Re: technique question : reducing handling/finger/string noise

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:24:18 -0800 (PST), andrew_s
<carrew2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

oh I wish I was at the Williams/Bream/Taylor/Pass level.......
seriously though, the song I'm finding I'm making more noise than I'd
like is when I'm playing "Every Breath You Take". There's a few quite
long spans in it and moving from the Ab9 arpeggio (4th fret) to the F9
arpeggio (1st fret) and then up to the Db9 arpeggio (5th fret) then
Eb9 arpeggio (7th fret) (note these might not be the right
descriptions of the arpeggios, but you get the drift) is what I'm
trying to improve. The echo and chorus effects I'm using don't
actually help hide the scrapey noise either. I'm only playing this
for personal pleasure - not for performance. As I'm finding it to be
a challeange to play cleanly and accurately it's a good work out for
me.

If you're listening to your guitar in isolation, or at a relatively
high level against any accompaniment then you may be hearing the
guitar out of context.

I bet if you were to listen to Andy Summers' guitar in isolation on
the multitrack of the song then you'd probably hear string
noise.........

Jon's suggestions about string pressure, making sure I'm lifting off
cleanly, etc have definitely given me ideas to work on. Many thanks
Jon. I agree with the comments that changing to flatwounds would
help, but that is the icing. I'd far rather spend time working on my
technique and then maybe try a set of flatwounds.

I think you're in danger of finding a problem where there is none.

We can probably all analyse our playing and come up with things we
don't like about it. If the shortcomings aren't obvious in a real-life
scenario then I'd say that they can be safely ignored :)

And flatwounds?

That's going too far entirely.


Some time ago I played in a jam session and one of the other
guitarists in the session, (from Dr. Blue and the Prescription - a
highly reccomended blues outfit in London/Dublin) used a spray called
Fingerease on his Strat. I tried Dave's Strat and wow was it slippy or
what. So much so that I wasn't sure I would ever use it as I wondered
about being able to dig into a string for a wide bend. However, I've
ordered a tin of Fingerease just to try it out properly. Maybe
spraying it on the lower section of the neck and leaving the higher
frets alone will work. Who knows? I'l report back once I've tried it
properly.

Wouldn't the stuff quickly transfer itself to all areas your fingers
come into contact with?

I think it's an artificial aid that you really don't need.

Enough people have been playing the guitar for enough time with enough
great results without lubricants that I reckon if they offered any
significant advantages then they'd be more widely used.

I'm a little concerned by the prospect of getting so hung up on
perceived string noise that flatwounds and/or string lubricant are the
only option.

Look again, Andrew - is the string noise really quite *that* bad?

I've heard you play and I can't remember it being an obstacle to my
listening pleasure at all.

Steve.
.

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