I've been drilling my chops a lot lately (several hours per day) and am making little progress in one area: ascending runs. There seems to be something wrong with my palm muting (high strings only for clarity):
e---------------1-2-3-4-----------
b----1-2-3-4----------------------
I've been doing runs like this in different groupings of 16th notes and in different variations on fingering and notes per string. When I ascend the patterns vertically, strings begin to ring out and it sounds terrible. I'm taking lessons and have learned that anchoring with the fingers around the pickups is bad, so I'm trying to find a way to palm mute and anchor my hand without doing this. The problem is that I cannot effectivly cross strings ascending due to the fact that I have keep my hand anchored in order to pick accurately. Descending is much easier for some reason; I think the underside of the fret hand fingers helps to silence the strings as I move up from the high E to the B string, for example.
e---8----5---------
b-----------7----5----------------7---5-
g---------------------7-----5---------------7----5----
Playing the above drill is a breeze descending, but ascending the strings behind me begin to ring out.
All this aside, when I move beyond drills and such my playing suffers because I can't pick accurrately and not have strings ring out when I play. Its not too bad; half the time I nail a ripping passage, but sometimes I can't. I've spent hours analyzing what I'm doing but can't seem to find the problem. Asked the teacher and he gave me a few pointers, but it hasn't really worked consistently. We have started to do a classical Paganini piece which requires great accuracy and I don't want to wait until next week to ask my teacher yet again what the hell I'm doing wrong! haha. My playing would be so much better if I could clear this up. Where is the best place to put my hand when picking to get consistent accuracy and cleanliness without sacrificing speed. (for the record, I have started slow, but when I try to speed up the problem is still there)
Photos (or even video!) would be great if at all possible. :wink:
thanks all
Matt
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
Why don't you just not anchor? Is it any easier to devise workarounds for anchoring? Just learn to play without doing it.
I'm a little confused as to why you're palm muting that at all. If you're doing it to mute the string as you change to the next you'll probably get better results muting by lifting your fretting finger.
try resting the outside heel of your palm against the bridge. if that doesnt work for the high notes then anchor the inside part.
you may have to crank you wrist upwards a bit.
at first this will feel uncomfortable, but at least all your figers are free .
at times my pinky shoots out straight to help my palm alignment.
of course time helps too.
Why don't you just not anchor? Is it any easier to devise workarounds for anchoring? Just learn to play without doing it.
I'm a little confused as to why you're palm muting that at all. If you're doing it to mute the string as you change to the next you'll probably get better results muting by lifting your fretting finger.
That works when I descend the strings, since the underside of the finger helps to mute, but not when I ascend. Lifting straight up off the string likeI think you are talking about is another technique, but the strings around the ones I'm picking tend to ring anyway. I'm trying to find a way to pick freely and find a way to mute the other strings except the one I'm playing. Kind of hard to explain, I know.....
Ill try to anchor that palm, thanks. Other suggestions?
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
Thanks thats more what I'm talking about.
For future refrence, I just bought some HEAVY picks and they help alot. My picking is clean. I was reading in an article that they help with picking accuracy and my teacher said to definately try them, but I figured that nine times out of ten the problem is the player, not the gear. Lo and Behold...... :oops: The pick cuts so much better its amazing. Thanks everyone
:)
M
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
