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Problems Stumming with pick (among others things but lets start with this one...lol)


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Posted

Hey,

I have had a guitar for about 1 year and for the last 2 weeks I have decided to accually pick it up every day. Currectly im just doing some scales (doing alternate picking while doing so), learning a few begininings of songs (Metallica - Unforgiven (pick), Counting Crows - Round Here (pick), Led Zep - Stairway (finger picking), doing some chord changing execrises. Pretty much all is going well and getting better the more I practise, except i have problems with stumming with the pick. The problem is I cant seem to hit the string consistly and also cant seem to beable to hit them the same each time (some are hard, some are softer and some i miss string all together). I have tried moving my arm more, not moving my arm at all and just use my wrist, and a combination of both. Does anyone else had this problem, if so how did you fix it. Pretty much what im looking for is a nice slow smooth stumm. If I could do that I would be very happy lmao. Any advice would be great.

 

--James

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Posted

1) You shouldn't be moving your arm much at all - or even really your wrist for that matter. I find that when I strum I just rotate my fore-arm with my wrist more or less still.

 

Picking accuracy will come with practice. Try to keep the palm-side of your wrist touching the bridge of the guitar as you strum.

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Posted

Forgot to mention im playing an accostic guitar. I have read many posts/internet sites and the all say something different for how your supposed to strum. If you guys could post how you stumm that probably would be very helpfull.

 

You shouldn't be moving your arm much at all - or even really your wrist for that matter. I find that when I strum I just rotate my fore-arm with my wrist more or less still.

 

I'll try this thx :)

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Posted

As you've already noted, there's very little agreement about what a guitar player should do with their right hand. For the left, there's a basic agreed form even if it's carefully neglected in the interests of slinging one's guitar low and striking dramatic poses, but for the right there's no formal approach. Which is why there's no agreed form for the bridge of a guitar - necks don't vary much, since we all just about agree what we're doing on the left, but bridges are all over the shop.

 

So.

 

I would suggest the best practice here is to learn to play with your hand above the guitar, rather than anchored to it by the heel of the hand or whatever, since that way you can control your technique instead of the guitar dictating what you can and can't do.

Move your forearm just enough to position your hand over the string, then let the wrist (don't force the wrist, just let it) do the picking. That's the theory ...

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Posted

 

As you've already noted, there's very little agreement about what a guitar player should do with their right hand. For the left, there's a basic agreed form even if it's carefully neglected in the interests of slinging one's guitar low and striking dramatic poses, but for the right there's no formal approach. Which is why there's no agreed form for the bridge of a guitar - necks don't vary much, since we all just about agree what we're doing on the left, but bridges are all over the shop.


So.


I would suggest the best practice here is to learn to play with your hand above the guitar, rather than anchored to it by the heel of the hand or whatever, since that way you can control your technique instead of the guitar dictating what you can and can't do.

Move your forearm just enough to position your hand over the string, then let the wrist (don't force the wrist, just let it) do the picking. That's the theory ...

 

 

That would explain all the differences around the internet. After trying the anchored thing, i agree with you (since i cant because of the placement of my bridge). I have been trying to strum using the wrist (and maybe a little bit of arm movement) with my hand in front of the strings and I can kind of do the down strokes (kind of in the since sometimes its sounds ok lmao). Now upstokes are a different story i just cant seem to get the right wrist movement to do these smoothly at all. Now maybe my problem is my wrist is to tence but when i try to losen up a bit i find my pick is slipping. When i try to hold the pick alittle harder i find my wrist/hand tence up some. Seems i just cant find a winning combination here lmao. What kind of wrist movement am I trying to achieve? twisting the wrist, or movement of the wrist up and down, or a little bit of both?. I appiecate your help and hope to nail this done soon.

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Posted

Well my stumming is getting a little better but i still fine that when i lossen up (my strumms sounds the best when im lose) i find my pick slipping/rotating. Is there an easy way to fix this? I also find my up strokes suck but i figure that will get better with time.

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Posted

How you strum depends on the effect you're going for, sometimes most of the movement might be from the wrist, sometimes you might be making large movements from the elbow. The only way to get better is to just keep doing it IMO. Try and copy rythmns you hear on records etc. hang-out with over guitarists/go see some live music and watch what other guitarists do. Eventually you'll develop a sense of control and rythmn.

 

To stop the pick slipping try and improve your grip, it should be firm but NOT TENSE :). Basically - if you have the pick in your hand and try to move it with the left it should take quite a bit of force to shift it's position, but at the same time you shouldn't be straining at it. You can also try different picks, some have grips on them. As a relative beginner you might find a softer pick helps, as it has more 'give' and will be less prone to bounce out of your grip. Harder picks are *much* better for playing single note lines, but not so great for strumming.

 

Unless you use a soft pick (and I don't) the pick will sometimes go off kilter no matter how good your grip - particularly if you're strumming over a long period without stopping. As you get better and strumming becomes automatic you'll find that you'll be able to sense when the pick is getting out of kilter and adjust the grip as you play.

  • Members
Posted

 

Hey,

I have had a guitar for about 1 year and for the last 2 weeks I have decided to accually pick it up every day. Currectly im just doing some scales (doing alternate picking while doing so), learning a few begininings of songs (Metallica - Unforgiven (pick), Counting Crows - Round Here (pick), Led Zep - Stairway (finger picking), doing some chord changing execrises. Pretty much all is going well and getting better the more I practise, except i have problems with stumming with the pick. The problem is I cant seem to hit the string consistly and also cant seem to beable to hit them the same each time (some are hard, some are softer and some i miss string all together). I have tried moving my arm more, not moving my arm at all and just use my wrist, and a combination of both. Does anyone else had this problem, if so how did you fix it. Pretty much what im looking for is a nice slow smooth stumm. If I could do that I would be very happy lmao. Any advice would be great.


--James

 

Well stumming is the most difficult performance technique. You can try dragging one note at a time. Start at either end of the stum and drag the pick across one string and let it come to rest on the next string. Continue in this drag, rest; drag, rest manner until you reach the other end. You have now successfully completed one stum. For thoroughness' sake, repeat in the opposite direction. Hope this helps.

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Posted

You've now discovered technique discrepancy no.2: there's no agreed form for a guitar pick, or how to hold it.

 

So either

 

1. find a good teacher, get a few lessons and take advice

 

or

 

2. find a pick you're happy with (fits your hand, so it's not like holding a dinner plate and it's not like holding a sequin).

Hold your hand out straight in front of you, fingers in line with your forearm and thumb as straight up as it'll go.

Curl your fingers round, as if you were holding a javelin, thumb up along the invisible shaft and fingers around the hand-grip, together but not tight.

Bring your thumb down, hinging from the bottom joint, so that the first section of your thumb is on top of the first section of your index finger.

If you can get your thumb straight, only bending from the base joint, and your fingertips all lined up you'll notice that the area of your hand that'll be over the strings is really flat - very useful!

Now put the pick between thumb and finger. Keep your hand as relaxed as possible; the angle of thumb to finger will give you all the grip you need. People have tried to get Robert Fripp's pick off him with pliers as a demonstration of this grip - it's effective.

Hopefully your hand will still flex happily from the wrist. This will take practice, but don't do it in front of people - they get the wrong idea.

 

A lot of the knack of this is to be as relaxed as possible, only using the minimum effort for each movement.

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Posted

Hey,

Just an update on my progress. I have taken much advice from this forum and have gotten great results :). First thing i did on my lunch was goto Music City and pick up a bunch of different sizes of picks (2 of each accually lmao). After trying them all out i found i got the best sound/results from thr .48mm - .60mm. Also after taking to a friend about my problem with the pick slipping he suggested i take a look at how im holding the guitar and see if im holding it on an outward angle. After sitting down (on my futon) i did notice it was on a little bit on a outward angle and each time i strummed instead of hitting the string striaght on i was hitting them on a little bit on an angle which would cuz the pick to shift positions. So i desided to try and sit on the floor, held the guitar so that it was striaght, which seemed to fix my pick from slipping/shifting positions. After appling all this to my playing im finding that my strumming is 100% smoother and sounds much better (now my upstrokes still suck, but all in good time right? lol). I would like to thank all the advice, you guys rock. I hope this post help other beginniners out.

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Posted

I suggest you try a "Sure Pick" from Planet Waves. I used to have all kinds of problems with the pick moving around in my fingers, but the problems disappeared when I started using these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/product/reviews/base_pid=110971/rpp=10/ .

 

Hey,

Just an update on my progress. I have taken much advice from this forum and have gotten great results
:)
. First thing i did on my lunch was goto Music City and pick up a bunch of different sizes of picks (2 of each accually lmao). After trying them all out i found i got the best sound/results from thr .48mm - .60mm. Also after taking to a friend about my problem with the pick slipping he suggested i take a look at how im holding the guitar and see if im holding it on an outward angle. After sitting down (on my futon) i did notice it was on a little bit on a outward angle and each time i strummed instead of hitting the string striaght on i was hitting them on a little bit on an angle which would cuz the pick to shift positions. So i desided to try and sit on the floor, held the guitar so that it was striaght, which seemed to fix my pick from slipping/shifting positions. After appling all this to my playing im finding that my strumming is 100% smoother and sounds much better (now my upstrokes still suck, but all in good time right? lol). I would like to thank all the advice, you guys rock. I hope this post help other beginniners out.

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Posted

I thought QB VB might = Q ball, Visual Basic, = billiard forum.
:D
Oh well get to work on that stumming.
:D

ahh lol.. Its Quick basic and Visual Basic :)

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