#1
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fingerstyle muscle memory
Let me ask you fingerstyle players a question about hands and fingers.
Suppose your left hand feels pretty reliable on the guitar neck. Your fingers are adept enough to do most of what you want to do. You've played for several years. But with a pick. The question would be: Would you say fingerstyle technique requires a comparable investment of time to train your right hand to be as proficient as your left? Assuming you're right-handed? Please say no. |
#2
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Quote:
Sorry, can't say "no." Developing proper technique on the right-hand (with fingerstyle/classical technique) is rather demanding, and requires a very studied approach...if you want to do it right (no pun).
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Larry Pattis on Spotify and Pandora LarryPattis.com American Guitar Masters 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists Steel-string guitars by Rebecca Urlacher and Simon Fay Classical guitars by Anders Sterner |
#3
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That's not the answer I was looking for, Larry.
I know. Don't shoot the messenger, right? |
#4
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Gotta say yes, sorry.
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#5
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I totally agree that training the right hand is demanding. I've been strumming and basic finger picking for years. Fretting chords is a breeze compared to trying complex finger picking. Now I'm using Acoustic magazine lessons that start out simple and work up to a more complex pattern. I know I'll get it but it's not going to be easy.
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1974 Aria 9400 2011 Eastman E20om 2013 Taylor 514e FLTD 2015 Martin D-28A 1937 2016 Taylor 458e-r |
#6
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Fingerstyle guitar is just a whole different animal from flat-picking. It will take a great deal of disciplined practice.
But, the reward will be access to an entire new world of acoustic guitar music. |
#7
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If you are starting on 'fingerpicking' which is pattern-based it's very much a matter of muscle memory. Thumb-index, thumb-middle etc. etc. The best way to learn it is to learn some established tunes like Freight Train or John Henry or something like that.
What worked for me many years ago was to not think about that thumb going back and forth and trying to stick the finger notes in between, but to learn one bar at a time as a pattern, then learn the next bar as a pattern and so on and so forth. Some folks don't like that manner of learning, but it worked for me. I have my students work on picking hand finger drills -I-M-I-M (I only use thumb and two fingers) and teach them a melody on the high strings using the fingers (no thumb) to get used to the feel of the fingers on the strings. If you are interested in fingerpicking the old American styles I would recommend getting Stefan Grossman's 'Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques' CD/Audio lesson. www.guitarvideos.com. It's available on DVD as well. I don't like the DVDs as well as the book/CD lessons but lots of folks like them. Personally I can't think of any techniques on the guitar that don't require considerable effort and considerable investment of time. Rev George |
#8
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I started learning Travis picking in college way back in the 70's. It took over 9 months of practice before any of the songs were even close to musical. And proficiency happened like the turning of a switch, one day I could got it.
My recommendation is to mix easier songs with hard songs. It's demoralizing to be clunking songs for months. Hopefully, you're learning curve will be shorter than mine. As an aside, getting my right thumb independent from my fingers learning tough passages is still the hardest thing for me. Larry Pattis is great at this. |
#9
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I agree with the other posters. I have been a dedicated fingerstyle player for 10 years, and I'm still learning new right hand techniques all the time. Different musical styles demand different approaches- sometimes I use thumbpicks and fingerpicks, sometimes not. Sometimes I use 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers depending upon the style that I'm emulating. I've worked hard at developing free strokes, rest strokes, arpeggios, rasgueado, false harmonics, etc.
The good news is that you can play some pretty cool things without a lot of advanced technique. If your only goal is to get through "Freight Train" cleanly, then you won't need a lot of this stuff. However, one of the best parts about fingerstyle guitar is the number of different tones and techniques at your disposal to express music.
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1943 Gibson J-45 Martin Custom Shop 000-28 Authentic Aged 1937 Voyage Air VAOM-4 |
#10
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Quote:
There are some great books out there that really get into picking hand technique. "Pumping Nylon" is a good place to start. |
#11
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I was going to say, "Hey, nothing to it." Then I thought how I'd feel if someone gave me a pick. No way! I'd be totally flummoxed. But give it a try..try some pattern picking and find what patterns feel more "natural" to you than others. Maybe it will come easily for you.
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#12
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For me, it was less about learning patterns than developing a nice feel for syncopation and things like how to use my thumb to rush the root of a chord 1/8 before the downbeat.
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"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard |
#13
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See, I think it's all in the right hand whether you're strumming, flatpicking or fingerpicking. So, if you don't have a musical right hand, then it's a lot of effort to get one. If you do, then I bet you'll do just fine. Is it harder? Well, it's different.
I started my lessons and used DVDs and about 6 months later I was playing a few fingerstyle pieces (acoustic blues). I use thumb and index fingers only, so all my music can be reduced (conceptually) to pinches or alternating rhythm. It's really not that simple, but that's it in concept. Making it musical (and something that folks want to hear) is the struggle no matter what the style and that is the right hand if you ask me! f-d
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'30 L-1, '73 FG-180, '98 914-C, '06 000-15S, '08 000-28NB, '11 GA3-12, '14 OM28A |
#14
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Anyone can develop and learn the right hand techniques of Segovia or Bensusan or Towner with about 10 minutes of practice.
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Larry Pattis on Spotify and Pandora LarryPattis.com American Guitar Masters 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists Steel-string guitars by Rebecca Urlacher and Simon Fay Classical guitars by Anders Sterner |
#15
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I can do syncopated, unsyncopated, pinch, etc, but that simple melody line is driving me (and my thumb) nuts.
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gits: good and plenty chops: snickers |