petelanger
Forum Replies Created
-
This is so great to see you have achieved many goals and still have many more your chasing! I enjoy watching your Play For Us videos, the production is getting amazing! Keep leading the way @albert_d !
-
Having tried the Dunlop pick, I’m a believer now: what a difference a pick can make! I’m not sure if it addresses @BarbaraM ‘s issue, but I just love the Dunlop Max-Grip. It stays silent when you hit the strings, no clackity-clack, absolutely wonderful and then the grip really helps too.
-
Wow @Guitargeezer congratulations! What an inspiration!
-
I’m trying the max grip now, just got ’em delivered and I’m liking the feel. The Jim Dunlop Max-Grip® Jazz III Nylon Pick 1.38MM
-
Sometimes his reason for being a little bit dodgy isn’t to be cute (or funny) but some of it has to do with blocking. Some songs will immediately lead to getting demonetized and/or blocked on YouTube. Some of our members YouTube accounts have been shutdown. So you have to be careful how you name stuff if it’s going to interact with YouTube. He even changes the moniker from the Fab 4 to Fab 5!
-
@BarbaraM
I have this issue too or should I say I had it and now not as much. I think it has less to do with your pick, as long as your other chords sound good to you. For me the mini F especially has required some awkward contortions of the hand and as a result we might not get a full ring of each note in the chord.Sometimes my F has a bit of a “harp-like” sound if I transition to it from say a G (“Let it Be) This happens less now than it used to but it still rears it’s ugly head now and then and forces me to be less sloppy with my fretting hand. It’s easier to transition to the F from a C or using a base walk for example. I suppose it’s possible that some of these issues could be influenced by the equipment such as the guitar or your pick. I’ll let some others chime in….
-
ignoring this, see post with subject “mute”!
-
@mrmikedunnergmail-com I will try to reply to this post. There’s another very similar one which I’ll ignore.
Not much context was given with the question. I understand you are muting strings when you don’t want to. So I will assume this is with the fretting hand while forming chord shapes. This is very common, if you are a beginner, it’s a rite of passage in a way – earning your stripes to be able to play clean chords.
Hear are some suggestions, I’m reposting here from a similar question a while back:
- Position: you want to play in the best possible position for comfort and ease to place your fingers properly. This is something you can play around with, raising the neck up, adjusting the shoulder and elbow. Certain chords may require you to come at the fretboard differently.
- Pressure: when we’re learning we have a tendency to press very hard, trying to eliminate the buzzing or thuds. Getting the finger closer to the fret wire means less pressure will still work. We need to find that sweet spot where it’s a clean note but minimum pressure. This is still something I focus on everyday, because I still press to hard when making certain chords, like the D major.
- Light strings: make it easier by using lighter strings. This will change the tone, but there are lots of options and you might find you like the brighter sound. Also, every guitar has it’s “soul mate” when it comes to the marriage between the guitar+player and strings. I recently switched my favorite guitar to D’Addario EJ11-3D Light Guage and I was absolutely floored how beautiful my guitar started sounding to my ears.
- Tuning: @jorgemac should advise you here, but you can tune your guitar down a 1/2 step or even more, makes it much easier to fret. Great for practicing and I believe he said he slaps on a capo to play along with the challenges. I haven’t done this myself but I’m going to eventually.
- Nails: always have the finger nails on your fretting hand trimmed as short as possible. This is essential for beginner players.
- Based on your question I assume you are a new player. You may not have developed callouses on your finger tips. As you do, this will help with the issue of string muting.
- Make sure you are fretting with the tips of your fingers, the strings should be making their indentation marks about 1/10 inch (2mm) from the finger nail. Much further than that and you’re fretting with the pads and that’s going to cause muting.
- Time: learning to fret cleanly simply doesn’t happen in an hour, or a week or month. Some of more difficult shapes could take several months of doing it several times a day before your brain can direct your fingers adequately. I redirect you to #2 again because it is key. Play around with breaking the chord into individual notes and just fret those notes with finger you would be using in the chord. (make sure you are close to the fret wire). Release pressure and find where it still rings clean and starts to buzz. Over time you have to teach your fingers to press that hard and not much harder.
-
For me it did! I liked TAC on day 1 and continue to like it more and more. There are few things I totally wish would get fixed on the site, and a couple of changes have been made for the worse. Nonetheless, it still adds up as great value!
-
Yeah, it’s a shame. Tony’s videos are not subject to getting blocked on the TAC site, but most members use YouTube to host their videos and that’s where you want to be careful with how you label things.
These artists are blockers: Eagles, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, AC DC, Prince, Fleetwood Mac
If you post video that mentions these artists or the titles of any of their songs, you could have it taken down by YT or worse could happen.
-
This lesson in the skill courses addresses holding your guitar and your other basics:
https://tonypolecastro.com/topic/learn-the-four-technique-check-ins/
-
Now I am quite curious how you folks hold your picks, minimizing the contact with the index: are you grasping with the thumb and the side of the index? Definitely not introducing other fingers into the mix.
I probably need to invest into some more serious picks, mine are all completely flat rounded triangles. I wasn’t having any troubles but I do notice if I play for a few minutes without stopping I find myself re-gripping it, it does start to get away and I have to make a conscious effort to hold onto it. I’m not a performer and my playing consists of mostly doing the challenges and other exercises, usually I come to a stop within a minute or 2.
-
Oh I see the Blue Chips cost more: https://shop.bluechippick.net/
shop.bluechippick.net
BlueChip Pick store, home of the world's best guitar, mandolin, dobro, and banjo picks
-
Do you mean $8?
https://www.jimdunlop.com/ultex-sharp-pick-2-0mm/
jimdunlop.com
From picks to pedals and every accessory in between, Dunlop Manufacturing has been creating world-class gear for musicians for over 50 years. We consistently create the best selling picks and analog electronics, and carry a large line of accessories that … Continue reading
-
I am also soon going to be in my third year in TAC and still have some struggles of this kind Barbara. We are what we are, Seniors [that] Just Wanna Have Fun!
– queue Cyndi Lauper