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Topic: Gazing between my right hand in the bar |
Curt Trisko
From:
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 11:03 am |
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Whenever I play a phrase that requires complicated picking, I find my gaze veering from my bar hand to the fretboard between the bar and my right hand. Doing this allows me to see both in my peripheral vision.
When I first started, I knew that I had to deliberately not look at my right hand... since it is a bad habit that won't go away on its own. Do I need to try hard to stop gazing between the bar hand and the right hand? I don't even think it's a matter of me needing to see my right hand. I think it's just a matter of "out of sight, out of mind" and that if it's in my field of vision, that my brain subconsciously devotes more attention to it. My picking accuracy can suffer when my right hand isn't in my field of vision at all. |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 11:16 am
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Curt I don't know if any of this will help you or not.
But one of the first things I teach my students is,
don't look at your picking hand or be counting the strings to see where your at.
Your eyes need to be on your bar hand at all times.
This is an instrument of sight and sound. You need to watch your bar hand to make sure your bar is over the fret and straight with the fret.
You need to memorize the right hand position by feel, so really you should never need to look at your right hand or be gazing at the fret board either.
My 2 cents worth, hope some of it helps.
_________________
Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797 |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 12:09 pm
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Yup, what Fred said.
John Hughey once told me that he will take his eyes off his bar hand and look at the fret he will be going to next. He said it helps him make sure he will hit the fret dead on. Hard to argue with someone like John. I adopted the same strategy, but of course, John does it a whole lot better.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 12:48 pm
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Uh oh. Someone tell Joe he's doing it wrong...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoAJ0YI2lWE
_________________
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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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 12:54 pm
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Looks to me like Joe looks at his bar hand when changing frets. He looks away when staying on one fret. I think most of us can do that.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 1:01 pm
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Lane, Curt is not Joe. Joe has played for years and I'm thinking Curt is in the early stages.
I was simply trying to set some good habits for Curt to get into.
So, Uh oh. you may now take over the thread Lane.
_________________
Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797 |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 1:24 pm
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Fred, that was my sense of humor.
My personal habit?
Look at the right hand as I strike the 8th string, then usually look at the bar hand most of the time. I'm not as good as Joe.
And even though Joe doesn't spend much time watching his hands, he does check both, about as often as a trucker checks his/her mirrors.
EDIT: I'd suggest spending a significant chunk of practice time playing along with tracks or radio, either in the dark or blindfolded.
That way, Joe's method wouldn't look so scary.
_________________
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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Curt Trisko
From:
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 1:43 pm
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| I do mess with my steel in the dark sometimes. My ear is getting better and better for bar placement by pitch instead of sight. Even then, I still think there's a mental aspect to it where if my eyes see even the shadow of my right hand in the periphery, that it helps my brain focus more attention on my right hand. I'm still at the learning stage where my mind is slowly learning how to manage all the fingers, knees, and feet at the same time. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 2:21 pm
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Steelplayers.  You guys are looking at the wrong things. This is what all the other musicians are looking at...
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 2:47 pm
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| i don't think it's a good idea to rely on looking at either hand. maybe for a quick approximate check, but the ear should determine bar placement. and pedal pushing and string plucking need to develop from repetition and muscle memory. |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 3:04 pm
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As usual, DH gets to the real bottom of things and points out the finer details of a discussion.
That's where I always look. It may not help my pickin, but it helps my outlook.
_________________
You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Michael Hummel
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 4:12 pm
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The problem is, from where I sit, is that the finer things to look at are nowhere near the steel player's seat...they are all somewhere else! Like looking up at our fine young singer!
_________________
MSA Classic 5+4
Too many 6-strings and amps to list |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 4:44 pm
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When I first started playing steel, I would watch my right hand quite a bit so I had to discipline myself not to and it did improve my intonation when I first started. Now, I rarely if ever look at right hand but do notice quite a few even really good players that do.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Cal Sharp
From:
the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 4:56 pm
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Donny, I guess I'm playing at the wrong places. 
I sat down at my steel guitar recently with my hands at my sides, looking off to the left, towards the wet bar, where I couldn’t see my right hand, and raised same and tried to pick the 5th string without looking. To my surprise I could do it.  Tried it again with various strings and different grips, all successful. I had no idea I could do that, and I suppose many of you can, too. You guys are gonna try it, even if you don't have a wet bar, right? 
_________________
C#
Me: Steel Guitar Madness
Latest ebook: Steel Guitar Insanity
Custom Made Covers for Steel Guitars & Amps at Sharp Covers Nashville |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 13 Nov 2013 5:06 pm
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| Bill Duncan wrote: |
As usual, DH gets to the real bottom of things and points out the finer details of a discussion.
That's where I always look. It may not help my pickin, but it helps my outlook. |
That's where I look too. It screws up my pickin' and my outlook. I know at my age, none of them would even talk to me.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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