004 Articles, Pick Grip, Songwriter Chords

DEC GUITAR NEWSLETTER, issue no. 4

2009 Jan 24
Happy new year my fellow guitar loving friends!  To kick off 2009, I'd like to share:

   1.  some interesting guitar tips and tricks I found over the holiday.  
   2.  The pick grip realization
   3.  2 finger songwriter chords
   4.  The usual etcetera

1.  Dave's holiday hints and tips!
I found some wonderful books over the winter break with a lot of unique information in them. 
*From the Guitar Grimoire, by Adam Kadmon:  Fantastic "block" explanation of intervals in music.  Anyone who is remotely curious to the how and why music work should read these pages carefully.  Chords are also set up this way.
**From Steve Vai's 30 Hour Workout:  Fig 7:  This has become a core part of my warmup sessions.  Being able to play the same fret on two different strings is very helpful in many situations.  Try it out - slowly at first...the technique involved is called a "roll" where the finger joint goes from being curled in the normal way to being flexed in the opposite way.  If you're not sure what to do, holler at me.
Fig 12-17:  This is an intense exercise to build hand strength.  If you have difficulty, please wait to let me look at your hands in a lesson to make sure you are holding your hand and arm correctly. 
Fig 18-19:  For you right-hand tappers out there, this is a nice, simple approach to tapping.  It takes a while to get the feel, so practice slowly, make sure you are doing a true "flick-off" with your right hand instead of a lift-off.
Fig 20:  This is a great way to start applying right-finger taps into your pentatonic playing. 
***The Guitar Handbook, by Ralph Denyer.  The importance of practicing, keys, and other tips.
****Rock Guitar Secrets, by Peter Fischer:  How to practice, some great warmups, and my favorite, the "note location triangle."
(if anyone wants more info from these books, please let me know.)

2.  The pick grip realization
I made a discovery one day...something I noticed - at the end of a long gig, I just can't seem to pick correctly anymore.  So, I'd be strumming along, then go to take a solo, and it just wouldn't really feel right.  I realized that lead guitar and rhythm guitar pick grip, or how far towards the tip of the pick you "choke up" actually makes a huge difference! 
So here's the general rule:  Lead guitar (single notes) - have as little of the tip of the pick showing as possible.  This comes down to the physics of giving as little leeway as possible for the pick to budge.  You are increasing stiffness and it allows for less time delay between your intention of picking and the sound happening.
Rhythm guitar (strumming chords)- have a little more of the pick showing.     This increases the flexibility of the pick and allows for a more naturally strummed sound.  It's less shock absorbed for the fingers. 
I'd be curious to see if other players find this useful, please let me know if you do, or have questions about it.

3.  2 finger songwriter chords
Included in this paper is TAB and explanation of some very useful chord voicings for songwriters.  By changing between only two, two-finger shapes, one can run up and down all of the chords in a scale without too much thought involved. 

Songs that are being worked on in lessons:
Seether - Broken
U2 - Vertigo
String Fever
Paramore - Crush Crush Crush
The Who
Moody Blues - Wildest Dreams
Brian Setzer - Sleepwalk
Switchfoot - I dare you to move
Megadeth - Black Friday
Dream Theater - Panic Attack
RHCP - Red Hot