The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-19-2010, 11:59 PM
sixiron150 sixiron150 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 368
Default Giving up flatpicking... need recommendation for good strumming materials.

After almost 2 years, I have come to the conclusion that bluegrass flatpicking for me is futile. Just don't have the motor skills in my right hand (left hand ain't that great either). Therefore, I'm thinking that strumming might be the best way to go (not interested in fingerpicking). What are some good song or lesson books for this type of playing? Doesn't have to be super easy. Probably could use something in the "middle to advanced beginner" level.

Thanks in advance!
__________________
In the family:

Stanford PSD-21
Martin HD-28V
Martin 000-15
Fender DG100

I once thought that I had made a mistake. But, as it turns out, I was wrong.

www.chilhoweemountainband.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/slowpickr?feature=mhee
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-20-2010, 04:14 AM
GibbyPrague GibbyPrague is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Prague CZ / Adelaide AUS
Posts: 9,207
Default

try justinguitar.com

all you need is there including strumming and rhythm techniques plus a hole lot more.
__________________
The Big Fat Lady 02' Gibson J-150
The Squares 11' Hummingbird TV, 08' Dove
The Slopeys 11' Gibson SJ (Aaron Lewis)
The Pickers 43' Gibson LG-2, 09' Furch OM 32SM (custom) , 02' Martin J-40
The Beater 99' Cort Earth 100
What we do on weekends:
http://www.reverbnation.com/doubleshotprague
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-20-2010, 08:18 AM
drbluegrass drbluegrass is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,666
Default

Don't give up on bluegrass music altogether. There are TONS of great bluegrass players that are not great flat pickers. Like anything else, there are varying degrees of skill in flat picking. There are scores of big name players who are only moderately good flat pickers and some are not good at it at all. I mean, even the great Del McCoury will tell you he's not a great flat picker. There are tons of big name players who are not on the level of Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Tim Stafford, Kenny Smith, Clay Hess, Tony Rice, or other elite flat pickers.
I've been practicing flat picking for about 6 months and I can keep up with songs of moderate to some moderately fast tempos but not really fast temo songs like Ricky Skaggs' version of "Little Maggie". However, I've been playing for 48 years and have some other skills I can draw on that have helped my flat picking come along much quicker than if I was a total beginner.
But guys like Dan Tyminski, Daily and Vincent, and many of the older big names are not lightning quick players like the others mentioned above.
The only reason I mention all this is I hope you don't become discouraged with bluegrass just because you can't flat pick like the top pros. After all, they're full time professionals and make their living playing music.
OTOH, there's not a thing wrong with being just a good, solid, rhythm player. That's a whole other set of skills altogether.


Tom

Last edited by drbluegrass; 03-21-2010 at 07:19 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-20-2010, 09:56 AM
rrgguitarman's Avatar
rrgguitarman rrgguitarman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Visalia California
Posts: 1,492
Default

If you like Flatpicking, stay with it.

After 47 years of playing, I decided to take up Bluegrass and I must say that I'm having to do things really slow to learn but, learn I will.

Don't try to bite of big pieces, learn a few notes at a time and develop your speed from there.

Good luck.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-20-2010, 11:39 AM
drbluegrass drbluegrass is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,666
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rrgguitarman View Post
If you like Flatpicking, stay with it.

After 47 years of playing, I decided to take up Bluegrass and I must say that I'm having to do things really slow to learn but, learn I will.

Don't try to bite of big pieces, learn a few notes at a time and develop your speed from there.

Good luck.


Your situation sounds very similar to mine.


Tom
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-20-2010, 01:12 PM
JackInTheGreen JackInTheGreen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 448
Default Giving up flatpicking... need > strumming materials.

How about a nice 12 string Acoustic?..... 12 strings = better strumming!
__________________
Epiphone EL-00, sold the other twenty something.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-20-2010, 01:30 PM
edman edman is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,394
Default

You can strum anything.

Strum the bluegrass songs you like. Strum the full chords rather than picking individual notes.

There are no rules. Have fun and let go.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-20-2010, 02:19 PM
sgarrity sgarrity is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 107
Default

Don't give up! Flatpicking is a lot of fun and you don't have to be as good as the professionals to enjoy it.
__________________
Collings OM2H-T and a bunch of mandolins.....
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-20-2010, 02:21 PM
chitz chitz is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,405
Default

You've ONLY been at it 2 years. It can take longer than that to be proficient. I've been at it 35+ year and I am an intermediate on a good day.
Love me some flatpickn!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-20-2010, 02:49 PM
JackInTheGreen JackInTheGreen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 448
Default At E C's Level

I saw a show on Eric Clapton the other night. He started out with a Reel to Reel machine with Big Bill Bronzie tunes.....Totally self taught....Listen, work it out, wind it back, start all over. At the end of the program he said he would never be able to to get that correct Robert Johnson sound or feel , it would elude him , just not right, very self critical........your in good company
__________________
Epiphone EL-00, sold the other twenty something.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-20-2010, 07:41 PM
sixiron150 sixiron150 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 368
Default

Thanks for the replies. I'm not planning on giving up bluegrass rhythm. Developing a good flatpicking technique just seems completely out of reach. Definitely have some right hand motor skill issues.

Perhaps I should have just asked for good strumming materials in my OP. I'm looking to branch into other genres besides bluegrass.
__________________
In the family:

Stanford PSD-21
Martin HD-28V
Martin 000-15
Fender DG100

I once thought that I had made a mistake. But, as it turns out, I was wrong.

www.chilhoweemountainband.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/slowpickr?feature=mhee

Last edited by sixiron150; 03-20-2010 at 07:47 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-20-2010, 09:44 PM
JackInTheGreen JackInTheGreen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 448
Default "Easy Guitar"

Many Players are covered in print under the "Easy Guitar" brand published by Hal-Leonard....I have several...one Eric Clapton, another The Who...ect. They come with strum and pick patterns. halleonard.com Enjoy the Trip
__________________
Epiphone EL-00, sold the other twenty something.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-21-2010, 03:50 AM
bfloyd6969 bfloyd6969 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: central Ohio
Posts: 1,708
Default

Long time strummer here. Would LOVE to learn some easy flatpicking stuff to begin with. Can someone recommend some books or methods for beginning flatpicking?
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-21-2010, 05:12 AM
Twelvefret Twelvefret is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 4,867
Default

It took me 5 years for me to develop the muscle memory for flat-picking if that is any encouragement.

The way it was explained to me is that our brains develop the concept before out muscles develop the ability to perform. This is why playing slow with a steady tempo, using a metronome, is important.

Personally, I found the style of Norman Blake more intuitive for me. He plays out of a chordal framework using simple scales. Over time you will develop the skills and also be able to hear and scale and know what to do perhaps.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-21-2010, 06:55 AM
Grenvilleter Grenvilleter is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 336
Default

Something that helped me when I started my flatpicking journey was learning to play mandolin.

The mandolin forced me to re-evaluate right hand techniques and develop the skills I needed that were directly transferable to guitar(unbeknown to me at the time).

After a year or so of working at simple fiddle tunes, I was delightfully surprised one day to find myself hammering out tunes I learned on mandolin with the guitar.

Old habits die hard and sometimes a new,fresh approach on a different instrument will transcend old bad habits developed earlier on a different "tool".
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=