A little fingerpicking tip....

unclewalt
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Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:56 pm

I've really only started learning formal fingerpicking (as opposed to essentially random chord picking) since joining here, so despite my long experience as a player, I'm speaking as a relative newbie:

I noticed recently that if I'm having trouble with a tricky fret-hand move, concentrating on the picking hand will often help solve the problem. Once I have a fret-hand move basically down (but am still regularly mucking it up), a switch to focusing my attention onto what my picking hand is doing (and hence the rhythm) will often result in my fret-hand fingers naturally doing the right thing, without my really thinking about it. Sometimes it's like magic. I think we often concentrate too much on the fret hand, which often moves in a way that's not obviously connected to the rhythm, throwing us off, if that makes sense.


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auntlynnie
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Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:55 pm

Thanks, Walt,
I'm definitely going to try that.
Lynn


willem
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:32 am

unclewalt wrote:
I've really only started learning formal fingerpicking (as opposed to essentially random chord picking) since joining here, so despite my long experience as a player, I'm speaking as a relative newbie:

I noticed recently that if I'm having trouble with a tricky fret-hand move, concentrating on the picking hand will often help solve the problem. Once I have a fret-hand move basically down (but am still regularly mucking it up), a switch to focusing my attention onto what my picking hand is doing (and hence the rhythm) will often result in my fret-hand fingers naturally doing the right thing, without my really thinking about it. Sometimes it's like magic. I think we often concentrate too much on the fret hand, which often moves in a way that's not obviously connected to the rhythm, throwing us off, if that makes sense.


I think I understand and has that experience too,,,after some practicing and get a bit comfort with it and then not looking at the fret hand it goes by it self??

when we look at the fret and it is a difficult move it always goes wrong(well most),,when we try that move and don't look at the fret hand it goes right?

Willem


tombo1230
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:53 am

willem wrote:



I think I understand and has that experience too,,,after some practicing and get a bit comfort with it and then not looking at the fret hand it goes by it self??

when we look at the fret and it is a difficult move it always goes wrong(well most),,when we try that move and don't look at the fret hand it goes right?

Willem

That's correct Willem, I have read about this.

It's because you are anticipating it going wrong. Your mind goes.........Oh s__t! I am coming to that bit I usually screw up at. Thus setting yourself up for a fall.
It's a kind of learned action. The exact same thing that happens when you learn a song or tune with breaks in it where there aren't any, i.e. a tune learned without joining it up.
You learn the tune with breaks in it or mistakes and this is how your brain thinks it goes. It's hard to change that once learned. The answer.............. Don't play a tune fast until you can play it smoothly and slowly. without mistakes. Your brain then gets how it is meant to go and when you eventually get it to speed, no mistakes!!! All guitar teachers teach this, but most people are too impatient to play the song slowly, which is just human nature I suppose!

I think what Willey is saying is........ not to focus on the thing that is going wrong and he is distracting himself at that moment, by thinking about the other hand which is working ok. This probably helps him not to tense up at the moment where the error would normally occur.

Tom N.


willem
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:02 am

tombo1230 wrote:
willem wrote:



I think I understand and has that experience too,,,after some practicing and get a bit comfort with it and then not looking at the fret hand it goes by it self??

when we look at the fret and it is a difficult move it always goes wrong(well most),,when we try that move and don't look at the fret hand it goes right?

Willem

That's correct Willem, I have read about this.

It's because you are anticipating it going wrong. Your mind goes.........Oh s__t! I am coming to that bit I usually screw up at. Thus setting yourself up for a fall.
It's a kind of learned action. The exact same thing that happens when you learn a song or tune with breaks in it where there aren't any, i.e. a tune learned without joining it up.
You learn the tune with breaks in it or mistakes and this is how your brain thinks it goes. It's hard to change that once learned. The answer.............. Don't play a tune fast until you can play it smoothly and slowly. without mistakes. Your brain then gets how it is meant to go and when you eventually get it to speed, no mistakes!!! All guitar teachers teach this, but most people are too impatient to play the song slowly, which is just human nature I suppose!

I think what Willey is saying is........ not to focus on the thing that is going wrong and he is distracting himself at that moment, by thinking about the other hand which is working ok. This probably helps him not to tense up at the moment where the error would normally occur.

Tom N.
Thanks Tom,,I did discover that on some moments but did not use it very much,,,now I go slow sloow slooow sloooooooow,,this is such a good tip..

Willem


unclewalt
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:05 am

tombo1230 wrote:
willem wrote:



I think I understand and has that experience too,,,after some practicing and get a bit comfort with it and then not looking at the fret hand it goes by it self??

when we look at the fret and it is a difficult move it always goes wrong(well most),,when we try that move and don't look at the fret hand it goes right?

Willem

That's correct Willem, I have read about this.

It's because you are anticipating it going wrong. Your mind goes.........Oh s__t! I am coming to that bit I usually screw up at. Thus setting yourself up for a fall.
It's a kind of learned action. The exact same thing that happens when you learn a song or tune with breaks in it where there aren't any, i.e. a tune learned without joining it up.
You learn the tune with breaks in it or mistakes and this is how your brain thinks it goes. It's hard to change that once learned. The answer.............. Don't play a tune fast until you can play it smoothly and slowly. without mistakes. Your brain then gets how it is meant to go and when you eventually get it to speed, no mistakes!!! All guitar teachers teach this, but most people are too impatient to play the song slowly, which is just human nature I suppose!

I think what Willey is saying is........ not to focus on the thing that is going wrong and he is distracting himself at that moment, by thinking about the other hand which is working ok. This probably helps him not to tense up at the moment where the error would normally occur.

Tom N.

I concur on playing slow and perfectly before playing up to speed, though I'm horribly undisciplined about that myself. Human nature indeed.

It's not so much not *looking* at the fret hand, it's about not *concentrating* on it. I think that with this technique, I probably look at my left hand as much as always, but my *attention* is on my right. I also wouldn't call it "distraction," but that's not totally wrong. It's kind of a "Zen in the Art of Archery" thing, I guess -- focus without *too much* focus.

As I said, I think it works because the right hand is in charge of the rhythm. Of course, this only works once you have the right hand part pretty well down.


thereshopeyet
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:19 am

Walt Wrote:
It's not so much not *looking* at the fret hand, it's about not *concentrating* on it.
I think I've been trying this since you posted the tip and it does work for me, if I'm familiar with the right hand.

Thanks

Dermot


tombo1230
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:38 am

[file/] unclewalt wrote:
.



I concur on playing slow and perfectly before playing up to speed, though I'm horribly undisciplined about that myself. Human nature indeed.

It's not so much not *looking* at the fret hand, it's about not *concentrating* on it. I think that with this technique, I probably look at my left hand as much as always, but my *attention* is on my right. I also wouldn't call it "distraction," but that's not totally wrong. It's kind of a "Zen in the Art of Archery" thing, I guess -- focus without *too much* focus.

As I said, I think it works because the right hand is in charge of the rhythm. Of course, this only works once you have the right hand part pretty well down.[/quote]


Interesting, you are taking the focus off slightly and really not allowing yourself to think negatively at the point of concern. Brilliant! That is more or less what I have read elsewhere and the more you get it correct the better you are re-enforcing that you can play this part correctly within yourself. A sort of self perpetuating success.

Tom N.


thereshopeyet
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:42 pm

Thanks.


willem
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Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:52 pm

thereshopeyet wrote:
Walt Wrote:
It's not so much not *looking* at the fret hand, it's about not *concentrating* on it.

Yup .....

Brilliant !

:)


what you say Dermot? you funny man,,, :laugh: B)


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