• Lui
  • Lui
  • Platinum
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 122

Topic: advice please!

Hi!
I have been trying to play 'hard to thrill' of the Clapton/Cale album today, as I found the tabs in a magazine.
John Mayer and Clapton are playing the solon part and they are - oh, I should start learning some english guitar-vocabulary! smile - picking (?). I always loved the way playing without a plectrum sounds, but I can't seem to find the right way to hold my right hand. It sounds alright, but I wish I could pick up a little bit of speed. Can anyone give me some advice on how to become faster playing like that?
Thanks!
Lui

Peace and Love!
  • Registered: 2006-09-13
  • Posts: 441

Re: advice please!

If you are referring to "fingerstyle".  Then, this is how I usually play.  I "anchor" my thumb on the low E string, and rest my palm--where it meets my wrist on the body of the guitar.  I usually play strings 6, 5 and 4 (E-A-D) with my thumb and use my Index finger on the 3rd string (G), Middle finger on the 2nd string (B) and Ring finger on the 1st string (High E).  Your picking hand fingers should be pointing downward--not toward the neck of the guitar.  It really depends on the arrangement as to which fingers to use, but I use this as a general rule.

When I learned, it felt uncomfortable at first.  I remember playing one string at a time, then eventually adding more strings until I was comfortable.  Now fingerstyle is just as comfortable as playing with a pick (or plectrum) for me.  Lots of practice should do the trick.

Hope this helps.

"There is nothing to it.  You only have to hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself."---Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Lui
  • Lui
  • Platinum
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 122

Re: advice please!

Thanks! Is this good for solos, too? I can play some picking techniques like on The Boxer or Still got the blues, but I playing solos feels different. For example:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------5---------------------
-----------------------------------5--------7h5-------7-----------------
-----------3---------5/7--5/7--------7----------------------------------
-0h3h5--------5---------------------------------------------------------
(thumb)(1)(thumb)(thumb)   (1)(th.) (th.)    (1) (thumb)

Peace and Love!
  • Registered: 2006-09-13
  • Posts: 441

Re: advice please!

I almost always use a pick for solos--especially if it is single-note stuff.  I'm just more efficient with it.  If there is a particular part in the solo that sounds better "fingerstyle", I'll either Hybrid pick (combination of pick and fingers), or I'll slip my pick into the "crook" of my index finger, grasping it with my index finger only and that frees up my thumb.

"There is nothing to it.  You only have to hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself."---Johann Sebastian Bach