I think I know why I could never totally shred...

[saturn]

It's my pinky. It's either down on the fret board or it's way out. I can't hover it just over the strings like my other fingers. So, if I try to play scales too fast, my pinky has to travel all the way down and come way off and back down etc.

 

Does anyone else have that problem?

[swleary]

stretch your fingers out when not playing. Make sure your index finger is farthest from your pinky, at least as much as possible. Do that while not playing guitar. I used to have a very similar problem when I made the trans ion to bass and that' s what I did.

 

Ok now my comment time lol

 

Everybody shreds, be different and don't do it lol

[Silenced Fred]

Everybody shreds' date=' be different and don't do it lol[/quote']

 

Big +1 from me.... Everyone says I should learn to sweep pick, I don't see a use for it in my style of playing. There are so many people out there who can shred and sweep, why should I be just another person?

 

I like my music to be full of feeling, not how many notes can one play in a minute

[DAS44]

Everybody shreds' date=' be different and don't do it lol[/quote']

Agreed

[Blackie]

Yeah I will find my pinky sticking up like that ........heck I use my middle finger when I should be using my ring finger on leads.....working on that

cause it is obviously limiting my playing................should have got lessons way back before I fell into bad habbits...........

[swleary]

What I was right? omg mark that one the calender lol

[Silenced Fred]

What I was right? omg mark that one the calender lol

 

You the best man!

 

But shredding is odd, tons of people do it. I am not saying it isn't hard to do, just too common for me, I want to be unusual

[swleary]

Shredding doesn't really appeal to me, I rather just be myself than be like everyone else. Not saying I can't do it, maybe with enough practice I could. I just choose not to.

[Jantha]

I have no problem with that. My problem is my damn short pinkies...

[deepblue]

I had to learn not to lift my fingers so far off of the fret board.

The closer to the board, the quicker you can hit the note with your fingers.

[saturn]

I had to learn not to lift my fingers so far off of the fret board.

The closer to the board' date=' the quicker you can hit the note with your fingers.[/quote']

 

Yeah, that's what I mean. My other fingers can stay close to the strings, but my pinky is either all the way in or out. It just won't stay in between.

[The Mick]

my pinky is the crippled slow child on my hand for sure.

[Lowdown]

Yeah I will find my pinky sticking up like that ........heck I use my middle finger when I should be using my ring finger on leads.....working on that

cause it is obviously limiting my playing................should have got lessons way back before I fell into bad habbits...........

 

Ah fuggedaboutit Blackie...Les West only uses his index and middle finger and he does alright in my book mate!

[Duende]

Hi Saturn

 

I have this for you; it was given to me from a teacher at the RCM London some years back. The two notes are fretted initially with fingers 4 and 1 slurring onto finger 2, then fingers 2 and 3 slurring onto finger 4 etc etc.

 

The reason it is such a good exercise for finger independence, especially with the pinky (finger 4[biggrin] ) is that it is forced to move of it's own accord and not rely on the momentum of the other fingers, or weight of the hand.

 

Many electric players do not pull off or hammer on properly; but instead 'flutter' and with all the gain and reverb on high, their legato sounds convincing. Granted this exercise may not sound nice to the ear, or impressive, but it does the job.

 

Try this on clean. I have been teaching and using it for years and I promise you twenty minutes a day with a metronome will make a huge difference. Your little finger will be flying within six months and you will develop fingers that are closer to the fret board[cool]

 

Trust Matt...

 

 

 

-------------------------------7-8--

-------------------------5-6--6----

-------------------7-8--8---------

-------------5-6--6---------------

-8----7-8--8---------------------

-5-6--6---------------------------

[Lowdown]

Many electric players do not pull off or hammer on properly; but instead 'flutter' and with all the gain and reverb on high' date=' their legato sounds convincing. Granted this exercise may not sound nice to the ear, or impressive, but it does the job.

 

Try this on clean.

Trust Matt...

 

 

So true.

 

Whenever we tend to practice/learn etc. we always reach for the overdrive or distortion and reverbs and delays because we convince ourselves we sound better with them. But in actuality,we're just helping ourselves to cover up the mistakes and sloppy parts of our playing and fool ourselves into believing that we've really nailed that part we were working on.

 

Conquer it on an acoustic first - that's where you'll get sorted out.

Then go to an electric - clean...then blast away.

[deepblue]

Django Reinhardt only used two fingers. His ring finger and pinky were damaged in a fire and

curled under. True, he was no shredder as we know them today, but he had some amazing riffs

and speed runs.

[Lowdown]

Django Reinhardt only used two fingers. His ring finger and pinky were damaged in a fire and

curled under. True' date=' he was no shredder as we know them today, but he had some amazing riffs

and speed runs.[/quote']

 

Sheeyeah!

 

Just take a listen to Charleston or Ain't Misbehavin'...wish I could play like that!

 

Killer.

[saturn]

Hi Saturn

 

I have this for you; it was given to me from a teacher at the RCM London some years back. The two notes are fretted initially with fingers 4 and 1 slurring onto finger 2' date=' then fingers 2 and 3 slurring onto finger 4 etc etc.

 

The reason it is such a good exercise for finger independence, especially with the pinky (finger 4[biggrin'] ) is that it is forced to move of it's own accord and not rely on the momentum of the other fingers, or weight of the hand.

 

Many electric players do not pull off or hammer on properly; but instead 'flutter' and with all the gain and reverb on high, their legato sounds convincing. Granted this exercise may not sound nice to the ear, or impressive, but it does the job.

 

Try this on clean. I have been teaching and using it for years and I promise you twenty minutes a day with a metronome will make a huge difference. Your little finger will be flying within six months and you will develop fingers that are closer to the fret board[cool]

 

Trust Matt...

 

 

 

-------------------------------7-8--

-------------------------5-6--6----

-------------------7-8--8---------

-------------5-6--6---------------

-8----7-8--8---------------------

-5-6--6---------------------------

 

 

Thanks Matt, I'll give it a try. I guess 6 months isn't too long considering I've been playing about 26 years.

[Duende]

Saturn

 

Have you tried these kind of things

 

 

Chromatic exercise: On string one play frets: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 then 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 etc. Each set of four notes will use fingers 1,2,3 and 4 and then you shift position.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------1-3-2-4--

-------------------------------------------1-3-2-4--------------

---------------------------------1-3-2-4------------------------

-----------------------1-3-2-4----------------------------------

-------------1-3-2-4--------------------------------------------

-1-3--2--4------------------------------------------------------

 

Above a Left hand jumbled chromatic exercise: Frets: 1,3,2,4 on all 6 strings then when string 1 is reached move onto the next string.

 

This is a Joe Satriani exercise

 

------------------------------4---1------------------------------

------------------4------3--------2-----1------------------------

--------4------3------2-------------3-----2-----1---------------

------3------2------1-----------------4-----3------2-------------

---2-------1-----------------------------------4------3----------

-1-------------------------------------------------------4--------

[duane v]

So true.

 

Whenever we tend to practice/learn etc. we always reach for the overdrive or distortion and reverbs and delays because we convince ourselves we sound better with them. But in actuality' date='we're just helping ourselves to cover up the mistakes and sloppy parts of our playing and fool ourselves into believing that we've really nailed that part we were working on.

 

Conquer it on an acoustic first - that's where you'll get sorted out.

Then go to an electric - clean...then blast away.

 

 

Respectfully I'll disagree

 

Playing with gain is more difficult especially at high db levels IMO, especially when recording. It requires complete control of the pickup your are using, and being able to mute other strings during a solo. Delay/echo doesn't hide anything, it actually multiplies the impurity of your performance. As for sounding better with delay/reverb, some passages do sound better with those effects. And sometimes adding those effects will allow a player to set a better mood for his or her performance.

 

IMO, it's not perfection that counts, it's the performance.

[Duende]

Respectfully I'll disagree

 

Playing with gain is more difficult especially at high db levels IMO' date=' especially when recording. It requires complete control of the pickup your are using, and being able to mute other strings during a solo. Delay/echo doesn't hide anything, it actually multiplies the impurity of your performance. As for sounding better with delay/reverb, some passages do sound better with those effects. And sometimes adding those effects will allow a player to set a better mood for his or her performance.

 

IMO, it's not perfection that counts, it's the performance.

 

[/quote']

 

I agree; although only in the context you mention. Regarding hammers and pull offs (or slurs); in my opinion heavy distortion makes the string so sensitive to even the slightest touch, you can 'flutter' the fingers when doing a trill for example and it can sound convincing and pronounced.

 

However...

 

I have seen many metal players especially (although it applies to many electric styles), trying doing a a trill as mentioned above on clean (or on a acoustic or classical guitar) and often it is barely audible! When I first got really deeply into classical guitar, the first effect on my electric playing was my left hand became so strong. My pull offs and hammers were so much louder.

 

 

Matt

[duane v]

If you attack the trill or slur with your pick hand at the beginning of the measure, (considering your gear is above average) one should be able to sustain its dynamics easily for a 4/4 measure without having to re-pick until the next measure..... It's all a matter of technique, and how one applies their scales. Certainly if you have a piece that requires staccato arpeggios, then of course you will need to pick more often. Also a good compressor can balance out your style/technique whether you play clean or dirty, and allow you to maintain the same technique for the most part... But the mood will be different

[Duende]

LOL Duane

 

Well in real life, I am glad people do need help with honing their technique etc or I would be out of a job!

 

What an interesting thread this has become!

For people, unlike yourself Duane, who can play for a 4 beat bar, with a nice loud and pronounced trill, I have found that teaching people (to get that 'good technique'), by literally pulling off and not just lifting the finger off in the air is the way forward in the left hand.

 

ie I teach the pupil to keep the left hand fingers curved, relaxed and to not lift the fingers off a note after the pull off has been executed, but rather actually 'pull it' off instead. This technique sounds clear and articulated on Acoustic, classical and also a heavily distorted rock guitar too[cool]

 

It has become lost a bit with all the interesting digression; but many electric players whose techniques sound secure and professional, often come 'un stuck' when stripped of distortion, perhaps because the lightness of touch that can still produce a note. As a teacher I see it as my duty to equip students with a technique that allows them to use any gear and still be able to let their technique speak.

 

I also train people's left hand fingers not to leave the fret board higher than about an inch...that is the limit!! So they play very economically as a result.

 

At the schools I teach guitar, the gear is stuff like a Peavey £60 Blazer amp and a Squire strat! A good secure trill though, is a good secure trill, so will still work with under par gear[cool]

But I guess too there are many ways to skin a cat and many ways to get the same place; so once again viva la difference!

 

Matt

[saturn]

Well, I am proud to have for once started a thread that goes more than one page

[duane v]

LOL Duane

 

Well in real life' date=' I am glad people do need help with honing their technique etc or I would be out of a job!

 

What an interesting thread this has become!

For people, unlike yourself Duane, who can play for a 4 beat bar, with a nice loud and pronounced trill, I have found that teaching people (to get that 'good technique'), by literally pulling off and not just lifting the finger off in the air is the way forward in the left hand.

 

ie I teach the pupil to keep the left hand fingers curved, relaxed and to not lift the fingers off a note after the pull off has been executed, but rather actually 'pull it' off instead. This technique sounds clear and articulated on Acoustic, classical and also a heavily distorted rock guitar too[cool]

 

It has become lost a bit with all the interesting digression; but many electric players whose techniques sound secure and professional, often come 'un stuck' when stripped of distortion, perhaps because the lightness of touch that can still produce a note. As a teacher I see it as my duty to equip students with a technique that allows them to use any gear and still be able to let their technique speak.

 

I also train people's left hand fingers not to leave the fret board higher than about an inch...that is the limit!! So they play very economically as a result.

 

At the schools I teach guitar, the gear is stuff like a Peavey £60 Blazer amp and a Squire strat! A good secure trill though, is a good secure trill, so will still work with under par gear[cool]

But I guess too there are many ways to skin a cat and many ways to get the same place; so once again viva la difference!

 

Matt

 

 

 

And the above is why I probably should have taken some private lessons on guitar at some point[biggrin] ...LOL!!!

 

All my private music lesson were on trumpet and piano, so I just wanted something that I could call my own, so it was the guitar that received the abuse[blink] .....