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  #1  
Old 10-24-2011, 05:11 PM
Shepard man Shepard man is offline
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Default Travis Picking Difficulty

Hey all,

I posted a little while back about needing more accurate tab for the Freewheelin' version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."

Well since getting familiar with the:

http://dylanchords.info/02_freewheel...hink_twice.htm

I've now had timing issues with the off notes erupt. I'm not sure of the count? I've watched several youtube vids of someone demonstrating it but it is just still not clicking with me.

I've got the positions and technique down but I'm just not sure what could help me make it sound like the tune?

Since this is Travis picked, keeping the bass notes steady is important but I don't know how to fit the other ones in. The worst part is that I've got until next Tuesday before I see my guitar teacher again.

Any words of advice?
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  #2  
Old 10-24-2011, 07:01 PM
bluesbassdad bluesbassdad is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shepard man View Post
Hey all,

I posted a little while back about needing more accurate tab for the Freewheelin' version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."

Well since getting familiar with the:

http://dylanchords.info/02_freewheel...hink_twice.htm

I've now had timing issues with the off notes erupt. I'm not sure of the count? I've watched several youtube vids of someone demonstrating it but it is just still not clicking with me.

I've got the positions and technique down but I'm just not sure what could help me make it sound like the tune?

Since this is Travis picked, keeping the bass notes steady is important but I don't know how to fit the other ones in. The worst part is that I've got until next Tuesday before I see my guitar teacher again.

Any words of advice?
The following may be overly simplistic. Try it, and tell me what you think.

Assume that every note on the upper three strings either coincides with a bass note, or else it falls exactly mid-way between two bass notes.

That way there would be only two motions involved: either a pinch or a back-and-forth.

Unless there are triplets involved, that should give you a useful starting point.
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  #3  
Old 10-24-2011, 08:40 PM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shepard man View Post
Hey all,

I posted a little while back about needing more accurate tab for the Freewheelin' version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."

Well since getting familiar with the:

http://dylanchords.info/02_freewheel...hink_twice.htm

I've now had timing issues with the off notes erupt. I'm not sure of the count? I've watched several youtube vids of someone demonstrating it but it is just still not clicking with me.

I've got the positions and technique down but I'm just not sure what could help me make it sound like the tune?

Since this is Travis picked, keeping the bass notes steady is important but I don't know how to fit the other ones in. The worst part is that I've got until next Tuesday before I see my guitar teacher again.

Any words of advice?
bluesbassdad is exactly right: the finger notes will either coincide with thumb notes (on the beat) or fall between them (8th notes between the beats).
The tab you posted is good - it shows the beats as dots above the tab, and you can see how some notes are lined up with the dots and others exactly in between. The thumb plays strings 6-5-4, and fingers (1, 2 or 3) play strings 3-2-1.

One of the trickier techniques (my students always have problems with it) is the hammer-ons. The open string is picked by the finger between the thumb beats, then, as the thumb picks the bass string, the left-hand finger hammers on in sync with it. IOW, your thumb stroke is simultaneous with a left hand hammer-on on another string (which has just been picked by a finger).

Here's a simplified version of the G7 chord, with the time scale stretched:
Code:
 1   .   2   .   3   .   4   .   LH
-------------0--h1--------------| 1
--------------------------------|
---------------------0----------|
---------0---------------0------|
--------------------------------|
-3---------------3--------------| 3
             m       i
 T       T       T       T
Right hand fingers are shown underneath, left hand on the side. Middle finger (or ring if you prefer) picks top string between beats 2 and 3. Left hand index finger hammers down on 1st fret on beat 3, as thumb picks 6th string - finger doesn't pick on beat 3. (Then right index picks 3rd string between beats 3 and 4.)

Slow this right down, and repeat until you get it. And same with every other bar!
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  #4  
Old 10-24-2011, 09:30 PM
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Toby Walker Toby Walker is offline
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I also agree with bluesbassdad. Most of the time the notes are either pinched or played separately.

JonR did a wonderful thing plotting that out for you. Sometimes seeing it written out makes a difference.

Another important thing to remember is that once you've memorized which notes to play and where your fingers have to go you need to establish a beat and practice it VERY SLOWLY and VERY STEADY.

Most of this stuff is mechanical and involves muscle memory. Keep at it and you're bound to get it. Everyone who attempts Travis picking experiences this sort of thing in the beginning.

Good luck... you're on your way!
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  #5  
Old 10-25-2011, 03:29 AM
sonicland sonicland is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby Walker View Post
. . . . practice it VERY SLOWLY and VERY STEADY.
This is what worked for me. I was a decent fingerpicker when I decided to learn travis/hybrid picking but I had to take it really slow and that was frustrating because I was fairly proficient in other types of picking. I mean really slow and I felt like such a newbee, but a couple a weeks later, I had it down.
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  #6  
Old 10-25-2011, 03:17 PM
Shepard man Shepard man is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesbassdad View Post
The following may be overly simplistic. Try it, and tell me what you think.

Assume that every note on the upper three strings either coincides with a bass note, or else it falls exactly mid-way between two bass notes.

That way there would be only two motions involved: either a pinch or a back-and-forth.

Unless there are triplets involved, that should give you a useful starting point.

That should prove useful! Sometimes overly simplistic gets the point across. Thank you very much!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JonPR View Post
bluesbassdad is exactly right: the finger notes will either coincide with thumb notes (on the beat) or fall between them (8th notes between the beats).
The tab you posted is good - it shows the beats as dots above the tab, and you can see how some notes are lined up with the dots and others exactly in between. The thumb plays strings 6-5-4, and fingers (1, 2 or 3) play strings 3-2-1.

One of the trickier techniques (my students always have problems with it) is the hammer-ons. The open string is picked by the finger between the thumb beats, then, as the thumb picks the bass string, the left-hand finger hammers on in sync with it. IOW, your thumb stroke is simultaneous with a left hand hammer-on on another string (which has just been picked by a finger).

Here's a simplified version of the G7 chord, with the time scale stretched:
Code:
 1   .   2   .   3   .   4   .   LH
-------------0--h1--------------| 1
--------------------------------|
---------------------0----------|
---------0---------------0------|
--------------------------------|
-3---------------3--------------| 3
             m       i
 T       T       T       T
Right hand fingers are shown underneath, left hand on the side. Middle finger (or ring if you prefer) picks top string between beats 2 and 3. Left hand index finger hammers down on 1st fret on beat 3, as thumb picks 6th string - finger doesn't pick on beat 3. (Then right index picks 3rd string between beats 3 and 4.)

Slow this right down, and repeat until you get it. And same with every other bar!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into your post. I'll be sure to go through the tab print out with a pen and break everything up into sections so I can see the on and off beats more clearly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby Walker View Post
I also agree with bluesbassdad. Most of the time the notes are either pinched or played separately.

JonR did a wonderful thing plotting that out for you. Sometimes seeing it written out makes a difference.

Another important thing to remember is that once you've memorized which notes to play and where your fingers have to go you need to establish a beat and practice it VERY SLOWLY and VERY STEADY.

Most of this stuff is mechanical and involves muscle memory. Keep at it and you're bound to get it. Everyone who attempts Travis picking experiences this sort of thing in the beginning.

Good luck... you're on your way!
Thanks again for the encouraging words, I'm sure you're right in that I need to go very slowly!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sonicland View Post
This is what worked for me. I was a decent fingerpicker when I decided to learn travis/hybrid picking but I had to take it really slow and that was frustrating because I was fairly proficient in other types of picking. I mean really slow and I felt like such a newbee, but a couple a weeks later, I had it down.
Thanks for your response and I'm sure you and the other fellas are right about what it'll take to get everything down.
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