Busking J.S. Bach

[Hydroman52]

Scott,

Very well done. I also watched your Aerosmith and like your style. I'd be very interested in finding out what other songs you're interested in playing. Or maybe a better question is what artists or genre of music do you prefer to play? It would be good to see some of your electric work, too.

Your OM-1 looks and sounds nice. I haven't had the opportunity to play one, yet. Don't know what to tell you about the strings. You might try a different brand if the gauge change doesn't help. I have a couple of Martins that are close to the same dimensions as the OM-1 and use either Martin 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054) or Martin Marquis 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054). These come in Extra Light (.010 - .047), too, but that may be too light for what you want. On the dreadnoughts, I use the same strings only in Mediums (.013 - .056). These are about the cheapest strings on the planet (under $4.00 a set on sale) and not bad quality. I can afford to keep all the guitars in fresh strings until the year infinity.

Happy to have you here!


lueders wrote:

You might try turning your fret hand just a little bit more so that you can lay the
palm of your hand flat on the strings.

Cori, If you are reading this, I'm not sure I understand what is meant here . . . . could you point me to where you saw the instruction? Does Neil have a video where he shows this?


Hydroman52

[willem]

Hydroman52 wrote:

Scott,

Very well done. I also watched your Aerosmith and like your style. I'd be very interested in finding out what other songs you're interested in playing. Or maybe a better question is what artists or genre of music do you prefer to play? It would be good to see some of your electric work, too.

Your OM-1 looks and sounds nice. I haven't had the opportunity to play one, yet. Don't know what to tell you about the strings. You might try a different brand if the gauge change doesn't help. I have a couple of Martins that are close to the same dimensions as the OM-1 and use either Martin 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054) or Martin Marquis 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054). These come in Extra Light (.010 - .047), too, but that may be too light for what you want. On the dreadnoughts, I use the same strings only in Mediums (.013 - .056). These are about the cheapest strings on the planet (under $4.00 a set on sale) and not bad quality. I can afford to keep all the guitars in fresh strings until the year infinity.

Happy to have you here!


lueders wrote:

You might try turning your fret hand just a little bit more so that you can lay the
palm of your hand flat on the strings.

Cori, If you are reading this, I'm not sure I understand what is meant here . . . . could you point me to where you saw the instruction? Does Neil have a video where he shows this?


Hydroman52

I think Cori means a barre finger,,

[dsmarion]

Hydroman,

Thanks for your input re: strings. After buying this OM-1 and trying to play it for a week or so I took it back to the shop and talked with them about possibly changing to a lighter set. For now I decided to stay with the strings that were on it after talking about it with them.

On the Martin site they say every Martin OM-1 is shipped from the factory with medium-gage strings (.013 I think) so I wanted to get light-medium (.012 - not light which is .011 I think). But the shop guy told me he strung the guitar himself and that they were .012 already. I still am questioning that and will know when I restring it for the first time. I have only had it for a about three weeks.

He also told me they are now using the Lifespan SP strings which is another thing I was going to ask them about because they are treated with a coating to repel oil and dirt (my hands sweat a lot and the oil and acid has always been an issue for me). But again I am not sure these are SP - factory shipped says no but the shop told me yes. If so I may not like the coating. All I have ever played prior to now is electric and my fingers are not used to a heavier acoustic string (yet) so I still think a lighter gage is what I want to try when it's time to restring. I just wish I knew for certain what ones are on there now.

About the "palm" thing - I think maybe he is meaning I need to rotate the angle of my fret hand so it is more inline with the frets instead of coming in at an angle. Not sure though. I have pretty small hands and am badly double-jointed to boot both of which are a disability.

Alas, I no longer own an electric and cannot give you any demo there. I sold off all my stuff years ago. If I do get another electric at some point (most likely) I will probably start with a Les Paul Standard. Right now I am trying to save $$$ for a winter "beater" car so I can store my new car over the winter months. And it's already almost August (yikes). Never enough money or time LOL.

Scott

[Lavallee]

Hi Scott, sorry to be late. you are doing a fine job on Bourree. When you will join Target as mention before, you will have a great guide to the song. You might want to consider not using the same 2 fingers to clamp the notes. Alternating fingers add some fluidity.

Looking forward to the second part

Marc

[lueders]

willem wrote:

Hydroman52 wrote:

Scott,

Very well done. I also watched your Aerosmith and like your style. I'd be very interested in finding out what other songs you're interested in playing. Or maybe a better question is what artists or genre of music do you prefer to play? It would be good to see some of your electric work, too.

Your OM-1 looks and sounds nice. I haven't had the opportunity to play one, yet. Don't know what to tell you about the strings. You might try a different brand if the gauge change doesn't help. I have a couple of Martins that are close to the same dimensions as the OM-1 and use either Martin 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054) or Martin Marquis 80/20 Bronze Light (.012 - .054). These come in Extra Light (.010 - .047), too, but that may be too light for what you want. On the dreadnoughts, I use the same strings only in Mediums (.013 - .056). These are about the cheapest strings on the planet (under $4.00 a set on sale) and not bad quality. I can afford to keep all the guitars in fresh strings until the year infinity.

Happy to have you here!


lueders wrote:

You might try turning your fret hand just a little bit more so that you can lay the
palm of your hand flat on the strings.

Cori, If you are reading this, I'm not sure I understand what is meant here . . . . could you point me to where you saw the instruction? Does Neil have a video where he shows this?

Hydro,

Right now which videos exactly, escape me. I will do some mining for it. (I believe Neil mentions it MORE than than once in vids.) He has brought it up other places too, like student reviews and such. I'll keep looking for where it is specifically located in vids. What I mean is your fret hand position should be as follows:

Your FRET HAND should be straight up and down vertically, across the strings.
It should be perfectly perpendicular with the string...as if you were going to lay a slide flat across the strings.) And So that when you pluck the strings PIMA style. the fatty tips of your fingers are giving you more control for both picking a muting notes. This puts your thumb running parallel with the strings, and you actually get more control out of your base notes too. Your hand position SHOULD NOT be turned at a slight angle like most of of us do when we are travis picking in front of the idiot box. lol!

(Come to think of it...AcousticAl might know, specifically in what lesson Neil discusses this.) He has reminded of this suggestion, of Neil's in the past. AL, if you're reading this...you wanna weigh in? Where does Neil talk about this?

In Classical pieces, and most finger-picking tunes.. aside from maybe SOME country blues or certain odd-ball slap, pop, flail techniques...I BELIEVE that Neil pretty much wants the AFOREMENTIONED POSITION to be the chief, fall-back hand position for playing finger style guitar.

But, I aint no Andy McKee or Neil Hogan so you might want to consult Neil himself or some of our other finger style aces...

[dsmarion]

Lol, I told you all I play things completely wrong, technique-wise I always have and it's going to be a bear to break those habits after years of doing it. I know I tend to slant my fret hand cockeyed especially when reaching for notes - small hands make you do that and changing after years of bad form will be a challenge indeed. I also sometimes think too hard about the next part coming up (especially if it is a tricky bit) and lose the relaxedness needed to do actually do it. Alternating picking fingers will be a challenge for me too. I have never done it correctly ever and really never even spent a lot of time trying to get better technique. That is another goal this time around but I need to start simple because if I try that with this toon or another difficult one - no way - need to get the building blocks in place first. You know what I mean? But hey, that's why I am here.

Hey keep reminding me - I need this drilled into my thick hard stubborn skull Thanks for all your feedback and generosity for a new guy on the block.

Scott

[dsmarion]

Lavallee wrote:

Hi Scott, sorry to be late. you are doing a fine job on Bourree. When you will join Target as mention before, you will have a great guide to the song. You might want to consider not using the same 2 fingers to clamp the notes. Alternating fingers add some fluidity.

Looking forward to the second part

Marc

Marc,

Ahh the lovely second part of Bouree...definitely not the easy part. I have finally gotten to the point where I at least remember of it but cannot get through it yet. I may just go ahead and post it anyway - good or bad - just to show you where I am at with it. Not with alternating picking fingers yet though, or even with correct fret hand postion, much as I would love too Hey no one said this was easy right?

BTW, I saw the "free" part of the lesson Neil has up here and it will be interesting to revisit this song because that is a slightly different version that I do. I believe it probably is a "by-the-book" version where mine was learned from a friend years ago that learned it from Leo's version (the end of the second part of Leo's is unbelievably tough for me, even when I was playing a lot - that won't be pretty right now. He makes it sound so damn easy too when you listen to him do it. Just like there is nothing too it - yeah right!

Scott

[lueders]

dsmarion wrote:

Lol, I told you all I play things completely wrong, technique-wise I always have and it's going to be a bear to break those habits after years of doing it. I know I tend to slant my fret hand cockeyed especially when reaching for notes - small hands make you do that and changing after years of bad form will be a challenge indeed. I also sometimes think too hard about the next part coming up (especially if it is a tricky bit) and lose the relaxedness needed to do actually do it. Alternating picking fingers will be a challenge for me too. I have never done it correctly ever and really never even spent a lot of time trying to get better technique. That is another goal this time around but I need to start simple because if I try that with this toon or another difficult one - no way - need to get the building blocks in place first. You know what I mean? But hey, that's why I am here.

Hey keep reminding me - I need this drilled into my thick hard stubborn skull Thanks for all your feedback and generosity for a new guy on the block.

Scott

Bad habits you say? I've got bad habits by the truckload I'm trying to break...we're in good company, though... everyone has "something" they could do better. Well, (I have "something" I could do better and then some. lol!)

With Neil's suggestion... your fret hand isn't going to be perfectly perpendicular at every possible moment. But this should be the goal. I think if you will try this & work on it at your own speed. You'll find that you are able to do it fairly easily. As someone who has had a hard time breaking bad habits in the past (Nicotine gum-just kidding! :silly:) I was surprised at how this "hand-position" thing fit into place rather quickly.

There is less tension in your hand & wrist, this way. So the physics & kinetics of it make good sense.
You will be surprised at much more control you have at your disposal once you feel comfortable with it.

And it will happen sooner rather than later on this. This is only a SMALL adjustment. (Yes, it really is.)
Try playing a couple finger picking patterns or an old simple travis picking song (the NEW way) and you'll be hooked!

[suziko]

Scott,

That was a really nice work in progress on Bourree. I love this song and have really wanted to learn it since seeing Marc's version at least a year ago. It's a great finger exercise, plus it sounds so pretty. I don't know what keeps getting in the way! Oh, I guess all the million other songs I want to learn.....

I also encourage you to join Target. You won't be disappointed!

best,

Suzi

[dsmarion]

Suzi,

Thanks, I found Marc's version after you told me about it. Wow he plays it very nice and clean indeed. I am nowhere near that fluid but I am working on it. I don't have the finger-picking skills yet to alternate - that is taking me a while to do even the simplest stuff right now let alone something like this.

I also do a slightly different version of Bouree. I am trying to get it to where I can get through it at least. The second half is a bear. It has taken me the better part of two weeks just to remember it let alone try to play it. I will post when I feel I can get thru it at least enough to be recognizable - it won't be like Marc's for a long time that's for sure. Definitely a work in progress...

Thanks for commenting.