Rules get a bad rap… rules are great and provide much more freedom than they take away (usually.)
Let’s say I’m sitting down to practice and I want to just jam over a backing track, but I want to try to come up with something new.
If I go to my usual box 1/box2 stuff that I always play… I’m not all that likely to come up with something new.
But if I make a rule that says – I can only play box 3 on the top 3 strings – well now I’m putting myself out of my comfort zone and I’m WAY more likely to come up with something new.
Or maybe I’ll make a rule that I can only stay on the 2nd and 3rd strings, but I can use any box.
And if soloing isn’t your thing yet, how about a rule that you are going to play a song using only barre chords instead of open position chords?
Or a rule that say you are going to play without looking at your hands every other time today?
All of these rules you can make for yourself, just for a little while, and they’ll push you to play better… which is a good thing.
Rules can also give you a starting point when there is a sea of options in front of you… and that removes the old paralysis by analysis condition where you think long and hard about what to play, only to play nothing because you cannot decide.
So today, think about what you struggle with… then make a rule just for today that’s going to require you to push through that weakness just a little bit.
Tomorrow might be different and the day after different again, but these little rules you make will always work to your benefit when they make you push a little or see the fretboard in a new and different way.
91 replies to "Stupid Rules…"
Good thoughts, Griff. I fond myself coming up with these ittle rules too and you’re right. They do push you into new territory. Thanks for this. Good validation!
Here’s the rule I’ve been following for about a year: turn on the blues music channel and play along, or try to, with whatever is on. I’ve been getting a lot better at it. It seems almost too obvious to mention that doing this will improve one’s ability to jam with others.
I HAVE MY RULE, THAT I HAVE BEEN USING SINCE THE 60’S. MAKE YOUR SOLOS SOUND LIKE THE SONG. IN BETWEEN VOLCALS PUT A MIMICING LICK IN . JUST A SHORT TRIPLET.
I ONLY USE BOX 1. I USE THE MILIDIAN SCALE ALSO MIXED WITH BOX ONE. I DON’T THINK I NEED TO KNOW ALL 5. I DO, BUT I DON’T USE THEM .
This, and jammin’ with cd’s, after you’ve printed out the chords, ain’t such a bad idea, i’m 60, and got my first guitar when i was 5(birthday present,played along with vinyl then)been in bands along life’s journey, and taught youngsters along the way. If i had Griff’s teachings and idea’s when i was younger, i would be way, way ahead of my understanding of music, and the joy that it brings.
I am 67 and some of these guys make me feel
a little younger now!
I have always avoided theory , but lately
I have been following Griff’s lessons pretty
closely and danged if I can’t write out a
major scale now.
I have been playing for a long time and
am fairly adept at figuring songs out but now
it is making more sense.
Thanks Griff
This is a good idea too. Not only to improve jamming but to make one a better rhythm player as well.
As someone once said, you can be a shredder but a good rhythm player always gets the gig!
I started with BGU in my early 60s, a few (5?) years ago, hoping that I could attain even a modicum of ability to entertain myself. I now astound myself having surpassed even my wildest expectations, and these hints/rules have helped immeasurably. I did a few (only box 3, etc.) for a few days, then went to not looking at the fret board for short periods, and in no time I found that I could play up and down the fret board without ever looking at it. I always wondered how players could run the board bottom to top and back and not look. I get it now! Griff Rocks and his lessons have changed my life. No need to kick myself for starting late. I’m just glad I started at all. Great way to spend the later years for sure.
At 73, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t start learning until last year seriously. Tried “teaching myself” and failed over the years. Once I got past some basics, it’s starting to sound like real music against jam tracks in A and E and it’s fun! Got to the point that I miss it if I can’t practice. Love all the tips and tricks; file them and working to add them to my knowledge base a little at a time.
David,
I thought I was the old timer when I first picked up a guitar at 56. I keep telling my kids (23,21) Start Playing!! The guitar is incredible instrument and Griff makes the Blues come alive with it.
I’m glad to see that I am not the only 72 year old taking blues lessons. Great advice and great ideas. Keep them coming Griff.
Rosko
All good suggestions,Griff. I’ve been using those and have some of my own. Good to know that I’m on the right track.
Griff- you are a teacher of music more so than those I knew in school. Mind opening instead of by rote. Your concepts are appreciated.
Thanks man!
Good idea Griff.
try playing blindfolded. Great exercise in hearing the subtle effects, plus a unique experience.
I like that idea. Cool!
Shhhh! I’m 72 and have been playing at playing guitars for 50+ years. My fault….it’s how I am.
But for the rest of you, STOP LOOKING FOR THAT EURICA MOMENT, THE ANSWER TO IT ALL IN ONE SENTENCE!
‘COZ IT AIN’T THERE!
Follow the Griff-man and you’ll get the ANSWERS you need not THE ANSWER!!
Jolly plonking.
I never thought about rules that much when I playing, but now that it mention, I`ve been useing rules entirely in Music Theory.Sometimes it opens the door for me in another direction by looking at the FretBoard in a different way. I`m glad I chose BluesGuitarunleashed for rules.
Hey Griff,
I must have already seen this as above my comments. But now in March 2016, I have progressed along your Rules Style which is working. I watch a daily Music program in BBC UK ( Jools Holland/Later)late at night he invites lots of different bands from all around the World that have Albums. I watch it when I can with my Strat and try to play along with some of the bands and try to work out what key they are playing in and what chords the Guitarists are playing, then I try a few solos over them using the 5 box structure in the key they are playing in. It gives you a Rule try to play with the Bands you like stuff.
So your above Rule system works everywhere.
Michael-St Andrews- Australia
I’ve been playing guitar for over 50 years, moving to a strat in 2007.However I could only get good practice when I moved to the Irish mandolin (4 string banjo, no strumming and tune playing only) because they needed it in a folk orchestra! I love playing a stringed instrument as I do it by ear only! The musical techniques are similar and playing in a band is always fun, especially for dancing! You find your enjoyment where you can!!
Malcolm Fabian
I agree somhch with you not only in guitar playing but in all fields. So I say ☺. Thanks.
Sounds like good advice to me. Thanks
Hi Griff,
Always enjoy your blogs and lessons,I thank you for that.
This is an excellent blog to learn something new on the guitar and it is what I try to do everyday.The one area I need to learn is Triads and after reading your blog it is time to start using them in my daily routine so they are engraved in my muscle memory.
Thank you for the tip! Jay
I’m not strictly a bluesman but I almost always find what you have to say about guitar playing apposite and challenging. This business about ‘rules’ is no exception. So many people who play do exactly what they did the day before – not just in practising but in performing. The whole thing about playing any instrument must be to see what you can do extra and different and better than you did the day before – and a rule, however arbitrary or personal, is going to hack that every time. Thanks Griff, as always – you’re a master of your craft.
Griff, excellent points!
I agree with several others about how much we appreciate the email effort and it’s frequency. We all know it keeps you fresh in our heads and I certainly hope it keeps sales up. (I am a frequent purchaser of your material)
4 years into this guitar adventure (midlife crisis) I often over analyze my practice.
Keep it simple, keep it fresh.
Thanks again, you are awesome!!
Drew
GREAT advice, Griff.
That advice is applicable to a LOT more things than just guitar playing.
Great to see it summed up so pithily (<–is that even a word?).
Thanks Griff for the great advice. It’s very easy to get into a comfort zone and never grow. It takes getting out of this zone to really advance- so true in many aspects of life.
Cheers Griff
For the advice
Funny I was just doing the exact thing way out of my zone. Mix it up try anything that sounds good good advice
Hi from Australia, Yep put away demand dam books I’m doing OK just on my own, only thing that slows me down is going up and down the fretboard. I can’t see in advance what I’m playing next if it’s in another position,.Thanks for your help on this Journey.
You ought to have a contest for the best comments because I just spent a half hour reading them and I have to laugh because some of them are so damn good. It is amazing how much music is on people’s minds and the experiences they go through in the pursuit of learning and bettering themselves on guitar. I know for myself that I will be learning and improving my play til’ the day I pass into the new world. Like another comment I read earlier I am just enthralled with jazz chords and I try to use them in every gender of music or least try to mix and match without it sounding outrageously stupid, so I spend quite a bit of time on voicing, the melody, and the bass line and try to fit it all in where it sounds cohesive and nice, which includes the solos too. I love syncopation too, just about anything out of the ordinary musically. These are great ideas you presented in this blog and surely worth doing, as it can only make myself and anybody who loves guitar better.
Great ideas, Griff! I saw a YouTube vid where Warren Haynes said he’d practice scales and phrases in the dark. He’d come up with a lick say in Box 1, then he’d play the same lick in box 2,3,4,and 5…in the dark! Yikes!
You tube
Better yet,Griff’s pentatonic scale mastery course
I don’t have a “rules” comment but it would be great if you could direct me to where I might get my hands on a complete “1 thru 5 box” compilation to work with! I can’t seem to find the “complete” collection except #1. Thanks, Rob Waldrup.
See above
My rule for today: no looking at my fingers. In fact, I must play with my eyes closed.
un beau site bonne continuation
Thanks for the tick
& the ideas,if theres another way apart
From the orthodox im in!
Very good idea Griff, it teaches you to practice things you are not good at. I do make up little short vocal tunes to practice chord changes I find difficult, which works very well. Then I practice the guitar piece I want to learn, finding the chord change less difficult.
I do this all the time with the blues scales. In a similar fashion I have been using the “Rule” idea you mention here when I’m playing a jazz standard. I’ve taught myself 60 different “jazz” chord shapes in three different positions on the guitar with root notes on the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings. So to keep things interesting I will play the same song multiple times but in different ways. First by using chords in varying locations on the fretboard that “sound” the best musically. Then I’ll try playing the same song using only chords in one position, like the 5th position. Finally, I’ll play the same song using only chords with a root note on one specific string, like the 4th string. It’s a great way to force yourself to master all of the material.
Griff, can you teach us how to be mistrusted by women? Or tell us how to beat the loneliness of being unwanted guitar players? Can you teach us what drugs are cool and how much we should take them? Can you teach us how to smash up our kit on stage?
REALLY THOUGH… Thanks for being so kind and for teaching us stuff that makes a difference to us and how we approach the guitar. I finally got what I always wanted and that is a band to be a singer with! I thought that I was destined to forever be playing those mad films on my fb page and be getting nowhere slowly and so did my other band member (Steve Allen who is now lead guitar.)
I still have a love of the guitar but really, I was just too damned used to playing a particular way with using improvisation on the guitar, I would have triumphs and failures and forgot quickly what it was that I wanted because of the devils in the strings…
Click my name to go to a site with my music on it (but not the band’s stuff which is being kept secret – and no- me and Steve are not writing the music! We have our drummer to thank for that- he took 5 hours a day out for a year rotating guitar, piano and drums to hammer in his knowledge) but really, when I’m feeling the loneliness kick in, the guitar is there to console me but really, it is not the guitar who gently weeps!
Simply put u r without a doubt the best and most thourrow teacher on these sites the u for the hard work u put into all your emails the griff
Hey Griff,
Thanks for the great tips and I believe there are no stupid rules when I am still learning. I do invent some rules every time I look to practice first by starting which Electric Guitar to practice on for a specific sound and then adopt a BGU lesson that I want to learn. Even by practicing one Blues Scale just to get the speed… it is worth it. If the guitar is next to you where ever you are in your house or elsewhere pick it up and practice say 20 mins. I am already making my own sounds and now remembering them to put Notes together and work out a structure simply because I was practicing a stupid rule and strayed by getting a new Blues Sound.. All Good Griff your are a great BGU Motivator.
Michael- St Andrews NSW Australia
Thanks Teach ! You always seem to know where I’m at with my practice/lessons and your advise seems to be there right when I need it 🙂 Again Thanks for all you do !
Hi Griff,Another great email.I thought I was the only one having these problems.I played with a pickup band for 50 odd years only by ear,so its so hard for me to count right,but I will keep on trying,i am 80 now so your lovely scales,when you play them,are hard for me to learn,and make sense and apply them to old time and country songs,because of this I have bought and sold 12 guitars,thinking its the guitars and not me,and that includes unloading my country gentleman gretsch for peanuts,wish me luck,i need it. Len.
Great suggestion. Reading here about everyone with hand and finger problems, there is no excuse for my pinky being so weak. It will be involved a great deal more in practice from now on.
This has got nothing whatsoever directly to do with guitar playing. I am a 72 year old guitar player. I”m in perfect physical condition and play squash about five times a week. On reading the above comments I saw several people who said they have arthritis which is affecting their ability to play. About fifteen years ago I had a bypass operation and became a vegetarian the next day. Five years ago I read a book called “The China Study” by epidemiologist, Dr. Collin Campbell, which changed my life. In that book I saw the names of several medical doctors one of which was Dr. John McDougall. He is a Californian doctor who has cured hundreds of people with heart disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, overweight and many other diseases with diet. He has promoted a starch based, low to no fat (or oil) based diet in his cures of the above noted people. I am not a salesman for Dr.McD or anyone else, for that matter. Whether or not you decide to give this a try will not make a shred of difference to my life. I have nothing to win or lose from this. It’s just that when I find out about something that can help people I like to let them know about it. A starch based vegan diet is founded on eating starches (complex carbohydrates, not simple carbs like sugars) like pasta, whole wheat bread, grains, potatoes, squash, peas, beans, corn, carrots, parsnips, yams. sweet potatoes, brown rice, lots of leafy veggies and fruit and no dairy (milk, cottage and other cheese, yoghurt and eggs). Marathon runners, ironman competitors and other high energy expenders load up on complex carbs several hours before their competitions. If you eat such a diet, you will feel better,lose weight and your arthritis (and other diseases noted above) will improve or get better. There is no downside to this programme. I will not make any money off it and neither will Dr. McDougall. You can go to his website at drmcdougall.com if you want more info on this. As I said above, there is no downside to this programme and you will save money on your groceries too. If you’d like to email me at consulco@telus.net for information I’d be happy to respond and help you.
Happy guitar playing,
Granville Airton
Yeah, and if you use Rick Simpson’s cannabis oil it will cure cancer. I have a toll bridge to sell you, and some oceanfront property in Arizona. I’m sure your heart is in the right place, Granville, but your post does not belong here. Sorry, Griff, I couldn’t help but butt in.
+1 Chief
Right on point as usual Griff! Just wanted to add to the posts from beardog44, Rick in Seattle and anyone else like myself with a hand injury. I watched the same episode of Live From Daryle’s House that Griff posted with the Thunderbird lick the other day. Also in that episode The Rev talked about his first meeting with BB King. Mr. Gibbons asked BB if he could play his guitar and could not believe how light the strings were. He had been playing 12’s thinking he needed heavier to get that fat sound. BB asked him “Why are you working so hard?” and he started using 8’s. Gibbons has now taken it a step further and working with Dunlop created a set of 7 – 38, Rev. Willy’s Mexican Lottery Brand Electric Guitar Strings. If your local music store doesn’t carry them yet you can order them directly from Dunlop here: http://shop.jimdunlop.com/ecommerce/CatalogSubCategoryDisplay.aspx?CID=466 or call: 707-745-2722. I hope that’s helpful for anyone with hand issues. Rock on!
I use the standard 10s on my Gibson, but I usually practice on my acoustic with steel strings which are much heavier. While I can’t bend them as much as on my electric, it’s a great left hand strengthening exercise.
The other thing I believe, is the choice of notes, is far more important than the speed you play the notes: fewer choice notes often sound a lot better than a quick string of 16th notes.
Great Suggestions, I have my own rules as well, like whatever I play, I play it in 2 other positions, or in triads, or barres using as many CAGED position barres, besides the E Shape and A Shape. Thanks for provoking our thoughts and approaches.
Griff, Great article on Stupid Rules. Also thanks to Rick in Seattle for his tips on hand problems & different strings.
I follow the Golden Rule – play the guitar as you would want to be played!
Griff this may be the best tip I’ve ever been given, and used. I just spent the past hour doing a position three pentatonic to a jammim’ jam track and my creative juices were gushing out like never before! I found new combinations I’d not experienced as well as techniques I’d not been able to accomplish before. I may have just had the best practice yet! I spent some time floating through just the high strings in all positions after about 45 minutes and it all opened up in a big way. Many thanks for shaking my tree. What a great way to start my day! Rock On!
Never knew why I loved BB Kings sound so much til you opened my head up about the relative major to a minor scale. Being able to mix the two of them together as BB often does allowed me to get that great sound. Thanks man. Jamming in Motown
Griff,
I am missing about an inch off my middle and ring fingers so finger picking is not really an option. I really want to play that biily gibbons riff in thunderbird but you say it can’t be done with a flat pick alone. Any suggestions on a variation that would get a similar effect? As a 68 yr old bass player that plays with a pick I can handle soloing on the guitar pretty well it’s those mini chord rhythm parts that use the fingers so well that frustrate me. Help, thorn from Florida keys
Hey Thom,
Your message reminded me of an interview I saw years ago with Tommy Iommi of Black Sabbath. He had sheared off the ends of his fingers (on his chording hand) in an industrial accident and put down the guitar forever…or, so he thought. A friend of his made him listen to a record by the jazz artist Django Reinhardt (spelling?). Afterwards his friend told him that all the amazing music he had just heard was from a man who lost most of his hand and played with only a thumb & forefinger. Iommi then went on a search to find a doctor who could help him. None could. On his own, he took an empty bottle of Lux dishwashing soap and melted it. He dripped the hot plastic over the ends of his missing fingers to build them up sufficiently enough so he could attempt to play. He found it not only worked…it was also a major component of how he achieved his unique sound.
The 1st thing I thought when I read your message was…I wonder if modified finger picks like bluegrass players use would be of any help to you? Maybe not. Could always try a larger pick & adjust your hand position to see if you can get your pinky in on the action. I wish you the best of luck. – dlh
It occured to me that a slide may actually work as an extension to a finger shortage as well and develop a cool slide heavy style
Tony Iomey who has played guitar for most of his life with Black Sabbath is missing 1/2 of the middle or ring finger uses masking tape and/ or duct tape 2 tape a finger pick
2 it and bent it as needed until he found the position and shape that worked best 4 him.. I know I spelled his last name wrong… it is pronounced “I OWE ME” hope this helps
Let me know if it helps
Good luck
Tin
Do a google search on “The Ultimate Fingerpick”, some old guys were having trouble breaking their nails, they invented a finger pick (with an artificial nail that you can file and shape, that slips over the tip of a finger. Might just do the trick for you.
People nomllary pay me for this and you are giving it away!
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BonjourPour les afficionados de parfums ou les amateurs de haute parfumerie, The Different Company propose un Rose Deal plutôt intéressant sur vente privée. J’ai vu ça ce matin et j’ai fait une affaire…Bonne journée,Judith
about it.Didn’t mean to overlap. It wasn’t a response. Great minds sorta think alike, I guess (although differently) which is hip.I am ready (DARNIT) for more smoke monster!
I have both a personal profile and a business page. Many of my business acquaintances send friend requests to my personal page. How can I redirect them to my page and/or is there a way to accept their friend request but then filter them so they don’t get all my personal stuff?
Great comments guys seems today many younger players can’t wait to change strings to a very heavy gage and drop that tuning down to C or B just got a vintage modified strat came with 9,s on it usually I’m a 10 guy but the bends with 2 strings sounds so good with 9,s I’m gonna go with em for a spell box 3 and 4 notes will work for me out of my comfort zone thanks Griff !!!
Can anyone tell me how you decide whether to play the natural minor (F# to the A for example), or simply play A minor box 1 And perhaps A major petatonic? Or, can you play all three over a song in the key of A?
I was told that musically you can use the relative minor at anytime it feels and sounds right. The notes of the F#m scale are essentially the notes of the Amajor scale just in different order and placement on the neck. Check out how the pentatonic positions 4 and 5 overlap with the F# pentatonic.
HEY players with hand issues. Let me give you a piece of GOLD today. Run to your computer and buy some 8-38 Ernie Ball Classic Rock and Roll Nickel Extra Slinky strings. Let me explain.
I have had 11 spinal fusion operations and a year ago couldnt squeeze my left hand at all. I had a rod that runs from the top of my neck to the middle of my spine, 14″ long. It looks like a monster anyway…I have been rebuilding the strength and saw the note solo from Griff and said what the hell, I’ll give it a shot, I played for 20 years but put it down for the last 10 while i Had my spine issues *Im turning 50 in June*
BB King interview I was reading told me about these strings. I didnt know you could get an 8 guage string. They were a godsend. They sound great, bend amazingly well and I challenve anyone to hear the difference. While I was building my hand strength slowly Ive worked back up to a Ernie Ball Skinny Top , heavy bottom, 10-52 now but still have an Epiphone Special Edition P93 Riviera strung with them, and even with the Bigsby pulling on them they stay in tune and sound like all your favorites.
I am not a saleman, just another artist like ya
-r
alao might add, take a flathead screwdriver, if you have a gibson/epiphone instrument and done be afraid to lower the strings (the action) until they just barely hover over the frets, you want them as low as possible without buzzing. You will find that sweet spot. Unless you are using slide of course, then higher is better.
Maybe Griff can weigh in on the string and action idea I think I saw he plays EB 9s
Low low low action and light guage helps us build stronger fingers, you can upgrade later, strings are CHEAP and learning how to manage your action on your instrument and learn the ins/out and what everything does makes you an informed Artist.
sometimes I think that is my problem…no rules…but I always love the “what if” concept…thanks for reminding me of the obvious…later.
cowboy
Great idea Griff ! Why didn’t I think about that ?
to George from Australia: I am 72 and started trying to learn the Bass 3 years ago. I gave that up because my timing was so bad and switched to the guitar last year. I also have problems with my hands cramping if I practice too long.
Now I am practicing both the Bass and the Acoustic guitar. I decided that I enjoy them both, I never expect to play in a band so I might as well enjoy the experience regardless of what level I am at.
My new ‘RULE’ – put away the lesson book and CD’s and just play whatever I can: chord progressions using different finger and picking techniques on the guitar or finding the bass line in several positions, not just the 1st as most beginner Bass books emphasize. As my fingers learn where to go, I can start counting the time and smooth out my self-created practice session.
AS you have probably already realized, at our age, we are learning to play music for the FUN of it, not to be a performer on a stage or an aging Rock Star. Whatever the reason, DO NOT give up; when you stop trying new things, you will start becoming OLD.
I have learned over the years that I need to force myself out of my comfort zone. That take the form of taking a class that is a more advanced than what I believe my skill level to be or to play on an open mic night.
always seems to me i am always thinking like this but not really doing it . so perhaps i should always look at like you say play just the first five notes in a scale see what can be with that and maybe play the upper five or maybe 6 notes . i have the first 3 boxes in my head fairly well . i tend to skip around a lot so if i were to pratice the way discribed maybe coukld become better . i remember what Gene Simmons said once ( scales are for FISH) . GUESS WHY I DO NOT LIKE KISS . with the exception of their tune Beth its the only tune by them i like. maybe i will learn that one today . c- ya
Yup you when You hear some blues guitarist playing and say I wish I could play like that then Your not really following them there rules / Yup gotta follow them there rules . I find it rare to go to box three but there is alot of music there.
Never was good with rules either; must be some anti-authority personality trait. But there was a period of time when I was pretty poor, and playing guitar wasn’t a top priority. So when I would play, it was on my Hondo Les Paul copy missing the high-E string, without a pick, because I literally could not afford to replace them.
Point is, I got pretty decent at using only five strings, with my thumb and fingers of my right hand. So, I had an unfortunate “rule” that I had to learn to play songs without using the high-E, and I think in the end, it was a good thing 🙂
Hey Griff and others. I have arthritis issues with both hands. I rarely look at the fret board when playing as my comfort zone is good in my position playing. However, my finger strength is not strong in both hands and at times I don’t hit the string and miss a note. I am not sure if this is a weakness in my right hand as I tend play very loose tension on my pick fingers or it is a poor technique. Is there a thought on how hard I should press my left hand fingers on the fret board as well as the pressure I should use on my pick fingers? I have trouble getting a clean pick on the note. Can you give some advice.
Love BGU and at the age of 68 have reborn my enthusiasm and desire to show people the joys and emotion of blues music.
Please help an old Aussie if you can.
Thanks from George in Melbourne Australia.
George–I left my reply under the wrong comment. Sorry James. Old Brain at work.
To those of us with arthritis may I recommend Glucosamine Sulfate 1000mg taken when fingers get sore and sluggish. For me at 63 it’s about once a week. It works well for me.
Hello Griff,
I hadn’t thought of rules as such, but I set myself a challenge from time to time. A friend of mine sometimes sets new challenges for me as well. It’s great, I was locked into the first 5 frets for years before we started the challenge idea.
A bit of competition between friends works well too. Yet another pearl of wisdom Griff, Thank you.
James.
George, being of a certain age with similar digit disease I can relate and I have to say that on some of my older guitars I have to push vastly harder than my fingers and hands want to, but I’ve upgraded to newer ones that have smaller gauge strings and lower action and it requires a whisper of a touch to get beautiful sound. Keeping in mind that I didn’t need newer ones for this, it just happened that way. The picking hand is not the problem. If the fretting hand does its job then any pressure on the pick will do. I’d say look at your string size and action–height of the strings–for your answer. I hope this helps. Peace.
These are very good practice suggestions Griff and present them in a way that ‘give’s permission’ to experiment. Way back when I first started using the internet for guitar lesson materials I ran into a site promoting “principles” and “foundation”. The lady instructor postured herself in such a way that she looked as if she moved wrong she would break. Totally turned me off. I suppose that she was a classically trained musician and was looking to expand her business but she came across as being very brittle and unforgiving. I’m playing for the fun of it so it didn’t go over with me.
I get that as I have a problem with the fingers and pick technique you used in the Billy Gibbons lick from Thunder Bird. I love that song so that’s my new rule. Fifteen minutes of this picking style three times a day and mix up how I use it. Thanks Griff
Bobby Bare had a song There Ain’t No Tens also known as The Numbers Game.
There are guides but There Ain’t No Rules 🙂