N-lightMike
Forum Replies Created
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Hello @SciencePete , pretty much everything with the guitar is personal preference. But there are still things that are more common and things that are more effective. Many good players rest their pinky and/or the ring. However, most players use the forearm where it comes in contact with the guitar as their reference point. Some also use the heel of their hand. Classical players use the strings themselves where their fingers rest on the strings they are assigned to. We do need some kind of “anchor”, but we don’t need the pinky.
I am trying to break myself of the pinky because I was too unconcerned but now find myself putting too much pressure on it. I think the difference is that I can play finger style for so much longer now. I can play without my pinky, but it frequently goes back without my thinking about it. Consequently, I’d suggest, from my personal experience, to try not to use it. That way, even if you do end up using it as it just feels natural, at least it will be light.
I have noticed guitar players whose pinky touches the guitar off and on, almost like it has a life of it’s own. If the pinky doesn’t stay there, then the pressure won’t build up.
I hope this helps.
MG 😀
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Hey @Regis ;
You’ve gotten a lot of really good advice here. I agree with working on them slowly. I also agree with just 2 at a time, back and forth.
But I’m gonna add one thing: don’t even use a metronome at the very beginning. The idea is to first make a chord cleanly. Then add another chord and make it cleanly. Now, very, very slowly, move from one position to the other, noticing how your fingers, wrist, elbow, arm, all change as you go from one to the other. Then try going back. When you can do that with no extraneous motion and your chords are clean, then add the metronome at a very slow tempo and begin the work up as suggested.
MG 😀
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That’s really wonderful, @GuitarGeni . Many times, the things that limit us are our own beliefs. You are absolutely correct about consistency. Thank you for posting a telling us about your routine. You have a lot of experience. Someone else might not have as much experience and be able to learn from you.
MG 😀
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I believe that using the ring finger is the better option. Tony says we can use the ring finger. Using just the 2 fingers is very common in folk style finger picking. But using all three fingers helped me a lot and I’m very grateful that I stuck to it.
Tony has many warm ups, and half of them are for finger picking. Also, every single lesson and warm up using a pick can be done finger picking instead. After about 2 years, I stopped using a pick for the lessons altogether and just used my fingers.
Start with a pattern, then just play it slow enough to be accurate everyday for 10 to 20 minutes for a few weeks. Play the pattern without making chords or even sounds, mute the strings, while you’re watching TV. Start playing chord progressions. Just like we do on Fridays, practice being able to play your pattern over one chord, and then change to another chord in time with the beat. Add more chords. Start playing a song. Play more songs. Add more patterns. That’s how I got to where I’m at right now.
MG 😀
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Yeeeesss, that’s what I love to hear, @TrevorR . The 2 things Tony hopes to give us is fun and improvement. Everything else is up to us. But the purpose in giving us those two things is so the guitar and music can be a calming force in our life. Man, you nailed it. Thanks for posting.
MG 😀
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Congratulations @Ron-N on your TACiversary. I got say to you and @Loraine and @Cadgirl and @Bill_Brown , I am one of those mentors from the former TAC. I tried so hard to be encouraging and supportive leading up to and going through the “change”. Man, the difficulties that arose sure made it hard to stay positive.
But what I hung onto during those times was what I had already received from Tony and TAC. I owed my guitar journey and musical life to Tony and his way of presenting guitar and music. I had stumbled and lurched along for 20 years before I joined TAC.
I love 2 things you said Ron. One, that Tony’s philosophy helps you deal with your guitar reality being different from your guitar beliefs. Boy, do I relate to that one. Just recently, I made a huge step forward because I broke down my fantasy about how good I was and accepted how good I’m NOT, which is to say how good I actually am. Now I can say I very grateful to be this good, never mind how good I’m not.
The other thing I love that you said is: “In the end TAC works for me. It does what it’s supposed to do. Keeps me challenged, keeps me coming back daily, and helps me maintain my image as a guitar geek.”
That was another thing I harped on during those transition days, that none of us signed up for the amazing and wonderful community. We signed up to learn guitar, and specifically, to be handed a guitar practice plan that covered the broad range of guitar skills on a daily basis. That’s what Tony offered; and that’s what Tony delivered. And that was NEVER in jeopardy.
Now, I feel sorry for all those people who bailed. They missed out on the best TAC of all. And it’s not the community, but it’s the lessons and the philosophy and the way they are presented now that makes this TAC the best.
The bonus is that the community goes on. New blood and different platform, but it lives and it thrives.
MG 😀
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Hey Jack;
Using the fingers, or the thumb, in relation to the strings, is a really good way to go about it in my opinion.
MG 😀
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Wow, thanks @Loraine , I was totally confused. In fact, I didn’t even remember running into those. Then, when you explained what they were, I realized not only had I seen them, but I had seen the explanation also. HaHaHa, I’ve always been able to be forgetful. I hope at my age now that’s all it is. LOL.
MG 😀
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Thank you @albert_d , it’s certainly the only program that worked for me. I said in another thread that I owe my guitar journey and musical life to TAC. It’s so much fun.
MG 😀
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Thank you @Cadgirl . Yes, Tony does a great job of coming up with lessons that improve our guitar skills and our finger strength and independence. Improvement is just plain fun.
MG 😀
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Thank you @Guitargeezer-Jack for the encouragement. How cool is that, your into year two. Wow. By now, you have experienced a fair amount of improvement. That’s fun.
MG 😀
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Thank you @jumpinjeff . I wouldn’t dispute with you about The Gauntlet. That became one of my regular warm ups the first time around. I still go back to it sometimes. That’s exactly what I was talking about when I said I’ve done exercises. My other fingers seem to be able to do anything my pinky can. I’ll tell you the other one I love, The Slide Away. It’s the Thursday one with just the pinky and ring finger. Boy, that’s still the toughest one for me. But I always do them together. After doing the Gauntlet, I like to focus on the ring and pinky.
But, yeah, I love that I kept thinking I wasn’t going to be able to do it but kept going anyway. I thought that was pretty cool. TAC has certainly helped me to have new attitudes.
MG 😀
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Thank you @Loraine , I really appreciate your constant encouragement. What I love about TAC is that everyone experiences improvement. One day, you will get this lick, I know you will. Why? Because you put in the time over time. That’s all I did.
MG 😀