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Location: Fort Worth, TX | Over the weekend I got some fake nails and began practicing fingerstyle. From my other posts about it, it could be assumed I have never attempted it before. I have, but it's been about 15 years ago. At rehearsal for the praise band I've been in for 16 years this morning I played everything fingerstyle. The group was blown away and I was asked to do an 8 bar intro to one of the songs. I may not be as far away from accomplishing it as I thought.
I can't stress enough what an awesome, mature tone this 40th anniv Balladeer has. In another thread, moody said he considers it to be one of the best O's being built. What exactly is in the construction of it he is referring to? Are there any cutaway views available that might help me understand better what I have here? I have two accomplished musician friends who want to borrow it for recording. Thanks. |
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Location: Flahdaw | How 'bout posting something? |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by dark bar:
How 'bout posting something? +1 |
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November 2011
Posts: 741
Location: Fort Worth, TX | I'm nowhere near accomplished enough to be so presumptuous as to post my playing. I think more than anything, the group was surprised by the departure from my normal style of playing. I wasn't stellar by any means, but it did earn me more than one compliment from the congregation after the show! |
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Posts: 108
Location: eastern united states | well, kudos dave ! i'm glad your church enjoyed it. you are obviously overjoyed at your accomplishment. keep up the good work and hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy it also. |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I don't know how many times I have thought about doing the fake nail thing also(to enhance my fingerstyle picking), but I haven't been able, nor mature enough, to get over the stigma of feeling like I'm cross-dressing or something like that.(: My nails are so weak and brittle, that they could never get thick or hard enough to be effective for picking. So I just trim them and play farther down toward the bridge to get a sharper attack on the strings. I've tried all the nail-hardening techniques suggested by different people, and also the plastic finger picks, but it just don't work. My hands are extremely old and abused looking, so putting pretty nails on them would really stand out as weird-looking. I have always wanted to delve much deeper into the area of classical and flamenco playning techniques, but I guess for now I'll have to just make due with what I have. |
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Location: sitting at my computer | Originally posted by bvince:
...haven't been able, nor mature enough, to get over the stigma of feeling like I'm cross-dressing or something like that.(: LOL - I think as long as ya avoid painting 'em hot pink or diva red ya outta be OK. :D |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | They're only weird looking if you finish them off with Pink, Sky-Blue or Midnight Hooker Red.
Use clear and no one will notice. |
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Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by Beal:
They're only weird looking if you finish them off with Pink, Sky-Blue or Midnight Hooker Red.
oops... |
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Posts: 15673
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by dark bar:
Originally posted by Beal:
They're only weird looking if you finish them off with Pink, Sky-Blue or Midnight Hooker Red.
oops... |
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Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | It's easy to see your conundrum there, dB. They match the shirts but clash with your lipstick.
Life is full of tough challenges but let us know how you make out with that one. |
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Location: Central Oregon | I've been using acrylic nails for two years, ever since I started learning to play fingerstyle. My guitar teacher (Bobby Gibson) introduced me to his good friend Nokie Edwards (of The Ventures) a year & a half ago. Nokie has been using acrylic nails for years. They really aren't noticeable & they work really well if you aren't blessed with iron nails like Bobby has. I've been going to Nashville for the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention for the last two years & a lot of the pros use 'em.
This video is getting a little old & I should replace it, but fwiw- http://www.youtube.com/user/NilsNorling?feature=mhsn#p/u/9/devQ0poq...
I’m playing my Gretsch in this one but I think the last video I put up I was playing my 2002 Collectors. I think I have 11 videos up at the moment. Nothing outstanding but they're fun to make.
I. Ben Lurkin |
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Location: closely held secret | Still over in the high desert, Nils? |
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Location: Central Oregon | Yep, still in Central Oregon. I've been here for 43 years, same house for 33. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | Nils... your playing is at a level I hope to reach soon. What I'm most blown away by is how much you and I resemble each other. Closest resemblance I've seen in my life! |
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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Thank you Dave. Getting the thumb to work independently from the fingers is the hardest part by far. It just isn’t a natural thing for it to do. I hope you get yours trained faster than I did mine, it took me a full year to be able to do it at all. It's gotten quite a bit easier since I made that video four months ago. It will almost go by itself now, at least most of the time. I'm retired now & have a lot of time to practice. I was still struggling with it some when I made that video. Every time I watch that thing all I see is mistakes. I need to replace it I guess, or at least make a current one. I’ll have some new stuff for YouTube ready before too long.
You mean there are two of us that look like this? Tough break times two! Heheh :)
KOP! |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Took me about a year, too, but I still can't get the thumbwork in something like "Tears in Heaven". |
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Location: Orlando, FL | I enjoyed your videos Nils. This playing style always looked like it was just plain fun to do.
That whole "independent thumb" thing has tripped me up for years. After practicing it a while I get frustrated and work on something else.
I think I have a dependent thumb. |
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Location: Flahdaw | My thumb's so independent that I have no idea what it's doing half the time. |
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Location: Connersville, Indiana | Dave I guess I'm the odd ball here. I cut my finger nails down real low. I prefer a softer sound when finger picking, so thats why I cut my nails all the way down. Don't have a thumb problem, I started teaching myself years ago to finger pick. I use a three finger banjo type roll, and I can even practice when I'm driving. While I listen to a song I have my right hand on my leg and I practice the finger roll while I drive to the song. But then again I'm brain damaged :D :D |
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Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Originally posted by dark bar:
My thumb's so independent that I have no idea what it's doing half the time. I think it's online, ordering your shirts... |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by kitmann:
[QB] While I listen to a song I have my right hand on my leg and I practice the finger roll /QB] Weaser does that while surfing the internet |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Both hands. |
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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by Designzilla:
I enjoyed your videos Nils. This playing style always looked like it was just plain fun to do.
That whole "independent thumb" thing has tripped me up for years. After practicing it a while I get frustrated and work on something else.
I think I have a dependent thumb. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Here's a TE video that helped me a lot before I met Bobby & started getting one on one lessons every week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF9xobsf9hw
I would pick a simple song like Freight Train & just play the thumb part while changing chords & humming the tune, pretty much like Tommy says in the video. After five or ten thousand times it starts to feel a little more natural. There might be a quicker way but I sure don't know what it would be. Starting to learn at 21 instead of 61 probably would have helped... After two years of one on one lessons I'm still very much a beginner at fingerstyle but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Nils, next time you're at the CAAS, stop and introduce yourself to Loren Barrigar . Great guy and a huge talent. |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | I haven't met Loren yet but I watched & listened to him in both 2010 & 2011. I agree, he's a fabulous picker. There are so many people there it's very difficult to hear & meet everyone. There are at least three scheduled shows going on all day every day, plus the two pickin' rooms & the people playing in the lobby, in the halls & out by the pool & everywhere else. I met Tommy Emmanuel for the first time in the elevator in 2010. Maybe I'll have an opportunity to meet Loren next July. Will you be there in 2012? |
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October 2005
Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | No, I'm not a real fingerstyle guy. Admire the talent but can't do it really at all. I do know Loren though because he lives here in town and was one of three guys that started what they call the Guitar League. You can read more about that here . It's a real low budget group of guitar players who get together on a monthly basis and talk about all different aspects of guitar "stuff" - maintenance, recording, playing, writing, structure, etc. They take anyone with interest. Any talent level is good enough. It's a really great group of players and they've brought in a lot of big time names to play for the group including Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles.
That's probably enough for now but, if you get a chance, stop and meet Loren. He won't know me by name but we've traded guitars and played across from each other many times. He's playing with a guy from New Zealand now that I think has also been at the show - Mark Mazengarb. Check them out here . |
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Fingerstyle debut...