Foro Flamenco


Posts Since Last Visit | Advanced Search | Home | Register | Login

Today's Posts | Inbox | Profile | Our Rules | Contact Admin | Log Out



Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.





Hooking the thumb on 5th string?   You are logged in as Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >>Discussions >>General >> Page: [1]
Login
Message<< Newer Topic  Older Topic >>
 
Wannabee

 

Posts: 131
Joined: Jan. 13 2007
 

Hooking the thumb on 5th string? 
I'm wondering if this is a common practice or not. When doing a flicked rasgueado over the Bflat chord (without the bass note), The one that is usually just the 4 3 2 and 1st. strings.
--1--
--3--
--3--
--3--
--x--
--x--

Is it common for players to hook the right hand thumb on the 5th string to do a ras or series of ras while playing this chord?

I'm finding it difficult to move my thumb from the 6th to the 5th and then back again without throwing off the rhythm.

I can play the rhythm smoothly if I just keep my thumb on the 6th. but then it's harder to get the rasgeo over the Bflat chord to sound good.

Is this something that I should worry about or is it a personal preference kind of thing?

Anyway, thanks for your input in advance.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 3 2009 0:40:35
 
KMMI77

Posts: 1821
Joined: Jul. 26 2009
From: The land down under

RE: Hooking the thumb on 5th string? (in reply to Wannabee) 
I just picked up the guitar to see what i do. If i am going to play one or two cycles of rhythm/ compas on this chord i tend to rest on the 5th . 90% of the time, Playing bulerias for example, i would play this chord with my thumb on the 6th. The most important thing is to remain relaxed and listen to the sounds you are making. If it feels relaxed and sounds cool, either way would be fine in my opinion.

_____________________________
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 3 2009 2:12:41
 
mark indigo

 

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
 

RE: Hooking the thumb on 5th string? (in reply to Wannabee) 
check this link for hooking/resting the thumb, this time in picado,



especially the way he bounces that thumb from 4 to 5 to 6 in the last run down
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 3 2009 4:39:21
 
Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Hooking the thumb on 5th string? (in reply to Wannabee) 
quote:

Is this something that I should worry about or is it a personal preference kind of thing?


if you can get a technique to work well your own way then go with your personal preference.

However....most players find resting thumb on 4th or 5th strings uneconomical.
Its much easier to leave your thumb on or near the 6th string and play the rasgeo over the strings you want to.

Try this exercise

1. Hold down a chord of E major
2. Play a, m, i, i rasgeos over 5th, 4th and 3rd strings
3. Play a, m, i, i rasgeos over 4th, 3rd and 2cd strings
4. Play a, m, i, i rasgeos over 3rd, 2cd and 1st strings

You can repeat with p,m,p, rasgeos. Get used to playing rasgeos more over the bass middle and treble parts of the guitar. thats how the good players get their dynamics.

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 3 2009 9:53:23
 
John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: Hooking the thumb on 5th string? (in reply to Pimientito) 
It is a preference. I always rest the thumb on the string above the lowest that I want to play. An example is the open D chord. I don't want to hit the A string, so I place the thumb on it.

Another advantage is when you want to accent a melody being played on the first string with a rasgueado. I saw PDL doing this to accent the melody in the final rasgueado in La Barrosa D->E7 and it stuck with me. For Soleares I often rest on the 5th string playing the Fadd9 to accent the G on the first string.

The trick is being able to move between the strings with your thumb without tensing - just letting it loosely move to the string without losing the ras. You can practice this with thumb exercises - Gerardo's Zapateado exercise is a good one.

_____________________________

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 3 2009 13:11:17
 
xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1896
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: Hooking the thumb on 5th string? (in reply to John O.) 
i can't do that as i find that when i try to do that, my right hand suddenly destabilizes, so i tend to always dampen the non-required string with my left hand...also i have the tendency to also use my left thumb as a dampener on the E string whenever i play por medio, it may be a bad habit, somewhat unusual, something i brought from my electric guitarist past and something that works for me very well...
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Dec. 4 2009 4:49:58
Page:   [1]
All Forums >>Discussions >>General >> Page: [1]
Jump to:

New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET

0.046875 secs.