Resonance

Bill McNeill

The low E has a nasty buzz that I have to damp with my left hand. It happens when you hit the low E, or a B on any of the other strings.

ghodaddyyo

I notice it on my DG-255 as well, but it doesn't bother me. I've been gigging with a Mesa Boogie Rectifier (not with my Gitane you crazy bastids!) for the past 4 years so I'm pretty used to damping out unwanted noise. I don't know how "authentic" it is to play gypsy jazz with "metal" damping techniques, but since I can't play thumb chords, maintaining authenticity in this style is impossible for me anyway.

Bill McNeill

What are metal damping techniques?

Jack

Generally it's palm muting-using the flesh of your right hand to cut off the sound.

ghodaddyyo wrote:

I don't know how "authentic" it is to play gypsy jazz with "metal" damping techniques, but since I can't play thumb chords, maintaining authenticity in this style is impossible for me anyway.

G'yo,
I just want to say: Don't give up! Even with very small hands, it's possible, if you're interested...I've known many people who swore they couldn't play those for many different reasons, but eventually they figured out a way, to their delight. Just tonight I made a simple suggestion to a friend about keeping his thumb more parallel to the neck instead of perpendicular, and he suddenly was playing them. A simple change, but just something he hadn't thought of.

One other idea is that you might not have the right instrument for your hands-the neck could be too wide.

Best,
Jack.

ghodaddyyo

Thanks for the kind words, but I've been playing guitar for over 15 years and currently own 6 guitars with various neck profiles. I can't do thumb chords with any of them. It's simply a matter of how my thumbs are. The joint at the base of my thumb has absolutely no mobility, leaving only the top joint to try stretching over the neck. At the very best I can grab the 6th string with an uncomfortable and highly unstable thumb tip for an A Minor type shape, but anything that spreads the fingers out... faggetaboutit.

It's cool, though, cause I just try to make up for this deficiency in other areas.

ghodaddyyo

Here's another shot, but I don't want to hijack this post. I was just trying to help by suggesting damping techniques regarding the resonance issue.

dennis

you can do it. they ALL (and i mean AAAALLLL )say they can't do it, but then bam they get it.

Jack

I don't want to hijack it either, but one last thing...I don't think you need more than you show in that first photo-that looks pretty decent, if anything I think my own might point a little more toward the soundhole. That seems to make it easier...the other thing I've noticed is that these chords are much easier when you're using the other fingers to barre or double stop some notes.

Best,
Jack.

ghodaddyyo

Well, if I'm ever in New England or Quebec (unfortunately, not likely), it would be awesome to get a lesson on thumb chords from you guys!

Back to the resonance issue to keep this thread on track. I know palm muting is not gypsy... but it has helped me control everything from unwanted string noise to feedback.

tommaso

Hi,
I want to say that the resonance problem, as reported by Rich, is also present on my new DG-310 Lulo Reinhardt. It happens that the B and A strings quite often produce sympathetic vibrations when I struck other strings(such as the A note on the D string etc.), producing a back noise.
Is there any possibility to eliminate this phenomenon?
Tommaso
:shock: