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Re: John's Picking Trick



Has anyone else wondered how John E swaps from pick to finger-picking
mid-tune?  How does he do it?  I play a little bit of BG but this one
stumps me.  And does anyone know the first recorded instance of guitar
feedback?

Neil

John uses certain finger and nail techniques that sometimes sound like
he's picking (Geddy Lee is a master of this technique).  He also
sometimes plays a few single notes with his middle, ring or pinky
fingers while still holding the pick (especially G string pops). I think
I've heard him play a few chords like that (picks the root and pops
thirds, fourths, fifths or octaves).

In addition, he sometimes flicks the strings with his fingernail,
producing a sound halfway between a loudly picked note and a pop.

I'm not aware of any songs on which he switches completely from picking
to pizacatto, at least not quickly enough for it to be difficult.  On
his instructional video, when he jams with Arlen Roth, he switches a few
times, but just by putting his pick on his thigh (or picking it up
again) while letting the last note ring and picking up again after a few
beats.  Do you know of any examples of him doing anything other than
this?
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__________________________________________
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Steve Newman
SDH Marketing and Technical Communications
ECI Telecom
Petah Tiqva, Israel
e-mail: newman@ecitele.com
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