Mr Obvious Tips for Newbies

Kevin Chriss · From: Carmel, IN, USA

At the risk of looking like a total idiot, but maybe helping someone else, I am going to state the obvious that took me 3 years to figure out.

In the past when picking licks and solo to a song, I stayed exclusively in the I chord position. Now it has dawned on me to pick the solo and licks in the IV and V position also, and work on a smooth transition between the chords. This has made my playing sound alot less bland.

I think this would be a very helpful thread to keep going. Any Mr Obvious Tips or Shortcuts would be greatly appreciated.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

1.Keep your elbows at your side, especially the right one. Wasted movement is not good.

2. Fingerpicks are often put on backwards by beginners. Be sure you have them facing the correct way.

3. Push the pedals and levers all the way or you won't be in tune. (Later you'll learn about half-pedal techniques.)

4. Don't "lean on" pedals or levers when they are not engaged. It's easy to push a lever a bit when you only want a pedal. Proper technique should correct this. If not your instrument may require adjustment.

5. Pay for a good setup of your instrument.
(At least at first) A poor setup will make the difficult task of learning even harder, maybe impossible.

6.Have fun.

Bill Llewellyn · From: San Jose, CA

When you're changing bar position, instead of following the bar with your eyes, look ahead to exactly where you want the bar to be next and then slide.

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Great tips guys (from a relative newbie). Kevin, I've found that the "transition" is the trick. Joey, I still find myself occcationally leaning on the LKL when going for the A pedal alone. And Bill, my dad always told me, when picking peaches on the farm, to never look at the one you are actually picking, always be looking for the next one.

Here's one that I've caught my self on. Keep your right wrist straight or slightly bent forward. I still have a tendancy to bend it backwards and this is a weak and slow position.

Let's do some more. I'll be reading.

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Pick hard. Nothing wrong with picking softly, but you'll get better faster if you start by picking hard.

A lot of beginners are afraid to really dig in with their picks, they pick meekly almost as if they're trying not to offend anybody. Now, you obviously don't want to thrash about in a violent random way, but you're shooting for strength, control, and tone--and you'll need to be able to pick hard to do it. Take a look at Jerry Douglas, if you've ever seen video of him playing you'll see that he picks HARD and his fingers are very strong.

Don't be afraid of the instrument--dig in and pick hard.

-Travis

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

Kevin, try this.
Key of G, you have the G at 3rd fret w/no ped, C at 3rd fret w/AB, D at 5th fret w/AB, and Em at 3rd fret w/A.
You have G at 10th fret with AB, C at 8th fret w/no ped, D at 10th fret w/no ped and Em at 8th fret w/E-Eb KL.
These chords can be used to play "Country Roads". Play along with it in the group at the 3rd fret until you comfortable with it.
Then play along with it in the group at the 10th fret. Next step is to start mixing up the groups as you play through the song.
This is a very simple explination, but ya gotta crawl before you can walk!
Hope this helps.
JE:-)>

[This message was edited by Jim Eaton on 07 November 2003 at 10:36 AM.]

Dave Van Allen · From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth

the strings go on the top of the instrument.

Bill Waskiewicz · From: Deerfield Beach, Florida, USA

Dave must have started as a pro.

Ken Williams · From: Arkansas

At least in casual playing, try not to avoid changes that sound slightly out of tune. I played for years hardly ever using the lever that pulls the E strings to F on E9. No matter how I tuned, it just never seemed to sound right. The more I started using that lever the better the tuning sounded, at least to me. I never really changed anything about the way I was tuning it. Anyway, to a slight degree, I'm still playing catch up with that lever. Another example might be playing above the 15th fret. Tuning is more difficult in that area because of the shortness of the scale. But, if you avoid that part of the neck, you will never learn how to get the most out of it.

Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill

[This message was edited by Ken Williams on 07 November 2003 at 09:33 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ken Williams on 07 November 2003 at 09:36 PM.]

Dave Van Allen · From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

Here are a couple of lame ones, that helped me.
Set up your chair/stool/pacseat so the center of the cushion lines up with the 15th fret. Now when you sit down, things will feel the same. Yer belly button and yer nose should line up there also.

Overall, do your best to eliminate variation. By that I mean hesitate and think before anything gets changed. It is easy to get caught in the equipment/gear trap. This takes time and mental energy away from practice.

(duz this sound like hints from heloise?)

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Turn off the TV.
Shut down the computer.
Put on the answering machine and practice more.

Bob

Bob Carlson · From: Surprise AZ.

I'm going to repeat the same one I always do because even though I had read it in Winnies book I felt it wasn't inportant. And took me at least a year to find out he was right.

Hold your thumb stright out and curl your picking fingers under a little. You just can't get a good clean sound if your thumb pick is not at least close to stright when picking the string.

Bob

Chris Lasher · From: Blacksburg, VA

These are wonderful tips! Thanks for sharing!

Ken Lang · From: Simi Valley, Ca

My steel teacher had some strange advice.

He said, "Take 3 weeks off, then quit."

Tom Althoff · From: Greenwood Lake, New York, USA

Here are 2 authentic "newbie" things I learned at the PSGA show...remember I am an ignoramus when it comes to playing PSG...

1) I can't believe it...those fingers to the left of the bar are being used! (I didn't know that! I thought they just laid around and let the bar do the work) I found out one good use is to mute the string you are "leaving" as you pull the bar down so you don't get a "pull-off" note. I'm sure that is obvious to you all but dang I couldn't figure that one out on my own... what a difference it makes now for me.

2) Don't bar a string you aren't playing(aka only bar the string you are playing). I started our barring across all 8 strings on my guitar. Now I'm following Herby Wallace's advice to move the bar up and down constantly as I practice.

3) Don't try to play fast at first. Try to play clean. Learn slowly but cleanly and when the speed fairy visits you one day you'll sound great. Learn fast and loose and you'll just get fast and sloppy. (This is very hard for me to do...I'm very impatient. Take it from a sloppy bassist!)

I'd like to modify the "The strings go on top" suggestion to "Keep the strings on top"... Never try to stand directly from a sitting position at the PSG...always back up a bit or the guitar will flip forward and away from you and the strings will no longer be on top. A very loud CLANG! will cause your wife to come running to see if your are hurt (or embarrassed) and you'll get some nasty scratches to the beautiful finish on your PSG.

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