Robin, Interesting question. Not sure what you mean. How is your thumb curved? Up, down, sideways, in out, or what?
Glad to hear you got such a useful gene, though. It must come in handy (har har). Topher On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 11:31 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> wrote: > Just a curious question. There are people with straight thumbs, and > then those who have been lucky enough to get the gene for brains, > charm, good looks and a curved thumb. > Curiously enough, I am in the latter group. Do we curved thumbers do > it different from our straight digit cousins? Just wondering. > Actually, the curve means you either hold the thumb bent, or use the > joint, rather than the bone. > An important issue I feel > > > 2010/1/10, Linda <[email protected]>: >> I thank yall for the advice and since I have a quiet weekend here I >> can try em out. >> The one thing from the article, that I need to try and pay more >> attention to is .. >> Mike says its best to learn a tune slow, then after a time speed it >> up. I do that but feel an enormous pressure to be able to play it >> fast and start to do that before I really should. >> >> I like most tunes in slow mode for my personal enjoyment, but its the >> pressure when playing with others to play fast and my wish to get >> there and be able to play with others well, that seems to drive this >> rushing thing that is not really doing me any good at all. And he >> says it may be a long tme before I can play well ...fast, at my age, I >> don't know if it will happen in time that fuels it too. >> >> I have thought maybe just develop a list of slow tunes and try to make >> them terrific..as a way to get around that. >> >> Almost every tune I get ..is one that at first I feel like I could >> never be able to play and by the next lesson, most times, I find I >> can..and that I can do things I did not think I could. Mike is always >> pushing the bar with what I am assigned to do. Seems the mind game is >> a lot of the battle. I have to just calm down and approach it, see >> what I can achieve and am always pleasantly surprised. >> >> Brian I don't have your problem with the mirror but still need a small >> one ..for a different reason...<G>. >> Maybe pisces look better underwater. >> >> linda >> >> On Jan 10, 3:39 am, Topher Gayle <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Here are some ideas for hitting both strings in a course. Lots of >>> folks have trouble with this at first. >>> >>> If you're not sure if you are hitting both strings, tune one of them >>> quite a bit flat. Then play some sort of exercise on that pair. The >>> worse it sounds, the better you're picking. Try to make both tones >>> sound equally loud. Then you know you're hitting them both. Tune back >>> up for the rest of your practicing! >>> >>> I find that using rest strokes, where the pick comes to rest against >>> the next course, is useful for helping me get into the groove of >>> hitting both strings. Sometimes you'll want to use them while playing, >>> and sometimes not. But they're a good way to get the feel of hitting >>> both strings. >>> >>> I like to describe the action as "pushing the pick through the >>> strings," rather than plucking the strings. in other words the strings >>> get pushed down towards the top of the instrument by the tip of the >>> pick and then make noise on the rebound. the strings get out of the >>> way of the pick, not the other way around. The only way you can do >>> that is to push the tip of the pick more or less parallel to the top >>> of the instrument, with no dodging up and down. A firm grip helps. >>> >>> It helps to rotate the pick a little bit - either with the end towards >>> the neck down a little (maybe 15-20 degrees) and up (as John Reischman >>> does). This way the strings slide along the end of the pick more than >>> grab. You'll get less pick noise, too. Experiment with different >>> picks, too. >>> >>> Maybe some of this might be helpful. There are many approaches. What >>> matters is getting the sound, while not hurting yourself. >>> >>> Topher >>> >>> On Sat, Jan 9, 2010 at 7:36 AM, Dasspunk <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > When it's going good... real good... I'll blow off everything to keep >>> > it going. I try (in vain) to keep THAT in my muscle memory. Make THAT >>> > my habit. Mike would probably say he does the same thing but his worst >>> > days are still better than my best. He can be annoying in that way ;) >>> >>> > Playing back by the bridge forces me to play more evenly, more >>> > accurately and apply the correct amount of force to the stroke. In my >>> > experience, there's a perfect amount of force--and it's probably less >>> > than you'd think-- that produces the most sound... and the right >>> > sound. >>> >>> > Again, I'm not sure if my words will translate into the proper >>> > meaning... it's tough to describe. >>> >>> > One bit of advice I always give that helped me a ton is this: practice >>> > in a mirror. Watch your right hand. Look at Mike's right hand and try >>> > to make your right hand look like his (or Bill's). Try, try, try, try, >>> > try. >>> >>> > Now if you're practicing in the mirror you find yourself distracted by >>> > your own incredible good looks, you're probably a Sagittarius like me >>> > and you'll need to get a smaller mirror :) >>> >>> > B >>> >>> > On Jan 9, 8:47 am, Linda <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >> I like the idea of the pencil eraser and will think on that some. >>> >>> >> The Tater says I am only playing the top string of two sometimes. He >>> >> wants me to use the area just near the bridge more. I find it >>> >> difficult to push through...push the pick through the strings in that >>> >> spot. Am working on it. >>> >> Sometimes when I practice, I trying playing looser and give all real >>> >> attention to what the right had is doing, not worrying too much about >>> >> the fretting (which gets sloppy when not attending). So far, I find >>> >> there is improvement but I sure wish I had a way to know for sure when >>> >> I am getting it right. >>> >> Brian, you are right about getting it right and how it feels. Every >>> >> now and again in the lesson I get a thumbs up, which means I am doing >>> >> it the right way. >>> >> Feels like going to the moon in rocket.... >>> >> linda >>> >>> >> On Jan 10, 12:53 am, 14strings <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >> > Maybe the mental image of striking both strings with equal force and >>> >> > contemporaneously helps the process of digging in and keeping the >>> >> > pick >>> >> > on the stringS. Many of us have the poor technique (myself included) >>> >> > of catching just one string in a pair. That will give us half the >>> >> > volume and half the tone. Half the fun. >>> >>> >> > Perry >>> >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> > Groups "Taterbugmando" group. >>> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> > [email protected]. >>> > For more options, visit this group >>> > athttp://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. >> > > -- > Enviado desde mi dispositivo móvil > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Taterbugmando" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > > >
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