be nearer to playing position. Either on the pickguard or inside the treble f hole makes things much easier, IMO. Not that I would turn down the offer of a free Trenier guitar, but that's one feature that isn't perfect.

**wintermoon** · 03-21-2022, 02:37 PM

why didn't he have the controls in the top in the usual place? I mean it's not like it's a carved spruce top.
every time I see him play that guitar it's through an amp so it wouldn't matter what the top was made of anyway.
that looks very awkward.

**xavierbarcelo** · 03-21-2022, 03:55 PM

Actually, doesn’t Pasquale Grasso’s model feature a solid spruce top?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

**classict1** · 03-21-2022, 09:37 PM

Hey Grasso fans, I studied with Pasquale for a year at Purchase College 2018-19. Thought I could provide some clarity on this thread about his setup and technique.

The volume and tone control design is very deliberate. Pasquale and Trenier wanted to preserve the integrity of the top and the acoustic properties as much as possible. His black and orange treniers are carved tops, the lemon burst is a laminate.

Despite the laminate top it’s a very resonant guitar. During lessons we rarely played amplified and I am under the impression he practices mostly without an amp. We worked a lot on achieving a strong acoustic archtop sound.

Pasquale uses press on acrylic nails on his right hand that he files into shape. Line playing is done pretty exclusively with a pick and the hybrid approach for chords. Not sure if this info is in the thread already but he uses D’andrea Pro Plec small teardrops and whatever .012 round wound strings he has around that week.

Happy to provide any insight I can on this thread!

**Oväder** · 03-21-2022, 10:58 PM

On December 16 2021 it seems the group or the club recorded Samara Joy & the Pasquale Trio at Caffè Vivace via Facebook Live with a three camera set-up though primarily two angles were used for the majority of the performance. I assume the audio was captured by the (laptops?) cameras' mics so not the best quality but I found myself quickly forgetting about that as I was transfixed by the performances. The close angle on PG is incredible as you get a great view of his picking and fingering. Yes he does have to play with the volume/tone controls on the tailpiece of his Trenier as mentioned in the above comments for the other video footage. Samara Joy has an incredible rapport with the audience so I hope everyone gets a chance to see this performance available on Facebook.
Pasquale Grasso-december-16-2021-jpg