holding pick tight/loose

[jules]

Hi guys,

Found this video which has some nice close up footage of rock guitar playing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853W-r_hWRk

Useful to see the 2 LF positions being discussed: classical and rock.

However I find it interesting that he (Rob) recommeds holding the pick very lightly for fast scalar passages. He seems to get a very smooth effect, almost like a saxophone player, using this technique.

I must say I disagree strongly when Rob says a metronome isn't needed toward the end !!! But I'm interested in people's thoughts when he mentions holding the pick lightly to get to 'smooth-fast' effect.

Thanks

Jules.

[N E Y]

.




Hi Jules,

I actually wrote about the different types of grips about 4 years ago and I think as far back as 2002 . On my DVD (Maximum Speed Picking With Ney Mello) you will find that I recommend different types of grip intensity -from very light to very tight- for different types of expression.

It depends on the style of music and the type of guitar, the type of pick and the intensity of the distortion and the individual player. As you see you have a lot of personal decisions to make as an artist and there are no formulas for rock or jazz or blues, or gypsy manouche..etc...It depends on many - very personal- factors within a given style.


Learning from the masters:

Furthermore, in the greatest players work, there is a recurring theme that is mostly ignored by the average player: The rapid and constant changes of grip intensity from lose to tight within one single solo! and often within one phrase!!! Clearly, there is much to contemplate in the work of the masters...as always!

My experience matches very well what you describe in the youtube video if we carefully note that it is only effective for a very limited specific scenario with that specific gear, that guitar, those strings..etc and that individual's personal expression requirement scenario.


The History of Rock Guitar Has to be Consulted

Other rock players will use the exact opposite! for their very different needs . The point being : Rock guitar is not a simplistic style suited for only one type of pick grip...It has half a century of tremendous cultural richness and history already.

Take some time, when you can, to research and look at the history history of rock guitar and check the interviews with it's players to see the enormous diversity of effective approaches as to the tightness or looseness of pick grip.



Cheers to you and all in the UK!!!!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ney_mello
http://www.youtube.com/user/NeyMelloOfficial?
http://bit.ly/aSUSw6
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NEY-MELLO/8702485599
http://www.twitter.com/NeyMelloGuitar

[Augustine]

Ney, I'm perpetually interested in what you have to say, and particularly regarding picking technique.

I have a copy of your DVD, and will contact you for a consultation in time... when I have given the matter enough attention

It's refreshing to read your perspective above. Ultimately a player must choose the materials that suits their artistry, and a single, isolated piece of advice can become a choice of: do you want to play like them... or like you?! Or so it would seem to me.

[N E Y]

Thanks for reading Augustine!

Ney


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ney_mello
http://www.youtube.com/user/NeyMelloOfficial?
http://bit.ly/aSUSw6
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NEY-MELLO/8702485599
http://www.twitter.com/NeyMelloGuitar

[jules]

Thanks for your reply Ney !

I see now that the style shown in the video will only work when using a compressed overdriven tone on electric guitar. Which, as you say, is therefore only appicable to a small number of styles.

Thinking about your statement on the historical aspect of picking I now remember Hendrix using this style on some legato playing on the Woodstock DVD. You can see that, at times, he's holidng the pick very lightly with his inimitable thumb-fingerprint technique and just striking (very lightly) the strings with enough energy as to energise then a similar amount as the fretting hand's legato notes. This is when he has the Fuzz Face engaged

[N E Y]

Thanks for your reply Ney !

I see now that the style shown in the video will only work when using a compressed overdriven tone on electric guitar. Which, as you say, is therefore only appicable to a small number of styles.

Thinking about your statement on the historical aspect of picking I now remember Hendrix using this style on some legato playing on the Woodstock DVD. You can see that, at times, he's holidng the pick very lightly with his inimitable thumb-fingerprint technique and just striking (very lightly) the strings with enough energy as to energise then a similar amount as the fretting hand's legato notes. This is when he has the Fuzz Face engaged

"Right on, man!"
-Ney Mello, 1969




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ney_mello
http://www.youtube.com/user/NeyMelloOfficial?
http://bit.ly/aSUSw6
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NEY-MELLO/8702485599
http://www.twitter.com/NeyMelloGuitar