Strumming to plucking transition

carpet
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Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:57 pm

Hi Neil, hi TG, hi guys n gals,

So my question is one of technique.

Lets say I'm strumming away, and I'm really in the groove, but I want to go from playing chords to, say, playing single notes without losing timing and whilst staying in the groove. Any tips on technique to transition seamlessly from strumming to single note picking and back again? It just feels awkward, like I'm unprepared and it doesn't flow. It should feel automatic, but how do I get to the point where it does feel automatic?

Any tips, suggestions?

Thanks!


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Music Junkie
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Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:15 pm

Carpet:

This is something I struggle with quite a bit. What has helped me out is using a metronome and slowing things WAAAYYYY down. I mean ridiculously slow for me..... The important thing is to keep the up and down strokes consistent and then being able to accurately hit the right string(s). Songs like Norwegian Wood and Rocky Mountain High are good for that. I have also been working a very long time on an old Whitesnake song called "Til the Day I Die". The intro is along the lines of the others mentioned....



Hopefully some others will have something to add, as I know lots of TG'ers who have gotten very good at this... :)


carpet
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Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:34 pm

Cheers MJ. Gave it a listen - it definitely belongs in the same hall as Norwegian Wood, which I can play just fine. It's more a case of transitioning to like a miniatiature solo break. Like, if I was playing chords, grooving along, but wanted to just move right into a lick, so I'm not still anchoring my fingers to the fretboard by maintaining a hold on a chord, but my hand is dedicatd to a soloing posture, for just a measure or so.

How do I do it?

As an aside, I was a little intrigued by that Whitesnake song. Ive never heard them before. Think ill give em a little listen.

Ps, understood on your mechanics of it (keeping the down-ups consistent, and just being accurate). I really need an insight as to how to practise that. I guess a metronome probably is my best friend here. That said, I don't want to merely rehearse a set of pre-determined combinations - I want the ability in its own right. It's probably still the metronome though, grr. I'm not the most patient.


thereshopeyet
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Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:58 pm

If you have a look at...... I'd love to Change The World - by Ten Yeas After

Part 5 - Right Hand - 3.28 minutes in, Neil talks about going from Strumming to Picking.

I hope this helps.

Dermot

:)


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Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:49 pm

Gotcha, I misunderstood you there.... :(

What song (or group of songs) is it that is giving you trouble? Maybe hearing an example would be helpful.... :)

J

Whitesnake was a very popular hair band back in the late 80's, early 90's. Although this album "Come and Get It" was from an earlier time. I enjoy their older stuff, as it is a bit more bluesy... B)


sws626
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Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:57 pm

Carpet,
You've gotten some good advice already. I'd only add to go slow, use a metronome, count your beats, know which note you will play with up strokes and which with down strokes, be aware of the timing relationship between the single notes and the strums that preceeded -- for example, if you were strumming down on the beats and up on the offbeats in 4/4 and the single notes are eighth notes, then your right hand movements should stay the same. Hope this helps.


carpet
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Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:26 pm

Sorry guys for not responding - I only dip in and out of here on occasion.

MJ, Dermot, SWS, thanks for all the tips - I'm definitely noticing that I'm making some headway into this thing. It's becoming more and more natural as the weeks roll by!

I practised slowly, moving from different chords into the same lick, then changing licks, wash, rinse, repeat. My fingers are definitely getting more used to it now.

Cheers guys!


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