Re: Technique Question

In article <98KdnVUfRoQS_qjbnZ2dnUVZ_hisnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>, RichL <rpleavitt@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Chris Melford" <cmelford@'nospam'hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:adna33pueaquetee8p3av6fdeni45jce0j@xxxxxxxxxx
My buddy and I were playing together the other day, and he remarked at
my hand movement when I was playing a scale from the bottom to the
top. He showed me how he played it and we both were struck at how
differently we both move our hands when moving through a scale or set
of notes from the low E to the high E. The main difference is this:
when I move through the scale my thumb pretty much stays in one spot
and my hand sort of uncurls and tilts back at the wrist as I go up
through the notes. On the other hand, his hand stays at the same
angle to the wrist, but his thumb keeps dropping lower as he goes up
through the notes. When we get to the high E my fingers are curled
down to fret, and his fingers are still almost straight.

This was something neither one of us had really paid attention to
before, neither when watching ourselves or other guitarists. We both
are self-taught and were joking how neither one of us knew which was
actually the correct way to play! We're hoping its just a preference,
otherwise one of use needs to do some relearning which is always a
pain in the ass. Thanks for any help.

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter. But I'm self-taught also, so
others may differ. To me, it's a matter of what's comfortable for you, as
long as the way you hold your hand/thumb doesn't interfere with your ability
to progress.

I don't think it's necessary for either of you to do any relearning.




The thing that I find (mostly a beginner thing - but even more experienced
players can fall into this habit) is that to me there are two ways of
doing scales. A lot of times beginners will learn a scale and play it
from one position (going across the neck). However (at least on a Strat)
there is a big variation in tone going from wound strings to unwound as
you go up a scale across the neck in one position.

In actual playing of songs many times that rote sort of learning
doesn't cut it and you have to use your ears to know the best way
to play even a simple lead using a scale progression. Many times it
is better to (for instance) stay on the wound strings and go up the
neck rather than across it (where you would encounter a jolting difference
in tone as you go into the unwound strings). Or vice versa - go up the
neck and stay on the unwound rather than stay on one position and go
back across to more fuller wounds. Sure your hand may wind up a bit
further away for the next notes to be played - but hey - you can make
that up by just moving your hand back to the position where you need
to be to play the next chord or arpeggio or lead notes or whatever by
just moving your hand quickly back to where it needs to be.

I have known people that will play a lead across the neck and go
from wounds to unwounds and it sounds like crap. Sure they are
playing the notes correctly and it makes getting from point A to point B
easier - but for tone sake they should have stayed on the wounds and
moved up the neck and then after the run - moved their hand quickly
back to where it needs to be or plan such things for alternative ways
of doing it. To me - to play scales in obvious position patterns may
be a great fingering excercise but it does not always make for the best
way to get the best tone out of what you're doing.

I tend to move around based on what sounds I want to hear which might
not always be the most _efficient_ way of hand movement - but efficiency
is for bean counters and desk jockeys - not always a good thing for
guitar players.

my simple 2 cents on this.
.

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