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Topic: Up/Down strokes w/ thumb? |
Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 9:03 am |
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I was watching an instructional video by the outrageous thumb/slap bass player Victor Wooten where he shows this unusual technique of using upstrokes with his thumb (along with the usual downstrokes)for playing lightning fast passages. This was an idea I never would've even considered until I saw for myself how Victor is taking his bass to the next level. It hit me that the same idea MIGHT be used on steel!
We were talking about one string chromatic scales here recently, so I've been trying out this technique ala the "Flight of the Bumblebee" thread in my home practice sessions. So far it seems sort've do-able to me if my thumbpick doesnt slip too much. I've already noticed that single string chromatic runs sound smoother and more guitar-like as I get better at it. Less "cartoonie" 
Has anybody tried to add this to their bag of tricks?
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 9:27 am
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I believe Frankie Hardcastle did it. He used a harness on his thumb that held a flat pick. I had some at one time but don't know where to find them now. Frankie played a Fender 1000, or 2000, I think it was the first one. He had a new LeGrand but prefered the Fender, he could make it sound like a tele. An incredible picker, hot and fast, and swore by the harness.
------------------
Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com
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Jay Fagerlie
From:
Lotus, California, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 9:45 am
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Although not a steel player, guitar player Scotty Anderson has this down pat.
Amazing to watch.
Jay |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 10:00 am
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I need to clarify a bit...
In my case, when I was speaking about "single string chromatic runs", I was talking about ONE string chromatic scales. On most string to string playing, the regular technique still makes more sense to me, but who knows?
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John Steele (deceased)
From:
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 11:28 am
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Rick, I've fooled with that, but never got very good at it. I'm sure it would come with practice.
I've seen Buddy E do it (Once again, as mentioned in the other thread, hard to find any ground Buddy hasn't already walked).
That Victor Wooten cat, I saw him last year with Bela Fleck at the Ottawa Jazz Fest. Crazy, man. He was using a repeating delay, and went out to the edge of the stage by himself and played "Birdland", with each successive part layering on top of the last, until the tension was so great the crowd started to groan in exctasy. Scary. His brother "Future Man" too. wow.
-John |
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Dean Parks
From:
Sherman Oaks, California, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 1:36 pm
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Hi Rick-
Brent Mason does it on electric by holding the thumbpick also with his first finger, as tho it were a flatpick. I have no idea whether this has application here, since you have a fingerpick on the first finger, but I thought it worth mentioning.
-dean- |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 4:11 pm
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| Rick, wouldn't it be easier to just use the standard finger-thumb technique to do runs on one string? I see no real advantage to doing it all with your thumb. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2005 10:07 pm
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| I've tried this with Herco blue picks and Kelly standard picks without much success. I can get it to work better by modifying a wide-bladed Dunlop thumbpick specifically for this purpose, but I haven't yet found a musical purpose for it that I can't better accomplished with T-I-T-M-T-I-T-M. I'm not saying there isn't one, I just haven't seen it yet. The issue to me is directional muscle strength - I can push downstrokes with my thumb and pull upstrokes with my fingers more readily than going the other way. As a general rule of thumb (pun, ha ha), people get better at what they practice, so I'm sure somebody's tried every possible variation at one time or another. |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 13 Jun 2005 2:22 pm
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Thanks for the replies guys!
I don't know myself how far I myself am gonna be taking this kooky notion. Right now I've just been fooling around with it a little bit and have had a couple positive moments.
Donny...I do play one string chromatic runs using the usual finger-thumb chops. Even though I'm still really slow at the up/down technique, I've gotta say that I personally like the sound better...at least to my ears. Just another bag to work on I guess.
I use this thumbpick, which seems to give the stability I think I need. http://www.gregboyd.com/ShoppingCart/ViewItem.asp?ProductCode=TP-PrlHvy&Quantity=1
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