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Sometimes the music muse comes whooshing down and shows us what we're doing wrong, but when it comes to picking, it often requires the input of a good instructor. You need someone with experience, good technique, and the additional skills of being able to explain what you're doing wrong and how to correct it.
I've been giving guitar instruction almost all my life, and I've also studied with some great players and instructors. Only one took the time to address my picking technique, but I try to work on it with all of my students. Here's a quick checklist of possible problems:
* Do you use more downstrokes than upstrokes? (They should be equal in use.)
* Do you rest your picking hand on the face of the guitar? (Really versatile pickers keep their hands free of the guitar, but can add palm muting and other picking-hand-on-the-strings techniques if/when needed.)
* Do you minimize your pick stroke to about the distance between two strings, and keep it in the plane of the strings? (I see a lot of guitarists use a broad circular stroke that kind of swoops down on the string from above.)
* Do you praactice a wide range of dynamics? (Practicing solely on an amplified electric sometimes leads to a very weak pick attack, and on an unamplified electric the pick attack will be too strong.)
I hope some other cafe members pick up on this thread. There are some good players lurking here, and they'll have more to say about it.
Best,
"Life! Life!
Clouds and clowns!
You don't have to come down!"
- Sly and the Family Stone
Clouds and clowns!
You don't have to come down!"
- Sly and the Family Stone
----- Original Message -----From: Lt. ScottSent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 9:56 AMSubject: [TGC] PickingHi Everybody.
New Guy here. I began self learning a Fender Strat in December, using
DVD's, Books and the internet. Coming along very nicely, I think. I
have monster calluses on my finger tips, I practice many hours every
day. Yet I am still having problems hitting the correct string with my
pick when trying to hit single stings, as in playing melody. Are there
any tips in hand placement or am I just rushing it too much. (with more
practice it will come??)
Just curious what others have done to master this?
Thanx
John Scott
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