Subject: Question on speed
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:21:47 -0500


Mickey,

Greetings,

In talking about speed. Everyone always stops short of fully telling how. I do realize practice. I understand the metronome. but here's your final comment on one of the questions.

There are many other facets to your approach which influence your speed and accuracy:

1. Type of Picks used...

2. How you shape your fingerpicks...

3. Whether you're comfortably supporting your picking hand with two fingers or one...


What picks are good?

I like the Dunlop Metal Fingerpicks...a .020 or .018...for easier bending and pliability...

How should you shape them properly?

There are many ways to shape metal fingerpicks...the first effort would to bend the collars so that the fit well over each individual finger (not too tight or it will eventually hurt and not too loose or they will easily move during your playing efforts)...then, you'll want to bend the tips of the fingerpicks back so that they're angled over the tip of the finger. By rounding off the top of the fingerpick so that it curves over the top of the finger, you'll have better speed. This is the most common approach to bending fingerpicks for both guitar and banjo...now, I personally shape my fingerpicks so that the tips are somewhat straightened. I like the sharp attack on the strings...only, the fingerpicks will not move across the strings as easily which is why most bend them at an arc on the top. On banjo this can be quite critical where speed is of the essence...

Fleck, Triska and Murphy all have different shapes as far as I can see. What's good for a beginner?

I would go with the traditional approach to bend fingerpicks at an arc above each finger...

What's the correct support?

Not sure what you may be referring to here...follow the procedure above and let me know if you encounter any problems...

Mickey


Thanks in advance
- e