Erik, great story, and I think that way too. Robin, I dunno. I am sort of surprised it would be a problem. I haven't run into it before. When you figure it out, let use know so we can offer all kinds of advice in the future! The only thing that I can think of is that the tip of your thumb might poke into the strings. Is that what happens? I guess then a different wrist/string plane angle might help.
Topher On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 12:43 PM, erik berry <eberr...@gmail.com> wrote: > On the subject of finding your own way, not necessarily directly about > pick grip... > > I used to work in a bakery and the head baker had a helluva time > teaching me how to roll out a loaf of dough. No matter how slow he > showed me, it didn't make sense. "Whaddya mean just roll it out? > Aren't I doing that?" "No." So what he did is he had every staff > member come on back and show me how they did it. No one did it quite > the same, but I was able to see what they all had in common, so i > could shoot for that. And quite soon (10 minutes or so) I figured out > my way. Not quite like anyone else's, but it accomplished what needed > to happen with the dough so it could successfully bake into a > correctly shaped loaf of bread. > > The point being, sometimes it's good to study what others are doing, > even if you aren't going to use their techniques. > > Just thought I'd chime in... > > erik > > On Jan 11, 2:24 pm, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> wrote: >> It's curved away from the rest of the fingers, mainly in the top >> phalanx (is that the right word?) >> >> 2010/1/11, Topher Gayle <surfns...@gmail.com>: >> >> >> >> >> >> > Robin, >> >> > Interesting question. Not sure what you mean. How is your thumb >> > curved? Up, down, sideways, in out, or what? >> >> > Glad to hear you got such a useful gene, though. It must come in handy >> > (har har). >> >> > Topher >> >> > On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 11:31 AM, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> >> > wrote: >> >> Just a curious question. There are people with straight thumbs, and >> >> then those who have been lucky enough to get the gene for brains, >> >> charm, good looks and a curved thumb. >> >> Curiously enough, I am in the latter group. Do we curved thumbers do >> >> it different from our straight digit cousins? Just wondering. >> >> Actually, the curve means you either hold the thumb bent, or use the >> >> joint, rather than the bone. >> >> An important issue I feel >> >> >> 2010/1/10, Linda <lj...@intas.net.au>: >> >>> I thank yall for the advice and since I have a quiet weekend here I >> >>> can try em out. >> >>> The one thing from the article, that I need to try and pay more >> >>> attention to is .. >> >>> Mike says its best to learn a tune slow, then after a time speed it >> >>> up. I do that but feel an enormous pressure to be able to play it >> >>> fast and start to do that before I really should. >> >> >>> I like most tunes in slow mode for my personal enjoyment, but its the >> >>> pressure when playing with others to play fast and my wish to get >> >>> there and be able to play with others well, that seems to drive this >> >>> rushing thing that is not really doing me any good at all. And he >> >>> says it may be a long tme before I can play well ...fast, at my age, I >> >>> don't know if it will happen in time that fuels it too. >> >> >>> I have thought maybe just develop a list of slow tunes and try to make >> >>> them terrific..as a way to get around that. >> >> >>> Almost every tune I get ..is one that at first I feel like I could >> >>> never be able to play and by the next lesson, most times, I find I >> >>> can..and that I can do things I did not think I could. Mike is always >> >>> pushing the bar with what I am assigned to do. Seems the mind game is >> >>> a lot of the battle. I have to just calm down and approach it, see >> >>> what I can achieve and am always pleasantly surprised. >> >> >>> Brian I don't have your problem with the mirror but still need a small >> >>> one ..for a different reason...<G>. >> >>> Maybe pisces look better underwater. >> >> >>> linda >> >> >>> On Jan 10, 3:39 am, Topher Gayle <surfns...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>>> Here are some ideas for hitting both strings in a course. Lots of >> >>>> folks have trouble with this at first. >> >> >>>> If you're not sure if you are hitting both strings, tune one of them >> >>>> quite a bit flat. Then play some sort of exercise on that pair. The >> >>>> worse it sounds, the better you're picking. Try to make both tones >> >>>> sound equally loud. Then you know you're hitting them both. Tune back >> >>>> up for the rest of your practicing! >> >> >>>> I find that using rest strokes, where the pick comes to rest against >> >>>> the next course, is useful for helping me get into the groove of >> >>>> hitting both strings. Sometimes you'll want to use them while playing, >> >>>> and sometimes not. But they're a good way to get the feel of hitting >> >>>> both strings. >> >> >>>> I like to describe the action as "pushing the pick through the >> >>>> strings," rather than plucking the strings. in other words the strings >> >>>> get pushed down towards the top of the instrument by the tip of the >> >>>> pick and then make noise on the rebound. the strings get out of the >> >>>> way of the pick, not the other way around. The only way you can do >> >>>> that is to push the tip of the pick more or less parallel to the top >> >>>> of the instrument, with no dodging up and down. A firm grip helps. >> >> >>>> It helps to rotate the pick a little bit - either with the end towards >> >>>> the neck down a little (maybe 15-20 degrees) and up (as John Reischman >> >>>> does). This way the strings slide along the end of the pick more than >> >>>> grab. You'll get less pick noise, too. Experiment with different >> >>>> picks, too. >> >> >>>> Maybe some of this might be helpful. There are many approaches. What >> >>>> matters is getting the sound, while not hurting yourself. >> >> >>>> Topher >> >> >>>> On Sat, Jan 9, 2010 at 7:36 AM, Dasspunk <dassp...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>>> > When it's going good... real good... I'll blow off everything to keep >> >>>> > it going. I try (in vain) to keep THAT in my muscle memory. Make THAT >> >>>> > my habit. Mike would probably say he does the same thing but his worst >> >>>> > days are still better than my best. He can be annoying in that way ;) >> >> >>>> > Playing back by the bridge forces me to play more evenly, more >> >>>> > accurately and apply the correct amount of force to the stroke. In my >> >>>> > experience, there's a perfect amount of force--and it's probably less >> >>>> > than you'd think-- that produces the most sound... and the right >> >>>> > sound. >> >> >>>> > Again, I'm not sure if my words will translate into the proper >> >>>> > meaning... it's tough to describe. >> >> >>>> > One bit of advice I always give that helped me a ton is this: practice >> >>>> > in a mirror. Watch your right hand. Look at Mike's right hand and try >> >>>> > to make your right hand look like his (or Bill's). Try, try, try, try, >> >>>> > try. >> >> >>>> > Now if you're practicing in the mirror you find yourself distracted by >> >>>> > your own incredible good looks, you're probably a Sagittarius like me >> >>>> > and you'll need to get a smaller mirror :) >> >> >>>> > B >> >> >>>> > On Jan 9, 8:47 am, Linda <lj...@intas.net.au> wrote: >> >>>> >> I like the idea of the pencil eraser and will think on that some. >> >> >>>> >> The Tater says I am only playing the top string of two sometimes. He >> >>>> >> wants me to use the area just near the bridge more. I find it >> >>>> >> difficult to push through...push the pick through the strings in that >> >>>> >> spot. Am working on it. >> >>>> >> Sometimes when I practice, I trying playing looser and give all real >> >>>> >> attention to what the right had is doing, not worrying too much about >> >>>> >> the fretting (which gets sloppy when not attending). So far, I find >> >>>> >> there is improvement but I sure wish I had a way to know for sure >> >>>> >> when >> >>>> >> I am getting it right. >> >>>> >> Brian, you are right about getting it right and how it feels. Every >> >>>> >> now and again in the lesson I get a thumbs up, which means I am doing >> >>>> >> it the right way. >> >>>> >> Feels like going to the moon in rocket.... >> >>>> >> linda >> >> >>>> >> On Jan 10, 12:53 am, 14strings <perrypale...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >>>> >> > Maybe the mental image of striking both strings with equal force >> >>>> >> > and >> >>>> >> > contemporaneously helps the process of digging in and keeping the >> >>>> >> > pick >> >>>> >> > on the stringS. Many of us have the poor technique (myself >> >>>> >> > included) >> >>>> >> > of catching just one string in a pair. That will give us half the >> >>>> >> > volume and half the tone. Half the fun. >> >> >>>> >> > Perry >> >> >>>> > -- >> >>>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> >>>> > Groups "Taterbugmando" group. >> >>>> > To post to this group, send email to taterbugma...@googlegroups.com. >> >>>> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> >>>> > taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> >>>> > For more options, visit this group >> >>>> > athttp://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. >> >> >> -- >> >> Enviado desde mi dispositivo móvil >> >> >> -- >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> >> "Taterbugmando" group. >> >> To post to this group, send email to taterbugma...@googlegroups.com. >> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> >> taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> >> For more options, visit this group at >> >>http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. >> >> -- >> Enviado desde mi dispositivo móvil- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Taterbugmando" group. > To post to this group, send email to taterbugma...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > > >
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