Anyone Here Still Working On Their Technique?

[TSJMajesty]

What tempo is it?

It's a bit past 170. Which ain't ever happenin' for me! Come to think of it, idk why I even mess with stuff like this at all, other than it sounds cool.

From the frosted highlights/short hair era of JP. And when he was, imo, at his pinnacle of fiery playing, and able to pull off his stuff live, virtually flawlessly. Incidentally, he even seemed to find a better way to play the part @ 140, because later videos show him playing it up in that higher 14th position. I tried it down lower, and it becomes even more impossible. lol

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

It's a bit past 170. Which ain't ever happenin' for me! Come to think of it, idk why I even mess with stuff like this at all, other than it sounds cool.

Its like way folks attempt to climb a mountain…cause its there

 

[MCII KT150]

always learning , and working on new things. its a moving target

Absolutely the same here. So many greats to learn from. Even right here on this board. Awesome players abound

Shine on you crazy diamonds.

 

[JiveTurkey]

 

[Eagle]

Absolutely the same here. So many greats to learn from. Even right here on this board. Awesome players abound

Shine on you crazy diamonds.

Funny you mention Shine on , I always wondered if Sid hadn’t quit whether the song would have been called Fuck off you crazy smackhead.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Working on 3 things I'm weak on- upstrokes, Pentatonic shapes, and 2 n.p.s. riffs.

Set the metronome, and start with an upstroke, play through any Pent shape across the neck, shift up one position, go back the other way across the neck. Shift down, ending where I began, & repeat until I have the shape memorized. Repeat whole thing one shape higher.

One thing I may add, when I hit a wrong note (one that's not in that key), just switch to that key and continue. Haven't tried that yet, but it may build a chord progression, with as many mistakes as I make. (I'm terrible at knowing my Pentatonic Minor scales in different positions, but I really need to learn them.)

 

[duzie]

Working on 3 things I'm weak on- upstrokes, Pentatonic shapes, and 2 n.p.s. riffs.

Set the metronome, and start with an upstroke, play through any Pent shape across the neck, shift up one position, go back the other way across the neck. Shift down, ending where I began, & repeat until I have the shape memorized. Repeat whole thing one shape higher.

One thing I may add, when I hit a wrong note (one that's not in that key), just switch to that key and continue. Haven't tried that yet, but it may build a chord progression, with as many mistakes as I make. (I'm terrible at knowing my Pentatonic Minor scales in different positions, but I really need to learn them.)

Wait a minute
You can switch keys?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Wait a minute
You can switch keys?

What's a key?

 

[Eagle]

What are upstrokes?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

What are upstrokes?

 

[norminal]

What are upstrokes?

True story. My first guitar teacher never critiqued my picking technique. When I moved on to a more advanced teacher, he discovered that I was only picking with an upstroke. That was quickly corrected. Years later, that became a blessing in disguise because I can now switch from upwards and downwards pick-slanting on the fly and am a much stronger “upstroker,” making more difficult descending riffs easier.

 

[Byrdman]

My present technique work lately has been working on muting strings around the string/notes I am picking. I have been playing acoustic for years and just started concentrating on electric. In the past I wanted the other strings ringing out due to most of what I played revolved around cowboy chords.

Now I'm trying to learn chords, scales, triads moving up the neck to learn how to solo, and I sound so sloppy especially when amplified. My right hand is fat around my palm, so I'm either not muting enough or way too much with it and my left, from years of hitting just the string I want, is having a hell of a time fretting with the pad of the finger so the tip (Yeah, just the tip) mutes the sting above and the base of the finger mutes the ones below.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears! IMO, its a Bitch and I'm having a hell of a time trying to get this down!!

 

[TSJMajesty]

My present technique work lately has been working on muting strings around the string/notes I am picking. I have been playing acoustic for years and just started concentrating on electric. In the past I wanted the other strings ringing out due to most of what I played revolved around cowboy chords.

Now I'm trying to learn chords, scales, triads moving up the neck to learn how to solo, and I sound so sloppy especially when amplified. My right hand is fat around my palm, so I'm either not muting enough or way too much with it and my left, from years of hitting just the string I want, is having a hell of a time fretting with the pad of the finger so the tip (Yeah, just the tip) mutes the sting above and the base of the finger mutes the ones below.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears! IMO, its a Bitch and I'm having a hell of a time trying to get this down!!

It's not easy, but if playing riffs clean is what you want, it's worth taking the time to get it right. Me, I think a cleanly-articulated riff sounds so much better than one that's not, but for some people it's not that big of a deal. Some days it's all I work on.

For the finger tip, you could just practice a basic Pentatonic shape (with distortion of course), say 4 notes, 1 on the e, 2 on the B, and 1 on the G, and focus on the fingertip muting, but also how the 3rd/4th finger kind of 'drapes' over the higher string just as it comes down to fret its note.

Another thing I work on, is just releasing pressure from a note, as opposed to completely removing the finger. It's more economical, and also helps with muting.

And keep in mind, the fingertip takes care of the next string, therefore the palm only needs to catch the rest of them. And it has to move across the strings as the riff does.

And another one to work on is the 'finger-roll' when playing 2 successive notes on adjacent strings, on the same fret. Which if on the e-b strings, sometimes sounds fine, if they overlap.

This is from the solo in Carry On Wayward Son, and in measure 26, if the 2 notes @17 blended together, that's one of the types that doesn't sound bad. Lots of solos have that type of riff where those notes are not separated.

It's certainly a lot of stuff to focus on, but I think your playing benefits when you strike that perfect balance between no overlap, and also no gaps between the notes.

 

[duzie]

I’ve identified another technique issue that I’m having when moving across the strings with my picking hand.
While repositioning or sliding my forearm across the body when ascending or descending my forearm sticks to the guitar body .

 

[TSJMajesty]

I’ve identified another technique issue that I’m having when moving across the strings with my picking hand.
While repositioning or sliding my forearm across the body when ascending or descending my forearm sticks to the guitar body .

I fucking hate that! If I gigged outside in the summer, I'm not sure what I'd do about that. At home, if it gets bad, I'll put just a tiny bit of baby powder on my arm.

 

[duzie]

I fucking hate that! If I gigged outside in the summer, I'm not sure what I'd do about that. At home, if it gets bad, I'll put just a tiny bit of baby powder on my arm.

Good idea
Gonna definitely try that.
If the powder is gritty enough I can relic my SG

 

[FuzzyAce]

I’ve identified another technique issue that I’m having when moving across the strings with my picking hand.
While repositioning or sliding my forearm across the body when ascending or descending my forearm sticks to the guitar body .

sand it down.
the wood, not your arm.

 

[Byrdman]

It's not easy, but if playing riffs clean is what you want, it's worth taking the time to get it right. Me, I think a cleanly-articulated riff sounds so much better than one that's not, but for some people it's not that big of a deal. Some days it's all I work on.

For the finger tip, you could just practice a basic Pentatonic shape (with distortion of course), say 4 notes, 1 on the e, 2 on the B, and 1 on the G, and focus on the fingertip muting, but also how the 3rd/4th finger kind of 'drapes' over the higher string just as it comes down to fret its note.

Another thing I work on, is just releasing pressure from a note, as opposed to completely removing the finger. It's more economical, and also helps with muting.

And keep in mind, the fingertip takes care of the next string, therefore the palm only needs to catch the rest of them. And it has to move across the strings as the riff does.

And another one to work on is the 'finger-roll' when playing 2 successive notes on adjacent strings, on the same fret. Which if on the e-b strings, sometimes sounds fine, if they overlap.
View attachment 8877
This is from the solo in Carry On Wayward Son, and in measure 26, if the 2 notes @17 blended together, that's one of the types that doesn't sound bad. Lots of solos have that type of riff where those notes are not separated.

It's certainly a lot of stuff to focus on, but I think your playing benefits when you strike that perfect balance between no overlap, and also no gaps between the notes.

Thanks for taking the time to explain all this. What you are talking about here really helps.

I'll be working on it!!

 

[TSJMajesty]

Thanks for taking the time to explain all this. What you are talking about here really helps.

I'll be working on it!!

Sure, no problem. I'm no expert at it, so I work on these same things a lot myself.