Hi all,

Have been playing for around 6 months now, and am continuting to make pretty reasonable progress (had a good break through last week in the hand independence area). But the one thing I'm wrestling with right now is playing with a lighter touch. I know from experimentation that I get a better overall tone when I play lightly, but I find that as I get into a song my fingers are smacking the heck out of the fingerboard, even on slower songs.

Anyone have suggestions or practice techniques that they use to maintain a lighter touch?

Thanks for any thoughts,
Karma

Honestly, recognizing the problem is the biggest hurdle.

overall when I want to add something to my playing I just consciously add it into my practice routine. In other words practice touching more lightly.

Greg Howard is a great guy to talk to,
You may be using too much finger and not enough large motor movement. In other words use your wrist and whole arm and upper body to stike a note, it may seem like you would get even more power (and you can) but you gain greater control over dynamics.

Also watch some Steve Adelson videos, he is a master of light touch and fluidity.

where are you from? They will both be at the NorthEast seminar!!!!!!

shameless promoter
Brett

I sometimes deal with this same issue. I think it is probably very common with developing Stickists, especially if you come from a guitar background like myself. Guitar strings typically have much higher tension than do Sticks, so you must tap harder on a guitar than on a Stick. I know it took me a while to get that through my head.

Here is one possible solution. Turn your amp up. Why? Because the extra volume should make you more aware of of the Stick's dynamics, and thus more aware of your ability to control volume with your physical actions. In today's world of uber compression in music production it is easy to forget that dynamics is one of the four elements of music.

The Stick is very dynamically sensitive, learn use & love that. Very purposefully vary the volume of what you play. Play a passage loud then soft, practice crescendos & diminuendos.

I often find that my guitar students can more easily make corrections if I tell then to do exactly what I want them to change. For example; if they pick too hard and seem to have trouble playing softer, I tell them to play loud than do the opposite of that.

Hope this is helpful.

Karma,
Jeff is right on with his erudite and eloquent observations and comments.

always practice with an amp! I used to just pick up my PolyCarb which has "the rods" and wail away, only to find when I plugged in I actually thought I had an intonation problem with the first string. Here it was I was doing just like you and pushing the string onto the board and sharpening it like an inward bend.


So turn your amp up to 11 ( one of those Spinal Tap Stick amps!) , and then use the LIGHTEST touch to make the string sing. remember if it is set up right, and the truss adjusted you don't need a lot to make the note ring. also if you don't need to sustain the note, like a whole note, then as our hockey players say, Stick and Move. tap the note and move on to the next.

the Stick is called a tapping instrument for a good reason, it is one! so you don't have to as Deep Purple put it "Wring that Neck" ( hint for another post involving those clever Frenchmen) like you did in your former life as a guitarist or bassist.

hope this helps,
Dave Brosky

Thanks for the nod, Brett,

From my perspective, the goal is not a lighter touch but a more consistent control of dynamics. The best way I've found to do this is to focus on supporting the fingers with large muscle movements in the arms.

This has several benefits:

1. increased dynamic control (anyone who has been to one of my seminars or taken lesson with me can attest to this).

2. better timing (because giving the fingers the job of timing is too much additional responsibility)

3. better tone (this is a big one). More controlled energy transferred to the string means a stronger fundamental.

If you think of a dancer, where the feet touch the floor is only the last ultimate point, and is supported by movements of the whole body. Tapping an be just like that, or it can be like typing. I prefer to dance on the fretboard than to type on it

The last point is to make sure you tap just behind the fret whenever possible. This will also give you a cleaner, more consistent attack and fatter sound.

Skype lessons and seminars available....

>>>Steve Adelson , he is a master of light touch and fluidity<<<<

I'm gonna' use this as a pick up line.
Thanks

What a timely thread! When I started, I was *very very* careful and light on the fingers because I was coming back from an old injury and didn't want to re-injure myself. I just notice more recently, though, that I've actually developed some strength and stamina--and am probably "slamming" the strings down quite a bit harder than I need to.

I'll try and use some of these tips in rehearsal tonight.