picking issues


kenroutledge
Full Access
Joined: 04/19/20
Posts: 1
kenroutledge
Full Access
Joined: 04/19/20
Posts: 1
05/27/2020 9:22 am

Hi all, I have attempted for years to play guitar without any success. I have recently started Guitar tricks (with a goal of practicing religiously for the 60 day trial period) if that works then I am in forever!! I am progressing well, mainly due to Lisa's excellent lessons (I am very left handed but have always played right handed). I am making good progress in particular my left hand is becoming more accurate and the tone from chords is a lot cleaner. The same cannot be said for my right hand!! When I pick with a plectrum and attempt to arpeggiate the accuracy is very poor. I feel this is holding me back at the moment. Could you suggest any lessons/drills/practice that would improve this technique as I feel once this improves I will be able to play several songs and make them sound good (as opposed to just strumming chords, which is not the level I want to be at) Hope you can help & hope to hear from you soon, thank you in anticipation.


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
05/27/2020 12:04 pm

Hey & welcome to GT!

Originally Posted by: kenroutledgeI am making good progress in particular my left hand is becoming more accurate and the tone from chords is a lot cleaner.[/quote]

That's good! Congrats.

Originally Posted by: kenroutledgeThe same cannot be said for my right hand!! When I pick with a plectrum and attempt to arpeggiate the accuracy is very poor.

Your picking hand has a lot more work to do & using a lot more precise motions. So first & foremost be patient with yourself.

[quote=kenroutledge]Could you suggest any lessons/drills/practice that would improve this technique as I feel once this improves I will be able to play several songs and make them sound good (as opposed to just strumming chords, which is not the level I want to be at)

Take any chord & make an arpeggio exercise out of it. Devote exclusive practice session time to just drilling one chord. For example, take the C major chord.

|--------------------------------------|[br]|-----------1----------------1--------|[br]|--------0----0----------0----0------|[br]|-----2----------2----2----------2---|[br]|--3----------------3-----------------|[br]|--------------------------------------|

1. Pick slowly & evenly with a light touch. Stay relaxed.

2. Use very small motions. Start strumming toward the floor on the first 3 notes, then hop over the B string & reverse direction going to the ceiling on the next 3 notes. Try to pick in the direction of the next string to be played.

3. Tilt the pick a little so it can more easily glide over the top of the strings. DO NOT dig in too far below the plane of the strings.

You can try different chords, different sets of strings or even permutations of the arpeggio pattern. For example G major:

|-----------3----------------3-------|[br]|--------0----0-----------0----0----|[br]|-----0----------0-----0---------0--|

|--------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------|

|--3----------------3-----------------|

Or a different C major pattern:

|-----------------------------------|[br]|-----------1---------------1------|[br]|-----0-------0------0---------0--|[br]|--------2---------------2---------|[br]|--3--------------3----------------|[br]|-----------------------------------|

My old GF 2 course has a tutorial using arpeggio patterns.

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=11241&s_id=448

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
averyberge89
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Joined: 08/28/20
Posts: 1
averyberge89
Registered User
Joined: 08/28/20
Posts: 1
08/28/2020 5:00 am

Pick / plectrum is the cheapest thing that guitar players often have, so how to use it best is also least noticeable.

Before entering the exercises, you should read through these "tips"

1 / Seal the rope with your right hand[br]The left hand is responsible for covering the high wires (G, B, E), the low wires (E, A, D) because the right hand edge[br]2 / Mute, emphasize each sound (Staccato)[br]This method helps you to clear each note and shortens the distance from the pluck to the strings, so remember that you do not have to hit fast, but you decrease the pitch of each note (when you play a note, use the fret to touch. that wire let it mute

3 / Wrists[br]Move with your right wrist, not your arm, this helps you control the best pluck movement.

4 / Flexible[br]Try hitting a note with different pitches to hear the sound come out

5 / Guitar sound (tone)[br]When you hit the rope near the horse it will sound sharp, bright and more treble

Hit closer to the neck for a warmer sound[br]6 / Approach[br]Alternate picking

7 / Punctuality[br]Practice with metronome or drum track, footbeats while hitting to feel the right beat

8 / Flexible[br]If you use finger tapping or country-style tapping and plucking using string fingers, be sure to practice additional techniques such as keystrokes, key transitions, and stroke.

9 / Selection[br]Try different types of broken keys with different materials such as plastic, metal, turtle shell ... with different thicknesses to feel the difference, then choose for yourself a key that suits your current playing style. your

10 / Practice[br]Schedule a daily workout, take time and focus on it, and in a little while you'll immediately see the difference.[br]Here are 10 lessons to improve right hand keystroke techniques:[br]Lesson 1:[br]According to scale head, right hand type alternate picking[br]Lesson 2:[br]Based on A minor pentatonic with groups of 3 notes[br]Lesson 3:[br]this is a finger warm-up exercise, and it's also a good finger exercise[br]Lesson 4:[br]This sentence is Paul Gilbert's style, easier if you start with the hit key[br]Lesson 5:[br]A variation from Lesson 4, great for finger practice and you have to pay attention not to make mistakes[br]Lesson 6:[br]This song is neo-classical style, help your right hand correctly spacing the strings[br]Lesson 7:[br]This exercise by celebrity Steve Vai, is great for practicing spacing[br]Lesson 8:[br]This exercise helps you control your tempo as there is a change from 4th to 6th[br]Lesson 9:[br]you notice that the down key is repeated twice in some notes, this is often seen in M.Schenker, when you practice, you also feel comfortable because at the beginning of the beat is hitting down.[br]Lesson 10:[br]In a bit of a sweep picking technique, you notice a series of down and up keystrokes

Good luck!


# 3
anthonymvanover
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Joined: 03/25/21
Posts: 1
anthonymvanover
Registered User
Joined: 03/25/21
Posts: 1
03/25/2021 6:43 am

The important thing in life is to want something and work with determination until you achieve that thing, and just because you want to do it, I think it means that you will achieve everything, and I hope everything will be the way you want it to be.


# 4
bjorn2182
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Joined: 03/21/21
Posts: 2
bjorn2182
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Joined: 03/21/21
Posts: 2
03/25/2021 2:27 pm

Here is a little secret method that works quite well. Pick up your guitar and plectrum and then take a deep breath and relax. Now listen to the portion you are trying to play. Feel it. When you fall into its groove, start picking the pattern only. Do not use your left hand just your right. Imagine what you are playing sounds like the piece ok cause it won't. Just practice that until your right hand can keep up with the pattern. Then when you know you can pick it add in your left hand. You're going to have to start over to synchronize the two hands, but working on the right hand first sets your rhythmic base. Once you learn the rhythm you can go back to fill it in with the melody. [br][br]

38 year player who is very left handed and plays right handed. You and I are messed up. We learned backwards from how we internalize things. The drummer I'm currently working with is the same way. We have to figure out what we are doing sort of backwards from how others learn stuff. Then we have to flip it around in our head because we're using the opposite hands from how our brain works. [br][br]

This all means that the beginnings are a little bit harder is all. Our hands will be willful sometimes. Don't think nothing about smacking yourself across the top of your hand with a ruler every once in a while. Not to hurt, but to get your brains attention. We left hangers are mostly geniuses you know. So we get bored kind of fast. Especially something needing dedication like guitar. [br][br]

one thing we also used to do when we were younger is to try to play along with cartoon music on Saturday mornings. But I don't think they have Saturday morning cartoons on tv do they. There is youtube. Watch some Warner brothers cartoons and try to strum along on single strings jumping from higher to lower strings to do the tonal changes. Don't worry about your left hand when you're doing this. You just have to spend some extra time bringing your picking hand up to speed. Once you make it do extra work, it'll take maybe a month tops til the right and left hand are working together. [br][br]

You can't work them the same and expect to have them work together. You're left handed so you process things on the right side of your brain which naturally controls your left hand easier. So the right handed stuff gets tossed over to the left half of your brain first then travels to your hand. So it's a little behind. Giving it extra work will train you to make it actually stronger and can be put on auto pilot eventually. [br][br]

being left handed and playing right handed is is like learning guitar but forcing ourselves to be dyslexic while we are learning. Forcing yourself to develop a natural rhythm understanding through your right hand helps fix that a little. Don't get discouraged. It's your brain telling you that to play it left handed would be too easy so it made the challenge especially difficult. If I can still be playing after 38 years this way. With 4 albums I've been on and a few tours as well. You can do it as well. Just work in your right hand more than you do the left with just basic stuff like trying to pick up rhythms with that hand. It'll help you when you bring the two together.


# 5

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