Fingerpicking slap technique?

[Cecil6243]

As in where it starts here on 8:01. I finally seem to have it right. The timing made it more difficult for me.

For some reason this looked a lot easier than it really was at first. At least it was for me. Anybody else?

How many of you use this technique on some of your songs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAchKnxfmT4

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

As in where it starts here on 8:01. . . .

You might mean 10:01 or so.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

You might mean 10:01 or so.

O.K. so you get to see it in action at 10:01 but he starts talking about how to do it at 8:01?

Btw was in Augusta Maine a few summers ago. Very nice town but then I am partial to Maine.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

At least it was for me. Anybody else?

Definitely to keep it regular if you're doing this for any length of time. Then again I find it quickly becomes boring if you do that, it's best left as a more occasional device to spice things up a bit.

And it's definitely easier for me than versions where you're supposed to strum with your fingers during the down movement.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by RJVB

Definitely to keep it regular if you're doing this for any length of time. Then again I find it quickly becomes boring if you do that, it's best left as a more occasional device to spice things up a bit.

And it's definitely easier for me than versions where you're supposed to strum with your fingers during the down movement.

Oh I agree I would not want to do this all the time!

[JonPR]

I don't use it much on my own songs, but I use when playing songs that use it! I think the first one I learned was John Martyn's May You Never. It was his signature technique back in the 70s - he used it on pretty much everything - although I don't think I learned the song until the 90s.

More recently, there was Bert Jansch's Crimson Moon and Kingfisher.

I also often use it when playing acoustic fingerstyle blues - again, probably taken from Jansch's covers, like Come Back Baby.

The timing is the key, actually. It's basically just tapping the strings on the backbeat (2 and 4). As I feel it, it begins from playing rhythmically, but instead of strumming you just hit the strings.
IOW, instead of skimming across the strings, your hand crash lands on them! The trick is to land the fingertips on the strings you are about to pick.

I don't remember finding it difficult at all, but it is hard to explain for anyone that finds it hard.

The guy in that video explains it pretty well.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

As in where it starts here on 8:01. I finally seem to have it right. The timing made it more difficult for me.

For some reason this looked a lot easier than it really was at first. At least it was for me. Anybody else?

How many of you use this technique on some of your songs?

I did a lesson on this for Acoustic Guitar last spring (the print article was actually a re-run of an article I wrote maybe 10 years ago, but they asked me to update it). The freely available video goes over everything you need:

https://acousticguitar.com/learn-the...-your-playing/



For my personal taste a little of this goes a long way. The current trend among some is doing this by hammering with the palm on the guitar top creating what to me sounds like an annoying disco-like kick drum. (It's interesting that some of those who initially did this a lot, like Don Ross, now say they try to avoid it...) When I actually use the percussive backbeat approach, I tend to use mostly the thumb slap, and usually am aiming for the "barely perceptible" variation - more cutting off the note than creating a loud click - which can sort of help add some momentum to a tune, without sounding like you're cracking a snare drum in the listener's face.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

…How many of you use this technique on some of your songs?

Hi Cecil
I do. I call it a Drop-mute, and I often just drop without the heavier click he's demonstrating. I just cut off the plucked notes by dropping the finger-tips (thumb flesh) back into place.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by RJVB

Definitely to keep it regular if you're doing this for any length of time. Then again I find it quickly becomes boring if you do that, it's best left as a more occasional device to spice things up a bit.

And it's definitely easier for me than versions where you're supposed to strum with your fingers during the down movement.

I'm starting to think using a pick instead of plucking may sound better? I'm not getting enough sound by plucking or maybe I need to change strings.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I did a lesson on this for Acoustic Guitar last spring (the print article was actually a re-run of an article I wrote maybe 10 years ago, but they asked me to update it). The freely available video goes over everything you need:

https://acousticguitar.com/learn-the...-your-playing/



For my personal taste a little of this goes a long way. The current trend among some is doing this by hammering with the palm on the guitar top creating what to me sounds like an annoying disco-like kick drum. (It's interesting that some of those who initially did this a lot, like Don Ross, now say they try to avoid it...) When I actually use the percussive backbeat approach, I tend to use mostly the thumb slap, and usually am aiming for the "barely perceptible" variation - more cutting off the note than creating a loud click - which can sort of help add some momentum to a tune, without sounding like you're cracking a snare drum in the listener's face.

Thank you! Great video!

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

I'm starting to think using a pick instead of plucking may sound better? I'm not getting enough sound by plucking or maybe I need to change strings.

That's almost impossible to answer. Yes, strumming with a pick will almost certainly give you more sound, and the same can be true for single notes. But the sound will also be quite different and I probably don't have to explain why your interpretation of/approach to the piece will also be very different when you go from using thumb plus fingers to just using a single pick. Plus you could end up overpowering the guitar.

I don't know your guitar nor what kind and gauge of strings you use nor if you pick with flesh or with nails. I do know that a fingerpicked steelstring guitar can sound puny compared to a classical guitar of comparable quality, esp. to the player and when you have a decent (classical'ish) technique for nylon strings. A listener (someone in the audience) might hear something very different (I've never really been in that position) but I've had luthier confirm to me that this difference is quite hard to even out.
I *can* tell you that I had a similar impression with a Seagull mini-jumbo (picking with flesh). It got a lot better when I did something counter-intuitive: I put on considerably lighter (w.r.t. the wound) strings (Plectrum AC111). The guitar really seemed to open up and I could hear myself a lot better, but I still had to dial in a lot of relief via the trussrod to avoid buzzing when I "dug in" to play.
Of course that also means that percussive techniques become harder!

Anyway, if you're not already using light strings you could try those (I'd say try round-cores and/or silk-and-steel design strings which I find more appropriate for fingerstyle). You can always put on a heavier pair of plain wire trebles if you find the ones from the set too jangly.

Or you could try something like the Alaska fingerpicks.

[Glennwillow]

I think this is a technique that is tough to get right. I'm not that good at it. It can sound just right, for example, on "May You Never" from John Martyn. I also think, as others have suggested, that it's easy to over-use this technique to where it gets irritating. Like most things, there's a fine line to tread...

- Glenn

[ljguitar]

Hi again Cecil…
Something I failed to add was when I'm amplified it's a different ballgame altogether.

I can produce a great rhythmic sound dropping the pad of my strumming hand (or side of the thumb) on the strings which doesn't blow out the soundboard or overclock my ToneDexter.

Some techniques done acoustically are different than when directly amplified (as in with a pickup not amplified with a mic).

[Cecil6243]

Believe it or not I'm not enthralled with this technique anymore. I just found a jazz shell chord version in the Freddy Green style and find it a lot more interesting for Fly me to the a Moon.