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sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
 Posted - 07/01/2013 : 7:18:41 PM
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I was just wondering. Up until the year 2000 I played the guitar only the thumb & index finger. I had already been playing for 27 years up to that time & a lot of contemporary slack key for just as long. Olomana & Keola Beamer stuff.
In 2000 I took slack key classes taught by one of Auntie Alice Namakelua's haumana named Kale Bannister. Well he brought up this point "If your ki ho'alu or overall guitar playing hits a plateau it'll most likely be because of your technique" To elaborate further. He meant using more fingers on your plucking hand. So I tried really hard to incorporate my middle finger & after about a week to 10 days I became fairly comfortable with the thumb, pointer & middle fingers. Since hooking up with Ozzie in 2007 I learned to use my ring finger too
I can now use any combination of two, three & four fingers while playing. I can play while
anchored or floating. When anchored I like to play very close to the saddle & anchor with my pinky. Ozzie told me he sometimes plays Uncle Raymond Kane's stuff with only thumb & pointer to authenticate the song
My question: Being comfortable switching from 2, 3 & 4 fingers, anchored or floating am I the exception or are there others that do the same thing? I also have no problem sliding back & forth between my 11/16 & 2" nuts on my steel & nylon stringed guitars respectively.
Mahalo in advance for the input.
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 04:01:53 AM
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I suspect that if you play for long enough and take on repertory that challenges you technically, you will continue to evolve, even without pushing hard at it. I've been playing for nearly 60 years now, and every once in a while some little bit of technique drops into place and becomes part of the permanent skill-set. I can remember the surprise I felt when the alternating thumb clicked (decades before I'd heard slack key--it was PP&M and Stefan Grossman books back then), or when my ring finger decided to join the band, or when a flatpick became a tool instead of a hindrance. Most of this just came along at its own pace, since structured practicing is not something I do much. But sitting and noodling or focusing long enough to learn a tune doesn't feel like practice, and after enough hours of it I wind up with a new lick or skill.
I almost forgot to answer the question: I've switched among and between guitar geometries for as long as I've have more than one guitar, which is since 1965. And one has always been a classical. My paws are large enough that I can thumb-fret the low E on almost any neck. And on a 1.75" neck, it's the E and A.
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Edited by - Russell Letson on 07/02/2013 04:05:21 AM |
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TerryLiberty
Lokahi
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 05:34:35 AM
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Duke:
Don't know about others but the first time I picked up a friend's Martin D35 in about 1967 the friend directed me to use three fingers and a thumb for finger picking. I didn't know any better so that's where I started and where I stayed. Like Russell, much of my finger picking training came from Stefan Grossman's books (Mississippi John Hurt's music) and PPM.
One player out of many...
Aloha. |
Terry
Olympia, WA
Forever a haumana |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 10:56:43 AM
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Hi Duke,
For me, I often anchor my pinky (knowing that it is not great technique) and use thumb, index, middle. Other times, there are specific songs where I float my picking hand and also use the ring finger. Those are usually Ozzie songs b/c I want to emulate him. 
The other deciding factor is comfort. What is comfortable to you as a player? I notice that if I am nervous, I am more comfortable anchoring my picking hand. My 2 cents. |
Andy |
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 1:06:10 PM
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quote:
originally posted by Russell Letson
......or when a flatpick became a tool instead of a hindrance.
I still can't flatpick. I don't think I even know how to hold a pick correctly because it always seems like it's gonna go sailing out of my hands. Never learned to use a thumb pick either. After Ozzie told me thumb picks only provided volume & that the naked thumb is much more versatile I stopped trying to make the transition. With a naked thumb you can go all nail, all flesh or a combination of nail & flesh.
quote:
originally posted by Admin
I notice that if I am nervous, I am more comfortable anchoring my picking hand.
I think I have a tendency to do that too Andy. I do feel more confident & comfortable anchored because I know my string reference will be more solid. I also like to play my uptempo songs anchored.
@ Terry; You were fortunate to start using 3 fingers & your thumb from the beginning. It saved you the grief of transitioning from one finger to 2 then three. Lucky buggah you |
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DaveBj
Aloha
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2013 : 01:34:36 AM
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I still haven't started on Ozzie's book (had a very busy week last week), but I did notice that he recommends using thumb + 3, which is great, 'cause that's just what I'm used to using as an old folky. I think the anchored pinky actually comes from classical guitar; I just checked my Carcassi Classical Guitar Method, and he taught it.
DaveBj |
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TerryLiberty
Lokahi
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2013 : 05:14:27 AM
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quote:
@ Terry; You were fortunate to start using 3 fingers & your thumb from the beginning. It saved you the grief of transitioning from one finger to 2 then three. Lucky buggah you
Duke: True. Now if I could get all those fingers to talk to each other... |
Terry
Olympia, WA
Forever a haumana |
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ukrazy
Akahai
USA
69 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2013 : 12:42:09 PM
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I went from flatpicking guitars to ukulele where I adopted the thumb and index finger only style of playing. After moving to slack key guitar I stuck with the one finger style for quite a long time. Like Duke, when I decided to add the middle finger, it really took just a week or so to get comfortable with it. I'm using my ring finger a little now. Mostly when I want to pinch a 4 string chord, but sometimes it just sneaks in there to pick a string. I never plant my pinky on the top, while playing in taropatch and drop C, but when I play in Atta's C my pinky and ring finger both are usually firmly anchored. I also go back to using mostly my index finger for that tuning. I didn't decide to do that, it just happens.
I rarely play down by the bridge. I have long forearms and play small body guitars. Not very comfortable, and since I don't use any thumb or fingerpicks, I don't like the sound.
There are some really great players out there that only pick with the thumb and index finger. Ben Kaili for one, over in Hilo can play anything, in any style, and in any key on a taropatch tuned guitar. Pretty sure I've never seen him use a capo. |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2013 : 01:09:09 AM
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I think if you switch from 1, 2, or 3 fingers at will, you may be among the few that does it and I would consider it to be a useful skill. I am not sure I can do 1 finger but I think I can do 2--not sure.
I use 3+thumb in the classical style on both nylon and steel. I rarely use less than 3 fingers because once you get the "a" finger working it kind of gets used on demand so I don't think I ever consciously take a finger out of play.
I do not plant and I am very comfortable that way now, but I used to.
Side note: I did not know Carcassi taught pinkie planting. I have his 25 estudios and they are some of the best sounding exercises I have played.
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Bob |
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DaveBj
Aloha
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2013 : 01:41:03 AM
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quote:
[i]*snip*
I do not plant and I am very comfortable that way now, but I used to.
Side note: I did not know Carcassi taught pinkie planting. I have his 25 estudios and they are some of the best sounding exercises I have played.
I wanted to be sure, so I pulled the book and look carefully at the pictures before I posted. There are times when I plant, but like you, most of the time I'm more comfortable free-floating. Folkies don't need to be as precise as classicists :D
DaveBj |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2013 : 4:35:33 PM
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| Eh, Duke! My kumu wen show me 3 fingers. At da time, I was also learning Bluegrass Dobro - 3 finger rolls ala Uncle Josh Graves ala Earl Scruggs on 5string banjo. I wen concentrate on slack key an' den used 3 fingers for Ragtime an' Country Blues (even some slide). I was playing mandolin at da time, so flat pick neva one problem. Ony ting, jus' keep up an' jus' press. |
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Allen M Cary
Lokahi
USA
158 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2013 : 11:39:34 AM
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I am missing my ring finger on the right hand, so thumb, index. middle is all I got. I anchor my pinkie usually just below the sound hole.
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Am I the exception to the rule?
