Raking for shreds, hit them 32nds

Bo Legg · Posted 2 Aug 2010 10:40 am

Well I didn't get much interest in the pick blocking so what about pick hand and bar hand one note at a time raking for shred licks.
Hold the bar something like below and rake across and back on the string with the thumb pick and the bar.
You gotta hold the bar so you block adjacent strings.
With a little practice you can hit those 32nds.
Shred the blues:

Rick Winfield · From: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos

these are great illustrations. I can ascend with my thumb, but I rake descending with my middle finger.
Guess I need more, and more practice at it.
Rick

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Whoa! Would love to see a video of that technique in action.

Bo Legg · Posted 2 Aug 2010 5:34 pm

Rick it's the ring finger that sticks out in front of the bar and keeps the bar from slipping out the back. The middle finger is putting pressure and holding the bar from slipping out toward the bullet end.
The index finger is keeping the bar from slipping out the front. Your thumb is tucked under holding the back of the bar off the strings.
Remember your ring finger and your pinky are behind the bar and they will just naturally block those adjacent strings since just the bullet end of the bar is touching a string.
Slant the bar (bullet end ahead) and the behind the bar blocking will be easy.
Since you're using just the bullet end of the bar touching one string you don't have to keep the bar parallel to the fret, just the bullet end on the fret.
You don't really need to worry about getting that index finger down on the string to block in front of the bar, if you are blocking behind the bar.
You do need to keep it at least a little over the front to hold the bar in place.
That index finger down all the way on the string is just the way I hold the bar for raking licks.

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