Thumbpick, fingers, Chet-style Habitus

[captainvideo]

It's been almost a month since I've decided to try just using a thumbpick and it hasn't been easy. I've been a flatpicker for almost 20 years and it still feels weird. I've tried about 6 different thumbpicks and I think I've found the one I like best. So I think that aspect of this style I'll get used to now that I'm feeling more comfortable. I can bumble my way through some of Chet's non-Merle Travis influenced pieces but it's those with the continual bass lines going I have the most trouble with. There are quite a number of excellent pickers on this forum and I'm hoping some of you can help.

How long did it take for everything to come together for you? I can do the Mystery Train thing and Windy and Warm. Even the sloppier rockabilly style where you just have to have strings droning in the background. Those feel like I'm just riding a bike. I can't explain it but they are "easier" than some. For example I've been working on Swedish Rhapsody and San Antonio Rose and it's like banging my head against a wall. It's anything but riding a bike easy.

I've spent a lot of time the past month watching Chet on youtube and I've always thought he was a god, but watching him go through these songs so effortlessly and not screw up just adds to my bewilderment of the skills that man possessed.

So my question to all is what helped make using a thumbpick and fingers part of your habitus? Just time?

[Norm]

Practice, keep to simple songs initially and practice.

With me it was "I am a pilgrim" one measure at a time. 'Freight Train' might even be better.

Make sure you can sing the melody line to yourself so you'll know what you're doing.

Practice. Keep it simple.

Tabledit is available. You can download a free reader for it and go to Jack Baker's site. Look in beginners section

http://www.frettedinstrumentsnyc.com/

More practice

[craigdobbins]

First of all, as you know, your one month of thumbpicking vs. your twenty years of flatpicking is just a drop in the bucket, so you're doing fine. How long it takes varies greatly- for some, it takes years, for others, it comes almost immediately. (They're the "naturals.") Norm's advice is good.

As for developing your thumb, some of the best advice I've heard is from Paul Yandell. He said to practice just your thumb, over and over, playing one and two, one and two. What he meant was practice an alternating bass line, such as 5th string, 4th and 3rd together (with a wide brush of your thumb), 6th, and then 4th and 3rd together. He said he would sit on the couch and watch TV and just play that over and over, running through chord progressions, practicing to keep a steady beat and a good feel. (And this is after he was a professional playing with Jerry and Chet.)

As Norm said, keep it simple, and focus on getting a good sound, both tone and rhythm.

Thanks,

Craig

Here's a little primer on the subject from AGW:

[John Knowles]

I think Norm is right on it. Along with keeping an ear on the melody, I would suggest shifting your attention to the steadiness of your thumb. If this is hard to do while you are playing, record yourself and listen. Better yet, record yourself twice and listen to see if your thumb is off in the same spot in two different performances. Sometimes a tricky rhythm in the melody will throw your thumb and you'll recover in a few beats without knowing exactly what happened. The advantage of working on simpler songs is that you can pay closer attention to the melody and the accompaniment. The steadier you are on the less complicated songs, the more Swedish Rhapsody, etc will be approachable.

I would add, "Hang in there." but I suspect you are too hooked to quit.

John

[Tom Workman]

All great advice here. I always say "PPP&MP" (practice, patience, perseverence and more practice). Learning "thumb independence" can be frustrating but, hang in there and it will happen. I remember when I was in high school, trying to learn a simple forward roll across the strings and try as I might, I just couldn't get it. So, I put it on the back-burner for a couple of days and the next time I tried it, presto, there it was. It's almost as though your brain has to catch up with what you're trying to do. Good luck and keep us posted as to your progress. -Tom W.

[Mike Nye]

This is how I did it . . .

I'd sit watching TV with a guitar in my lap, wearin' a thumbpick.

Whenever music, or a commercial with music came on I'd pick the bass line with my thumb.

I'd continuing playin' the bass line, alternating a thumb-E finger-D, thumb-E, finger-B, thumb-A, finger-D, thumb-E, finger-G, thumb-A and so on like a drunken sailor . . .

I'd CASUALLY mix 'n match THUMB & FINGERS, NOT rushing myself OVER & OVER UNTIL my THUMB had a mind of it's OWN . . .

It takes considerable TIME, totally frustrating the hell outtaya; then outta NOWHERE your THUMB is doin' it's OWN THANG subconsciously ! ! !

Unfortunately, I can't pick my nose without pokin' my eye out anymore since my brain trauma injury : - ( ~

[captainvideo]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I knew practice, practice, practice was the key. But I think with the advice to try to practice on the more simpler songs might be really good. Atleast that way I might get the feeling of accomplishing something when I get it down.

I'm going to be trying the sitting infront of the TV thumbpicking thing too. Great advice! Thanks again.

[Norm]

I meant well...
People need to be reminded about your site from time to time anyway. It's a treasure trove...

And a happy new year back atcha...

[emjaybee94]

We're going to miss your Chet tabs Jack, but I can symphasise with you over the fact that few players under the age of 50 are not interested in Chet's style. I play at a jam session most Thursday evenings and I'm usually the only person playing solo fingerstyle ..... the rest is usually rock, in it's various guises, with guys trying to play at stratopheric speed and going nowhere. A jazz pianist, who comes and plays occasionally has remarked to me that we should form a "More than three chords" society. I can't knock it though, as one guy's point of view about music is as valid as the next guy's.

Much better players than me have suggested ways to become a better fingerstyle player, but I'll relate a story I heard many years ago:

The great Louis Armstrong was walking down a street in New York and someone came up and asked him the quickest way to get to Carnegie Hall. Louis replied, "Practise Man! Practise!"

On a personal level, it took me 6 months to get my thumb going independantly of my fore finger and another ten years before I had three finger picking under my belt.

Regards
Mike

[Mike Nye]

The sad fact is that no one under the age of 50 is interested in Chet anymore, at least not in my part of the Country.

Well Jack,

I don't know if NO ONE under 50 is interested? I think that it'd be that they just DON'T know about him . . .

Granted, time marches on, artist pass on and trends fade, but as long as there's knowledge to pass on, there's information of interest to those with the wisdom to recognize a great talent when they hear one.

After all, when's the last time you'd heard ANYTHING about Rudy Vallee mentioned ANYWHERE ? ? ?