Going from Gypsy picking to electric technique

babsyco

Hey guys, can someone give me some advice on how to go from the Gypsy picking technique to an effective 'wrist on the bridge' electric technique? I've spent a lot of time on the Gypsy thing and this style is now the default setting for my brain, but when I go back to electric (well technically it's a Benedetto shaped hollowbody) I have trouble playing fast or being comfortable. I hear many Gypsy players who make this transition still use rest strokes and retain the 'downstroke on string change' principle (and I mean with the 'wrist on bridge' thing-not just using the gypsy technique on electric), but I've noticed many players using more upstrokes than they would with their wrist out.

I know it's a little pedantic and it's usually best to just do what feels right, but what I'm asking is are there any general principles anyone has discovered about when to use these extra up strokes, about how rest strokes are helpful/harmful, or just anything that might be useful to know? I'm just starting this transition so it may be just a matter of time, but your input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

MichaelHorowitz

Well...I just use the same rest stroke technique on my archtop and it works great. I just play a bit lighter.

I find it's a lot of trouble to maintain two separate techniques....but some guys like Bireli and Andreas can do that.

Swing 69

Check this out........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_vmtaFGZFk


Cheers.

babsyco

Thanks guys. That tchavalo clip was really interesting, but I'm thinking more along the lines of Bireli's/george bensons electric playing.

Also, does Andreas use two different techniques? I youtubed a few clips of him playing gypsy jazz on Selmer style guitars, and it looks to me like wrist on bridge alternate picking-maybe even upstroke economy picking. I mean it sounds good, but it doesn't look like a different technique to me.

Graham_Fellows

I remember reading an interview somewhere with George Benson saying he played an almost rest stroke style of picking, which came from playing django stuff. In my mind I'd imagine that'd be gypsy picking without using a downstoke when descending strings perhaps.

seeirwin

I have been dealing with this myself recently. For most of my playing I just kept the floating wrist position and played with rest strokes and that worked great. A few weeks ago, I started playing with a rock outfit and some of the lines sounded much better when they were alternate-picked. At first it was a disaster because I literally couldn't alternate pick anymore. After a few days, however, it all came back and I was relieved to find that my gypsy picking hadn't suffered. I think Michael's advice about focusing exclusively on rest stroke picking has helped me tremendously, and it seems like it is fully integrated in my brain now. I suspect the same would be true for you. Or that you could even learn economy picking or some other style.

steven_eire

I never had too much of a problem with using both techniques. I still use alternate picking for blues/rock playing.

When I began playing the rest-stroke technique, I played it pretty much exclusively for the first 2 years. When I wanted to play alternate again, I had to retrain myself to do that but It was quite easy as it came back after a little practice. now I can do both and don't get confused between the two.

My advice would be to work on each separately, so that you have each technique down. And train yourself so when your wrist is in the floating position use gypsy or when it's anchored use alternate.

For me it's similar to when I play finger-style, my playing changes as the different techniques favour different approaches. I wouldn't really try and play a fast Django lick finger-style nor would I try and play some finger picked Chet Atkins style with a plectrum. So I try and think of them as different styles.

For me, Gypsy picking is suited to arpeggios and Django style phrasing. Whereas Alternate is more suitable if your trying to play a zepplin riff. I'm not saying that you can't use rest-strokes for rock music, but for me I prefer to use different techniques depending on the context.

It might be a little awkward at first to go back to alternate but your muscles will remember. Well that was my experience anyway.

HotTinRoof

Learn to hybrid pick, you are on a hollowbody already so you are half way there - pick + middle finger (at least), ideally middle, ring, and pinky (when you need it). You'll find this flattens out your hand automatically into the proper position because you need your fingers to be within reach of the strings.

Steveareno

What Hot Tin Roof said. Have used hybrid picking (flatpick and fingers) for electric, ever since my old high school Mexican Vato friend showed me the way back in the 60's. I switch between a tele, my Dell Arte oval hole and old Kalamazoo archtop. On electrics (which I've been playing alot longer than acoustic jazz)...especially on Fender style guitars, palm muting is extremely important to keep a lid on things, so resting your picking hand across the saddles helps. This is quite different than the broken wrist technique advocated for SelMac style guitars, which is very effective on the Dell Arte and archtop. On the tele I float back and forth. I think it's important to do what feels natural and not force yourself too much. I notice Jimmy Rosenberg has a very unusual right hand technique with his fingers splayed out on the soundboard....seems to work pretty well for him.
Swang on,

Elliot

Graham_Fellows wrote:

I remember reading an interview somewhere with George Benson saying he played an almost rest stroke style of picking, which came from playing django stuff. In my mind I'd imagine that'd be gypsy picking without using a downstoke when descending strings perhaps.

I think this is what I do, sort of a single string exception to keep the direction consistent.

MichaelHorowitz

Graham_Fellows wrote:

I remember reading an interview somewhere with George Benson saying he played an almost rest stroke style of picking, which came from playing django stuff. In my mind I'd imagine that'd be gypsy picking without using a downstoke when descending strings perhaps.

Actually, I think he does do mostly downstrokes on string changes.

There's a detailed analysis of Benson's picking here, although he doesn't specify pick direction:

http://www.tuckandpatti.com/pick-finger_tech.html#1.1.8