TyPierce
Joined: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 531
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 11:57 AM
Recently I've been working a lot to nail down my double picking technique - spending time with a metronome, working up and down the fretboard, between strings, etc. - but I'm kind of undecided on how hard I should be picking and thought I'd ask those of you with more experience about your technique.
If I play harder, I feel like I can keep a smoother, more consistent roll going but I get a lot of buzzing - particularly on the low E and A when fretting above the 8th fret or so. If I tone it down to reduce the buzzing, it feels like my consistency and the sound of my attack suffer a bit.
For what it's worth, I'm playing round 12s and 13s and flat 12s.
Any thoughts or recommendo?
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JoshHeartless
Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:07 PM
use a lighter pick...just down one size. you may not like the idea at first, but once i stepped down to .73 from .88 i never went back. it's also easier on your strings and you won't break them as much...
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TyPierce
Joined: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 531
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:18 PM
That's an interesting point - I've been going back and forth between .73 and .88 on the Dunlop Tortex pics. I always played with 73s because they were just firm enough to get a nice attack, but still had a little spring to them. I've been fooling with the 88s and found them easier to play with a lighter touch - backing off the aggressiveness makes the 73s seem like they're being pushed around by the string, rather than the other way around if that makes any sense.
Anything above 88 just falls apart for me, though. Too stiff, not lively enough, I think.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19265
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:18 PM
Raise your action and/or adjust your truss rod. Get a good setup.
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TyPierce
Joined: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 531
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:27 PM
It's set up pretty well - I might mess with the relief just a touch - but I think I'm unintentionally more ham-fisted than most.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19265
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:30 PM
I found that whenever you start a new playing style, usually you need to adjust your guitar accordingly. A few millimeters here and there is usually all it takes. Good luck!
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 12:32 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 16:51:29
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TyPierce
Joined: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 531
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Posted on Jan 24 2008 01:05 PM
Fair enough. I'll put a touch more relief into the neck and see where that gets me.
I feel like I have the E and A strings adjusted reasonably - I'm not trying to run crazy low action, probably medium to medium-high - which is why I thought I might be hitting the thing too hard. I'll see how things hash out after the relief adjustment.
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TyPierce
Joined: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 531
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Posted on Jan 25 2008 09:22 AM
Last night I raised the action on the E string just a touch, maybe a half turn on the saddle adjustment screws, and it seems to have help a lot. Funny how sometimes just a tiny adjustment can set everything right with the world.
I still feel like I was hammering a bit to hard, so to keep things smooth I'm reining it in just a bit, but now I'm able to get a nice attack and keep from buzzing all over the place. So thanks to all for the assist.
And Zak - if I haven't said so before, the Treblemakers is a great name for a surf band. Fantastic wordplay there!
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