How do you know if you should use finger picks or thumb picks?
Many fingerstyle guitar players use them, and many don't. As I was learning to play and started to play the acoustic guitar into a microphone, it became more of a necessity if I was going to control the volume and tone. Like other beginning guitarists, I started out using bare fingers which were fine for playing at home, but when I needed more volume and balance it just didn't work. Next came just the thumb pick, and that made bass notes that overpowered the treble strings. After several attempts I decided one pick on my thumb and one pick on my index and middle finger was the solution.
Can't I just grow my nails longer?
A lot of people do that, but I really hate having long fingernails. For some really cool videos and advice, I'd recommend you visit http://www.jamestaylor.com/guitarlessons/ to see what James goes through to play with bare fingers. One of my guitar students recommended the site which is not only interesting but very well made. Check it out! (I love the camera they have inside the sound hole so you can clearly see how he picks.)
What kind of picks should I use?
Everyone's different, so my best advice would be to experiment and see what works for you. I use Zookies thumbpicks which have a 10 degree angle, and Dunlop .0225 picks for the fingers. You can watch my short instructional video here: Fingerpicking Guitar Lesson.
Be patient when using the picks.
I tried several times before I could get comfortable with the picks since you have no feeling with them. Once you commit to using them, use them all the time. Switching back and forth from picks to fingers will make it even more awkward and more difficult to get used to them.
Showing posts with label Chet Atkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chet Atkins. Show all posts
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Guitar Players That Have Influenced Me the Most
Today I thought I'd name a few of the guitarists I listened to when I started playing.
This is by no means a complete list.
Doc Watson. I discovered Doc on a trip to our local library's record collection. It was a 33rpm album simply titled "Doc Watson". Back then the albums described the artist as well as the songs on the record. I read that he played fiddle tunes on guitar, with a pick, and when I heard him do that I was amazed! There were very few bluegrass guitar players doing that in the 1960s. He also plays country blues using his fingers instead of a pick, and it was my first introduction to open tunings. I had no idea as a beginning guitar player that anyone tuned to a chord. If you're not familiar with Doc, check him out. Even though he's in his 80s now, he's still an awesome guitar player!
Chet Atkins. I heard his name time and again, and finally checked him out. I was under the impression that he was mostly a country guitar player, so was quite surprised at the many types of songs he had on his albums. He was a fingerstyle player, with a solid, alternating bass line going while the fingers played the melody and some harmony to the songs. You would swear that you were hearing more than one guitar. In fact, John Fahey, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, said in a Guitar Player Magazine interview that he was sure there was "no way that's just one guitar." Chet made albums with a diverse group of his contemporaries including Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and others. Again, if you're not familiar with Chet or his music, there's still plenty of it available.
Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Paul Simon.
Peter and Paul are the ones from the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. I was absolutely a fanatic about fingerpicked, acoustic guitar and these guys were my favorites. I'd say I learned most of what I played by listening to these 3. Paul Simon got me hooked when he recorded Anji, a guitar instrumental that I still play. All of these guys demonstrate the 3 Ts of music: Timing, Tone and Taste.
Still crazy about guitar after all these years.
While that hardly scratches the surface, I think it demonstrates how other players can shape your playing. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I can honestly say that I still love it. So if you're just beginning guitar, find a good teacher, immerse yourself in the kind of music you enjoy, and open your eyes and ears to as many types of music as you can. I've always felt that I could learn something from everyone, even those that play music that's not necessarily what I like. I've learned and added songs, licks and tricks from all kinds of artists, guitarist or not.
This is by no means a complete list.
Doc Watson. I discovered Doc on a trip to our local library's record collection. It was a 33rpm album simply titled "Doc Watson". Back then the albums described the artist as well as the songs on the record. I read that he played fiddle tunes on guitar, with a pick, and when I heard him do that I was amazed! There were very few bluegrass guitar players doing that in the 1960s. He also plays country blues using his fingers instead of a pick, and it was my first introduction to open tunings. I had no idea as a beginning guitar player that anyone tuned to a chord. If you're not familiar with Doc, check him out. Even though he's in his 80s now, he's still an awesome guitar player!
Chet Atkins. I heard his name time and again, and finally checked him out. I was under the impression that he was mostly a country guitar player, so was quite surprised at the many types of songs he had on his albums. He was a fingerstyle player, with a solid, alternating bass line going while the fingers played the melody and some harmony to the songs. You would swear that you were hearing more than one guitar. In fact, John Fahey, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, said in a Guitar Player Magazine interview that he was sure there was "no way that's just one guitar." Chet made albums with a diverse group of his contemporaries including Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and others. Again, if you're not familiar with Chet or his music, there's still plenty of it available.
Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Paul Simon.
Peter and Paul are the ones from the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. I was absolutely a fanatic about fingerpicked, acoustic guitar and these guys were my favorites. I'd say I learned most of what I played by listening to these 3. Paul Simon got me hooked when he recorded Anji, a guitar instrumental that I still play. All of these guys demonstrate the 3 Ts of music: Timing, Tone and Taste.
Still crazy about guitar after all these years.
While that hardly scratches the surface, I think it demonstrates how other players can shape your playing. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I can honestly say that I still love it. So if you're just beginning guitar, find a good teacher, immerse yourself in the kind of music you enjoy, and open your eyes and ears to as many types of music as you can. I've always felt that I could learn something from everyone, even those that play music that's not necessarily what I like. I've learned and added songs, licks and tricks from all kinds of artists, guitarist or not.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Take Me Out To The Ballgame/Fingerstyle Guitar
Since it's opening day I thought I'd post my fingerstyle guitar arrangement of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. This was influenced by the picking of Doc Watson, Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.
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