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Playing horizontal


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Posted

I've seen that 2 of my guitar heroes, Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny are playing horizontal instead of vertical.

 

I've also read that Pat got the idea from Wes and forced himself to play a lot of standards on just one string...

 

I just miss one thing - the point? What exactly is the point? It is just not play a lot of scalestuff, as lots of bad players do, when they in play in a box? Or?

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Posted

If I understand you correctly, one benefit of a working knowledge of horizontal playing is that is allows you greater access to moving around the neck. Since I've been practicing playing scales and developing melodic ideas horizontally I now find that I can move much more effortlessly up and down the neck shifting positions, scales, boxes, or what ever you want to call them. Also my hand has really opened up. Practice up and down and across the neck. It opens up new ideas and can only benefit your playing.

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Posted

Each string has its own sound to it. If I play on a single string for a while, I really get into the "atmosphere" of it, and as soon as I play a note on another string that whole atmosphere is abruptly broken.

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I once tried to play horizontal but it didn't work out, it was too hard to see the neck. I think standing up is much better. But I also find that a good compromise would be playing seated on a chair.

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Posted

If you are having trouble seeing the guitar, you might reconsider the way you wear it. That can lead to all sorts of back problems. I've had them.
I wear my guitar a little bit higher now, and probably look like a hot dork, but my screaching back pain went away.

Playing horizontal takes you out of the box that we normally, as guitar players , are trapped in. You have more degrees of freedom to move to. Mick Goodrick's book on advanced guitar covers this playing, which he calls the "unitar" principle, in depth.

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Posted

We slide players do play a lot horizontally. It has its benefits. For one thing it's the same on all stringed instruments (more or less) :)

Also it is more like a voice in a way since a huge leap from one note to the next is a huge leap if you do it horizontally. And it is for a vocalist too.

And then it is a great way to really help you learn position playing in depth as Mick Goodrick points out in his hugely underrated book.

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