resting pick hand on strings

Bill Baseman · Post by **Bill Baseman** » 3 Oct 2005 4:19 pm

Do you rest the palm of your pick hand on the strings (the strings not being picked) while you play or is this a poor habit to get into?

Thanks,
Bill

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Oct 2005 4:38 pm

Yes, and I think most players do! It's a valuable muting technique, and it eliminates a lot of extraneous noise from the bar sliding on the unplayed strings.

Nic du Toit · Post by **Nic du Toit** » 4 Oct 2005 10:18 am

Bill, be carefull there! Righthand muting is a learned skill. Just resting your hand on the strings will impede playing wide grips when needed, etc.

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Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 4 Oct 2005 5:52 pm

"The Right Hand Alpha" (Jeff Newman's course) comes to mind. Now, if I can just get my fingers to bend sideways that far...They keep forgetting...

Sonny Miller · Post by **Sonny Miller** » 5 Oct 2005 12:29 pm

Bill, From a Jeff Newman seminar in the 80's.here is what i was taught as i recall.

When i first started i attended a Jeff Newmans Seminar (one of many), he had us put the edge of the right hand on the strings. Like a judo chop.
Then you leaned your right hand to the left, about a 45 degree, position, make a loose fist,and put your thumb on your second finger, and snap your finger, hard enough so that your hand jumps off the strings , giving it a clear fast tone, which is immediately cut off, as you snap your finger again and again. Of course the snap is when you are picking the string.

Jeff taught us that the higher your first knuckle is the faster you will pick. Of course some people are different, so Jeff was referring to the majority. Your right hand is bent by the knuckle about 30-40 degress, so that you are picking at about the cross crease or life line on your palm. Slightly uncomfortale but quickly gets to feeling better.

If you play the 1 string or the 8 string your hand keeps the same position as you move it toward the string you want.

Your hand goes forward and backward covering all strings as you need them. Hope this helps you out a bit. It was a memory test for me, as it was 25 years ago.

Hope this gets you on your way.And helps out some, as it certainly has helped some of my students along the way.