Welcome to the Forum! First of all, I think most of us get nervous when the cameras are on and/or the stage lights kick on...I know I do! However, we persevere, and often the end result is much better than we expected.
Case in point? Your videos were great: Nice, clean picking. The timing was right on the money. I am sorry to hear about your back pain and related issues. Hope you get better!
Here are a couple of things I feel really need to be addressed:
Quote: aethermachine wrote in post #1I'm worried that I've been picking the wrong way for far too long, I don't do scalpel picking, just standard alternate picking. I'm trying to use my thumb and index finger and less of my wrist, I also use my pinky to help form a bridge and keep me steady.
In one of Pebber's videos I heard him say that using your pinky in this fashion is OKAY, and I correct on this? Also, does he prefer that his students always use scalpel picking or is regular alternate picking an acceptable alternative? Thank you for the feedback.
I've known Pebber for years, and I assure you that the only thing Pebber prefers when it comes to picking is to never get too hung up on one picking technique as the "best way" to pick. Use whatever is most comfortable for YOU,,,no matter what anyone else tries to tell you. The picking technique for strumming chords is different from running scales. Then there is sweep picking & economy picking. Oh yeah, then we have hybrid & swybrid. Oops, let's not forget about Sarod picking, either!
Do you feel comfortable using your right-hand pinky to "brace" against the guitar body? That's a very common technique I have seen used by Kirk Hammett, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Randy Rhoads. The point is that you will find world famous guitarists of all genres who all use their own different techniques.
Bottom-Line: The more techniques you can master, the more diverse of a guitarist you will become.
Right off the bat, I hear the sound of a piezo pickup: I recently added a Yamaha APX500II to my guitar collection, and it sounds exactly like this when it's plugged in. Piezo pickups are very common these days, especially on acoustics
I am guessing that Travis is initially tuned to 1/2 Step Down Double-Dropped D (low-to-high: Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Db).
The sound is fairly straight-forward, but I would bet there is a hint of chorus and compression.
Now as far as your issues are concerned, I am thinking that it has to do with a combination of that particular Marshall you are using and the fact that your acoustic may not have a piezo built in. If I had to pick the most important element of Travis's sound, and the sound you are looking for, I would go with the piezo. Again, I recognized its unmistakable tonal qualities the instant Travis started playing.
I first learned how to tune the guitar to itself - you know, using harmonics and/or simultaneously strumming 2 strings at the 5th (and 4th) frets. That's great, if you are jamming by yourself without any backing whatsoever. Over the years, I have practiced enough be able to "sing" the rough equivalent of a high E,,,but I'm old school, and I don't live alone a deserted island.
In a live situation on a pedal board, nothing beats a BOSS TU-2, a TU-3, or a TC Polytune. On the headstock, I really like the Snark products (I have a couple of SN-2's).
For everyday practice, here's the name of a free app that I absolutely LOVE: PitchLab Lite (In fact, I even prefer this version over the PitchLab Pro version, which I purchased, then uninstalled.)
Whether tuning to Standard Tuning (Concert Pitch), or any of the myriad of Alternate Tunings, the important thing is that I make sure to tune up BEFORE I start practicing. In this day and age, it makes no sense to mess around with an instrument that is not in tune - there is just no excuse for it, and only does harm in the long run.
Although I am not familiar with these particular course materials, I definitely encourage you to supplement your Pebber Brown studies with anything Dick Grove-related that you can get your hands on. Talk about THE MASTER...Wow, Dick Grove is simply second-to-none!
Anyway, I am a bit familiar with Dick Grove's teaching, so if you decide to move forward and find yourself in need of some help, please continue to post to this thread. This is exactly what I mean when I say that this Forum is a place where we can come together and REALLY learn!
Would you be able to provide a sample, or better yet a song, that contains the type of sound you are looking to emulate? Are you trying to "distort" the acoustic sound, or are you just trying to make it sound "big"? Yeah, if you could even just give me the name of a song, I can definitely help you out with this!
I've seen videos of your playing, running through the basics, and you are fantastic! The sky's the limit for you, Bro! I really appreciate your response, as well.
It's been around 5 years since I've been here, and I am really happy to be back. I've known Pebber since May 2008, and he is somebody I communicate with on pretty much a daily basis. I've heard some good things about this forum lately, so I thought I would re-join and check things out.
I prefer to get along with everyone, although I have zero tolerance for bullshit and egotistical know-it-alls. I believe in helping out wherever I can, yet I am always open to learning something new.
As a lifelong self-taught player, I've looked to countless sources in order to further my craft. Yet, nobody has had an impact on my playing like Pebber. My only regret is that I didn't meet him earlier. We are in the right place, and I really look forward to participating with you all as we continue our musical pursuits!
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