Good evening GN folks,
This may be a silly question, but im wondering whether any of you are familiar with people playing fingerpicking style music on an electric vs an acoustic guitar, or is that mainly the realm of the acoustic?
I say fingerpicking style music, which i guess is pretty broad. My main thrust is to learn to rock out on my electric, but I also have a great love for more folksy type music ( celtic? I am not sure the exact term youd use). Greg Joy is one of my favorite musicians, not sure if many of you are familiar with him.
At any rate, i am just wondering if people ever play that style of music on an electric (and if not, why not?).
Thanks.
"I just curse the sun so I can howl at the moon" ~QOTSA
I STRONGLY suggest that you do NOT listen to Chet Atkins. If you do, you'll probably ferget about it!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
It is not exactly the same style of music but Mark Knopfler never uses a plectrum and sometimes he plays songs like this one that reminds a more "conventional" fingerpicking style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPDLjw15gVA
Just remember to use the clean channel in your amp!
then we have Jeff Beck.
Lindsey Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac) is another who never uses a pick. It can certainly be done. The two main reason many people don't play fingerstyle on electrics is that (a) not everyone is comfortable with fingerstyle to begin with - just as there are people who never use picks there are those who never don't use picks, and (b) the narrower neck most electrics have means you've really got to practice at it to get comfortable, let alone good.
Celtic music on an electric guitar can sound very cool. And folk style music has been done on electric for ages. Definitely give it a try.
Peace
Maybe it's an obvious point, but it's still worth making - make sure that you're as perfectly in tune as possible. Close just doesn't cut it when you're fingerpicking on electric!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I've seen alot of electric guitar fingerpicking and it sounds great, I'd say go for it. I've been trying this whole fingerpicking thing, and I don't think I'm quite there for using an electric yet, my fingers still make too much noise.
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
I've pretty much given up using picks at all anymore, except on my mandolin and dulcimer. I fingerpick both acoustic and electric, and, of course, on bass you use your fingers anyway. You definitely have to be more careful on an electric than on an acoustic. The acoustic is more forgiving of minor faux pas, but on an electric everything rings out loud and clear so you really need to be precise in both your fretting of the notes and the strings you strike (or accidentally strike). For me, fingerpicking allows me to sound notes more quickly and more accurately than I can when using a pick. I know where my fingers are on the strings, I don't always know where my pick is!
..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Hm hm hm. I would love to hear what music of this kind sounds like (greg joy but im sure there are many many others) on an electric.
When I looked into getting my first guitar i was looking for hard rock / metal you know? Maybe my next guitar will be more geared towards a clean tone and trying out some of this type stuff.
Man I just got a guitar and I just said "my next guitar", this could be a sickness I think.
Haha.
"I just curse the sun so I can howl at the moon" ~QOTSA
what type of electric did you get? it's possible to do fingerstyle on most guitars, though admittedly some are easier than others -- esp when coming up the learning curve. as David and EB point out, there will be a differences from acoustic, and an electric is likely to be more critical of your playing. nevertheless, fingerstyle it is an excellent thing to master on electric, as it will open many stylistic doors in addition to Celtic.
are you familiar with hybrid picking? (that is using the pick plus fingers (usually ring middle and ring.) learning this particular form of fingerstyle can be particularly useful on electric, a it is very flexible.
-=tension & release=-
Im a beginner (just had my 3rd lesson tonight) so... im not familiar with any style intimately, though Im aware of this hybrid picking you speak of.
I hope to pick up various techniques. I was mainly asking because its not something I see done so I didnt know if there was some specific reason (i.e. it sounds like crap, etc =P)
I have this guitar http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/reviews?base_pid=516666&page=2&rpp=10&sc=OVERALL&so=ASC
(i bought it 2 days before it was discontinued, *whew*)
"I just curse the sun so I can howl at the moon" ~QOTSA
right - I recall that guitar. should work as well as any for fingerstyle, though ultra-low action and light strings require a very light touch, something beginners usually find a challenge given all the other dimensions of the learning curve.
-=tension & release=-
For some reason I dont see much on Greg Joy on the net, makes me sad. He doesnt have a webpage or anything (that I can find). I bought 4 of his CDs through Itunes though.
Anyways, there are a couple things on youtube if anyone is interested, this is kind of what I was talking about in this thread:
(disclaimer: its youtube, enter at your own risk =P)
Wind Dance of the Fairies - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoP6KK6o6fE
Live, a couple songs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ig5jz2bvwc
Sovay - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7rn2cbAqxA
Thats all I can find to share.
"I just curse the sun so I can howl at the moon" ~QOTSA
