#1

Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:35 am
by JohnA • 12 Posts

So here's me working on some scalpel, sarod, chromatic and wholetone exercises. Its funny how shitty your technique looks once you record yourself.



There's a lot of movement when I do an A pent. pattern with scalpel picking. Is that ok? I can definitely feel my thumb joint moving but it just looks wrong when I watch it.

Also, I find that when I'm on strings 5 and 6, doing a chromatic scale for example, my thumb moves up. Is that fine, or should I be trying to keep it down all the time?

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#2

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:00 pm
by dlraben • 278 Posts

That looks pretty good to me. Keep it up!

Fretting hand looks great. Scalpel doesn't "look" that unusual to me, though I think I rest the pick on the pad of my thumb a bit closer to the tip of the thumb that you do. Not sure that matters.

I couldn't tell if you have the Sarod movement correct or not ... a bit too far away to see if you're using the forearm movement or if you're relying on your wrist.

I think you're on the right track but if you're after constructive criticism, what popped out to me was your tone and timing.

For tone, and maybe this is due to your amp/camera setup, I didn't think all of the notes were ringing clearly. When I sound like that it's either because I'm fretting the notes poorly, or my hands are not synchronized. To fix this, obviously just slow down. You clearly want to play fast, but don't make the same mistakes others make. Get it SUPER SOLID slowly first.

For timing, the chromatic form part didn't sound perfect to me. Maybe I'm crazy (very possible, and you can test this yourself by using Reaper/Audacity/Youtube HTML5 to slow it down) but it seemed like you were cramming the four 16th notes a bit ahead in the beat to allow you to shift positions in time. You should work on keeping those 16th notes as even as possible. Also, keep an ear on your tone once you shift to a new position ... it's got to be clear.

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#3

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:11 pm
by NicholasJacquet (deleted)
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you are on your way man! full steam ahead and b4 you know it I bet you will be one badass guitar player!


Modoric Aknowledgements:

Play Guitar better than Fred Durst?---Check

Play Guitar better than Lil' Wayne?---Check

Play Guitar better than Franz Listz?---
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#4

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:25 pm
by JohnA • 12 Posts

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I hear you, SLOW is the key.

Up until now, what I’ve been doing for something like the A pent. exercise, is alternate, scalpel and sarod with single notes, then doubling up on each note, etc, at whatever speed I got to the day before....So should I scrap that and just focus on one, like doubling up for example, real slow, then gradually going up like you said every day until I have it down, or should I just keep doing them all but always starting slow and then speeding up gradually every time? Time’s my issue. Since I only have a limited amount of time (about 3 hours per day), I'm guessing I should just choose a few exercises to work on from module and 1 & 2 until I get them down, as opposed to doing a lot for a shorter amount of time?...yeah, no shit.

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#5

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:04 am
by JohnA • 12 Posts

Yeah, don't answer that question. Ursin I read your thread on 'Practice Time Balance/Focus' and I get the picture.


Last edited Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:04 am | Scroll up

#6

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 02, 2014 9:28 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Hi everyone,
I was looking for the right thread for posting my very first videos when I came across JohnA's and saw he was practising the same exercise in it. So, this is my take on scalpel. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

If I remember correctly the metronome was on 120, 130 and 150bpm. I know I'm not accurate on the last one, but I included it so you guys can see how my technique changes and what I need to watch out for (e.g. the middle finger sticking out).

Thanks



[Video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ioq4QbDhfg
[/Video]


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#7

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 02, 2014 9:29 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Hmmm. Let's try to post the rest of them....




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#8

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 02, 2014 3:46 pm
by uderoche (deleted)
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To Case

This is good work. Both hands look good. And, I like the idea of pushing beyond your limits. But always remember to reign the BPM back to something you can do.

The main issue I see is your muting needs work. The notes ring together WAY too much. You don't want that. Work on different muting techniques. Maybe start by resting your pick hand on the strings near the bridge. Another muting technique is to use the pickhand thumb to mute the string you just played as you move to the next.

Try these and see what happens. Resting your palm near the bridge is the most commonly used. I'd start there.


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#9

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Sat May 03, 2014 2:14 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Thanks Ursin! I'll work on muting and will post an update in a few days to see if I'm on the right track.

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#10

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Tue May 06, 2014 5:03 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Hey Ursin,

A quick question about muting while using sarod picking. I read a discussion a while back about muting the picked string and if I remember correctly the conclusion was that this technique doesn't lend itself to muting as easily as other ones, though it is possible to achieve it. So how about muting the rest of the strings during sarod picking to prevent unwanted noise?

Cheers!

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#11

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Tue May 06, 2014 9:03 am
by uderoche (deleted)
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Quote: Case wrote in post #11
Hey Ursin,

A quick question about muting while using sarod picking. I read a discussion a while back about muting the picked string and if I remember correctly the conclusion was that this technique doesn't lend itself to muting as easily as other ones, though it is possible to achieve it. So how about muting the rest of the strings during sarod picking to prevent unwanted noise?

Cheers!


Good question matey

True, sarod is not very practical if you are trying to do Al Di Meola type muted runs or heavy metal chug a chug chug type riffs.

But, when using sarod, and trying to keep the other strings quiet, I typically use the same muting principles as always.

So, lets say we are doing a scale up the high E string and we are going to use sarod picking to do it. I will gently rest my picking hand on the strings by the bridge. I will also use the index finger of my fretting hand to help silence the B string directly above the high E if necessary.

The completely floating picking hand does not work well with heavy metal distortion and loud amps. It works great with acoustic and with clean jazz guitar sounds.

You CAN get it to work with distortion. Pebber does it all the time. (See his live videos on Youtube where he is playing through the Carvin Legacy amp). This takes MUCH discipline and hard work due to the muting involved. If the hand is floating, then you must use more of the fretting hand and parts of the pick hand wrist and forearm. The muting has to come from somewhere else we just have noise.

I hope this helps!

Cheers

-u


YouTube www.youtube.com/ursinderoche
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#12

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Tue May 06, 2014 9:36 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Cheers Ursin! So even more focus on coordination :) I'll try to keep the hand floating as much as possible and use all the techniques you mentioned. I'm at work at the moment but I get the feeling one may still be able to use sarod while the fleshy part of the palm (close to the wrist) touches the other strings. Will post a video soon. I appreciate all your feedback. They have been very helpful! Thanks!

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#13

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Tue May 06, 2014 11:12 am
by uderoche (deleted)
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Quote: Case wrote in post #13
Cheers Ursin! So even more focus on coordination :) I'll try to keep the hand floating as much as possible and use all the techniques you mentioned. I'm at work at the moment but I get the feeling one may still be able to use sarod while the fleshy part of the palm (close to the wrist) touches the other strings. Will post a video soon. I appreciate all your feedback. They have been very helpful! Thanks!


Yes, that's exactly it. The fleshy part of the hand and the wrist are gently lying across the strings to mute. If however the wrist is completely floating in the air and not resting on the strings you have to find other ways to mute.

One way that is often not discussed is using the pickhand thumb to mute the string just played on ascending runs. This works well with a floating wrist in conjunction with muting from the fretting hand. On descending runs you can use mostly the fretting hand to mute.

There are many ways to go about it. Experiment with them all.


YouTube www.youtube.com/ursinderoche
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Twitter @ursinderoche

Last edited Thu May 08, 2014 8:57 am | Scroll up

#14

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Wed May 07, 2014 2:57 am
by Case • 68 Posts

I was going to ask you about muting with the picking hand thumb. I tried it and it felt very unnatural the first time. Of course, this is often the case with correct techniques, so that didn't put me off. I'm positive it will take a while to master it. If you have time, maybe next time you shoot a video for the Vlog'O Doom, could you please address it? Just a min demonstration so I can see I'm doing it right.
Another general question about muting. Do you think it helps if you practise it with distortion? Unwanted string noise is way more obvious there... Thanks for the feedbacks on this!

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#15

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 09, 2014 12:00 pm
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

Quote: Case wrote in post #15
I was going to ask you about muting with the picking hand thumb. I tried it and it felt very unnatural the first time. Of course, this is often the case with correct techniques, so that didn't put me off. I'm positive it will take a while to master it. If you have time, maybe next time you shoot a video for the Vlog'O Doom, could you please address it? Just a min demonstration so I can see I'm doing it right.
Another general question about muting. Do you think it helps if you practise it with distortion? Unwanted string noise is way more obvious there... Thanks for the feedbacks on this!


Case, I don't do scapel or sarod picking myself(I have never learned it). I use alternate picking or hammer ons and pull offs(including tapping sometimes). Muting is a massive subject on guitar(like everything else on guitar). There are many ways of doing muting on guitar. There is frethand muting and there is pickhand muting. How you do them is all down to trial and error. If you are doing alternate picking the best way(in my experience) to mute is to rest the side of pickhand on the bridge of the guitar. One of the very best players I have seen play this way is Eddie Van Halen(Eddie Van Halen has fantastic control at using the pick as well).

Frethand muting is also very important as well but that isn't something I can describe easily that will make sense. Certainly, playing and practicing with tons of overdrive and distortion(I don't mean at the volume of your amp to 11, btw) will help you improve your playing. At first it will sound horrible but is focuses you to playing as accurately as cleanly as possible.

Like Ursin said a few posts back that palm muting technique with your pickhand only applies to alternate picking. Sarod and Scapel picking are "floating" hand motions, whereas Alternate picking comes out of your wrist.

Ursin, please correct me if I am wrong in what I am saying here.


Last edited Fri May 09, 2014 12:02 pm | Scroll up

#16

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 09, 2014 12:53 pm
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

With pick also in general is alot to do wiith what type of pick you use as well. Heavy gauge picks are my preference. Either Dunlop Jazz 3, Dunlop 1.5mm or Dunlop 2.0mm. At the moment I am using Dunlop 2.0mm.

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#17

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri May 09, 2014 1:07 pm
by uderoche (deleted)
avatar

Go and watch my VLOG O DOOM videos. I answer some of these questions in that. You have to watch every video but I do talk about muting with left hand and muting with picking hand.


YouTube www.youtube.com/ursinderoche
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Twitter @ursinderoche
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#18

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Mon May 12, 2014 3:05 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Thanks Ursin and Guitar Player! Yeah, I'm watching the Vlog ;)
Guitar Player, I prefer heavy gauge picks too but I switched to Davas last year just to try them. I like the rubber grip ones as I've always had problems with keeping the pick in the same position between my fingers, especially when scalpel picking. As for muting with overdrive/distortion, I'll make sure I dedicate a few hours to practising with them as well as on the acoustic guitar. Cheers!

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#19

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Mon May 12, 2014 4:26 am
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

Quote: Case wrote in post #19
Thanks Ursin and Guitar Player! Yeah, I'm watching the Vlog ;)
Guitar Player, I prefer heavy gauge picks too but I switched to Davas last year just to try them. I like the rubber grip ones as I've always had problems with keeping the pick in the same position between my fingers, especially when scalpel picking. As for muting with overdrive/distortion, I'll make sure I dedicate a few hours to practising with them as well as on the acoustic guitar. Cheers!


Case, There are many schools of thought when it comes to holding the pick too(all of the aspects of playing the guitar are HUGE subjects). Regarding scapel picking the emphasis is keeping the pick in the same position between your fingers at all times. Like Ursin mentioned a few posts ago, Scapel picking is good for certain types of playing but for Al DiMeola, Yngwie Malmsteen type of playing it isn't really practical. That is why I haven't learned it. Electric guitar playing using overdrive/distortion requires alot of pickhand muting. This just doesn't apply for picking but also playing riffs and chords where if you have notes ringing out it sounds horrible because the overdrive/distortion pick ups every little sound when you play.

Going back to what you said about the position of the pick moving when you, play that is in fact very important when playing electric guitar(many player adjust the angle of the pick when going from playing chords to playing runs or lines that are picked and also for playing pinch/pick harmonics like Billy Gibbons is famous for doing).

Regarding pickhand muting I found a live video of Eddie Van Halen playing the song 5150. I know it isn't ideal as you don't get to see his hands totally close up but you can get half an idea of his pick hand position that he has for muting. The thing this video will do is give you an idea of the sound you can get when you get really good pickhand muting control.

I hope you find this post and the video I am sending the link for useful(watch the video a couple of times).

Good Luck!!!

watch?v=wzq17F-b9AU

(It won't let me add the link so add youtube to the above link and you will be all set).


Last edited Mon May 12, 2014 4:32 am | Scroll up

#20

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Mon May 12, 2014 4:40 am
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

Case, you are doing very good work on your guitar playing, btw. It is nice to see someone use an accoustic guitar for doing the scapel technique.

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#21

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Tue May 13, 2014 2:18 am
by Case • 68 Posts

Hey Guitar Player! Thanks for the EVH video, I'm checking it out now. Yeah, I'm trying to do as much on the acoustic guitar as I can (driving my wife crazy ;) )

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#22

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Wed May 21, 2014 11:52 pm
by ashan • 190 Posts

sorry for for hijacking your thread JohnA. please review this guys, i know my left hand thumb is slanted towards the head of the guitar which looks wrong and ive been trying to get rid of that fro a long time now. is there anything wrong other than that? i tried to go to 120 bpm playing along with pebber. couldn't do it. so this is at 112bpm.


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#23

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 22, 2014 9:29 am
by dlraben • 278 Posts

Ashan, that sounds and looks great to me. Nice work!


Instead of reading this you should be practicing. Slowly. With a metronome.
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#24

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 22, 2014 12:39 pm
by deltadiscos • 321 Posts

Sounds great Ashan how about the doubles.
Nice work keep pushing you will get to 120

Try going way past what you can do even if it sounds shit for a while, then bring it back down
your brain sometimes needs that jolt to push on another level..


You think you practice enough.......YOU DON'T!............PRACTICE MORE! Darryn U.K
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#25

RE: Module 1 & 2 exercises

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 22, 2014 5:16 pm
by ashan • 190 Posts

thanks damon and delta. i'll do that. i have to make a video on doubles too. i think pebber goes to doubles after he does 120 bpm in the video. what about the left hand thumb. don't you think its bad technique that it turn towards the head of the guitar?


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