Alternate Picking Chops - What Happens After

Sickstring

Hi,

I think Will sums this up very nicely and I really like the language/accent metaphor. This is what keeps me from getting discouraged when I am unable to play something beyond my technical ability. If I am unable to play someone's solo note-for-note I don't mind modifying it slightly so that I am able to get all the way through it. Ultimately, I believe this is what will make me sound like me - give me my "accent". Nothing wrong with accents. What a boring world it would be if we all spoke the same way, all played the same way.

Having said that, I do find that if I "cheat" and try to use an upstroke or alternate picking where it wouldn't typically be used, I am less pleased with the sound that is coming out of the guitar even though I can execute the passage. Most days, tone is more important to me than speed so I do try to stick with the rest stroke!

Really the biggest obstacle I find is going from a Selmer-style to an electric and back. There is just too big of a difference in scale and neck dimension, etc. , not to mention that whole 9th fret/10th fret marker issue!

Scott

Jim Kaznosky

That 9th/10th fret dilemma works both ways. When I play with my rock band after playing strictly GJ, I'm now confused about the way these electric guitars are laid out.

Sickstring

jkaz wrote:

That 9th/10th fret dilemma works both ways. When I play with my rock band after playing strictly GJ, I'm now confused about the way these electric guitars are laid out.

Precisely. I don't mind too much, though. Life would also be boring if we only had one style of guitar!


Scott

Toohey

I gypsy pick everything except when I physically can't...( donna lee at 170)..but I'm constantly working on that by getting my right hand snap quicker and quicker...the thing to remember is that it sounds better on an acoustic to gypsy pick. A lot better... When traditional manouche gypsies play their arch tops, they commonly use alternate picking a little tiny bit, because it doesn't affect the tone as drastically...it's really all about the tone and good sharp articulate technique...but really now, it doesn't matter as much as a lot of people think it does according to Fapy...look at Oscar aleman using finger picks and playing wonderfully...also, just remember to have fun. That's what's really important as well...I have fun getting my guitar to sound really full and warm when I play, so I dedicate a lot of my time to improving my rest stroke gypsy picking...
Bonne chance,
Toohey