brian KEEEEM Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I think kitntab is one of the only forums that only has a core group of threads that people post in. Â Anyways. I thought maybe we could add one more. Â When you guys first started out playing guitar, did you guys work on finger independence exercises? I find it pretty hard to get my fingers down where I want them, especially my pinky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic. Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Every year or so I have a major rework of my whole technique it seems  I remember I used to hold the pick with my thumb and two fingers which suited me fine but then stuff became too difficult so I had to change my whole style to the proper way to hold a pick which, once I got used to it, was so much easier  then for chords like b--5 G--5 D--5 A--3 I always used to use all my fingers rather than barring it  I've never really had any exercises. I've never really had any lessons either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I think kitntab is one of the only forums that only has a core group of threads that people post in. Anyways. I thought maybe we could add one more.  When you guys first started out playing guitar, did you guys work on finger independence exercises? I find it pretty hard to get my fingers down where I want them, especially my pinky.  Anything in particular you're trying to play that's difficult?  I never worked on anything like that. My fretting hand was pretty weak at first and would be all over the place though, but it eventually just got stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentley Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 At the point I started playing bass, I had already been playing viola for 5 years so independence wasn't a big issue for me. Others I know played around on the piano to get the left/right hand more separated. As for the pinky, it is the least used finger, it's gunna be a bit weaker than the others. A good way to strengthen it is to play riffs/songs/ whatever using only the ring/pinky fingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowella Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 For bass, it was scales, scales and more scales. Combined with proper picking/plucking technique, finger positions and to a metronome. You cover most points in one hit.  I've never done any formal lessons for bass but did a few with guitar, I will probably go back to learning from someone in the new year. Lessons are a godsend as long as you follow them and do your homework  This thread will be interesting, seeing where it all goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kueller Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Honestly I've been learning guitar terribly. I just kind of picked it up and started playing songs, but at the same time I was able to do a lot more than most people I knew could in a few weeks, and form wasn't too bad either. I still have trouble picking across the strings and making the notes even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I never tried anything to help finger independance specifically. I think most of that came from chords changes. You know how when you start playing guitar you're always out of time 'cos you can't change chord quick enough? Then you get used to it, but then you find a new peice which challenges you again in that regard. Â I think with anything, if you find something that's challenging your technique, keep doing it until it's not challenging anymore, then find something else that's challenging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Batman. Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I think with anything, if you find something that's challenging your technique, keep doing it until it's not challenging anymore, then find something else that's challenging. Â This, so much. Works for pretty much any instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord MFC Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Alternate picking is the most useful technique I've ever come across. When I learnt it, everything clicked. It's what most of the people in The Horrible Cover Thread is doing wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Alternate picking is the most useful technique I've ever come across. Â Yeah, i remember when i started i wanted results fast so i choosed the easier way in everything, so i was a downpicker only for about 1-2 years and when i realised that this will limit me on the long run i started forcing alternate picking. But then i became a shittier player for more than a year. Thank god i sticked to alternate picking despite that. It was almost like relearning guitar for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaking Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Alternate picking is the most useful technique I've ever come across. When I learnt it, everything clicked. It's what most of the people in The Horrible Cover Thread is doing wrong. Â I definitely agree with you. A short while after I first started playing I just forced myself and sat down every night and practiced alternate picking and it just made playing everything much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic. Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I remember reading about how economy picking is the next step up from alternate, and didn't realise I was doing economy picking in the first place anyway  Also, has anyone noticed how fucking fast Bellamy can downpick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord MFC Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 James Hetfield can tremolol pick with just down picks, and he cant alternate pick. WHat a shitty player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Yeah' date=' i remember when i started i wanted results fast so i choosed the easier way in everything, so i was a downpicker only for about 1-2 years and when i realised that this will limit me on the long run i started forcing alternate picking. But then i became a shittier player for more than a year. Thank god i sticked to alternate picking despite that. [b']It was almost like relearning guitar for me.[/b] Â Yeah, learning alternate picking was a bit difficult after all that time of doing it like GSK. Â I don't think my left hand technique was ever as... "impressive" as his though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kueller Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Alternate picking was one of the few things I caught onto almost right away. I blame Guitar Hero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillyracer Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 The moment using alternate picking really clicked was magical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord MFC Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I was desperately trying to play the Stockholm Syndrome riff about four or five years ago, and my teacher was telling me for ages to alternate pick, so I tried it finally and never looked back. I now wince when i see people not use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobby Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I remember reading about how economy picking is the next step up from alternate, and didn't realise I was doing economy picking in the first place anyway Also, has anyone noticed how fucking fast Bellamy can downpick?  Example? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 BTW i think that using only down strokes will give you a better tone, at least for me it's true. I think i can still get a more precise timing with down strokes only despite that i am using alternate picking since years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobby Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I don't tend to enjoy tremolo picking, don't get much satisfaction out of it. Â It's extremely irritating when people who don't play assume I'm a bad player because of this though. Honestly, I played this one girl a little bit of Hendrix-y improv. and a bit of flamenco-esque stuff which I considered to be pretty good and she said "That's ok. My boyfriend's really good, he can play really fast". Â Luckily, my cooler friend clapped and said thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyssa_ Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Alternate picking seemed kind of natural to me when I first started playing guitar. Downpicking would give me hand cramps. I started doing rhythm guitar a lot initially, so the up and down thing kinda just translated over when I started playing single notes. Â Actually, to be fair, when I first picked up a guitar I started playing it like a bass with my wrist resting on the body. Don't know if that has anything to do with the fact that I favor the bass a lot more now. Â Where are all the bassists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentley Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Where are all the bassists? Â Present Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillyracer Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I couldn't even strum up and down when I started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I just read the definition of alternate picking on wikipedia. Isn't that just how you use a pick? Who would use ALL down strokes? Yeh, it does sound good if you can do it, but some stuff is just too fast. (Hetfield doesn't do EVERYTHING with downstrokes. I checked this the last time it was spouted) I developed this technique which is basically "alternate strumming" where i'm constantly strumming down and up on the on and off beats, and I just mute every string i'm not playing. It gives a cool percussive tone, and when I switched to bass the ability to mute everything I wasn't playing was really really useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Who would use ALL down strokes? GSK, Pear, me, and probably every 'guitarist' on youtube. I didn't learn alternate picking right away as no one told me it was wrong. I did have trouble playing certain things that way though - you're right about some stuff being too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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