String selection

[Phil513]

What would be a good excersize to improve my picking hand?

I started guitar with acoustic, cowboy chord type strumming. This led to a strong chording hand, i can hit both open and barre chords with ease. But going to electric, i find my picking very sloppy and broad. I can sort of mask it on the acoustic, but the electric tends to point out any sloppiness without mercy. One thing i changed that helped was to hold the pick with less of it exposed, just barely sticking beyond my fingertips.

Are there some excersizes you can recommend i do? Sometimes i wish i could forget everything and start my learning over.

[Mark Wein]

What would be a good excersize to improve my picking hand?

I started guitar with acoustic, cowboy chord type strumming. This led to a strong chording hand, i can hit both open and barre chords with ease. But going to electric, i find my picking very sloppy and broad. I can sort of mask it on the acoustic, but the electric tends to point out any sloppiness without mercy. One thing i changed that helped was to hold the pick with less of it exposed, just barely sticking beyond my fingertips.

Are there some excersizes you can recommend i do? Sometimes i wish i could forget everything and start my learning over.


Aside from all of the usual technique things that everyone teaches (I've got some of the "retread exercises" in the technique section of my website) I like getting students tremolo picking.

VERY SLOWLY alternate pick the open E string so that you are as dead even on the up stroke as you are on the down stroke. Try to do this with as little tension in the arm as possible. I visualize the movement starting at the elbow but the wrist and hand are loose...the whole arm should articulate a small amount. Once you get things rolling close your eyes and listen to the sound coming from the instrument. Let your ears tell you what to adjust.

As you get the movement even slowly bring the speed up until you are not able to control it and slow down just enough to get your control and even-ness back. Repeat!

I try to pick single notes more from the wrist but I think you have to realize that the whole arm needs to articulate smoothly...like throwing a ball. If you have one joint locked or tense it makes it virtually impossible to make the motion happen correctly....

[Phil513]

Thanks Mark, i'll give that a try.

[hobo]

What type of strings do you use on a flat top guitar and why do you use those type of strings. I am not familiar with acoustic strings. Also can you use the high B and E electric strings on an acoustic.

[Mark Wein]

What type of strings do you use on a flat top guitar and why do you use those type of strings. I am not familiar with acoustic strings. Also can you use the high B and E electric strings on an acoustic.


I use these:

http://musicwonderland.co.uk/images/EB2148.gif

The Phosphor Bronze adds some nice "jangle" to my Guild that the 80/20 Bronze or other string formulations that I've tried do not.

The top two strings are plain just like an electric guitar, but you need to make sure that they are the right size to match the rest of your set....its probably best to replace the strings all at once if they haven't been done in a while...

[hobo]

What type of strings do you use on a flat top guitar and why do you use those type of strings. I am not familiar with acoustic strings. Also can you use the high B and E electric strings on an acoustic.


I use these:

http://musicwonderland.co.uk/images/EB2148.gif

The Phosphor Bronze adds some nice "jangle" to my Guild that the 80/20 Bronze or other string formulations that I've tried do not.

The top two strings are plain just like an electric guitar, but you need to make sure that they are the right size to match the rest of your set....its probably best to replace the strings all at once if they haven't been done in a while...




Thanks Mark
It's been years since I owned an acoustic (teen years) so I really didn't know what to buy. The strings that came with the flat top I just bought are D Addario Extended Play Strings (EPS) , the guitar seems to have been sitt'n around for some time at the store and the some of the strings are rusty looking. I'll have to look into the Bronze strings, I'll take your advice though if they have them in the store, hopefully I can find some lighter gauge strings, the 52 gauge and the high E of 12 gauge is a little too much :) Again thanks. I'll let you know what I end up buying.

[Mark Wein]

Cool!

[hobo]

What type of strings do you use on a flat top guitar and why do you use those type of strings. I am not familiar with acoustic strings. Also can you use the high B and E electric strings on an acoustic.


I use these:

http://musicwonderland.co.uk/images/EB2148.gif

The Phosphor Bronze adds some nice "jangle" to my Guild that the 80/20 Bronze or other string formulations that I've tried do not.

The top two strings are plain just like an electric guitar, but you need to make sure that they are the right size to match the rest of your set....its probably best to replace the strings all at once if they haven't been done in a while...




Thanks Mark
It's been years since I owned an acoustic (teen years) so I really didn't know what to buy. The strings that came with the flat top I just bought are D Addario Extended Play Strings (EPS) , the guitar seems to have been sitt'n around for some time at the store and the some of the strings are rusty looking. I'll have to look into the Bronze strings, I'll take your advice though if they have them in the store, hopefully I can find some lighter gauge strings, the 52 gauge and the high E of 12 gauge is a little too much :) Again thanks. I'll let you know what I end up buying.




Hi Mark

Well I just got back from the music store, sorry it wasn't yours. I bought Martin 80/20 bronze strings. What does 80/20 bronze mean?

The strings are really great. I notice they were made in Mexico. Here they cost ￥５２５ about $5.00 is that a good price?

Well thanks for your advice about the strings. They really sound great.


hobo uncle sam

[Mark Wein]

What type of strings do you use on a flat top guitar and why do you use those type of strings. I am not familiar with acoustic strings. Also can you use the high B and E electric strings on an acoustic.


I use these:

http://musicwonderland.co.uk/images/EB2148.gif

The Phosphor Bronze adds some nice "jangle" to my Guild that the 80/20 Bronze or other string formulations that I've tried do not.

The top two strings are plain just like an electric guitar, but you need to make sure that they are the right size to match the rest of your set....its probably best to replace the strings all at once if they haven't been done in a while...




Thanks Mark
It's been years since I owned an acoustic (teen years) so I really didn't know what to buy. The strings that came with the flat top I just bought are D Addario Extended Play Strings (EPS) , the guitar seems to have been sitt'n around for some time at the store and the some of the strings are rusty looking. I'll have to look into the Bronze strings, I'll take your advice though if they have them in the store, hopefully I can find some lighter gauge strings, the 52 gauge and the high E of 12 gauge is a little too much :) Again thanks. I'll let you know what I end up buying.




Hi Mark

Well I just got back from the music store, sorry it wasn't yours. I bought Martin 80/20 bronze strings. What does 80/20 bronze mean?

The strings are really great. I notice they were made in Mexico. Here they cost ￥５２５ about $5.00 is that a good price?

Well thanks for your advice about the strings. They really sound great.


hobo uncle sam




No problem! The 80/20 Bronze refers to the alloy that the strings are made of...phosphor bronze is different and has a brighter, janglier sound than the 80/20...at least to my ears! It seems to work better on my Guild... ;D