This is the best playlist that I've come across. This has to be part of anyone's listening homework. Very inspirational.

Does Toni Abasi classify for the last part of the list ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihqT1aA4Q88&feature=related

No expert only what i've learnt from here but kept thinking walrus flapper, and more on the tips of the fingers... just looks awkward
still miles better than me though.........for now.........lol

Zitat von pebberbrown

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Abasi has a problem with his ring finger.

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Although not my favorite player, I've seen Abasi live countless times with Animals as Leaders now. Saying he has any sort of technical problem is just flat out dumb, the man's technique has been VERY CLEAN every time I've seen him. In comparison to Buckethead (who I've also seen countless times) play very hit & miss sometimes (once, so incredibly sloppy that I was wondering if he was drunk that day ....). It should be noted, I'm a massive fan of the mighty Buckethead. He's an incredibly gifted musician and I would never hold his technique against him.

To the Walrus flappers comment: Tosin Abasi plays an 8 string electric guitar in a progressive metal band. I'll leave it to you to figure out how those strings are going to be muted through the distortion. Plain and simple, a lot of this classical technique has to be severely altered for shred-metal styles or any style really.

ON A SIDE NOTE: I love linking this video of Tosin, I have the utmost respect for him. Technique like this isn't just randomly bullshitted I'm sure he worked his ass off to reach this level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpXmWG5qKIk

The thread is about 'classical technique', not severely altered shred-metal technique, and from the videos it seems that Abasi does not have good classical technique. It doesn't make him a bad or sloppy player as many w/ bad technique have worked through it via sheer determination, but you can tell right away because his ring finger is almost never in line w/ his other fingers and curled over the string, which is proper classical technique.

HUGE thanks to you Pebber for providing these videos. I've already used them with my own students to show what proper classical form looks like. Can't even begin to thank you enough for all of your free videos, worksheets, and forum as I've been able to apply this to my playing, teaching, and life in general.

Can we add Ursin to the list ? ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuzgz-Q3yBo&feature=relmfu

Thanks Slashpie. Seems to be confusion still on the classical left hand from others? The fingers must be curved. All players say, "Of course I am playing on the tips of the fingers!!!!" But they are not. The curvature of the fingers is more extreme than you think. They must be curved and coming DOWN onto the string. All of them, even the 3rd and 4th fingers. This is for maximum control of the string. Proper intonation, etc.

Rock guitarists seem to have the worst time with this. Because they feel they cannot play their licks this way. I have seen people comment on Pebber's videos that they cannot play their canned "rock/blues/Jimmy Page" licks this way. But you most certainly can with the proper amount of practice and dedication to your craft.

Left hand technique has not changed for many hundreds of years. Maybe thousands going back to the great Indian classical masters. Picking styles change and evolve, but sarod is another ancient style.

Rock guitar, punk rock, grunge, whatever you want to call it, most of these player are largely unschooled but they are on TV and YouTube so what they do gets perceived as the "proper" way.

As far as Toshin Abasi, I like his playing. Love his ideas. Don't have anything to say about him really. He does what he wants to do or has to do to make his "thing" happen. This is great. There are many ways to play guitar.

Really, there is no "this" or "that." Everyone has to follow their own muse.

Also, the fret hand fingers must recoil back towards the palm of the hand. Not into the air away from the fretboard but back in towards the palm. Again, this is for economy of motion. It puts the finger back in correct striking distance with the most minimal of effort. Hence, it is much more efficient. You may think the fingers going into the air and then coming back down seems more efficient, but actually you are using much more force and muscle by doing this and when you slam the fingers back down this way, you are losing quite a bit of string control and intonation.

Again, many famous rock players do not play this way. Their fame gives the perception to the student that their way is the proper way. But, what Pebber is talking about is centuries old techniques that have not changed due to the fact that they need not be changed. They can be elaborated upon, of course. You can put your own spin on them. But, the true fundamental basics of fretting a note and producing sound, this has not changed.

You cannot think of playing fast, playing this style. You must go back to being like a child and thinking "What is the most efficient way to play a note." Not a chord, but one single note. And play it with perfect control, tone, and intonation. From the initial strike to the decay. What is the best way to do this? That philosophy has not changed for many hundreds of years. And if we go back to the ancient Indian musicians, thousands of years.

More later.

-U

I'm a rock/blues player and I've started doing the classical left hand for a week or so now. It does feel awkward because I've been doing a different way for 20+ years, but I can tell just by looking at my fingers when I play it's a more efficient and possibly more natural way of playing. My ring and pinky finger are already staying closer to the fret board than before just because of the positioning of the hand alone. Also my fingers are travelling a lot less distance so my hammers and pulls are better, which for me is huge because I don't think my legato can get any worse lol. Where the awkwardness and difficulty comes in is when trying to bend strings. But I figure there will just be a long transition and after enough repetition eventually it will just work. I've been focusing on timing, basic left hand technique and doing trills for strengthening my hands and I've seen big improvement in rhythm, dexterity, finger independence and musicality in just a week or so of focused practice. So I can absolutely support that it works and you improve faster trying to do things properly.

I think that rock and especially blues players tend to have a fear or aversion to classical technique and discipline in general. There's a lot of folklore attached to modern music and people accept those things as a part of the music and assimilate it into their style and even personality. I.E. Robert Johnson, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, "insert guitar hero here" did it this way and they never new proper technique so that's how I'm going to do it otherwise I won't be a real blues man or rock player. It's like people want to pay their dues the same way their hero did regardless of whether it makes any sense. I get that and if that's what people are into and enjoy that's cool but that doesn't have to mean that they fear or criticize alternate or in this case the original and correct way of learning and playing. That's my 2 cents.

Thanks for the further clarification Ursin
You just dissipated every little doubt left i had.. :)

An epic thread. I do have one question, while you were teaching yourself classical technique for 5 years, where you still playing electric/acoustic ? If so, how were you dividing up your time ?

Thanks again for this Monster of Thread!! Huge Eye Opener, learning from you