Poll time...

[Bern]

Keeping it simple...if you evaluate your technique overall, would you say, I have more control over my picking, my fretting or both my picking and fretting are technically on the same level ?

[Dru Edwards]

Hey Bern, I have to say my fretting hand is a little better than my picking hand when flatpicking. When fingerpicking, they're equal.

How about you?

[ljguitar]

Hey Bern...

Depends on the song.

When I'm learning something with new chord voicings, the fretting hand is the challenge. When I'm learning something with new rhythms or finger/thumb independence challenges, then the plucking hand has to be disciplined.

If you are asking which is more talented, they each have their days.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hey Bern...

Depends on the song.

When I'm learning something with new chord voicings, the fretting hand is the challenge. When I'm learning something with new rhythms or finger/thumb independence challenges, then the plucking hand has to be disciplined.

If you are asking which is more talented, they each have their days.

yep, depends on the song

[JoeCharter]

Good and difficult question.

For me it also depends on the song -- whether it's a jazz tune (I'm not proficient with jazzy chords) or traditional flatpicking will have an impact on determining which is the "weak" hand...

On the other hand, I'm right handed and my left hand will always feel somewhat handicapped despite having played music for nearly 30 years now. So I voted that my picking hand is in better shape.

[Geof S.]

Picking is definitely easier for me.

I used to be a drummer. Although I haven't played drums in years, right hand technique and rhythm still seems to come more easily for me.

However, I find the left-hand stuff to be really hard. I practice chord changes a lot, but some of my cowboy chords are still iffy (I still have problems transitioning smoothly at a fast tempo in and out of the F chord, for example), and although I can make clean barre chords playing slow I have big problems with them when I speed up.

At this point, I feel like my left-hand technique is the real bottleneck slowing down my improvement. I feel like my left hand is still a beginner while my right hand is intermediate.

[Bern]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hey Bern, I have to say my fretting hand is a little better than my picking hand when flatpicking. When fingerpicking, they're equal.

How about you?

Although, I can fret some complex 'exotic' chords in relatively slow pieces, I'd say, my picking is probably stronger.
When writing my own stuff, I always spend a lot of time trying to find the most economical fretting to make it easier on myself.

[Bern]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

[size=2]Hey Bern...

Depends on the song.

Always a diplomat, Larry...just can't commit yourself?

[Toby Walker]

I never gave that much thought but I'd say they are on an equal level.

I do however never look at my right (picking) hand. Rather it's the fretting hand I'm always gazing at.

Unless some pretty lady happens to be sitting in the audience.

[lkblock]

I am mostly a fingerpicker, and both hands are at about the same level (mediocre)

[Cobby]

I'd say my picking is usually a little bit better than my fretting - with my musical thinking lagging well behind...

[oldhippiegal]

fingerstyle, equal. Plectrum, fretting.

I always think, when asked questions like this, about the influence that the 30+ years of piano before learning the guitar had on my acquisition of guitar technique. (Don't know all the answers, but I wonder.)

[Bluepoet]

My picking hand overshadows my fretting hand, as a direct result of my growing up, playing organ. Chords with my left hand, and melody with my right--my dexterity on the right hand is excellent, while my left hand is a plodding oven mitt, barely able to lift fingers off the fretboard.

This is especially ironic, to me, because I'm left-handed...