Question for fingerpickers

[Tony Done]

How do you do fast runs on a steel string, where you have to play several
picked notes in succession on the same string?

I'm doing down thumb, up index, but not very fast by flatpicker or classical
standards.

Tony D

[Charmed Snark]

Tony Done expounded in news:jfketk$42q$1...@dont-email.me:

I don't do anything fast anymore. Fast is for young 'ns.

Snark.

[David Raleigh Arnold]

The fastest way, as every piano player knows, is thumb and middle.
Tim and tmi should also be cultivated. Practice my arpeggios.
If you had, you would know how to do what you have *finally*
decided to do.

The Devil's Dream can be played much faster with tm than with
a flat pick. Clarinet Polka and Sailor's Hornpipe are also
good to practice tmtm. Regards, daveA

--
Guitar teaching materials and original music for all styles and levels.
Site: http://www.openguitar.com (()) eMail: d.raleig...@gmail.com
Contact: http://www.openguitar.com/contact.html"

[Cyberserf]

It depends what you mean by fast, but I definitely take advantage of
hammer-on and pull-off opportunities. Sometimes two fingers and the
thumb (for short trills), sometimes quick up and down strokes with my
index nail used as a pick. For really quick by extended passages, I
uses a hybrid technique (pinkie, ring and middle doing the finger
picking and thumb and index holding a hard pick).

I always practice slow and let the speed build...clean and slow always
sounds better than faster and dirty and its a good way to build that
muscle memory.

Regards, CS

[Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke]

Charmed Snark wrote:
> I don't do anything fast anymore. Fast is for young 'ns.

I do things about half fast.


Lump

[the_cat]

>
> I do things about half fast.
>
> Lump

spell check -> drop the "f" .. e

[Dave M.]

Tony,

On the bass strings I alternate thumb and index. On the treble strings I
alternate index and middle.
But it depends on the music, too. If I'm already zooming along IM then
I'll often continue into the bass strings.

Dave M.

[Tony Done]

"Tony Done" wrote in message news:jfketk$42q$1...@dont-email.me...

********************

Thanks for the replies, which hopefully help the lurkers in addition to
myself. Does anyone use finger backstrokes? - I think that the flamenco and
Latin players do that.

Tony D

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:12:05 +1000, Tony Done wrote:

> "Tony Done" wrote in message news:jfketk$42q$1...@dont-email.me...
>
> How do you do fast runs on a steel string, where you have to play
> several picked notes in succession on the same string?
>
> I'm doing down thumb, up index, but not very fast by flatpicker or
> classical standards.
>
> Tony D
>
> ********************
>
> Thanks for the replies, which hopefully help the lurkers in addition to
> myself. Does anyone use finger backstrokes?

It's an old style of banjo playing to hit one string that
way, called "frailing" now. It was called beating in the day.
It is very weak and precious today, because the strings
are not set far enough apart to get the power required
to do it right, so "traditional" players don't do it
right. It can sound VERY loud.

- I think that the flamenco
> and Latin players do that.

but not on one string, and not nearly as loudly. Regards, daveA

[Inyo]

"Tony Done" <tony...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:jfmsa0$g56$1...@dont-email.me...

Bingo. Now you're on to the process, just about, one must admit.
Backstroking is a good thing. That's one tried and true method to
"speed-dial" notes on the same string.

Another flamenco-style trick is to "upstroke" the string in question. That
is, use the tips of the fingers to pull up on the string in rapid
succession. On a nylon-string guitar, this is pretty easy to do, and at
least a semblance of satisfactory quasi-excellence can be achieved with a
modicum of dedicated attention to detail. With a steel-stringed instrument,
practice and more practice is the operative imperative.

Then again, one can always simulate a flat-picking maneuver using
fingernails only. You simply pinch your thumb and index finger together and
then use the nails of each finger for picking the string: index nail for
downstrokes, thumbnail for upstrokes. Works quite well.

This is exactly the "picking" style I employ for my version of "Apache,"
below--and for all of my solo, acoustic, instrumental 6 and 12-string guitar
interpretations, for that matter, when a flat-picking sound is required.

An obvious advantage is that one can seamlessly integrate sharp single-note
plucking activity (embracing such genres as Bluegrass, Country, Classic
Rock, Bluess and so on and so forth) with a traditional fingerpicking style.
No plectrums need apply...

http://inyo.coffeecup.com/site/music/apache.html
My solo, acoustic 6-string guitar version of the classic instrumental,
"Apache"--#2 US Billboard for Jorgan Ingmann, 1961. Although it should be
noted that Amercian Country Music legend Sonny James actually sang a version
of the song, with lyrics--hitting #87 US Billboard (Pop Charts), 1960.

"Apache" was composed by UK musician Jerry Lordan in 1960--the first
recorded version was by a then-popular UK guitarist named Bert Weedon. Soon
after, a group by the name of The Shadows got hold of the tune--they were
the back-up group for singer Cliff Richards; they were looking for a hit.
Somebody suggested "Apache" as a B-side to "Quartermaster's Stores." That
song went nowhere, but the reaction to "Apache" was instantly phenomenal.

[Tony Done]

"Inyo" wrote in message news:jfmvob$67p$1...@dont-email.me...

*******

And Dave. Thanks for the ideas. My tricone, which I use a lot for
fingerpicking has more in common with a banjo or flamenco guitar in terms of
note development and sustain than it does with a flattop. Loud and punchy,
no headroom and not much sustain; it also has a wide string spacing. A
technique that works on it, though I don't use it much, is to twiddle the i
and m over a single string as rest strokes, hitting the strings with both
the up and down strokes. I think that might also work for something like
Apache (which I think of as Shadows - from about when I started playing
guitar) at least for the high stings, with something like tim.

Tony D

[Tony Done]

"Tony Done" wrote in message news:jfn11b$e3q$1...@dont-email.me...

Should read "tim for the bass strings".

Tony D

[David Raleigh Arnold]

The sitar is played "up and down" with a pick on the
end of the index. No other finger is used. The
pick is between a U and V shape, with one end
at the front of the finger and the other at the
back.

I have heard flamencos use backstrokes with
the thumb, g,t a,t b,u ct or a, b, c d e
played t u t t u for examples, to play
tenths. It's an easy trick. Regards, daveA

[the_cat]

On Jan 25, 12:27 pm, David Raleigh Arnold <d.raleigh.arn...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:29:58 +1000, Tony Done wrote:
> > "Tony Done"  wrote in messagenews:jfn11b$e3q$1...@dont-email.me...
>
> > "Inyo"  wrote in messagenews:jfmvob$67p$1...@dont-email.me...
>

> > "Tony Done" <tonyd...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
> >news:jfmsa0$g56$1...@dont-email.me...
>
> >> "Tony Done"  wrote in messagenews:jfketk$42q$1...@dont-email.me...

> >http://inyo.coffeecup.com/site/music/apache.htmlMy solo, acoustic

The fastest way, as every piano player knows, is thumb and middle.
Tim and tmi should also be cultivated. Practice my arpeggios.
If you had, you would know how to do what you have *finally*
decided to do

I guess Ravi doesn't play piano.. meow

[Tony Done]

"David Raleigh Arnold" wrote in message
news:jfphhl$tqj$1...@speranza.aioe.org...

***************

<g> All these tricks are easy with practice. I think the main issue is being
dedicated enough to practice new stuff rather than just sticking with the
things with which you feel comfortable.

Tony D

[d.]

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:11:12 +1000, "Tony Done" <tony...@bigpond.com>
wrote:

Hi Tony,

I had the pleasure to see a pretty accomplished fingerpicker today at
noontime, Jim Hurst. He played all his songs with a thumb pick and
fingers ( no finger picks) except the second song with a flat pick.
After the show I asked him how he played his single string runs and he
said it varies, thumb with one or more fingers. Also he used the
thumb pick as a flat pick several times (I presume that gives a more
even tone). He was playing a Gallagher Jim Hurst Signature model
guitar with medium gauge strings. (A dreadnought style with built-in
electrics). It looked so stinkin' easy I would have bet he was using
lighter strings. A real sweet sounding instrument.

Anyway I think the show will be rerun(audio only) at midnight tonight
EST in the US. I think that is 4 am GMT. So if that happens to be
convenient in your time zone you might take a listen.

http://www.wdvx.com/webcast.html

[d.]

Whoops, I guess that is 5 am GMT now.

[uragoner]

Having learned from a student of Segovia, I use three fingers imaima
or imami are both acceptable patterns or trill w/ one finger as if you
were alternate picking, but with your fingertip(s). For guts and
glory, you can trill w/ one finger, while maintaining a pattern w/
other digits.

[the_cat]

> Then again, one can always simulate a flat-picking maneuver using
> fingernails only. You simply pinch your thumb and index finger together and
> then use the nails of each finger for picking the string: index nail for
> downstrokes, thumbnail for upstrokes. Works quite well.
>
> This is exactly the "picking" style I employ for my version of "Apache,"
> below--and for all of my solo, acoustic, instrumental 6 and 12-string guitar
> interpretations, for that matter, when a flat-picking sound is required.
>
> An obvious advantage is that one can seamlessly integrate sharp single-note
> plucking activity (embracing such genres as Bluegrass, Country, Classic
> Rock, Bluess and so on and so forth) with a traditional fingerpicking style.
> No plectrums need apply...

That’s probably my favorite way to play but I wear my nail down
pretty bad sometimes.. ed