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Topic: Crossing your thumb over a finger |
Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 8:05 am |
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I know a lot of dobro players do this for rapid up-scale single note runs. Do any lap steel players do this?
Crossing over: You pick a string with either of your fingers and then reach across to the next higher string and pluck that with your thumbpick. So your thumb is reaching across to the next higher note on the next higher string.
I recall Jimmy Hefferman teaching this in one of his dobro courses. Very effective when you get the hang of it.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Don McGregor
From:
Memphis, Tennessee
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 9:16 am
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| I use this technique often when executing a fast run, but I am having to make myself work on it. My gut instinct is to grip my thumb pick, and use it like a flat pick. I think both techniques are valid, and have their uses, but I'm trying to work on my finger picking. |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 9:32 am
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| I do it all the time - carryover from my non-steel playing. The way it affects note emphasis is something to consider. Thumb strokes tend to sound accented unless care is taken to avoid that. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. |
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Don McGregor
From:
Memphis, Tennessee
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 11:01 am
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| Yep, the natural accent of the thumb pick is hard to pacify. For instance, when I try to play fast, continuous triplets on one note, I find it hard to make each note sound like it's receiving the same attack. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 11:40 am
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Having the thumb stronger can sometimes be a good thing. Put in the right place it gives a good pulse to the music. Like a fiddler's down bow.
To me, traditional Irish music sounds way better on a button accordian than a piano accordian. That pulse makes is come alive.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2014 11:41 am
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| Don McGregor wrote: |
| Yep, the natural accent of the thumb pick is hard to pacify. For instance, when I try to play fast, continuous triplets on one note, I find it hard to make each note sound like it's receiving the same attack. |
You might want to practice 1/16th note groups continuously on one note, instead of the triplets. Assuming you're using thumb and just two fingers and repeating the same cycle (say, thumb, 2nd, 1st), the naturally accented attack we tend to expect on the beat occurs on a different finger each beat (well, in 4/4, by beat 4 it's cycled back to where you started).
On the other hand, often the natural accent occurring with alternate thumb and finger is, unless too exaggerated, musically desirable. But the more control we gain, the better. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 21 Mar 2014 6:09 am
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Do bluegrass banjo players use this technique? I.e. crossing their thumb over to the next higher string?
(Note: It's sort of like "cat walking" on a longboard while surfing to get up to the nose, and then back, away from the nose.)
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2014 6:27 am
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| whatever it takes.... |
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