It's curved away from the rest of the fingers, mainly in the top phalanx (is that the right word?)
2010/1/11, Topher Gayle <[email protected]>: > 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. >> >> >> >> > -- Enviado desde mi dispositivo móvil
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