delb0y
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Post by delb0y on Jan 28, 2020 16:26:13 GMT
It's time, after 45 years, to focus on the right hand...
I'm keenly aware that when playing with a plectrum on an acoustic the limiting factor to what I can do is a my right-hand technique. I have a kind of "pecking" technique. I understand where this came from - when I finger pick, which I do a lot, I rest the heel of my hand on the bridge to deaden the bass strings and get that nice Travis picking sound. When I then come to flat pick I adopt the same shape and consequently all the movement in my picking hand has to come from the wrist and fingers (rather than the arm). I need to lift my wrist and get a lot more movement in my arm - kind of like I would when strumming, but now, also when I play lead.
It's proving quite hard - because the moment I have to concentrate on my left hand the right hand reverts to type. It's one of those ten steps back, to take fifteen forward, things. I hope, anyway. Might turn out to be just taking ten steps back!
You can see what I'm getting at in this video. The content is irrelevant - look at the way I move the right hand for the first arpeggio, compared to a lot of what follows (whenever my mind was needed on the notes, rather than the right hand).
This issue is further complicated by a love for Gypsy Jazz - and those players do something different again!
Anyway, all this is by way of observation only. But if anyone has any tips or thoughts on how to fix this, they'd be appreciated. My plan, at the moment, is to play lots of simple stuff, very slowly, with maximum concentration on the right hand.
Cheers
Derek
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Post by martinrowe on Jan 28, 2020 20:33:34 GMT
I've done a lot of work with the right hand over the last three years and it's been slow going. I started to learn the mandolin, the thinking being that I could master the plectrum and that that would open the door to bluegrass mandolin and guitar and gypsy jazz. It's been very challenging, slow progress, and hard work - but very enjoyable. You are probably ahead of me, I can master the up/down and yhe most progress I've made has been when I set a metronome to 80 - that has really worked wonders lately. Anyway I thought I'd share.. Two of the most interesting right hands with mandolin playing are Mike Compton and Chris Thile. Chris Thile's is ridiculous but he gets, arguably, the best tone. There's some good close up's here: Chris Thile Bach And Mike Compton: Sittin on top of the WorldThere are so many different variations aren't there. I think what I've learnt so far is that everything matters: posture, the way you hold the instrument, the looseness of the whole body. I think it's a worthwhile journey though - isn't it?
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delb0y
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Post by delb0y on Jan 28, 2020 21:03:55 GMT
I think what I've learnt so far is that everything matters: posture, the way you hold the instrument, the looseness of the whole body. I think it's a worthwhile journey though - isn't it? When I took Artistwork lessons with Bryan Sutton a few years back it became really apparent to me how a good right hand impacts positively on tone - he really emphasised all of the above and the tone he got was amazing. I backed off from flat-picking for a few years on account of I never found anyone else to do it with :-( but now I'm enjoying it again and if all I do is sit in the garden and play then so be it. So I'm happy for the right-hand journey to take as long as it takes.
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Post by martinrowe on Jan 28, 2020 21:39:12 GMT
I've thought about the Bryan Sutton lessons - what was your verdict on them - did they work for you?
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delb0y
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Post by delb0y on Jan 28, 2020 21:57:42 GMT
Yep, well worth it - but your best bet is to wait for a holiday. A couple of times a year Artistworks do a 50% off deal and then it becomes worth it and cost-effective. Bryan Sutton's school was very good, and he's extremely generous in his responses. The only downside I've found is as you progress and you start to get to lessons / material / exercises that take a while to master you're paying whilst not actually involved (as you're sat at home practicing). Also, trying to keep up with all the video responses (i.e. watching everyone else's submissions and responses) can become very time-consuming. But i'd still recommend it, and I may well go back one day if I can get my right-hand in shape.
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Post by andyhowell on Jan 29, 2020 8:22:17 GMT
It is all in the right hand! It is with ragtime, country blues, contemporary fingerstyle. Once you’ve got the bounce of the right hand you’ve got soul :-)
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Post by andyhowell on Jan 29, 2020 8:22:17 GMT
It is all in the right hand! It is with ragtime, country blues, contemporary fingerstyle. Once you’ve got the bounce of the right hand you’ve got soul :-)
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