Progressing with the Guitar

[headbanger1547]

Well I'm by no means a guitar expert, and I'm sure the TC is better than I am technically.

But I avoid being montonous by just improvising most everything. I tend to find more of new things that way than I do if i just learn songs.

I guess it depends on how you learn normally.

 

[phagist_]

Well I have a teacher and am about 100 of 120 pages through

It introduces you to first second and third position scales, reading music and some basic chord theory. It's really good.

 

[Opethian666]

Hey,

For the ones who asked, I sent you the username and password to the site.
Now from earlier experience I know that it allows multiple logins, but I don't know if it will still work if everybody tries to login at the same time, so if any of you experience any problems accessing the site just post it here so that in that case you can arrange with each other to log in and log out after each other so that you can each download the site without problems.

 

[Heckelgruber]

Hey,

For the ones who asked, I sent you the username and password to the site.
Now from earlier experience I know that it allows multiple logins, but I don't know if it will still work if everybody tries to login at the same time, so if any of you experience any problems accessing the site just post it here so that in that case you can arrange with each other to log in and log out after each other so that you can each download the site without problems.

Thanks! You're the man

 

[Kir-ir-Bannog]

good info here for me....

on a side note, what thickness pick do you all use?

I tend to use around .75mm

 

[Opethian666]

I just use standard 1 mm Jim dunlops and I've never used any others to be honest (except for a Dimebag pick which I use very sparingly), so I'm also quite interested in what the more experienced metal players on here have to say about this. I tend to use a hell of a lot of tremolo picking (I can't play legato ultrafast yet) while improvising/practising and recently I've been trying to get fast at sweep picking, and I use my pick in a weird way, with both my middle finger, index finger and thumb (I also hold the guitar on my left leg instead of my right, and no I'm not left handed, I'm just weird). So anything that could improve my control over my pick would help.

 

[Kir-ir-Bannog]

I just use standard 1 mm Jim dunlops and I've never used any others to be honest (except for a Dimebag pick which I use very sparingly), so I'm also quite interested in what the more experienced metal players on here have to say about this. I tend to use a hell of a lot of tremolo picking (I can't play legato ultrafast yet) while improvising/practising and recently I've been trying to get fast at sweep picking, and I use my pick in a weird way, with both my middle finger, index finger and thumb (I also hold the guitar on my left leg instead of my right, and no I'm not left handed, I'm just weird). So anything that could improve my control over my pick would help.

I used to play like that for years when i was a teenager. Then i was told to hold it with my thumb pointed towards the headstock and my forefinger curled around (pointing the opp direction) and up against my thumb, obv the pick is in between. This way i can pinch harmonic whenever i want to with ease . I also found that my fast rhythm patterns improved.

Weird thing is, if i dont pick the guitar up again for a few weeks, i automatically revert to holding the pick like you do (and like i did when i was younger) again.

1mm is extremely thick, i might try it, i know its preference, but do you think it gives you more control?

Be interested who else uses what (plectrum wise) here.

 

[westknife]

it sounds like "yo man, that chick was so fine, she had a plectrum like you wouldn't believe"

 

[Kir-ir-Bannog]

it sounds like "yo man, that chick was so fine, she had a plectrum like you wouldn't believe"

Heh! I guess people dont use that term anymore....

useless piece of trivia: Brian May from Queen uses an old English half penny as a plectrum to give his distinctive sound.

 

[westknife]

and his strings probably last about .6 seconds

 

[Moonstruck]

About picks, I use Dunlops, 1mm for electric playing and sometimes a 2mm, which is really nice for some solos and leads, when I use it, I use it for that. For acoustic playing, I mainly use a... Damn, the letters are gone. I think it's a .50mm pick, in any case it is quite thin. I like this for my acoustic 'cause it gives a nice, bright tone.

I also have a weird pick with a metal tip that I once got from my guitar teacher. And I have Mikeal/Peter picks, they have worshipping purposes ofcourse.

 

[FRUGiHOYi]

I just use standard 1 mm Jim dunlops and I've never used any others to be honest (except for a Dimebag pick which I use very sparingly), so I'm also quite interested in what the more experienced metal players on here have to say about this. I tend to use a hell of a lot of tremolo picking (I can't play legato ultrafast yet) while improvising/practising and recently I've been trying to get fast at sweep picking, and I use my pick in a weird way, with both my middle finger, index finger and thumb (I also hold the guitar on my left leg instead of my right, and no I'm not left handed, I'm just weird). So anything that could improve my control over my pick would help.

I hold my pic like you sometimes. But I think most of the time I just use the thumb and middle finger, which is still weird. I'm not worried about it though, because I don't feel it's holding me back.

 

[atropos_project]

I just use standard 1 mm Jim dunlops and I've never used any others to be honest (except for a Dimebag pick which I use very sparingly), so I'm also quite interested in what the more experienced metal players on here have to say about this. I tend to use a hell of a lot of tremolo picking (I can't play legato ultrafast yet) while improvising/practising and recently I've been trying to get fast at sweep picking, and I use my pick in a weird way, with both my middle finger, index finger and thumb (I also hold the guitar on my left leg instead of my right, and no I'm not left handed, I'm just weird). So anything that could improve my control over my pick would help.

I hold the pick with thumb and index finger only.... I try to keep it relatively "flat" as far as the plane of all the strings... but there is a slight tilt "up" to the pick, which is opposite of what a good amount of proper teaching would have you do.

Whats nice about this is that I can use my middle finger to pull off pinch harmonics all over the place, far more consistently than rolling your thumb over. Its hard to explain.

Just like you, I have the guitar sitting on my opposite leg, classical style.(I'm a lefty, so its on my right leg).... I can't get the reach-under comfortable enough for a lot of playing any other way.

The best tip I can give you is to pick relatively light.. speed is the offspring of efficiency, and players who wail end up moving as little as possible. Besides, strings will vibrate at a certain maximum point, and anything after that is just wasted effort. (just like drumming). Picking a bit lighter will also help you increase your ability to play dynamically.

 

[westknife]

i hold my pick with my asshole

 

[illidurit]

I hold my pick with bangadrian's asshole

 

[Metal_Rocker]

For the acoustic guitar I tend to use a finger picking method because that's how I was taught. For the electric I just use a pic as it's much easier on the fingers.

 

[westknife]

wow ure so profesinal

 

[NFU]

it sounds like "yo man, that chick was so fine, she had a plectrum like you wouldn't believe"

so i said "plectrum...damn near killed 'em!"


omfg, i slay myself

 

[BrandonS]

The only advice I can really offer is to screw practice excersizes. If you want to get good, choose something to learn like a riff or solo. If you don't have the dexterity or accuracy required to play it, just keep trying over and over. And over. For hours. Eventually you'll be playing it effortlessly and with a great accuracy. I know from experience. It also works with piano.

 

[Opethian666]

I used to play like that for years when i was a teenager. Then i was told to hold it with my thumb pointed towards the headstock and my forefinger curled around (pointing the opp direction) and up against my thumb, obv the pick is in between. This way i can pinch harmonic whenever i want to with ease . I also found that my fast rhythm patterns improved.

Ah yes, that's one of the problems of my playing style, getting pinch harmonics to sound right is quite difficult and often fails. As for the fast rhythm patterns, I think this is exactly the reason why I hold it this way, I have both the power of my index and middle finger on the pic so it's really a very solid grip to do tremolo picking with.

Weird thing is, if i dont pick the guitar up again for a few weeks, i automatically revert to holding the pick like you do (and like i did when i was younger) again.

Ah yeah, I have the same weird habit that whenever I do a riff where I just alternate between 2 strings all the time with one string constantly playing the same note and progressing on the second string, I automatically remove my middle finger off the pick and hold it much more lightly. It's quite possibly because this is one of the first things I learned and I didn't hold my pick like that back then.

1mm is extremely thick, i might try it, i know its preference, but do you think it gives you more control?

I have no idea because I never play with other picks. Next time I'm at a shop I should buy some different sizes and see what it does.