Subject: Build Solid Picking Hand Technique
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, Another busy week at the Vance household. One of the biggest challenges with this whole move is the lack of time for my guitar. My brain is so preoccupied with all the little details of things to change (like billing addresses), cancel, throw out, keep, pack, load, etc.And then there's all the waiting! Waiting to sign the paperwork for the sale of this house, waiting for the banks to decide what they're doing, waiting for offers to be accepted... Just like in the Army... hurry up and wait! Fortunately, the sale of our house is done. And we got accepted for the house we want. Two less things to keep us up at night! There are certainly plenty of other things to keep our brains occupied. Funny story... We had a repair that needed done as a contingent on the sale of our house, so I found a contractor to come in and do the repair. While he was here, he saw my guitars (those that aren't already packed away) and started asking me all sorts of questions. Turns out he plays and has been writing a bunch of songs. He wanted to get together and jam and wasn't going to let me off the hook, despite the fact that I'm in the process of "getting out of Dodge!" I tried to tell him I couldn't make any promises about jamming, but he kept asking every time I called to ask where my receipt was. I had the hardest time getting an invoice from him, proving that we had the repair done. I ended up having to drive out to his house to get a copy of the invoice. Fortunately, he wasn't there at the time - he had threatened that if he was home he was "going to put a guitar in my hands!" Hey, I get it. I'm a cool guy (ha, ha)... But seriously, Dude. I'm moving a thousand miles away and I've got a thousand things to do - sorry, I've got to take a rain check! Enough about my trials and tribulations... Speed AND Accuracy I got an email from 'Doc,' stating that one of his (or her) biggest problems is "right hand speed and accuracy." What, you want them both? Actually, everyone should want both in abundance when it comes to guitar playing. I think when most guitar players ask questions about speed and accuracy, they're typically asking about the fretting hand. How can they make their fingers fly faster around the fingerboard? But Doc's statement reveals some wisdom as well as a key to powerful playing. Your picking hand is the secret weapon not only to solid rhythm guitar playing, but also to impeccable lead technique. Let me explain... Sure, it's kind of a no-brainer that our fingers need to be in the right place at the right time on the fingerboard, but the picking hand is arguably more important in that it controls the delivery of sound from your guitar. And not just because it's closest to the volume pot (potentiometer). Your picking hand is in charge of most muting techniques, picking dynamics, attack and articulation, even the attitude with which you play. Think about Pete Townshend with his windmill strum, or the acoustic slapping technique used by Andy McKee. How are those for examples of strumming hand technique and the attitude you can display? Having a solid picking hand is critical for creating the percussive sound we expect from all forms of metal, hard rock and punk. It's also necessary for creating the rise and fall of emotion levels in classical, country and folk. The pick (and finger) timing has to be dead on with the beat to maintain the perfect rhythm. I could go on with the benefits of developing your picking hand technique, but frankly I'm a bit tight on time (moving this weekend!). So let's quickly talk about what you can do to build that speed and accuracy. We'll come back to benefits another time... First, use a metronome for all your practicing. If you're playing along with a song, the drummer is your metronome. But if you're practicing scales or strumming without the aid of a drummer, set that metronome up to build the timing discipline. Second, start every exercise slowly. Set the metronome at a relatively low tempo or BPM (beats per minute). Practice for picking hand accuracy, not for speed. You're conditioning your muscles to react with the beat you hear (and feel). We're rhythmic creatures by nature, so keep working at this if you find you have some trouble. You will get it. Third, focus entirely upon what your picking had is doing. All too often when we play, our focus is on the fretting hand - are my fingers in the right place for the chord shape, am I on the correct fret, did I play the pattern properly, etc.? We usually place our picking hand on auto-pilot, not even giving it a second thought. You need to isolate your attention on the specifics of your picking hand technique. Forget about the fretboard for the time being. Are you hitting the strings with the pick (or your finger) on the beat or at the appropriate time? Is your pick angle optimal for the exercise you're playing? Are you picking the strings accurately? Here's an exercise: Put your guitar down. Set your metronome to 60 BPM and start it up. Now clap to the beat. Continue until you can no longer hear the metronome click over the sound of your clapping hands - you want your claps to be spot on with the beat. Next, pick up your guitar and repeat the exercise. Focus entirely on the pick strokes to the beat of the metronome. as you complete each exercise, you can then increase the BPM. Take it up 10 BPM and see how you do. If it proves to be too difficult at 70 BPM, scale it back to 65. Over the course of a week you will begin to see your timing improve, and as you increase the BPM for the daily practice sessions, your accuracy will also improve. Until Next Week... I know this was a short one, but I've got to get rolling on moving duty. It might take me a month to six weeks to get back into some normalcy, but I'll keep keep you posted. Have yourself a great weekend! Peace Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. If you buy a product based on my recommendation, I will receive a commission. However, my emails also contain links that don’t require any investment on your part and are jam-packed with "juicy, guitar learnin' tastiness". We don't rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to forward this issue to any friends you think would enjoy its contents. They will thank you. So will I.
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