Tips on how to chuck a chuck a?

Rudolf · 2008-12-04T13:32:06+00:00

I have no obsessions with trains and neither is this thread anywhere related to alcohol. I've been struggeling with something in particular in the Nirvana...

Tips on how to chuck a chuck a?

Still_Missing

It's just a matter of practice. you play the power chord, yeah, and then you mute the strings with the left hand, and then move on. From what you're describing to me, it seems that your technique with both hands is the only real obstacle here. Remember learning the F chord? same kind of thing. just do it over and over until its easy ?
Also, it helps to double check you're holding the pick right, and comfortably. If, when you're holding it, it seems wrong, it is. Just use google to find the right pick holding position.

Rudolf

Release the pressure on you pick... you may be holding it to tight..or change to a lighter pick?

Yeah thinner pick certainly does seem to help if you can bare the additional pick noise. Problem is however with the Thin picks the power chords just seem to suck? But yes I did find with alot of things particularly if I'm struggeling on the strumming side the JS thin picks I have to help alot. I'm constantly trying to force myself to use the thicker picks I have, to try and get used to it as these again do work better for single string and power stuff. Is this a sort of general rule thing or just in my own mind? Haven't thought about trying to release the pressure on the pick when doing the muted bit no, will give that a bash tonight! Thanks

Riot!: The Ffff chord gets easier? Get outta here! You won't fool me that easily. Next thing you're probably going to tell me Barre chords in general gets easier with practise...pffft. Hehe. Regarding holding the pick, there I'm still on the fence, initially I followed Dan Gross's method on the About.com lessons with the loose fist thing but I couldn't manage at all with that on some things? Normal strumming I did good but power chords, single string pluck...I just struggled. Then I switched to another method I saw on the net of making the arrow with your 1st finger and the pick and just locking it with my thumb, rest of the hand relaxed. Now that seems to work well for me and I find I sometimes without thinking about it rest my pinky on the guitar when I'm doing single notes to help find the right strings without looking?

The latter method I've now managed to get by with in everything alright so I don't know if it can be that wrong?

dyllels

Hey Rudolf,

When i started playing guitar i used the arrow method that you described with the pinky resting on the guitar's body and it worked really well. Except 8 years down the line when i realised there was certain things that i really couldn't play holding the pick like that. So i had to re-learn holding my pick in the normal method (the one you first mentioned)

Dont get me wrong.. ive seen some amazing players who hold the pick in that position (and even wierder ones) but my advice would be to just find what you are completely comfortable with, having NO strain on your righthand at all.

As for the string muting question, I really recommend giving the first picking grip a go. Hold the pick tight but with a bit of leeway. Then angle your pick (about 45 degrees) so that the pick glides across your strings. Now when you playing the muted strings, relax your left hand on the chord so that no notes ring (try and block out the open strings as well) and the strum with the pick at the angle with a bit of power.

Hope that helps and it made sense ?

Gareth

Also try strumming nearer the neck.

Vintage-Vibe

Hi R

A few notes:

Cobain used a 60 mm pick, with 10 to 52 gauge strings tuned to E (or E flat standard live).

This song was done in Standard tuning on the LP.

For the F5 & G#5 power chords, you should be playing Fsus4 & Gsus4 NOT the normal power chords ie:

Fsus4 Bb N.C G#sus4 C#sus4
E|------------------------------------------|
B|--------------- 3-3-------------------6-6-|
G|-3---3-3-XXXX-3-3-0-6---6-6--XXXX-6-6-|
D|-3---3-3-XXXX-3-3-0-6---6-6--XXXX-6-6-|
A|-3---3-3-XXXX-1-1---6---6-6--XXXX-4-4-|
E|-1---1-1-XXXX-------4---4-4--XXXX-----|

JUST USE YOUR INDEX FINGER FOR THE BAR AND SQUASH YOUR RING FINGER LIKE A "MINI" BAR - 4 THIS SONG ONLY - NOT A GOOD HABIT TO DEVELOP !
THIS IS WHAT COBAIN OFTEN DID - LAZY HABIT BUT GAVE INTERESTING RESULTS CHORDALLY !
ALSO NOTE THE OPEN STAB BETWEEN Bb AND G#sus4 - HE OFTEN "LIFTED" THE CHORD SHAPE UP EARLY AND PLAYED
A SINGLE STRUM OF A FEW OPEN STRINGS IN BETWEEN CHANGES - A COMMON 90'S RHYTHMISC STYLISTIC APPROACH
SORRY 'BOUT VERTICAL ALIGNMENT - TEXT PROBLEM !

VV

VV

Rudolf

dylan: I checked just now, let myself play for a while without thinking about it and I've developed a sort of hybrid without realising to hold the pick. It's like the first mentioned technique except the pick's not resting below my thumb and on middle side part of my index finger like in the loose fist method. I've instead got the pick between my thumb and the side front of my index finger, still holding a fist like shape just looser. So the pick's still at 90' to my index and thumb?!? Hehehe. I got consumed with getting to chords and and through various songs and when I stopped this was how the pick ended up and seemed to feel like I "forgot about it" so I have to assume I'm comfortable with like this? :-[

Gareth: Thanks for the tip, I'm weary to try it though as whenever I move my hand/arm I just can't seem to get to any of the strings I wanted to? It just doesn't feel right at all? I'll keep trying it yes!

Vintage Vibe: Thanks for making it all even more impossible!?!? ☹ ☹ I didn't pick up on the open string strums that were missing on the tab I quickly grabbed off the net this morning, you're dead right about that one. Here's the actual tab I'm playing at the moment (Sorry, same text alignment problem):

F5 Bb5 G#5 C#5
E------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------|
G--------------3-3-0--------------6--6--0--|
D-3--3-3--xxxx-3-3-0--6--6-6-xxxx-6--6--0--|
A-3--3-3--xxxx-1-1-0--6--6-6-xxxx-4--4--0--|
E-1--1-1--xxxx--------4--4-4-xxxx----------|

You're right on the tuning also, most of the songs I got of Nirvana is "half step down" if that's another way to call it. I hate it but ok I've collected all the songs I'm working on with this tuning and fortunately there's a few already. So I make sure I'm in the mood for all of them if I do go about tuning. I haven't really gotten to the full details on sus chords so that's all new? You don't strum string 1+2/6+1 at all correct? So all I really need to do is have the power chords I was using and add the 2&3 strings accordingly? And to do them I play it kinda like a major barre on 5th? 1st finger barring or getting to the root, 3rd finger barring the needed three strings two fret up?

Spyke

Rudolf wrote: You don't strum string 1+2/6+1 at all correct?

As you move along you may find that you can get more 'spirited' and comfortable with the strumming, you manage to use your thumb to mute the low E. Similar thing develops with the high E and B but this gets muted with the curve of your fretting fingers.

Rudolf

I think I can swing muting the higher two as I'll probably do that without trying anyways, but the low E....ugh! Ok that leaves only one string to worry about missing, which I suppose should help alot. I'm hopelessly slow fretting the "barre" style chords though so I don't think I'll get around to worrying about hitting a few strings I shouldn't be soon. Hehe

deanBailey

To add to dylans post,

If you're struggling to vary the strength of your pick holding then I'd suggest not digging the pick in so much as you would normally. This way you end up scraping the strings instead of strumming it. (I guess that goes without saying).

Not to sound biased (and slightly ignorant) but I think tube amps emphasize those dead notes a bit more than a SS amp. At least that's what I experienced when making the change...it could also be because I wanted to experience that...because I'm biased ? lol

Rudolf

Ok been fighting through this one. I can fret the sus chords okish for my standards, to not play the low E I tend to naturally end up with my first finger touching it to mute it anyways so it's not too hard. I have trouble with the C#sus4 though? For some reason it doesn't sound anything like the MP3 but only on that particular chord, I'm working on it though and sure it's probably just me messing something up. The muted strums are getting better also, been trying to focus on easing up my grip whilst sticking with the Progrip .50mm pick and it seems to be getting much better. Practise practise practise yes!

deanBailey: I figured initially that was the problem also, and it probably is the main problem. Hopefully with time I'll develope better control over how much pick I get in there, at the moment to be honest I'm hopeless in being accurate enough to only "scrape" it while keeping the strum speed up. Yugh this stuff is tricky.

dyllels

Rudolf.. i can give you a link cos im at work but search for 'paul gilbert picking' on youtube. there is a very cool video section thats from the 'get out of my yard' dvd. It shows the picking style i use now.
Just thought i'd let you know cos i remembered it now.
enjoy