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Topic: C6 chord strums and muting strings not in the chord |
Gerald Shaw
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 1:05 pm |
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I'm wondering how others go about playing a 4 note chord on the C6 neck, where there is a string in the middle of the chord that's not part of the chord. How would you go about muuting the unwanted string? I've been using my index finger behind the bar and pushing the string down and dragging the thumb pick across all 5 strings. I've also tried using another finger to pluck the highest note, rather than strum all the way across.
for instance if the chord was strings 5-4-3-1 (2 is left out). Thanks |
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Chris Gabriel
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 1:27 pm
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I would accomplish this by picking all 4, adding a fourth finger pick to your ring finger.
It's kinda hard to get used to, but once you are used to it, it's awesome, having another note to play!(sans strumming)
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chrisgabriel.com
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 1:50 pm
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I'd leave 2 out by playing 1 with the middle, and pinching 3-5 with thumb and index.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 3:21 pm
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I believe most of the pros would pick 5 & 4 with the thumb (a quick "sweep") while picking 1 & 3 with the fingers. Done properly, it sounds like you're using 4 picks.  It's a common technique, and one that everyone should learn. Curly Chalker was a master of it! |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 6:53 pm
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| The instrument was not really created as a strumming instrument, Gerald, other than as a special effect, and as such does not really make accommodation for doing so. In either neck there is nearly always at least one "wrong" note at hand, that's where picking and blocking comes in... |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 7:26 pm
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| Quote: |
| ...if the chord was strings 5-4-3-1 (2 is left out). |
Like Donny said... brush (strum) strings 5,4,3 quickly with the thumb and immediately (almost at the same time) pick string 1 with the middle finger. It all comes together in one big 4 -note chord... strings 5,4,3,1. You wouldn't pick or block string 2 at all, in your example above. You wouldn't touch string 2. I use this technique all the time. Like Donny said, it's a standard steel guitar technique for playing big, fat 4 and 5 note chords, especially on 6th tunings.
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 3:49 am
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Another vote for another pick!
With only three picks, it's impossible to play many voicings on steel that would involve multiple non adjacent strings
Yes, I know - tons of great players only used three picks, but why limit yourself, especially if you're interested in bigger chords?
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 4:40 am
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I have books by both Herby Wallace and Buddy E for C6, and both suggest strum the lower two strings with the thumb, pick the others with fingers. If the gap is between the lowest and next-lowest string, they only show only three stings played - but these are beginner books. Herby also sometimes strums full chords of 5 or more notes on adjacent strings, which C6 provides a reasonable number of. I've heard others do this as well: Jim Cohen's rendition of "Lush Life" comes to mind - as much strumming as finger-picking, and it sounds beautiful!
I also am a 4-finger picker. For five-note chords, I usually decide which 4 sound good to me and use the picks, but will sometimes strum. But it sure don't sound as good as any of the three mentioned above! |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Mike Archer
From:
church hill tn
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 11:07 am c6
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what Donnie said is correct!!
thumb is very important on the c6
its different approach then the e9
Mike 
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Mullen sd10
Nashville 400 amp
Tele/ fender deluxe |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 11:28 am
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| Christopher Woitach wrote: |
| tons of great players only used three picks, but why limit yourself, especially if you're interested in bigger chords? |
as someone who started on steel with four picks. i found that(a couple years later) cutting back to three cleaned up my act immensely. jazz guitar player types may think more picks is better to get your necessary big chords, when in reality it keeps you from learning the proper technique for clean precise playing which includes 4 and 5 note chords. it may seem easier at first, but it allows an unnecessary slop factor to settle in. |
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Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 4:49 pm
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Chris Ivey:
| Quote: |
| as someone who started on steel with four picks. i found that(a couple years later) cutting back to three cleaned up my act immensely. jazz guitar player types may think more picks is better to get your necessary big chords, when in reality it keeps you from learning the proper technique for clean precise playing which includes 4 and 5 note chords. it may seem easier at first, but it allows an unnecessary slop factor to settle in. |
Three thoughts occur to me - first, some of my favorite voicings for chords on C6 is where you spread the grip out - for example, instead of a C6 on fret 12 with four adjacent strings, I might play it with strings 7-5-4-2, or inverted with 8-6-5-3. Since the two lowest notes are not adjacent, I can not use my thumb to strum them. A fourth pick makes this voicing easy.
Second - wearing a finger-pick does not require it to be used in every situation. Nor does it induce "slop". Anything that sounds better without it, just don't use it that time.
Third - will someone please explain to Joe Wright he has being doing it wrong all these years?
Fourth - ok, I have exceeded my specified points. But I believe classical guitarists are trained to play with thumb and 3 fingers, and using only 2 fingers would be considered an inferior technique. While pedal steel and classical guitar are not exactly analogous, I fail to see why using thumb in three fingers would be considered superior one one instrument, but inferior on the the other.
Chris, no offense intended - you are a far more experienced player than I am. If it works for you to not use the ring finger, then by all means, you should do that. I may even reach the same conclusion one day. However, it was the jump from that to the assumption that it is an inherently incorrect technique that I am not entirely in agreement with.
Respectfully,
Doug
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Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 9:08 pm
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you're right, it's not wrong. in my case it allowed me to focus the three fingers more precisely and to block more cleanly. i didn't have that ring finger out there grabbing what may or may not be a good note.
and i might add my c6 playing is nothing sophisticated. |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 9:29 pm
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| It's ok to play with 4 picks....or not...Lord knows you can play one, two, or three notes at a time if it's the right thing to do for the music at hand, but if you don't want the strummed sound on big pianistic or guitar like chords, it's nice to have em. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 9:52 pm
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| i've heard huge chrord sounds coming from buddy's thumb and two fingers. and this takes us back to technique at it's finest. |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2013 10:43 pm
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| Yes Buddy will always be the great equalizer for all of us, but what's another finger in the grand scheme of things? |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2013 6:09 am
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As a "jazz guitar player type", I guess I'm pretty clueless as to proper technique. There must be a secret way to hit 4 non adjacent strings at once that I'm not seeing.
As far as "slop", lord knows I'm sloppy as anything, hoping that that practice and some more years of experience will help me learn to play more like two of my favorites, Reece Anderson and Joe Wright, four finger pickers that seem to be able to play pretty well.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 24 Oct 2013 11:05 am
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| I originally began playing steel with three finger picks and a thumb-pick because that's what I had learned with the six-string guitar so I thought everybody did it that way. |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 24 Oct 2013 11:47 am
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Raking the 2 strings w: the thumb & picking w: the other 2 fingers is the most common method
using 4 fingers is better imo if you can get it down
i use my ring finger as much as possible & i'm still not there...
Sez Adamson from South Africa uses some very hip grips
such as strings 9 76 5 / 8 65 4 / 7 54 2
practicing those grips are imo very very helpful & fulfill
the heart's & ears desires  |
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