Walking Exercise

[blueguitar]

This is my first video post. I'm working with Jamie on my technique. I was going to post a video of the ladder at 100-1 but when I looked at the video it didnt look too flash. Any comments on my form for the ladder walking exercise would be appreciated. Link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRaGPoSFCQU

[Jamie]

Okay, here is what I see................


1-4...................good

1-3.................4 is too reactive, it is out of line with 3 and the string being played, it shouldn't be. More no tempo and "bringing up the ease".

1-2......................same as last.

Without fixing 4, as the speed goes up it will get increasingly tense and affect the whole hand.

[blueguitar]

Thanks Jamie, I seem to be having a hard time of it.

[Jamie]

That simply means the bottom of your practice is not deep enough.

In order to make the fingers do what you want, you need to go slower, and pay more attention. Gain, and maintain control this way as the tempos increase. If you cannot become aware during the moments in which the fingers go bad, you will have to wait for our next lesson and I will make you aware during those moments.

[blueguitar]

So its 'back to the drawing board". Its very frustrating. I've been practicing myself into a big hole. You are right - I dont think I have enough awareness of what I am doing. I am taking everything right back to the beginning: all aboad / floating arm / light fingers / finger flapping etc. My other fingers even react to a finger flap (Particularly with 3 and 4)! What do I do - slower finger flaps?

[Jamie]

Don't worry about finger reactions in finger flapping. Relaxed fingers will move along in a relaxed way in sympathy with other finger, that is no problm. That is not tension, that is due to the fact they are attached to each other and the same hand!

It is TENSION we are concerned with. Your pinky flexors are contracting during action of the other fingers, that is the problem.

[blueguitar]

Whew Thanks Jamie, I'll try to get another video in to you by next week. Another thing I notice is that if you have say, your first finger down, even light, the second finger can't be straightened even with a "crow bar" on it, unless you straighten the distal joint of the first finger. This seems to be normal and the same sort of thing, as it happens even with a light finger.

[blueguitar]

Merry Christmas Everyone!

This is my one month check in with my walking exercises at 80-8th notes. I'd appreciate any comments as to my progress. Its not perfect I know, there seems to be a problem with my pinky on the 1-3 and possibly 1-4. How do I fix it? Also there is something wrong with my sound recording on my webcam. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hG_SgAf1U

[Jamie]

Hi Blue,

That is very good, sounds awesome!


Everything looks good fingerwise, but you are doing something not too good as well, something I don't see very often, so it's nice to have some variety! Watch your elbow as 1-3 and 1-2 approach the 1st string. You are drawing it back, and that is not good. It alters negatively your finger disposition on the strings. You are doing it because you are not flexing the index quite enough as it traverses the top 3 strings. You are going to have to do careful work-ups on that, watching in a mirror.

It should not be hard to fix though. Other than that you are looking great and the fingers seem very relaxed and independent and behaving themselves even at that speed. So you building some nice tools there for future use!

[blueguitar]

"Sounds Awesome." Thanks Jamie, for replying on Christmas Eve!

Good to have the fingers behaving like good children - Paula, Isabel, Megan, Andrea & Pinky (P,I,M,A & P). I'll still have to spy on them and have them followed though.

I'm not sure where my elbow should be? Are you saying that the fingers need to flex in more toward the palm in order to do the higher strings, instead of having the hand move down around under the neak - so that it is pushing my elbow back?