Quote:
Originally Posted by Leo MacIntosh
Hello, I like to play guitar with a pick and sing songs by people like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. I play alone 99% of the time. I don't know what to do during a song's instrumental section, especially since I'm not good at musical problem solving -- choosing what notes to leave in and out. There's the flatpicking route, which seems associated with folk and bluegrass. And, even though I enjoy learning fingerstyle instrumentals, my hands lack the dexterity necessary for hybrid picking. I'm most intrigued by chord melody techniques, though they seem to be primarily for jazz players and leave out the bass. Can anyone recommend a systematic approach, Youtube lesson, or an instructional book that will help me out of this frustrating and depressing rut?
Thanks in advance!
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Personally, I'd go for two solutions:
1. Leave out the instrumental section altogether! I mean, if it's the same as the verse or chorus, just a space for a solo. If it's a genuinely different part of the song (and it's one everybody knows), then I guess you need to include it somehow. Otherwise, you're a solo singer/performer - people are not going to expect you to mimic the performance of a band. Make the song your own, in any way you can. Better to sound like you, than like someone trying to copy the original (and failing...).
2. I'd go for something like a fingerstyle or chord-melody approach. I'm hopeless at hybrid picking myself (why tie up one finger just to hold a pick?), so I would just lose the pick altogether and play with fingers the whole way. I.e., work out some kind of fingerstyle arrangement for the whole song, and sing to that. Just make it a little fancier in an instrumental section if you want to include that.
I don't see chord-melody as much different (in principle) from standard folky fingerstyle - you're just picking chords more as blocks rather than arpeggiating them to a rhythmic pattern. It's still about keeping the melody on top, and filling in below (or between) with whatever chord tones or bass line you can manage. I.e., there is a lot of overlap between the two approaches. I.e., the instrumental section doesn't need to be improvised; you can just play the melody (or as much of it as you can) on top of, or between, the chords.
If you want to keep the sound of a pick (if your fingernails are not too good), you could use a thumbpick, or even fingerpicks. Personally, my nails are fine.