stevem
Strummer
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My main instrument is: Custom Brook Lyn
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Post by stevem on Nov 5, 2014 22:06:00 GMT
Folks,
My received wisdom is to use the thumb on the lowest 3 strings and the rest of the bunch on the highest 3.
But, in the sequence below I get a much louder and fuller tone if I use the thumb and forefinger to pinch the sliding pairs.
e----3/5-5/3-----------------------------------------------| B----3/5-5/3----3/5-5/3---------3/5-5/3----3---(/0)----| G-----------------2/4-4/2----0---2/4-4/2p0-0-----------| D-----------------------------------------------------------| A-----------------------------------------------------------| E-----------------------------------------------------------|
I would like to keep to good practice, and not develop a bad habits, But I like the sound better when I pinch. I'm not talented enough to be a rebel yet.
Can I pinch or should I improve the pluck ?
Cheers, Steve
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Nov 6, 2014 0:39:39 GMT
No reason why you shouldn't do what works/sounds best. Useful to be able to do it either way though.
Keith
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alig
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Post by alig on Nov 6, 2014 11:10:56 GMT
Yup.
What he said - whatever works/sounds good for you.
No right or wrong.
Alasdair.
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Post by scorpiodog on Nov 6, 2014 11:35:37 GMT
Personally, I agree with all that. But I suspect that a classical guitarist (help!, Creamburmese, Miss Clarktree, JonnyMosco) would say that proper technique can eliminate the difference. I get confused over free strokes and rest strokes and all the rest of this classical malarky and I rather suspect that nylon strings act differently from steel strings anyway. I'm too late to be a child prodigy, so I'm going to fill my latter days with doing it my way! There's a lot to be said for the concept of learning all the rules so you know when to break them.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Nov 6, 2014 12:53:42 GMT
I've picked up on the fact over the years that nothing is right or wrong, only better or worse (for you!) I'd go along with the advice given above. Learn to play it by picking and pinching, and if pinching sounds best and you can incorporate the technique without a problem, use that!
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Post by andyhowell on Nov 6, 2014 18:19:26 GMT
A lot of people do use their thumb (especially with a thumb pick) on the top strings for real clarity and drama. I think Scorpio D is right, to some extent you want to develop technique so that you can have this clarity from a finger/nail combination.
But as ever, what works for you works for you! Just remember to try the odd innovation every now and then.
Sometimes there is a point in conventional wisdom and sometimes you only realise it after having gone down a cup-de-sac for a while!
Still, the journey is the main thing!
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Post by creamburmese on Nov 6, 2014 18:59:44 GMT
Well here's my 2c - you definitely can use the thumb together with any of the other 3 fingers to play intervals or chords either melodically or harmonically. Just thinking of my guitar lesson this Monday where we "discussed" options for fingering "mad world" which has a bunch of intervals, mostly on the top 3 or 4 strings. I say discussion because i usually think I'm right until my guitar teacher explains his way, when in true political fashion I change my tune and pretend I was going to do that all along. Anyway, the conclusion "we" came to is that some of the intervals in that piece are actually fingered with the thumb in the base even where the base was on the third string. I've certainly had other pieces where the thumb was used on the 2nd string - particularly when there are sequential intervals involving the same fingering on different strings. However the reasoning behind which fingers (or thumb) you use is still somewhat out of focus for me - it depends largely on what came before, what follows, avoiding awkward string crossings and the (classical guitar) necessity not to repeat the same finger on the same string consecutively (a rule that can be broken but only when there is no other good option, apparently). Now you know as much (possibly more) about it than I do... [
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missclarktree
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Post by missclarktree on Nov 6, 2014 21:05:10 GMT
I agree, it depends on the sound that you're aiming for. As creamburmese said, the classical technique would be to alternate the index and middle finger if you were using the thumb on the lower string, but you find it comfortable to repeat the index finger that's fine.
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stevem
Strummer
Posts: 32
My main instrument is: Custom Brook Lyn
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Post by stevem on Nov 6, 2014 21:20:35 GMT
I appreciate the comments. The answers have helped me to calibrate what is reasonable against what might have been not recommended. So from "Wish you were here" to glad you were here. Thanks, Steve
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