Advice on right hand - floating or brushing the top?

Hemert

The motion in the video looks almost like a free stroke in which the pick goes away from the guitar after every stroke and then back for the next stroke. But again, that could also be because you're standing trying to balance the guitar.

Try to drive the pick straight through the string (I'm imagining my thumb pushing the pick through the string) instead of letting it glide off creating some kind of diagonal motion.

wim

Scoredog wrote: »

What's interesting here is Hemert is saying by having the pinky lightly anchoring it stops your pick from hitting the guitar. Just thought I'd muddy the waters by clarifying...:)

Ah - the wear and tear on the top which I was talking about comes from the fingers and nails, not from the pick. If the pick is contacting the top at all, there is something gnarly with RH technique that should be adjusted

Buco

Hemert wrote: »

@stuart
It looks like your biceps is not completely leaning on top of the guitar. So you're keeping the balance of the guitar with part of your upper arm. This usually will result in shoulder tension which in part will create tension in your arm and hand. It will furthermore restrict motions that involve rotating the wrist, which is the most relaxed and flexible way of making the rest stroke. There should be no gap between your upper arm and the guitar and in the video I can see the room under your arm. Also, rotate the guitar slightly backwards to facilitate this.

Man you analyze this stuff like no one I've ever seen. Nice work!!

I'll check myself with this in mind because for the last year or so I developed a pain between my neck and left shoulder and I never feel like I'm tensed on the chair when I play and I feel my posture is good too.
Also I will still the lock the wrist when I do fast consecutive downstrokes. Not that I practice a ton.
These days very little as a matter a fact with a 3 month old baby at home but before that I'd say 1-2 hours daily, sometimes more and sometimes less. But I've been consistent with it for the last couple of years. And I spend fair amount of time being mindful of trying to develop that supple and fast reacting wrist that Stochelo has. To me that wrist is one of the more fascinating aspects of his musicianship.
I could say it's the best wrist on planet, seriously.

Thanks for all your advice on the forum lately, it's extremely valuable to me.

Charles Meadows

Right on Buco! Fabulous analysis Christiaan. Thanks so much for taking the time to critique me. Between you and Denis Chang I might actually be able to play this stuff someday...

Jazzaferri

Even if one thinks one is relaxed, the very act of keeping your shoulder arm etc in the one position for an extended period of time hyper tones the muscles into either stretched or tensed positions. Without a comprehensive stretching and exercise program to counterbalance this, as you get old, you will end up as I did spending lots of bucks on physio, chirp and massage therapies or putting up with a lot of pain. I still get massage therapy weekly, but that's now due tO the fact that I enjoy it more than stretching myself. I do exercise and stretch regularly as well though.

Buco

Good to know I have more pain to look forward to Jay
And I checked my arm, it's completely hugging the body of the guitar so I need to look elsewhere.

I am now at some kind of a hybrid, when on bass strings my fingers are off the fretboard but I'm brushing the strings lightly as anchor but occasionally I notice it's completely floating, usually on slower pace all downstrokes. Similarly when I play on high strings it can brushing the top or be free floating.
I think it's not something you choose but what you naturally gravitate towards.

Hemert

@ Buco
Thx man.I am very analytical indeed. That comes with the territory of very serious classical violin playing for which every inch of every possible technique and movement has been studied by lots of people.

I have found that being obsessed with those details is for me the fastest way to learn a new instrument. Guitar is the seventh one for me and I started from an absolute beginner level 4 years ago. I am now at a very decent level (jamming with Stochelo and not making an ass out of myself is no problem at this point). It'll take me another 2 years of practicing to reach my current violin level after which I sincerely hope no other new instruments will join my collection.

One thing I know for sure: everyone can reach the highest level, you just need the tools and the mentality. Not everyone is willing or able (for whatever reason) to put in those hours though!

Charles Meadows

Christiaan, on that double down triplet run how fast should be a goal and how quickly should one try to achive that? I'm doing it at 130 but not faster yet to try to make sure all the movements are correct. At this point I can do most of the sweeps and ascending stuff pretty fast. But my descending technique needs a lot of work as you pointed out so well.

Hemert

I assume my "exercise 2" right? It depends if you do the exerise in triplets or sixteenth notes (which will create a shifting pattern). For triplets the goal would be 175/180, for 16th notes about 140.

How long would that take? That depends totally on your starting level. Starting from absolute zero (meaning no right or left hand technique) I'd say about two to three years to do this flawlessly at the highest speed with every note ringing like a bell.

If you're starting from "avarage amateur" (means able to play chords and simple single lines) probably anywhere from 3 months to a year.

It is important to stress that you shouldn't do that exercise more than 15 minutes a day, but do it every day. Once a week for 3 hours will yield no result!

Bones

Hey Stuart, I think you may be lifting your pick between each DUD but you could make it more efficient by just pushing thru the next string on those low to high string changes. Less movement.