Homespun.com Forum / Homespun.com Forums / All archived posts

Thumbpick question

Norman Neihaus — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:17:03 GMT

I love all the Homespun DVD's. I have the Easy Steps to Acoustic Blues Guitar, the Ernie Hawkins CAGED set, Bob Dylan, both Chord Magics, The Blues Bag, etc. My question is; I've tried using a thumbpick and haven't been able to get use to it yet (I'm not even going to attempt fingerpicks). Is this something that develops over time? I've tried the lessons with just my bare thumb and they sound OK, but when I try the thumbpick (until I get frustrated and give up) I like the sound better. I also have the Lovin Spoonful DVD and it seems that a thumbpick is essential with that one.
Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Norm N.

About the Archived Posts

Happy Traum — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:15:56 GMT

The posts in this folder have all been moved over from our previous website, and go back several years. We felt that these postings were a valuable resource and we didn't want to lose them, so they are (mostly) all here. Please browse through them or search for topics that might be of interest to you. I think you'll find that the folder with the newer postings will be easier to navigate and will have more functionality, so post your new communications there.

This new Forum has lots of features that I'm just learning about myself, so we'll be browsing around together and trying things out. Hopefully, we'll all get used to it soon and we'll have new and better ways of staying in touch and getting the information that will make us all better players and music lovers.

Have fun!!!

Happy

[Joe Moore]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:39:45 GMT

A personal opinion here- I enjoy reading Jorma'a thoughts and diary on his site. At 58 , I get spiritual nourishment from different places and it has little to do with religion . That being said , Jorma is a masterful player of old Blues stuff as well as Rock. he has devoted his life now to teaching . I bought the jorma Cd for those reasons . I think his way of playing is very hard for me. I also think that Happy is a better teacher in that he is easier to follow. This is no knock on Jorma. " beauty is to the eye of the beholder " but I think you should plunk down the $34 ( shipping) and give jorma a try ) part 1 ) because it is worth watching this artist work and also meld his playing with Jack Cassady. Hey , just a thought !

Peace !

[Peter Hyatt]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:13:59 GMT

has anyone done Jorma's fingerpicking series after doing Happy's? If so, comparisons and comments? I admit to not really knowing any Hot Tuna music, and only some of the old hits from Jefferson Airplane/Starship....

Enjoying the Acoustic Blues DVD 2 songs right now but want more "course" like material in fingerpicking. I am biding my time waiting for Happy to release "Volume 4" of his fingerpicking series

(hint, hint)

[Paul]: re:Ricky Nelson

Admin — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 12:25:19 GMT

Chromeheart
Ricky was my First Idol too and I miss him still/
I do have serveral Picture Sleeves of his. One for sure is rare
Cutgrind1@aol.com

[John M. Purser]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:50:23 GMT

I sort of agree though I didn't get "blood thirsty" from his recording.

I always thought one of Johnny's great gifts was really making you see the other guy's life. Walk in his shoes so to speak. In folsom prison blues the singer didn't regret the fact that he "shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" but the fact that he was stuck in jail while others were free.

In Delia the murderer didn't regret killing her, even though he was haunted by her presence in Jail, crying out for comfort from his jailor to save him from her ghost.

After that stanza he boast about "doing her like delia got done" sounds more than a bit hollow. Like a man scared to sleep for the nightmares.

Dark certainly. But I didn't get blood thirsty.

But then only half a song is the singer. The rest is the listener.

John

[Peter Hyatt]: re:Song Index of lessons

Admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:11:40 GMT

John,

I e-mailed Homespun about this awhile ago....I think they have a lot of suggestions from us! It would be great to have that index, though. I photograph the tab and keep it outside the DVD for practice. I put things in order of the DVD series but have now started to organize by key (drop D tuning songs all in one folder!). Maybe I am a bit too organized!

I went to the iTunes store and purchased a lot of songs that Happy and/or Artie have recorded that are part of the lessons here, and really enjoy that. Not only has it helped my playing but I've now found more performers that I enjoy as artists (along with Huttlinger's material).

If I had my way, they would burn a CD of performances found in lessons, but link them together. Quite frankly, I don't think it would be a big production because just as Happy starts a new song by singing it, a CD of him alone doing all the songs (all the verses, too...I'm greedy) would be terrific not only for lessons, but on my and my kids' ipods! (I have 6 kids and they have all "discovered" Happy Traum music!

by the way, hit the progress thread and let us know how you are coming along!

[Susan]: re:Song Index of lessons

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:26:40 GMT

Hi John

There's a very handy feature on the website under the Main Search button. It's the little red advanced search link. If you put any song title in the Keyword area, you'll see all the lessons that teach that song.

[John M. Purser]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:51:12 GMT

Joe,

Yer singing my song. I'm 47. I've tried to pick up the guitar sporadically since I was about 40. Now I'm a disabled vet who frankly aint got much he CAN do but watch TV and pick! Thank god for the picking!

It's also been a very healing thing for me. Somehow growing up I got the idea that you could either do something or you couldn't. No learning, no getting better through time and effort, no progress. Do or fail and failure was the ultimate sin.

So I didn't a lot.

The last 9 months or so have been quite a revelation. As Peter has pointed out on this thread progress over time is the hallmark of learning to play the guitar (and I suppose any musical instrument). It has been very good for me. Just last night I was watching my fretting hand dancing through some scales and I was thinking about how I was plodding just a few months ago. A new "A major" chord form is starting to work reliably. A simple song I've played to death is becoming new as I no longer have to think so hard about it and am free to feel it.

New worlds opening up. From my recliner. Awesome.

John

[Peter Hyatt]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:53:09 GMT

great post, Joe.

I am trying to stick to fingerpicking and it is so easy to get pulled away to other areas! I need a plan and to keep focused, my short journal is a big help. For 2007, today is my 200th entry; having not missed a single day since Jan 1, 2007 (my New Year's Resolution). A few days I was sick and was only able to play about 10 minutes, but most has been 1 hour per day. The journal helps me stay focused and encourages me.

Day #71 CANNOT play ______ song.

Day #77 song coming along slowly.

Day #87 Playing song completely through. Looking to add some flair

just an example.

makes it a lot of fun!

I also check this thread, almost every day. I like reading about what you and others are tackling and overcoming, including arthritis and the urge to branch off to every style!

[Joe Moore]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:48:45 GMT

I just turned 58 yesterday and John , I fully understand what you just said !! The " worst " thing about this is the guitar . I say " worst" because it is such a wonderful inviting instrument and it lures us and there are so many different places to go . Do I try Blues , Bluegrass , Folk, rock , jazz or combinations? Do I fgingerpick , strum or lead or slide? So many paths(I've just named a precious few) and so many issues - age , arthritis , lack of time, lack of talent ( me) . Some people would say that these are all excuses . John , in our world today,the Monte Python addage "and now for something completely different "has become the norm in so many areas . I think the guitar or any musical endeavor requires sustained bits and pieces of focused and fun attention . As I said before , I think you find your own way, and go ! I hope , down the road , Happy can do something on this in terms of Levels , interests etc. I think it could serve as a guidepost and a springboard for people . I knew about Homespun for many years but I am now appreciating it more and more . This thread helps big time !

Peace !

[John M. Purser]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:29:58 GMT

Morning Peter,

Yeah, I'm real big on plans. I usually come up with a new one every day! Kind of an all sails, no rudder guy.

John Purser

[Peter Hyatt]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:11:19 GMT

Has anyone heard Dylan's version from "The Supper Club" performances of late 1993?

wow.

[Jim]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:01:19 GMT

I think Johnny Cash has the most blood-thirsty of all versions of Delia's Gone. The only verse that shows any compasion is:

First time I shot her,
I shot her in the side.
Couldn't watch her suffer,
But with the second shot she died.

I sang Johnny's version once at a Johnny Cash tribute show, but I couldn't bring myself to sing his last verse. I realise that many murder ballads don't give a reason for the killing, but he actually encourages others to go out and do the same thing. Also, he doesn't end up in prison or "hangin' from a white oak tree."

[Jim]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:38:37 GMT

My favourite version is David Bromberg's. He sings a verse that he learned from Willie McTell:

Deia, Delia, How could it be?
You loved all them rounders,
But you never really did love me
Delia's gone...

Everyone seems to add a different number of "One more rounds" I heard Joe Hickerson's wife; sorry, I forget her name, sing a version that ends:
Delia's gone, one more time,
Delia's gone, one more time,
Delia's gone, one more time,
Delia's gone.

This is the version that I sing now.

[John M. Purser]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:06:04 GMT

Mike,

Roger McGuinn's DVD right here on Homespun has delia's gone. The product code is: DVDGUIFS21

John

[Warren Mayo]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:30:47 GMT

Mike,

"Delias Gone" is on Happy's "Buckets of Songs" CD. I have the tab for that version and I will be glad to send you a copy with Happy's permission. Just e-mail me your mailing address to: trixie@sio.midco.net

Regards,

Warren

[John M. Purser]: re:Delias gone

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:22:11 GMT

Mike,

Johnny Cash has several versions of that song out that might give you some good ideas. When he sings:

Jailor oh Jailor,
Jailor I can't sleep.
Cause all around I hear the
patter of Delias feet

The hair on the back of my neck stands straight up. I think there was a version on his "American Recordings"

I think I had a .pdf file with it as well. I'll see if I can find it and if I can I'll shoot you an e-mail.

John

[John M. Purser]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:16:18 GMT

Morning Peter,

I was just sipping coffee and figuring out where I want to go next. I've got Happy's "Easy Steps to Acoustic Blues Guitar I & II" dvds as well as some older VHS finger picking material from him. I think maybe I'll dive in there. I really enjoy finger picking much more than the "chunka chunka" chord stuff I was doing. Still I try to spend some time every day running scales in different positions and practicing strumming chords. It's all good. And any time I spend with my Guild GAD-50L in my hands is good time.

I've got a Happy dvd coming from Netflix on the music of John Hurt. I love his style and enjoy reading about the man as well. I'm looking forward to that. Netflix has been a nice way to preview dvds I'm thinking about buying.

And I've always got a stack of books by the chair when either my fingers are too sore to go on with the guitar or Jennie's ears are.

Thanks for asking and have a good one.

John Purser

[Peter Hyatt]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:51:49 GMT

John,

what's next up for you?

[Eric]: re:truly grateful to homespu

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:23:32 GMT

I agree that homespun is an excellent source of almost anything you need. I've been playing the guitar now for seven years but I feel like I haven't progressed for the longest time. But thanks to homespuntapes, I took a giant leap forward in my learning experience and I now feel like I can play anything. This website is like my sacred learning place where I enjoy experiencing new guitar techniques. There is alot of phony guitar teachers/lessons out there that aren't even half as good as homespun. I would suggest to anyone that this is the place to learn.

[martinwinder]: re:truly grateful to home

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:49:31 GMT

Ditto. after a few hours with Happy, I have made tremendous progress. My wife used to say learn some songs. now she says how many times are you going to play those songs? Answer, thousands of times. Thanks Happy

[John M. Purser]: Shut yer pie hole Rick!

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:24:22 GMT

You keep buttering them up like that and Happy will raise prices!

John

[Peter Hyatt]: re:truly grateful to homespu

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:47:26 GMT

agreed.

I've made a bigger leap in 6 months under Homespun than in 10 + years . I feel like I am learning the "solid" way of playing; with attention to detail with Happy's methodical instruction, and even working as an "athlete" with Pete Huttlinger's practice methods.

For the very short period in my life where I took lessons, I learned "blackbird", but not how to fingerpick. Ugh.

[Homespun Tapes]: RE: unsure of my level

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:18:21 GMT

I strongly recommend Butch Baldassari's Mandolin Workshop DVD. It covers some very basic techniques and then goes on to intermediate level material. Lots of great tunes, too. I don't think you can go wrong with this one, and it will give you the stuff you'll need to go on to more advanced lessons.

Happy

	Butch Baldassari's Bluegrass Mandolin Workshop A Complete Guide for Learning Players Taught By Butch Baldassari. 120 Minute DVD, Includes music and tab
	This comprehensive, user-friendly mandolin method takes you from bare-bone basics to solidly intermediate material in a single two-hour lesson.

[John M Purser]: re:Progress Thread....

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:03:32 GMT

I get the "ad naseum" part. I want to run ahead and get into the more advanced stuff but just today I was (once again) running through "Good Night Ladies) and it suddenly occured to me where I could put a base run. If I hadn't known that song inside and out I wouldn't have seen how it would work. Very cool.

Thanks again Happy for all the good material.

[Dan]: re:plastic fingerpicks

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:13:31 GMT

thanks - I made an assumption all large plastic fingerpicks same size- I'll try some different types

[Peter Hyatt]: re:fingerpicking question

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:51:32 GMT

Sam, good response by Eric. Just a note:

stay with the alternate bass....the brain's muscle memory will eventually kick in. If you are not a "natural", it will still come and once it does, you own it and can have a lot of fun branching off.

Jump on the Progress Thread and let us know how you are doing. Read through it as several of us went through that 3 DVD "course" (as I like to refer to it). Tell us what song you are on, and how you are doing with it....

[Joe Moore]: re:fingerpicking question

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:37:10 GMT

The whole " damping" area is hard from me. With my left fretting hand , either the arthritis or ...is making it hatd to use the fingers to damp. With my right strumming/fingerpicking/flatpicking hand , getting that hand down is also very difficult but i will keep on truckin' . This is one of the reasons I am floating between flatpickin' and fingerpickin' . Maybe , i should just concentrate on strumming along . This forum and Homespun is preety cool . Thank you .

[eric]: re:fingerpicking question

Admin — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:55:20 GMT

I'm assuming you have trouble palm-muting in general because it's basically the same technique used when fingerpicking. I'm not sure what style of music your playing but in most cases you rarely need to move your muting position while fingerpicking. Practice getting that muting sound on the E and A strings while rythmically plucking with your thumb. Once you get that down then try hitting the rest of the strings with whatever fingers you feel comfortable with playing (besides the thumb because you still need to use that while muting). So, techniquely you should palm mute your lower strings (I mainly do E and A) and pluck with your thumb (I don't use a thumb pick by the way, try whats best for you). The key importance is to keep that palm mute in place while using your other fingers. If you mute with your right hand then it should be stationary unless your muting other strings down the neck.

[tom bibber]: re:fingerpicking question

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:27:02 GMT

i've had some success in damping when I rest my palm, close to my wrist, just in front of the guitar pegs on my guitar. my palm overlaps the pegs and bass strings. enough flesh dampens the bass strings to give them that thumping funky sound. also it allows enough room between my fingertips and the treble strings to pick comfortably.

mostly i find that practising a problem just 10 or 15 minutes a day and then forgeting about it will lead to just doing it without much thought involved eventually.

i had trouble dampening also but now it just sort of happens.

[Lewis]: re:fingerpicking question

Admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:10:34 GMT

Hi
I had the same trouble and then found that if I use the side of the thumb rather than the thumbnail to "pick" the bass strings, i could do it no problem. You soon develop a nice callous on the side of the thumb.
Stick with it: blues sound much better with dampened bass strings.
Regards
Lewis

[Paul]: re:Ricky Nelson

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:20:51 GMT

Thanks so much for thr tip about Ricky Nelson songs. I know James Burton recorded with him

[Paul]: re:Ricky Nelson

Admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:15:18 GMT

Jeff .. You are Right. They have it and I am getting it. Thanks so much!!

[Bill Bruner]: re:plastic fingerpicks

Admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:00:33 GMT

plastic picks can easily be re-shaped with hot water.. to any size... but you can order large ones from any catalog service. Read my "finger picks" message.

[Bruce]: re:plastic fingerpicks

Admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 08:19:41 GMT

I use large fingerpicks but haven't seen any extra large. I have found that they vary from pick to pick so if you have a music store close by that carries them you can try them on and hopefully find some that will work for you.

I generally get my fingerpicks from Elderly and order 6 to 10 at a time and use the ones that fit best.

Good luck,

Bruce

[Homespun Tapes]: RE: singing with gui

Admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:23:40 GMT

Many of my lessons (among those of other instructors) include learning songs along with guitar techniques. I don't teach singing per se, but I do show you how your vocals go along with the guitar parts. If you are just getting started, I'd suggest my "You Can Play Guitar," which has many folk songs you can learn to play along with. You might also try my "Guitar Building Blocks" and any of the fingerpicking or blues lessons I have put together.

I'll keep the songwriting idea in mind for the future. Thanks.

Happy

	You Can Play Guitar! A Complete Course for the Beginner Taught By Happy Traum. Two DVDs, Includes Chords, Music and Tab
	You can make music on the guitar even if you have never strummed a note! Happy Traum makes it easy with his unique step-by-step method.

[Dusty ]: re:Rev. Gary Davis

Admin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:49:06 GMT

Sorry but to correct the Rev Gary Davis DVD lessons by Ernie Hawkins are not sold on this website.

[Ken H]: re:What would you suggest?

Admin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:37:22 GMT

I agree, Joe. :-)

I just wish I had decided to learn forty years ago. My dad played guitar(and fiddle) some and he could have gotten me started.

[Dave]: re:Martin D-28

Admin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:54:21 GMT

Hello Joe,
Glad to hear your another happy Martin player too.I'm sure your right about moving up in class.Those are nice guitar's as well without breaking the bank.Before I got my OM I was considering buying the same guitar you have.Also was considering the OM-21,about the same cost as a D-28.Also thought about the OM-18V because I do like the sound of Mahogany,a bit brighter than rosewood.I personaly wanted a"1 3/4
neck so I had to stick with an OM as opose to the 000's because I think most of them were"1 11/16.
Great thing about Martin is they sure do have the ability to meet most people's needs but it sure can be tough on a new guy if they are not sure of what they want until it's to late.Have a great day and Jam On!