volante5767
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My main instrument is: Godin
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Post by volante5767 on Dec 3, 2017 21:26:46 GMT
Hi Guys, Just turned 50 and been playing on and off for years, more off than on i'm sad to say! Never got very far but have loved Guitar all my life, and even though iv'e always gave up and sold my Guitars in the past, i always get another and try again, all ways going round in circles. As mentioned in a previous thread of mine, i had a bad accident at work with a Bandsaw, nearly losing my Left middle finger, [35 stitches later and a good 18 months recovery until i could actually flex the finger again. I am now thankfully recovered and just brought my dream of a Guitar, an all solid Faith Naked Venus, Cedar top, Mahogany back and sides, she's a beauty! So it's one last crack...lol]....This time i mean it!! Sorry to ramble on i'll get to the point. I thought i should try some lessons to help me from a technical point and see how it goes, just to help me get back in the saddle so to speak. After some digging i found a great teacher who came HIGHLY recommended, an oldish Pro with bags of experience who'd been teaching for many years, great i thought! and gave him a call. The call and our chat was going great until i said i love Fingerstyle ONLY, hate Plectrums i said, not for me, just not my thing....'Oh'......He said and i felt it kind of went downhill from there??....bit confused to say the least?? I'm pretty sure the Guys main influences are Jazz and Blues...i love James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel...maybe Folk is my thing, but should it or does it matter? Will not using a plec stop me from progressing? This Guy has got me a little worried, maybe its because of his ton of experience and his opinion, i can't use a plec after all this time, its took 20 yrs to be this bad with my fingers!....and its all i know and love. Any thoughts/ input would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Dec 3, 2017 21:43:01 GMT
My thoughts are that you might need a new teacher if you've lost a bit of confidence in this guy.
I don't use a plectrum at all, except with mandolin family instruments. I don't get on with them and prefer the sound of fingers and nails.
I suppose I was lucky I that my guitar teacher was a fingerstyle player first and foremost and didn't use a pick either. Keep looking for a teacher but specify you want to learn fingerstyle technique.
Good luck and congrats on that guitar. I love the Faith naked series.
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Post by oustudent on Dec 3, 2017 21:50:44 GMT
A plec is something I have never really used but I do intend to explore in the future, sometimes it is good to mix things up a bit. I would at least give it a chance even if it is only just to confirm that it isn't for you.
J
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Phil Taylor
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Post by Phil Taylor on Dec 3, 2017 22:59:04 GMT
There of course some top class players who use a plectrum and play fingerstyle such as Steve Howe, Julian Lage and Gordon Giltrap for example:
I can't play like that but it does enable you to play fast single note runs should you wish to do so. Perhaps you could go and watch him play and ask him how he would plan out a series of lessons tailored for you and see what you think then?
Good luck.
Phil
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Dec 3, 2017 23:07:33 GMT
If you enjoy folky fingerstyle guitar and want to play fingerstyle stuff then if you are requiring a teacher you need a teacher who teaches that.
If the music you want to play is played with plectrum then you need a teacher who teaches that.
Nothing else has a bearing on it really; but there's no harm in becoming more proficient at both (and other) approaches.
Keith
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volante5767
Strummer
Posts: 39
My main instrument is: Godin
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Post by volante5767 on Dec 3, 2017 23:11:02 GMT
Cheers Guys, appreciate the replies. Thinking about it, and if the truth be known, as long as i can remember my first love was always Flamenco, i should have started years ago with a Nylon strung Guitar and stuck to it, kind of fell into steel strung acoustics after moving on from electric Guitars i owned as a Teenager...but hey ho!
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Post by andyhowell on Dec 3, 2017 23:25:36 GMT
Some people do amazing things with hybrid picking but if you are serious about fingerstyle don’t use them. A thumb pick is different although I wish I hadn’t started using even this 40 years or so ago!
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Post by dreadnought28 on Dec 4, 2017 0:39:06 GMT
Given the amount of free tuition available on YouTube and the fact that many of us are self taught, it may not be necessary to have paid lessons.
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volante5767
Strummer
Posts: 39
My main instrument is: Godin
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Post by volante5767 on Dec 4, 2017 1:44:21 GMT
I have to say i agree, there's Two tuition channels on Youtube that specialize in fingerstyle, will take a longer look. Thanks for the reply.
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stringdriventhing
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Post by stringdriventhing on Dec 4, 2017 7:28:14 GMT
It totally depends on what you want to play... there are some styles that only work with a pick, but if don't want to play those styles then I wouldn't bother about it. I came at it the other way... I played exclusively with a pick for about 20 years before learning fingerstyle. I
It sounds to me like this tutor maybe isn't a good enough fingerstyle player to teach it. Or else he or she has a load of tried and tested lessons that revolve around using a pick. You need to find the right tutor for you, you definitely shouldn't have to fit in with what the tutor likes teaching.
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volante5767
Strummer
Posts: 39
My main instrument is: Godin
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Post by volante5767 on Dec 4, 2017 10:37:59 GMT
Yeah your right, was a bit deflating when the Guy was pushing towards a pick, something ive never been keen on, as i live in a small town the teachers are limited, i tried one, a Guy about 30, just didn't 'click' i guess, maybe i will have to stick to Youtube free video's, theres nothing else really, i suppose i like the idea of a teacher for the human element and not staring at a screen with no feed back.
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Dec 4, 2017 10:59:20 GMT
Some teachers (like our very own jonnymosco) offer Skype lessons so, whilst you are staring at a screen, you’re also getting feedback
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Post by jonnymosco on Dec 4, 2017 11:12:10 GMT
Cheers leoroberts What's your commission? Skype lessons are really popular now, more so than when I first started using Skype four years ago - of course it may not suit everybody, but is preferable to just watching tuition videos, as Leo says; it's the feedback that speeds up development. Jonny
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Dec 4, 2017 11:26:18 GMT
Lending us your house in Yorkshire (when you finally move!) next time you go on holiday
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volante5767
Strummer
Posts: 39
My main instrument is: Godin
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Post by volante5767 on Dec 4, 2017 13:38:11 GMT
Skype, well worth a thought, never tried it but worth considering, Thanks Guys. I just checked out Johnny's site, to see him using a classical/Spanish Guitar with fingerstyle was heaven to me! Gonna check it out further. BIG Thanks Fellas!
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