Nice singing voice!

Wow Chris thanks so much for the video reply! 🙏 I'll start working out that right-hand technique 

Hi JiMyeong! Do you hear how much more open the sound becomes when your hand doesn't touch the bridge pins. That, to me, is a wonderful sound. 

I will definitely use my palm or the fingers on my left hand to mute any strings that may be ringing sympathetically. But that doesn't mean that I would keep the palm of my hand down all the time to prevent any ringing. Its more that I can use that palm to mute anything if i need to. Sometimes you might even want some of those other strings to ring. 

Hope that helps!

Chris

Hi JiMyeong! Nice to see you on here! 

I don't think there's any problem with how you're doing it. Everybody is built differently, with different bodies, hands, etc. So what works best for me might not be what works best for you. The main thing that I would avoid is resting the palm of your right hand on the bridge or bridge pins because that can dampen the top and lead to a less powerful sound (Although Molly Tuttle does exactly this and she's wonderful!). And actually, I often let my middle finger lean on the first string which I learned from watching Tony Rice because he does that too. 

Happy holidays and hope to see you soon!

Chris

Hi Mike, thanks for the kind words! I love NYC and there's always plenty of it in my future. Re: hand position and finger orientation, yes, the positioning of your hands should be dynamic and able to adjust. Usually my fingers are mostly vertical but with a slight forward angle toward the body, but other times they will be totally vertical. There are times when I may be reaching back with my index finger toward the headstock to grab a note in a chord and that finger might have a "backward" tilt. Ultimately your hands should be dynamic and able to conform to all of these different needs. It's easy and natural to do this if your hands are really relaxed. If you hold much tension in your hands this sort of adaptability will be limited. 

Hello Matthew, welcome to our little guitar community!

First of all, I enjoyed hearing you play and sing this song. You have a great, strong voice and a good sense of musical pacing. Your right hand, what I could see of it, looked nice and relaxed, which is great. I notice 2 things immediately in your left hand that are hindering your ability to make a clean sound. 

1) You never want to fret any further back than the exact midpoint between two frets, and in bluegrass, you generally want to press your finger down just behind the fret. This leads to a much more crisp sound, and you’re less likely to have errant buzzing. 

2) The position of the thumb on your left hand can make or break the ease with which you fret notes. In short, by having your thumb solidly on the back of the neck you can take advantage of the motion of *clasping* your hand together between thumb and fingers, which provides leverage and mechanical advantage.

There are lessons that cover both of these things in detail. I would suggest going all the way through this fundamentals series because it lays out some fundamental principals that we return to again and again. After that I would go through the Honey, You Don’t Know My Mind and Soldier’s Joy lessons because they lay out other fundamental principals that will be very useful. After those, whatever strikes your fancy. Generally speaking, the first week of any series lays out the basic parameters of the song, and in subsequent lessons we use the song as a vehicle to study specific techniques, approaches, or solos.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Chris

Hmm, can you describe the discomfort a bit more? Is it an ache or something more acute? And did it just start?

its an ache inside part of elbow area, right where the guitar meets it. it just started, so im thinking its probably tension brought on by trying to concentrate here on not having tension! 

Yep, it’s entirely possible that in “trying too hard” to not have tension and putting too much focus into that area, you can actually create tension! I think your diagnosis is probably correct. Try taking a break and shaking your arm out if you start noticing that feeling coming on.

It can also be good to stand up and move around a bit. Move your torso, move your back, move your spine. Julian Lage taught me that keeping those areas loose can really help loosen the rest of your body. Keeping your trunk limber helps keep the branches limber.

Hi Robert, you can use either one. They’re functionally exactly the same. The 7th just adds a bit of color and tension that the regular A doesn’t have. 

Thanks Torgeir! I saw this this week, so I feel that I am at least in a good camp. Someone like Grier uses both ways, but it is definitely something to work hard at, if you want to be able to move easily between both approaches.

Hi Wiam!

Thanks for your super thoughtful question. Right hand posture an issue that many of us have experimented with and wrestled around over the years.

When I first started to play I would extend out my ring and pinky fingers and rest them on the top of the guitar the way that banjo players tend to hold their hands. The only reason I played this way was that both of my parents were banjo players and so I mimiced them. I was young and no one ever told me otherwise! What I got out of that hand position was a very solid sense of timing, but I had a lot of tension and the tone wasn't great. But it served me well. From a technical standpoint of playing fast and loud I kind of peaked around 2005, before I started to change to more of a closed fist style.

The reason I made the switch was that Thile used a closed fist and we had started to play together. He had strong opinions that he had more control with the closed fist. Also, in some of the music that he was writing and that I started playing (The Blind Leaving the Blind from the first Punch Brothers record) I needed to play some very complex crosspicking with lots of string changes and big leaps from low to high strings. I found that immediately the closed fist technique helped me with the crosspicking. Beyond that I just took it on faith that, "if it works for Thile - who has possibly the most capable right hand ever in American stringband music - it must be the best method." 

I leaned in pretty hard to working on playing with a closed fist and it was helpful for playing some of that music. But in the process I lost a lot of control that I never quite got back. For instance, like you said, I could never play driving bluegrass as well with the closed hand technique. Also, my timing and feel changed to where I can't play with Tony Rice-esque timing as well as I once could. But I gained a new ability to swing when playing 16th notes. So there are advantages and disadvantages to both techniques.

With the benefit of hindsight and wisdom, I've learned that what works best for someone else is what works best for them, not necessarily for me. I think that's true for all of us. To answer some of your other questions:

-I do still revert to some semblance of the old technique when I'm playing bluegrass, but I'm not as good at it now as I once was. But I think that the ability to move between the different techniques is good, even if they're all a bit weaker for switching around and not dedicating to only one. So yes, I definitely think that the approaches can be mixed. I would encourage that you experiment with them.

Remember too that even though these different techniques have their strengths and weaknesses, just on account of how you are built, you may do better with one than another. And that's ok too. Just be open to what feels good to you. Try to be kinesthetically open and aware and see how you can best make the sound you want to hear. Stay in touch with whether or not you're staying relaxed. Your body is a great teacher - listen to it. 

I hope all of that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Chris

Thanks for the unexpected Bonus. There is so much talk about pick grips and the angle that the pick hits the strings that I felt that this, the most basic and fundamental action of playing/flat picking the guitar wasn't worth worrying about, or so I thought.  I went with the - whatever you're comfortable with formula for the past couple of years.

About 2 months ago, I started the process of experimenting with the way I grip my pick and found that any, ever so slight, adjustment with the grip totally threw me off my game and blew up my string accuracy. I'm getting a little better with the new grip which looks much like yours, and concede that pick grip does play a fundamental role in creating better tone and worth the effort.

EDIT: I should add that pick grip is one component to achieving better tone which may or may not excede the whatever feels comfortable theory. I have no idea as the more I play the more I realize I can't ... sometimes. 

Hi David,

Yes, happy to take some pictures in the next day or so. Traveling now. In the meantime, I use the same pick grip whether playing mandolin or guitar.

Cheers,

Chris

Hi Brian,

I have to be honest, they're hard for me too. I think the real trick is practicing mindfullness as you do it. You already know the basic task you are trying to accomplish: switching from strummed rhythm to rest-stroke based single notes. In a way, it's as simple as you just do it. BUT here's the trick. In just doing it, you don't have to be correct, you just have to amplify your kinesthetic awareness in your *whole body*. You'll probably notice most of the tension appearing in your right arm. Acknowledge it, breathe for a few seconds and try it again with that heightened sense of awareness. You might notice that your jaw clenches, or you stop breathing for a second, or whatever. Acknowledge, take a moment to breathe and try again. You really can't force these things to happen, you have to create the conditions where they CAN happen by noticing impediments that you are creating and slowly letting them melt away. 

Also, PRACTICE SLOWLY. It's really easy to be too goal oriented and practice things too fast - I am really bad about this - but by slowing down and breathing you create the space where you can approach this unfamiliar physical act in the most calm, open way possible. Once you get that down, then you can try speeding up (and even exceeding a speed where you are comfortable, but only to promote staying aware and relaxed at that faster speed).

Also, once you have got the basic transition down to where you can be relaxed while doing it, get the metronome out and use it. It's the best tool a musician has for getting better, no matter the speed.

Good luck!

Hi Sarah, welcome! It's timely that you should ask about strings because I am newly enthused about a particular string. I recently tried D'addario Nickel Bronze and I absolutely LOVE them. Seriously. So much so that I subequently sought out an endorsement from D'addario last month after having been fairly ambivalent for the last several years about which strings I used. To my ear they have plenty of life, but they have less "artificial" overtones than phospher bronze or brass strings. The result is you wind up hearing more of the fundamental of the note/more of the guitar and less of the string.

I've never gotten into making up my own custom string guages - I just use mediums if I'm playing a drednaught and lights if I'm playing anything else. 

All of this said, some guitars still might favor certain strings over other ones so you really should try different things. But I am truly psyched about the D'addario Nickel Bronze and have loved them for the same reason on every guitar I've tried them on so far. Martin makes the Tony Rice strings which are similar which might be worth checking out as well.

Good luck!

Chris

Heya Eldridge,

Now look what you've made me go and do....

Haha -- no really though, thanks for the recommendation. They're on deck for the next string change. I'll let you know what I think!

And actually -- an additional question if that's all right. What is the main reason that flatpicking is the style for bluegrass? Is it mostly just volume? I'd been doing a lot more fingerstyle lately -- being in a folk-y groove a lot of the time. I almost do need to retrain myself to flatpick -- so these lessons have been good. But yeah -- is there any other...history, reason, etc. for flatpicking being the real go-to for bluegrass and that sort of thing? Are there any bluegrass guitar players who DON'T use picks? Or even...I guess use finger picks, or just fingers/nails?

I'm guessing you, personally, got into this style from the people you were into growing up, like Tony Rice and other greats. But I guess...I might even be asking where flatpicking started, like, originally. Where did it really come from in the tradition of guitar playing and bluegrass specifically?

Ok, cool -- I think that's it for now. Thanks for your time! :)

~Sarah~

Thanks Sarah and Chris for this interesting point on strings. I will follow you and buy D'addario Nickel Bronze strings, but I hesitate to cross the step to the Medium gauge from light one. I saw the phosphore bronze "light top / med bottom" strings named "Bluegrass strings". There are also Nikel Bronze "light top / med bottom" strings. What are the pros and cons of that king of mixed gauge ? Why do they name these "light top / med bottom" phosphore bronze strings "bluegrass strings" ? Is this special gauge better for bluegrass ? Many thanks for your insights (and sorry for my poor english level, I'm french... ^^ )

Hi Sarah, yes, please let me know what you think! As you can tell, I really like them.

The reason that people in bluegrass use some sort of pick (Lester Flatt played rhythm guitar with a thumb pick) is simple: volume. The guitar is *by far* the quietest instrument in a bluegrass ensemble of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and bass (and dobro). You simply can't compete volume-wise with those other instruments if you are just using your nails/fingerpicking if you're playing bluegrass in any traditional sense. Now, if bluegrass is just a stylistic jumping off point and you are playing with sensitive players then you might be able to hear fingerpicked guitar. But the guitar will naturally be putting out maybe 25% of the volume as a banjo. So that's really it. There were times in Flatt and Scruggs' music when Earl would set down the banjo and pick up the guitar still playing in his 3 finger style. This was usually (but not always) for gospel songs. He was using finger picks and it sounds killer! Check out the song God Loves His Children for a good example of this.

Re the pioneers of flatpicking solos in a bluegrass or fiddle tune context: Doc Watson was the first of noteriety, with Clarence White a few years later. But Don Reno and George Shuffler (crosspicking innovator with the Stanley Brothers) were also there in the beginning. 

Hi Remy, the main reason to choose your own string guages has to do with feel and the tonal balance of an individual instrument. It's very personal really. If you feel comfortable using lights then stick with lights. I prefer a medium guage string on a drednaught because I can lean into the guitar more on rhythm. "Bluegrass Guage" is just a marketing term - just a way to sell more strings. I don't think I actually know anyone who uses them. That said, if they feel better to you then by all means use them!

Cheers,

Chris

Hi again. Another question about this -- I still haven't tried Nickel Bronze on my guitar -- but I've tried them on my mandolin.

Over the past year I've gotten a much better understanding of what I like and where I hear imperfections in sound and what I'm looking for. I still don't necessarily know HOW to achieve that -- but I'm staring to get a real sense of what I'm looking for.

So -- I acutually DON'T like them on my mandolin. They seem to sound.......too dead? Is it possible that they're enhancing the flaws in my instrument? I have a Loar LM-400 -- so it's a WONDERFUL starter instrument that I'm hoping to be happy with for the next 10 years. I already have a luthier in mind to get one in....2028....but until then.....

So I guess there are a lot of possibities -- either I just don't like the strings, the strings are enhancing flaws in my instrument, or my mandolin just needs a full workup by a good luthier (including a new bridge).

Um...I guess I don't really have a SPECIFIC question -- just if you have time any input and thoughts on the matter.

I'll still give them a shot on one of my guitars.....or maybe I'll try them on all of my guitars just to see the difference. This kind of stuff fascinates me so I'm excited to keep exploring all of my options.

Thanks for your time! I appreciate it! :)

Hey Sarah, thanks for sharing your experience! I think there are a couple of things to mention here:

1) Personal preferences vary, and that's a good thing! I think it's great that you're refining the idea of the sound that you want to hear. Whatever you're into, stick with that. There's absolutely no right or wrong here because liking a either bright or dark sound is like liking either sorbet or ice cream. It may just be that I tend to like a string with less overtones. 

2) Different instruments like different things. Whenever I get a new instrument I try different strings on them. At this point, because I know that I tend to like what the Nickel Bronze strings do, I'll try them first, but the particular timbre of a particular guitar might work better with a set of Phosphor Bronze, or even 80/20 strings. Norman Blake takes this to a whole other level: every time he gets a new guitar he goes string by string trying out different string guages on each string to see what the guitar likes best. But the reason a person would have more that one instrument would be so that they could get a different sound. We don't want all of our guitars to sound the same. Your string choice is part of that sound.

Hi Remy, welcome! 

For bluegrass it's important to use a stiff pick. My favorite picks are made by a company called Bluechip. Currently I'm using their TP48, which I really love. Generally speaking, I like picks that fall somewhere between 1.2 - 1.4mm, but different situations call for different things so there are no hard and fast rules in this department! 

The Bluechip picks are rather expensive - $35 or so for a pick, which seems like a lot, but they wear out VERY slowly. So as long as you don't lose your pick it should work for you for years. (The Bluechips are so expensive because they're made out of some crazy material that is used in semiconductor manufacturing - so not normal plastic). There is another brand, Dunlop Primetone that are of a similar idea and are much cheaper. I personally don't like them as much, but many people have good success with them. Also, Fender Extra Heavy picks can be great. They wear out pretty quickly, but they're super cheap and they sound good. 

Good luck!

Chris

Many thanks Chris for these expanded advice ! I'll try some picks among your suggestions.

Thank You :)

Hi John, 

The first thing is to ask the people you are playing with to quiet down a bit when you are playing a solo. When I take a solo in Punch Brothers the whole band probably gets 50% quieter because it's the only way the guitar can be heard. The band *has* to quiet down for a guitar solo.

Beyond that it can sometimes be useful to imagine playing to a person or object across the room. Think about playing to/for them, rather than just trying to play louder. I find that when I do that I'm able to get a bit more volume, but I can stay relaxed as well.

Cheers,

Chris

Hi Marty, 

My recommendation, no matter where you are in terms of proficiency,  is to go through all of the "fundamentals" lessons (which would include Honey, You Don't Know My Mind and Soldier's Joy). At that point I would start going down the list on the rights side of my artist page: http://www.sonicjunction.com/chris-eldridge 

Those lessons are presented roughly in the chronological order in which they were recorded so the information becomse cumulative. There are things in the later lessons that build on things we talked about earlier. 

Good luck!

Chris