Take Your Pick!

Aah, the lowly and seldom-noticed plectrum--better known as your pick!  In actuality, pick technique is not only a critically important part of your guitar/bass education, but it is also one of the best sonic treasures in your arsenal of music weaponry.

In the video below, I will explain some of this more fully, but a few important things you need to know about your picks:

1) It is important early on to learn proper pick technique, because not only will it save you from wear and tear on your fingers (including bleeding, if you are Pete Townsend!),  but the pick will also greatly help you in negotiating between the strings of your guitar.

















2)  Secondly, choosing a pick thickness is both a matter of personal preference, and the style of music you are playing.  For acoustic strumming, I prefer a much thinner, flexible pick that will produce smooth sounding chords, and also add the percussive effect that happens when a thin pick glides across the guitar strings.  For lead type guitar, and 1980's eighth-note style bass guitar, I prefer a thicker pick.  Several manufacturers now make picks that are multi-thickness, depending upon where you place your gripping fingers.

3)  Speaking of gripping the pick, it is super-important early on to work only on holding the pick only between your thumb and index finger.  Resist the temptation to use your second finger to grip the pick, because you'll want to keep that guy free for possible other duties!

4) Picks are manufactured from all sorts of materials, including plastic, nylon, and other synthetic material.  Some are even made of metal!  I generally prefer the nylon picks, as they are virtually indestructible, and will withstand not only aggressive playing, but they will also survive the laundry cycle (this happens to every guitarist....)  I also use picks that have a rough or rubberized edge to grip.  Smooth picks tend to fly out of my hands at a sweaty gig.

5) Work with your music teacher on the various up and down-stroke techniques for playing both quick notes and chord strumming techniques.  If you've always wanted to play those fast licks, you will need to work hard on these techniques.  And in case you were wondering, I will be covering finger picking in a future blog entry.

6) Picks are also a source of varying TONES for your playing.  The difference between the sound a thin pick makes and a thicker one is both dramatic and useful.  One little hint I do is that in a song where I am both strumming and playing a lead, I will turn my pick upside down for the lead part so that the thicker part of the pick can help my lead playing jump out a bit.

7) Finally, yes--you will occasionally drop a pick down the sound-hole of your acoustic guitar.  It happens to EVERYBODY! There is a way to fetch them out by turning your guitar upside down, and doing both an up and down and side to side motion.  Your teacher can demonstrate that as well!

So have fun, keep on practicing, watch the video below, and Happy Pickin'!

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO ON GUITAR PICKS!

Barre Chord Tips!

I have several students working on barre chords at this time, so I thought it might be worthwhile to give some tips for helping both them and you (the reader!) along.

Let me first say that I know that barre chords are HARD to master--especially on an acoustic guitar.  And I can clearly remember how frustrated I used to get working on them myself when I was a wee lad!

So let me be honest and assure you that this frustration is normal--I want to encourage you to not give up, and to keep on working on these barred forms of chords.

Here's a couple of things to remember as you work:

1) In essence, you want to form your thumb and index finger into a capo shape--this is where your leverage comes from to get good, clean notes along your barre.  You may cramp up for a while, but that cramping will decrease as you build up strength in your hand and wrist muscles.

2) Instead of holding your index finger perfectly flat, rotate it backwards a little onto its side--I show this in the video link below.  Also see the picture above, and pay attention to the hand position that this fellow has.

3) Move the elbow of your left arm (or right arm if you're left-handed) close to your body, so that it's touching your waist.

4) If you keep hearing muffled strings, it means that your either not getting a good barre with your index finger, of that your other fretting fingers are muting other strings.  You will want to make sure that you are using the very tips of your fingers to form the barre chords.  Calluses and practice will get you there!

5) Don't expect your barred chords to sound great in the beginning--correcting buzzes and muted notes is all part of the learning process.  You just gotta hang in there, and keep working at it!

6)  Make it a habit to work some barre chords into songs that you already know.  Learning to make those transitions between chords will eventually shape you into the great guitarist that you are destined to be.

7) See my video below for some exercises that can help you with making clean sounding, strong barre chords.

8) Finally, have your music instructor check the overall "action" on your fret-board.  If the "action" is too high, a reputable guitar store can lower the strings so that they are closer to the fret-board (but not so close that they buzz against the frets!).

Keep up the good work--and Happy Pickin'!

VIDEO--Barre Chord Tips

Dynamics--The "Secret Weapon"

Have you ever been playing a song, or working a new one up and wondered, "why does this song sound so lifeless and monotone?  What's missing?"

Most often, I believe that what is missing is a good sense of dynamics in one's playing.  "Dynamics" refers to how loud or soft you are playing, and/or how aggressively or softly you are strumming.

An important thing to remember is that music is like a river or body of water--it ebbs and flows, has softer parts and louder parts, and has twists and turns--all of which can be accentuated and reinforced with good dynamic playing.

So how do you start playing your guitar more dynamically?  Well, the first step is just to remember and be aware that you have this "tool" in your arsenal, and to be aware that even within a song, there are some sections that might call for softer playing (i.e. the verses), and some that might require more aggressive dynamics (i.e. the chorus).

Secondly, before you play a song, really stop and think about how you want to approach it dynamically.  Maybe it's the type of song that starts out softly, and builds to a massive climax (think Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven").  Or maybe the song calls for softer verses and a harder-edged chorus (think Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit").

Or maybe it's a soft ballad that you might want to finger-pick throughout the entire song.

One great exercise to hear and work on the dynamic range of your guitar is simply to pick your favorite chords, and start out by strumming as softly as you can.  Then gradually, increase the intensity of your strumming and strike the strings as hard as you can.  Finally, start backing off the intensity again until you are back at a quiet level.

This exercise will show you the stunning dynamic range of the guitar, and help you think about how you might use dynamics in the future as a tool to make your playing more vibrant and expressive.

I demonstrate this exercise in the video below--so check it out, and Happy Pickin'!

VIDEO--DYNAMICS ON THE GUITAR

Jam On!

Last evening, I had the pleasure and privilege of taking part in an outdoor, acoustic guitar jam session with about 8 other players.  Some were guitar teachers, some were fairly new players, and others intermediate students and professional musicians.

I tell you this because I think that these sorts of gatherings are great opportunities to make new friends, and make great music--and because a LOT of learning goes on in these gatherings.

Here are some reasons I encourage all of my students and fellow players to purposefully seek out other folks to rehearse and jam with:

1) You get to meet new people and make new friends with whom you instantly have something in common:  the love of music and performing!

2) Every guitar player can ALWAYS learn something new.  No matter if you've been playing 2 years or 40 years, there's always a new way to finger a chord or play a riff.  Going in with an open mind and a willingness to learn practically guarantees that you will go home with a new piece of guitar knowledge.

3) Along those lines, you get to hear some new songs and/or arrangements that might not have been on your radar before.  I know that I walked away last evening with some new bands and new songs that I want to hear more of.

4)  You can make mistakes in a non-performance setting.  Jam sessions are a great place to try out a new solo, or improvise over some chords.  From a vocal standpoint, you can also learn and try out some new harmonies in a "non-judgmental" setting.  Everyone is there to have fun and learn.

5) Your musical adaptability and listening skills will improve.  At a jam, there is a lot of interplay between the musicians, and sometimes the setting allows for multiple musicians to take solos.  These are opportunities that you don't get if you only play and practice by yourself at home.

6) Finally, you get to be more comfortable playing in front of other people.  As I mentioned before, it's great to be playing within a circle of supportive musicians who all simply want to have fun and hone their craft.

So how do you find other like-minded folks to jam with?  Well, a good place to start is with your music instructor.  He or she undoubtedly has other students whom you might be able to jam and rehearse with.  Also, many communities and music stores will post announcements of "jam nights" throughout the year.  You can also attend open mic nights at local venues/coffeehouses and meet other potential jammers that way.

In any event, music is meant to be fun, and an creative outlet.  So find those other guitar-people, and start your jammin'!  More in the video below:

Video Link--The Importance of Jamming!