I don't think I stated my point very well. I don't mean an effective grip isn't important- of course a grip that allows you to get good tone, etc. is important. I just think there's a lot of different ways to achieve that. My grip is actually pretty close to the grip you describe Mike, though my fingers may be a bit more open. But I've seen people who use a closed hand, which to me feels like a club hand, and I've seen Adam Steffey absolutely mash his Daley while keeping his pinky firmly planted on the top, which to many is a no-no. Sam Bush looks like he's strumming all the time, even while picking much more intricately than I can. So, to me it's not that it's unimportant how you hold it- but I've found if I think too much about such technical aspects of making music, it interferes with my ability to make it. It reminds me of when I tried to play golf, the more I thought about what everyone told me about the parts of the swing, the worse I got until I finally gave up and quit. Lee Trevino had one of the worst looking swings ever, but it didn't keep him from being a great golfer...
Bill in Nashville On Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 8:00 AM, mistertaterbug <taterbugmu...@gmail.com>wrote: > Nay, Bill, Nay. The right hand is the hardest part for me. It's where > all your emotional content is, your tone of voice, your expressiveness > (or lack thereof) is, in my opinion. And I couldn't hold my pick the > way some other people do either. There are some pretty ineffective > grips out there. I think if you study up a bit you'll see that there > are a lot of common traits about great technique. It's not haphazard. > > And then there's Thumbs Carlisle... > TB > > On Jan 11, 2:07 pm, Bill Burnette <bburne...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I think all this stuff about pick grip is much ado about nothing. Lots of > > great pickers hold their picks all different ways. I've never thought > much > > about how I hold it- I had to look when this thread started. Seems to me > to > > be an individual comfort thing... there's no way I could hold my pick the > > way some people do. > > > > Bill in Nashville > > > > On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Topher Gayle <surfns...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > 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<taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > <taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com<taterbugmando%252bunsubscr...@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<taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > <taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com<taterbugmando%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > 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<taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > <taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com<taterbugmando%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > -- > 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<taterbugmando%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > > >--
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