Forgive me if you've addressed this elsewhere, but do you have any advice for playing loud and maintaining a relaxed right hand? I always feel like when I am struggling to hear myself in a group, my technique falls apart to some extent. What do you do when you're in that situation?
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.
Forgive me if you've addressed this elsewhere, but do you have any advice for playing loud and maintaining a relaxed right hand? I always feel like when I am struggling to hear myself in a group, my technique falls apart to some extent. What do you do when you're in that situation?
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