Rest stroke doubt

emicad

I try to explain my principal doubt about this technique i'm trying to apply at my playing style:
While I'm playing solos my right hand moves like is playing the rhytmm, often picking "nothing", only imaging, to mantain the rhythm, as I'm dancing but only with the hand. I try to feel the rhythm and the spirit of the song in this way, you can see a lot of players doing this thing like Django, Romane, Tchavolo and others. Playing with the rest stroke technique, in particular changing the strings ALWAYS with downstrokes, this thing become a nightmare in my case, cause my hand doesn't seems to fell the rhythm and plays irregularry strokes, considering both 4/4 or 3/4 time. The accent of the notes become different, in some cases opposite, expecially playing notes from high E to low E. So I often alternate the picks but I'm trying to finish changing my right hand technique solving these last problems and applying the rest stroke anywhere and always.
Thanks to all

klaatu

I've found the same technique emicad describes as "imaging" to be very useful at times in rhythm playing. I play in a big band (Freddie Green style on an archtop), which usually involves straight 4-to-the bar downstrokes. I had been struggling with an arrangement of "Night in Tunisia" which requires switching back and forth between Latin and swing feel but maintaining a 4-to-the bar rhythm on guitar. I found that by thinking in 8/8 rather than 4/4 in the Latin sections and actually makiing 8 downstrokes to the bar while trying to only strike the strings on the odd 1/8 beats, I was able to get more of a Latin feel. Occasionally (and accidentally) hitting the strings on the even 1/8 beat added to the effect. In the swing sections, I would switch to straight 4.

emicad

Thanks for your reply at first, what I can say is that I continue to have tha same problems also if I'm practicing the restroke always since I've started to play this music (about 3 years), so I'm not saying I want to piss off this technique, absolutely not, but probably I must to practice again and again before to say "no, I can't do it" but it's really hard to play this way, expecially if you come from another right hand approach. I hope to see some opinions and common problems for all the other guys, including Mike obviously, cause I have also other to ask about.
Hi to all

Bachelorno2

hey Emicad, I think you have to try adapt it a little so it suits you. I know that the technique works for me, but it might not work for everyone. I've seen some pretty unorthodox right hand techniques, the one they have all in common is that they were hitting the notes correctly and on time. It felt natural for these people to do it in this way.

I've seen the footage of your playing on Youtube and your playing seemed well executed, and really listenable! Keep up the good work dude.

emicad

Bachelorno2 wrote:

hey Emicad, I think you have to try adapt it a little so it suits you. I know that the technique works for me, but it might not work for everyone. I've seen some pretty unorthodox right hand techniques, the one they have all in common is that they were hitting the notes correctly and on time. It felt natural for these people to do it in this way.

I've seen the footage of your playing on Youtube and your playing seemed well executed, and really listenable! Keep up the good work dude.

Thanks man, I'll keep up the work for sure.