DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying I'm an authority on the picking techniques of Pat Martino or George Benson, or indeed any of the players I mentioned - particularly with respect to Benson. I speak specifically with regard to my own experience of using Leading vs Trailing Edge when Alternate Picking. *** I decided to change the thumbnail, as I felt that it was misleading. Everyone's journey towards finding a way of interacting physically with the guitar is different, and all I'm trying to do here is share a little of my own journey so as to inform/inspire others on theirs. Feel free to share your thoughts on these two ways of holding the pick, and picking technique in general. Any other comments or questions are more than welcome. All the best with your music. AjC 🤘
Another great bit first principles lesson. Lots of stuff I hadn't considered before. It's interesting. It seems like I'm a trailing edge picker, yet my hand position is closer to the leading edge position. I didn't think I had that much of a hitchhikers thumb. Though, I guess my hitchhikers thumb reference is Tosin Abasi and his thumb is pretty much 90 degrees, which is extreme where is mine probably only goes back 30 degrees. I will definitely have a play with leading edge for a bit and see what I find, because I am finding a bit of a speed limit. Though some of that, in my case, can be attributed to coordination with the left hand as well, but that's it's own topic.
Thanks heaps! That's really interesting, I guess it supports my suspicion that it depends a lot on the shape of one's hand. I hadn't thought about Abasi when I was making this, but I have noticed that about his style before. So much more to explore here, and I feel I barely scratched the surface.
Mine is a hybrid of Benson and Gypsy Picking. Mostly by accident as I ditched years of playing blues with a thumbpick and started using heavy gauge Wegens/Dugains etc...These days happy with a purple dunlop. Thanks for your insights.
You're very welcome. Thank for sharing a hint of your personal journey. I could never make friends with the thumb pick beyond thumping away on the 'E' and 'A' strings... haha
@@music_magus It was stupid really. My only teacher was from Trinidad. He played and taught by ear and every finger was alocated to a string except pinky. Bass strings EAD covered by the thumb. At 10/11 I wanted to do that but then pick a while so I learned a very awkward but original style of playing with the "wrong" edge of the pick. When I started fresh learning Lepompe I naturally played the wrong edge and since found thar many of my favourite players do the same such as Sebastien Giniaux and George Benson. I like to throw my fingers in to embellish a chord or provide light and shade along with picking. Giniaux said having come from a classical Cello background he found the back edge gives him more if a bowed instrument. To be honest I think most advanced players move the pick around quite a bit as they solo without thinking about it(as it should be) Chur from Oz
That's really interesting. I also learned the same folk style of fingerpicking as you described. Not until exploring classical playing did I move away from that. I don't really believe in right or wrong in music; whatever gets one closer to making the music they want to make has to be good. There's a lot of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experience.
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying I'm an authority on the picking techniques of Pat Martino or George Benson, or indeed any of the players I mentioned - particularly with respect to Benson. I speak specifically with regard to my own experience of using Leading vs Trailing Edge when Alternate Picking.
*** I decided to change the thumbnail, as I felt that it was misleading. Everyone's journey towards finding a way of interacting physically with the guitar is different, and all I'm trying to do here is share a little of my own journey so as to inform/inspire others on theirs.
Feel free to share your thoughts on these two ways of holding the pick, and picking technique in general.
Any other comments or questions are more than welcome.
All the best with your music. AjC 🤘
Another great bit first principles lesson. Lots of stuff I hadn't considered before. It's interesting. It seems like I'm a trailing edge picker, yet my hand position is closer to the leading edge position. I didn't think I had that much of a hitchhikers thumb. Though, I guess my hitchhikers thumb reference is Tosin Abasi and his thumb is pretty much 90 degrees, which is extreme where is mine probably only goes back 30 degrees.
I will definitely have a play with leading edge for a bit and see what I find, because I am finding a bit of a speed limit. Though some of that, in my case, can be attributed to coordination with the left hand as well, but that's it's own topic.
Thanks heaps! That's really interesting, I guess it supports my suspicion that it depends a lot on the shape of one's hand. I hadn't thought about Abasi when I was making this, but I have noticed that about his style before. So much more to explore here, and I feel I barely scratched the surface.
Mine is a hybrid of Benson and Gypsy Picking. Mostly by accident as I ditched years of playing blues with a thumbpick and started using heavy gauge Wegens/Dugains etc...These days happy with a purple dunlop. Thanks for your insights.
You're very welcome. Thank for sharing a hint of your personal journey. I could never make friends with the thumb pick beyond thumping away on the 'E' and 'A' strings... haha
@@music_magus It was stupid really. My only teacher was from Trinidad. He played and taught by ear and every finger was alocated to a string except pinky. Bass strings EAD covered by the thumb. At 10/11 I wanted to do that but then pick a while so I learned a very awkward but original style of playing with the "wrong" edge of the pick. When I started fresh learning Lepompe I naturally played the wrong edge and since found thar many of my favourite players do the same such as Sebastien Giniaux and George Benson. I like to throw my fingers in to embellish a chord or provide light and shade along with picking. Giniaux said having come from a classical Cello background he found the back edge gives him more if a bowed instrument. To be honest I think most advanced players move the pick around quite a bit as they solo without thinking about it(as it should be) Chur from Oz
That's really interesting. I also learned the same folk style of fingerpicking as you described. Not until exploring classical playing did I move away from that. I don't really believe in right or wrong in music; whatever gets one closer to making the music they want to make has to be good. There's a lot of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experience.
@@music_magus All the best mate "Pray and Play, Play and Pray.."
@@seanquinlan6887 back at ya. 💚🤘