[Sonics]

Originally Posted by agfsteve

OP again here.

It was so much fun, but I struggled big time with timing. Even just sitting on the root of the chords in a I IV V, playing quarter notes at a comfortable BPM was difficult to keep going for a whole song. I'd be bouncing along pretty good for a few bars, and then I'd have a little "spasm", or whatever, where my plucking finger didn't seem to get the memo to play on the beat, and it would hurriedly play the note, and disrupt the groove. Or the opposite, where my finger would just be too "enthusiastic", and get the note in early, again disrupting the groove.

.

At the basic level there are several techniques you can use to pluck the string:

1. You can use a pick.
2. You can use your thumb.
3. You can use your thumb and fingers.
4. You can use your index and middle fingers as one 'big finger'.
5. You can alternate your index and your middle fingers.

If you're a finger picker, then technique #3 would be the easiest transition for you.

Observe...



...Oh yeah you keep time with your body, if you can FEEL the groove, then you will always be locked in with the beat AKA pocket central...

...and here's an example of 'deep pocket'.