ugh, frustration ¬¬

[sambo]

Interesting, Elliot. It was certainly my teacher's classical background that influenced her then.


She did say that the reason to keep the thumb on the back of the neck was for 'support'. In other words, it helps you fret more accurately/cleanly.

Perhaps some truth in that. I think for runs it's natural to move your thumb to the back of the neck, and bring it down for bends/vibrato e.t.c.

[Roobubba]

Marty Friedman has the weirdest, most uncomfortable looking right-hand technique I've ever seen.

I just thought this needed to be highlighted.

:D

One of the good things about never having had a lesson, is I don't find out about all the bad things in my technique, and I don't care overmuchly. I adapt my technique to play what I want to play. I'm sure there will come a time where I decide, ahh heck, let's do this "properly", but in all honesty, it's the sound you make that matters, not whether you get there in the same way as anyone else :)
That's probably terrible advice, of course :)

For what it's worth, I don't know if there is a *right* way to hold a pick. If you find you can't pick fast enough, then you might want to try changing the way you hold it to see if it helps, I suppose. I use very chunky picks (3 mm stubby triangles from dunlop), and I mash them up good and proper, but as long as I'm getting the note definition that I'm after, does it matter?

[Twinfan]

On the shaking the neck when playing vibrato, I noticed a few months back that SRV did it when I was watching a DVD.

Did he?  I didn't know that.  Wish my vibrato and tone was a good as his was  

[AndyR]

On the shaking the neck when playing vibrato, I noticed a few months back that SRV did it when I was watching a DVD.

Did he?  I didn't know that.  Wish my vibrato and tone was a good as his was  

So do I... I don't want to sound like him, but I want to know how to, so that I can use the bits I want.

I think it was the Live at the El Mocambo (spelling?) DVD that I spotted him doing the neck shaking thing.

On a good day I'm quite happy with my SRV approximations (and it doesn't need to be a strat through a fender-type amp folks - I'm reaching the conclusion that most of it is in the fingers...) - but there's a particular thing he did that I just can't get consistently (or accurately): on the first or second string, play 2 frets below the note you want, immediately bend up to pitch, and then apply the massive vibrato, KEEPING IT IN TUNE...

Without watching him at the same time, he was so accurate with that vibrato, that you think he just played the note and applied vibrato - but it doesn't sound quite right if you do that. Watching film at the same time, it's the split second 2 fret bend up first... but if I do it I can't keep the note in tune!!

It was then that I noticed his whole arm and the neck of the guitar are going. I'm almost convinced that was how he did it, and I'm determined to master it!

Of course, even I do master it, stringing all the tricks together and playing at that intensity for more than say 2 bars at a time without snapping a finger - well that's another matter!

[Twinfan]

It's a similar thing to what Angus Young and Dave Gilmour do too - full bends, with vibrato on top.  It's easier to do higher up the neck where you're in the middle of the string and the strings are more flexible.  Try mastering it there first, then try it nearer the bridge or nut.

[AndyR]

I was going to ask you whether Mr Young did it as well - and then I thought "it's a good excuse to watch Plug Me In again"!

[Twinfan]

Yep, Angus does it a LOT.  It's what makes Angus sound like Angus.

[robharries13]

thanks for the posts guys :)

my picking at the moment is between my first finger and thumb, but only my 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers are closed into a fist. my first finger points towards the point of the pick. if that makes sense?
what i think it is, is that, because i dont think my playing has been advancing much recently, ive looked for a culprit to blame on my lack of progress. namely my picking technique.
anyone out there use this picking ahnd position too?

[Philly Q]

my picking at the moment is between my first finger and thumb, but only my 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers are closed into a fist.
anyone out there use this picking ahnd position too?

Pretty much exactly what I do - with my thumb held rigid, not flexed at the knuckle.  My 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers aren't closed into a tight fist, though, they're curled into my palm but quite loose.  Then I think I open them when muting at the bridge.  And I sometimes do pick-and-fingers with my middle finger.

Don't know why I'm writing this really, it probably is terrible technique.  

[robharries13]

malmsteen would appear to have identical pick holding:

http://www.yngwie.org/images/Magazinecovers/YG4.jpg

http://www.yngwie.org/images/Magazinecovers/YGcover84.jpg

judging by the photos anyway.

[kevincurtis]

You could experiment with more positions, whilst still retaining this as your No1. I changed form 1st finger and thumb to 1st, 2nd and thumb after seeing EVH and that gave me more control but also some extra 'looseness'. I still use 1st finger if I am chugging out some chords cos I can get a fatter sound. Equally I quite often don't use a pick at all, or hold it away between 1st and second fingers to allow me to fingerpick because that also allows more tools to get what I want (not sure where the influence for that came from..could just be learning classical originally and wanting to interchange for rhythm parts).

When I was younger I was a shocker for changing things - slung guitar high, low all points in between. Finger vibrato classical style, shake the neck, pivot the wrist...and so on and gradually they have all become part of my range of techniques (not strap length these days though!)...so go to it, play around and see what works and use it :)