Flat vs. Radiused Fretboard -- Which is Better for Rest-Stroke Picking?

pdg

I've always had guitars with radiused fretboards. But I was wondering whether a flat fretboard (and therefore a more nearly-flat top of the bridge) is more suited for a consistent rest-stroke technique. If the bridge is radiused, maybe the pick is more likely to slide off of the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd strings, unless you alter your hand or pick angle to compensate. Just wondering.

crookedpinky

I've got a flat radiused Godefroy Maruejouls and to be honest I don't notice much difference in right hand picking. My other guitars have radiused boards but they are so big of a radius that they're close to being flat. If you're talking about things like old Hofner jazz guitars well some of them had radiuses that made their necks like a baseball bat and, in my opinion, unusable for gypsy jazz playing. Although, as ever there are exceptions to the rule - I'm thinking about Gary Potter playing an old Hofner, I think, in thr Djangos Legacy film.

ChrisMartin

FWIW Gary plays an old Hofner archtop at the Samois graveyard jam in that film, and sounds good doing so. I think it is a President model. His old friend, the late Ian Cruickshank also plays a Hofner in that film, possibly also a President but not the same one, and did many other times. Gary also plays a big Epiphone, one of the Emperor models I think in the film. I have heard others playing German archtops too and they can sound good doing so. Whether it affects their picking or they just learn to go with it I couldn't say.

NylonDave

This is Ali Akbar Khan.



I have no doubt whatever that the curvature of the neck is completely irrelevant to rest stroke picking. The preferences of players who don't rest their pick ditto.

What IS relevant is attentive slow practice, the kind that never happens when you are looking at a screen.

D.

Bones

What you mean I can't practice effectively while watching Netflix??? That will blow my whole practice routine!! JK :-)

NylonDave

Bones wrote: »

What you mean I can't practice effectively while watching Netflix??? That will blow my whole practice routine!! JK :-)

Just think what a monster I'll be when I work out how to type and practice at the same time.

Funniest thing I've seen online for a long time was a (well know professional ((non JG))) transcriber using a lot of technology in order to produce inacurrate tab. It took him around thirty times listening to the same few bars before he noticed that he had the bar line in the wrong place. I would say that he benefits not at all from working like that. There is more to developing the ear than just notes.

D.

ChrisMartin

Bones wrote: »

What you mean I can't practice effectively while watching Netflix??? That will blow my whole practice routine!! JK :-)

I remember reading a long time back how Albert Lee said he used to practise with his Telecaster while watching TV and just playing along with, or improvising over, whatever commercial came on next. I think he meant the idea that something different would come on every thirty seconds and not knowing what would be next kept him on his toes. It certainly didn't hurt his technique anyway.

Lango-Django

Louis Armstrong did exactly the same thing while listening to the radio.

He would play along with whatever he could find on the radio, and just change the channel whenever he got bored.

I found this out last summer when I visited his former home,

https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org

Louis always made reel to reel tape recordings of his playing, both of his gigs and also his prectice sessions at home.

I was able to sit at his desk in his music room, which was on the second floor right above the front door and had a walkout to a balcony.

NylonDave

To whittle use a knife, keep it sharp, pay attention.
Use a spoon for ice cream.

If you want you can whittle with a spoon, it may be ineffective but it's your choice.

Personally I like a range of utensils to select from and a varied diet and I have no objections to the odd high quality TV dinner but usually AFTER I have worked out.