Sunday band rehearsal pickin' on the AJ

[EuroAussie]

I recall sometime back Del suggesting Street Spirit from Radiohead as a good track to practice fingerpicking patterns, plus it helps that it happens to be a great song, at least from my perspective.

 

So we had a rehearsal today where we focused on early 90's Manchester/ UK Brit pop as we started playing a new pub where everyones seems to be around 40, from the UK and grew up on this stuff. So we learnt tracks from James, Travis, Oasis, Stone Roses and this one ... from Radiohead.

 

Even though the picking pattern repeats itself through the song I often find I get my fingers twisted into a knot from repetition, hence would be keen to get your feedback and any further advice before we let it out next Saturday.

 

Recorded on my best picker ... the AJ.

 

cheers,

EA

 

[Gruffchris]

Nice, nailed it there bud :).

[duluthdan]

I liked it. Get's kind of repetitive / tiring after awhile, eh? I have one pattern that I use for most fingerpicking songs, and its almost like being on automatic pilot, so much so that its now darn near impossible not to slip into it even when I'm trying to learn another pattern.

[Del Nilppeznaf]

Yea ya got it EA

 

I used to play it..it does get a bit repetitive tho playing it ..and I actually think it's easier with a pick. All good technique tho.

 

So you prefer your AJ over the 40's slope for picking ?

[EuroAussie]

Yea ya got it EA

 

I used to play it..it does get a bit repetitive tho playing it ..and I actually think it's easier with a pick. All good technique tho.

 

So you prefer your AJ over the 40's slope for picking ?

 

Cheers and thanks for the suggestion Del.

 

I agree the picking can get repetitive and almost throw me off (notice i almost lost it half way through with some dud notes), hence the reasons why i added the strumming bits to create some contrast and tension during the non singing parts.

 

And who's the best picker in the house, I think i give it to the AJ as its the most versatile picker in the stable. The LG is unbeatable for blues picking but for that deep, droning bass lines and small melody like on the Radiohead track I felt the AJ was the best candidate.

[ParlourMan]

Nifty. Nice one EA.

 

Like others have said its quite a sparse song and does go on a bit, but the picking was cool.

[blindboygrunt]

yeah nice picking EA ... its a cracking song and your singers voice works with it with his high voice .... but i think it needs the keyboards and things to get a build in the dynamics .... fake plastic trees is another lovely song but hard to pull off with just a guitar and voice . karma police maybe ?

[blindboygrunt]

thom yorke's a taylor man anyway , am surprised u even listen to them :)

[EuroAussie]

yeah nice picking EA ... its a cracking song and your singers voice works with it with his high voice .... but i think it needs the keyboards and things to get a build in the dynamics .... fake plastic trees is another lovely song but hard to pull off with just a guitar and voice . karma police maybe ?

 

Thanks mate, actually Fake Plastic Boobies as we like to call it has been a staple of ours since we started playing two years ago, and goes down well even with just voice and guitar. Here is a version from two years ago that we did of this track, but now since we got the drummer we get him to launch on the 2nd verse like the original and it gives it a real boost. But we do quite a few Radiohead numbers as its both mine and the singers favourite band, so far we have Fake Plastic Boobies, Lucky, Creep and now Street Spirit to choose from. Would like to add Paranoid Android to that list, and most possibly No Surprises and Karma Police as you suggested. We just have to be careful we dont get too depressive or the punters will start slashing their wrists over their Jamesons if you now what I mean ...

 

[EuroAussie]

thom yorke's a taylor man anyway , am surprised u even listen to them :)

 

Far from it BBG, he's actually been plaing an old Bird' live for years now ...check it out.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiaDn5pAjuQ

[blindboygrunt]

Far from it BBG, he's actually been plaing an old Bird' live for years now ...check it out.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiaDn5pAjuQ

 

i didnt know that , last time i saw a video he had a taylor .

 

paranoid android ?! really ? the full version ?

i dont think i could learn that if i practiced for 6months straight !

[EuroAussie]

i didnt know that , last time i saw a video he had a taylor .

 

paranoid android ?! really ? the full version ?

i dont think i could learn that if i practiced for 6months straight !

 

I steal a lot from this guy, yeah it will be one heluva a pepsi challenge but im gonna give it a shot ...based on this version.

 

[j45nick]

I have one pattern that I use for most fingerpicking songs, and its almost like being on automatic pilot, so much so that its now darn near impossible not to slip into it even when I'm trying to learn another pattern.

 

 

Agree on that one. Sometimes I'll fall back into that basic pattern for one verse or break, and then try to escape to something a bit more interesting without totally blowing it making the transition.

 

My problem is that I'm still at the stage of trying to make that picking pattern "automatic" so I can do more interesting things over it. I'm just not there yet.

[bobby b]

Sounds good EA, really nice job.

 

I've seen Thom perform that song on his Hummingbird, however he did not fingerpick, he used a pick. Getting the picking pattern smooth with a pick is a bit of a challenge in it's own right.

 

Here is a few vids of him and his 'bird plus a vid of the same song on a 12 string......Alvarez I think.

 

 

[bobby b]

And one of my faves on the bird.......

 

[blindboygrunt]

And one of my faves on the bird.......

 

 

that was fab

[E-minor7]

You're gettin' forward with that f-picking ✈ great to hear -

[EuroAussie]

Sounds good EA, really nice job.

 

I've seen Thom perform that song on his Hummingbird, however he did not fingerpick, he used a pick. Getting the picking pattern smooth with a pick is a bit of a challenge in it's own right.

 

Here is a few vids of him and his 'bird plus a vid of the same song on a 12 string......Alvarez I think.

 

 

Indeed Bobby, every clip Ive seen of this track Thomm was using a pick .... but, I think this song just begs to be fingerpicked. :-)

 

Thanks guys for the feedback, look we'll be giving it a run this saturday nite ..

[bobby b]

Indeed Bobby, every clip Ive seen of this track Thomm was using a pick .... but, I think this song just begs to be fingerpicked. :-)

 

Agreed.

[MissouriPicker]

EA, you're real smooth on that. Very nice sounding AJ also. I find that a pattern can get you mixed-up a bit when you're playing with a band and your mind and fingers are zeroed-in on the pattern. You're following someone else's rhythm/timing and if they vary a little bit, then all of a sudden you're either ahead of them a bit or behind them. I don't like focusing on a singer, because each person has their own little breaks, pauses, breaths, sighs, and that can throw me off a half-beat, more or less. Anyway, I always enjoy your audio/video clips.