| Author |
Topic: Missing Strings |
Nigel Mullen
From:
Cassilis, New Brunswick, Canada
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 3:20 pm |
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| Lately I am missing strings every now and then. I still play every day for an hour or two at home and work in a four piece weekend band. I am 77 years old so that may have something to do with it. I'm wondering if there's an exercise that would help me out. It's frustrating when I mean to pick say the fourth string and maybe hit the fifth one. Appreciate any help you can give me. NM |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 23 Jun 2017 2:24 am
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I'll be 80 in December and occasionally will miss a string, but when I was 35 I occasionally missed a string so in my case age has nothing to do with it.
Concentration is, to me, the key to trying to avoid mistakes. As we age, concentration can be an issue. I see this with many things, living in Florida with other "retirees".
I wouldn't let it worry you unless it is frequent instead of occasional. |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2017 5:09 am
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Jack is right. Concentration along with proper hand placement and always thinking ahead of where you are playing at the moment in the song.
While I don't usually miss a string, I do occasionally strike the string on top of it if I'm playing a faster number. Concentrate Concentrate.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
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Nigel Mullen
From:
Cassilis, New Brunswick, Canada
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Posted 23 Jun 2017 5:55 am
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| Thank you folks. I'll give it a try. NM |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2017 2:45 pm
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Anchor your pinky at any point you can that doesn't kill a string.
If that doesn't work anchor some point of your palm or wrist. All the folks who insist that your hand must be used to block the strings will be appalled, but if you can't hit the right string blocking is useless - and you can always pick block and just learn to work around it if you must. Many players do.
The idea behind either is to give you a consistent "platform" so you are always moving your fingers to the same spots - if your hand floats at all you have to find different places for fingers every time you pick a string.
I play an 8-string Fender and can usually move my hand a bit, but when I was trying to play 10-string I had to use one anchor method or the other to hit strings consistently. And I don't think age has anything to do with it - my 10 string days were back in my 20's-50's and I'm 65 (going on around 23 as far as maturity goes - if you ask some! ) now.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Don Barnhardt
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2017 1:37 pm
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| Don't worry about it just stay in time. I'm 80 and been doing it all my life. |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Posted 30 Jun 2017 2:27 pm
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Just a thought for practice:
Start with a pick on the selected string and then, gradually lift the picking hand and try to come down on the select string, each time, from further away.
_________________
Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Sierra Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.com/album/the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8: |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 1 Jul 2017 7:32 am Re: Missing Strings
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| Nigel Mullen wrote: |
| Lately I am missing strings every now and then |
do you think anyone in the crowd noticed it? ..... relax and enjoy yourself....
_________________
www.steelguitarsonline.com |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 1 Jul 2017 8:12 am
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If BE could miss one now and then, I think we're all entitled 
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2017 12:44 pm
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Well.....thats not as bad as flinging the bar away, which I've done at a younger age.
_________________
Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Dave Magram
From:
San Jose, California, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2017 11:55 pm
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Nigel,
You may want to check out this video of Bobby Black playing pedal steel...
Starting around 1:06 the camera moves in for a close-up of Bobby’s hands, and you can see him switching from having his right-hand little finger curled under his palm--to extending it to touch the first string as an anchor point. Bobby’s picking and blocking are clean and precise—and he makes it looks so easy!
“Bobby Black improvises an instrumentalâ€
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGaMma2ap0U
BTW, Bobby’s a bit older than you are—he was born in 1934.
-Dave |
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