Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject: Brett, have you tried a five fingers technique?
I mean, have you tried using a thumbpick and using all your right hand's fingers?
Im trying it, and I feel good, I have to look up for better thumbpicks, cause the one that I own is very long, and it's immposible to do harmonics with it.
But the thing is, I've never seen someone doing it with an electric guitar. I thought that there's got to be a reason. I'd rather learn from somenone else's experience about a problem with it than practicing a long time to find that there is a problem when doing "something"...
or even better, if you know 'bout someone who masters it, can you tell me about him (her)?
It would be great to have someone's advice! obviously (and no ofense) i'd rather have Brett's opinion, but I will be thankfull for every comment
I use a thumbpick a bit when I play acoustic, Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins type stuff. Of course I've experimented on electric with it but for me there are two major drawbacks.
The first is difficulty in picking single string runs. Arpeggios across the strings are quite easy, but picking one string I think you'll find is rather difficult.
You can try alternate picking, but its harder to maintain control over your action unless you reinforce it with index finger in which case you may as well just be holding a pick anyway!
The second thing is more personal, but I just don't like the tone using a thumbpick on electric. Well, my own tone. There are a lot of the country guys out there (Brent Mason, Scotty Anderson: check these guys out on Youtube!) who I've seen play electric with thumbpicks that just kill and have a brilliant tone. But I can't get the varying pick attacks that I can using a normal pick this way. This could be due to my own deficiencies though haha.
Also Guayo if you're looking for better thumbpicks a good trick I learnt from Tommy Emmanuel is to use a nailfile or sandpaper to alter the shape/length of the thumbpick.
Hope this is helpful
Pete
Uh, I'm not actually a great fan of speed picking. I know, I know, it's a very good technique, but I try to use it just when it's completly necesary, and would rather use legato with less picking. Anyway, playing several notes on 1 string hasn't been a problem for me yet cause like you said I can hold the pick with the index, wich is helpful for 1 string runs. Other thing I found myself doing was using both the pick and the index to play several notes on the same string. It's not a very controlled technique, but it's kind of a natural reflex, so I'll try to master it. Besides, I'm developing a little strenght in the thumb, and practising alternate picking using the thumb alone. kinda hard and tricky, but i've seen guys doing it on acoustic.
The second thing... I'm finding the same probles, specially because it's immposible to do harmonics. It's a little hard to level the strenght with each finger, but that should be workable.
Pete wrote:
Also Guayo if you're looking for better thumbpicks a good trick I learnt from Tommy Emmanuel is to use a nailfile or sandpaper to alter the shape/length of the thumbpick.
Pete
jaja, interesting, I did that yesterday, and as I was doing it I was thinking: "this is not gonna work" It's good to know that Tommy Emmanuel does that too!
But man... that smell... if you have done it you know what I'm talking about
When you say it's impossible to do harmonics do you mean pinch harmonics? Like Zakk Wylde, Dimebag etc?
You can get those, perhaps not so easily, by using what is sometimes called harp harmonics.
Extend your index finger and place it over the harmonic, then pick behind your index finger with the thumbpick. Bit hard to explain in words, so here is a video of Tommy doing it on acoustic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuR0trXMw3c
It can be fairly easily adapted to electric playing.
Yes you undertstood what I ment, thanks for the aqdvice, I'm already practising it.
I just discovered that you can switch the position of the fingers, like, using the thumbpick to cover thye string, and the index finger to pull the string. (The thumbpick will be at the left and the index finger at the right) Just another way to do it.
Sorry for the late reply. I've had quite a few people mention that they're working on this approach and I'm sure it'd work. I've seen thumbpicks that are basically flat picks that you can wear on your thumb so they'd be perfect. I'm happy using my current technique so I'll stick with that but it would be amazing to see someone develop this approach so you guys should get to work on it!
Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Jammin' to Big Sky...
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:04 am Post subject:
i sometimes play without a pick, and you can get great harmonics with your thumb and index finger...just my 2 cents...or am i overcharging? _________________ I'm busier than a one armed taxi driver with crabs...
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It's a little hard to level the strenght with each finger, but that should be workable.
