Using a pick

Nitro1515 · Unread post by **Nitro1515** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:18 am

yeah i just need to play through it, im getting a little bit better each day with the pick, i got to keep at it. Its tough though because my roomate is an absolute master at the guitar and i feel like an ass when im using a pick and mess up because everything comes so easy to him. During the summer though i will be able to really practice more.

c_tietze · Unread post by **c_tietze** » Tue May 04, 2004 2:08 pm

Get a book, or go online and find out the correct way to hold a pick. Then practice slowly.

It's very tough at first, your wrist and arm are not used to the fluid motion of flat picking. It comes only with practice.

When you learn how to hold a pick and strum properly my best advice to you is to "choke up" on the pick, this will be key in playing DMB tunes on the guitar.

Regardless of what anyone says about Dave's guitar playing and his abilities, it is his RYHTHM that makes him so damn good. You can learn the chords, the difficult stretches, but it's the strumming that allows you to unlock the "secrets" if you will and play DMB accurately.

Peace,

CJT

P.S. While learning I would highly recommend using thin picks and then work your way up. Dave uses mediums, the Tortex .60's I believe, they're orange. I prefer Dunlop because they are easy to hold on to. Holding onto the pick is another animal in itself and those tips are for another post at another time.

whip3512 · Unread post by **whip3512** » Tue May 04, 2004 3:14 pm

c_tietze wrote:Get a book, or go online and find out the correct way to hold a pick. Then practice slowly.

It's very tough at first, your wrist and arm are not used to the fluid motion of flat picking. It comes only with practice.

When you learn how to hold a pick and strum properly my best advice to you is to "choke up" on the pick, this will be key in playing DMB tunes on the guitar.

Regardless of what anyone says about Dave's guitar playing and his abilities, it is his RYHTHM that makes him so damn good. You can learn the chords, the difficult stretches, but it's the strumming that allows you to unlock the "secrets" if you will and play DMB accurately.
Peace,

CJT

P.S. While learning I would highly recommend using thin picks and then work your way up. Dave uses mediums, the Tortex .60's I believe, they're orange. I prefer Dunlop because they are easy to hold on to. Holding onto the pick is another animal in itself and those tips are for another post at another time.

Couldn't have said it better myself. That is exactly what makes his songs hard to get right. You might have the chords right, but if you don't have the rythm right, it will not sound so good.

Hey CJT, what brings you by these boads sir? Glad to see a Nancy around.

whip3512 · Unread post by **whip3512** » Tue May 04, 2004 3:15 pm

Sorry, double post.

charliemike · Unread post by **charliemike** » Tue May 04, 2004 3:55 pm

davematthews03 wrote:Ok people...you want the low down on using a pick?
Ive been playing guitar for over 5 years now...I can play every I repeat...EVERY Dave Matthews Song...they aint hard....but...they are a little unfamiliar mainly for the reason that dave will feel he needs to create his own chord...why i dont know...anyway...because of the difficulty of striking every necessary string regaurdless of whether or not it is in full sound or muted you do need to use a pick....Timmy uses picks..and yes he does use just his fingers sometimes...whats amazing is the fact that Tim can switch the pick to finger motion so rapidly when he needs it....it's called Professionalism......which takes....Guess....A lot of practice...
No doubt you dont need picks on every song...but you do need it for lets say...Two Step...and you really should practice songs like Wherehouse and Satelite and Some Devil with a pick....songs like Crazy...you dont need a pick...you need to understand the proper usage of when to use a pick and when not to....
Anyway..its late and for some God awfull reason Ive decided to try and watch Meet Joe Black ......I didnt like it the first time but Im hoping for something to strike me tonight that is so profound that I see the movie in a different light...

Two things:

1) Dave learned how to play songs by guys that did alternate tunings (and Dave didn't realize it) so he plays things differently than most.

I don't know Dave's musical background but guys like Johnny Reznick have funky tunings because they don't know musical theory and resort to crazy tunings. Which is why Reznick had writer's block for two years. Poor SOB. And the only reason I know this is that someone I trust who knows music theory explained it to me

Now, it could be that Dave's combination of playing songs and not having a lot of music theory experience led him to writing songs the way he does. The reason I say it is that he has the bass line written into a lot of his songs so that when he plays by himself (like Two Step for example) it's not all just rhythm guitar parts. *shrug* In theory, he shouldn't need the bass line in the rhythm part because Stefan plays the bass. I could be talking out my ass too

2) Claire Forlani is worth watching regardless of how bad a movie is

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Tue May 04, 2004 9:35 pm

davematthews03 wrote: No doubt you dont need picks on every song...but you do need it for lets say...Two Step...and you really should practice songs like Wherehouse and Satelite and Some Devil with a pick

Um, I can play Two Step without a pick, and I get more control when playing with my fingers on satelite and warehouse.

Now, Some Devil, that is a fingerpicked song

Dave uses no pick on that one.

Also, people may say I am arrogant, well, I am sorry if I came off that way, but what I say is what I say, sorry if people take it that way. Also, I am here mainly to have fun and help people out.

GreyBlueAnt · Unread post by **GreyBlueAnt** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:23 pm

I'd love to hear you play warehouse without a pick. I've never even thought of it. Part of me doesn't even want to try it, but i'd love to hear you do it. do you think you could post a clip of it.

DMBFan63 · Unread post by **DMBFan63** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:25 pm

GreyBlueAnt wrote:I'd love to hear you play warehouse without a pick. I've never even thought of it. Part of me doesn't even want to try it, but i'd love to hear you do it. do you think you could post a clip of it.

It's actually exceptionally easy to play without a pick.. i guess just practicing makes perfect

Dilbert · Unread post by **Dilbert** » Wed May 05, 2004 3:30 am

Hey Thespian. I didn't mean that I thought you were arrogant, au contraire, it was someone else who had only just registered here and was claiming to be the fountain of all knowledge in a sort of "I'm better than you lot" type of way. I was apologising for "ranting". Next time I'll just have a moan! :lol:

charliemike · Unread post by **charliemike** » Wed May 05, 2004 8:33 am

I'd like to hear mp3s of Two Step and Warehouse sans pick.

I gotta pick up a D&T DVD ... I can't even imagine how fast Tim's hands are flying if he's playing without a pick.

ShawnRT · Unread post by **ShawnRT** » Wed May 05, 2004 9:11 am

Practice both! There are sounds and techniques that are going to be impossible to pull off without a pick and the same is true with fingerstyle. Don't limit yourself. This isnt a Coke vs Pepsi thing. Many 'famous guitarists' practice folding the pick into their hand when they want to switch to fingerstyle. Brian Setzer does this exceptionally well. You're just getting started and like anything else, it's just going to take some time and practice. Good luck!

c_tietze · Unread post by **c_tietze** » Wed May 05, 2004 11:25 am

Hey Whip3512

Yeah I've been visiting JKanter's site for a while now and I just started posting here.

My final advice is play with a pick if you wish, and don't play with one if you don't want to. Some people like to smoke a bowl and some don't, but's okay, it's meant to be that way.

Seriously, when I learn songs I always play them a little differently, kind of my "own take" if you will. Some folks are really anal when it comes to playing songs and they require the EXACT strumming/picking pattern, the EXACT chords, the EXACT notes, etc.

Do whatever makes you happy, but I will say to get that chunk-a-chunka-slap ryhthm that Dave does so well you do need to use a pick.

Peace,

CJT

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Wed May 05, 2004 9:08 pm

c_tietze wrote:Hey Whip3512

Yeah I've been visiting JKanter's site for a while now and I just started posting here.

My final advice is play with a pick if you wish, and don't play with one if you don't want to. Some people like to smoke a bowl and some don't, but's okay, it's meant to be that way.

Seriously, when I learn songs I always play them a little differently, kind of my "own take" if you will. Some folks are really anal when it comes to playing songs and they require the EXACT strumming/picking pattern, the EXACT chords, the EXACT notes, etc.

Do whatever makes you happy, but I will say to get that chunk-a-chunka-slap ryhthm that Dave does so well you do need to use a pick.

Peace,

CJT

I just want to say, what a nice, informative, peaceful, and wonderful post. I wish every post on here was like this again

.

You get a gold star!

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Wed May 05, 2004 9:10 pm

Also, for warehouse and such, I will get a recording, sure. I play Warehouse all the time, one of my favorites.

GreyBlueAnt · Unread post by **GreyBlueAnt** » Wed May 05, 2004 9:26 pm

thanks.

DMBTabs.com

Using a pick

Re: Pick usage...Good OR Evil?

Re: Pick usage...Good OR Evil?

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