Barrie Cadogan's right hand

soma1975

How would you go about working on removing the tension in your picking hand to the point of having the wonderful looseness and fluidity of Barry in this clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnAZ55cxLSA

My biggest stumbling block is trying to get my right hand looser.

Any tips greatly appreciated. 

Brad

Great playing in that clip!

I’d check for any tension in your shoulders first. Without realising we hold a lot there, particularly when we’re concentrating and that tension transfers down our arm. 

Make sure you breathe through your playing. It’s surprisingly common to hold our breath or to breathe erratically when we play. 

Learn some funk guitar parts. I’m thinking Nile Rogers, The Meters, James Brown - stuff where the feel is a little looser and relaxed. Some Hendrix rhythm parts too, his playing in that clip reminds of Hendrix a lot. 

Also, don’t neglect the left hand. Sometimes the right hand isn’t the problem, but we cut off the notes too soon with the fretting hand, causing things to sound a little more stiff than they should do. 

So yeah, relax  

soma1975

Yep I have been learning the Monterey version of Jimi's Killing Floor recently which is where I realised just how much tension I have in my picking hand. Can't get anywhere near up to speed with it. 

Jame Brown is probably a really good idea. Cheers. 

EricTheWeary

 I thought that was going to be the weirdest For Sale post for a moment. 

I have done some basic funk stuff before and some of third wave ska stuff needs a very loose hand but, last time I actually picked up a guitar, I was doing a funk course on Truefire and realising  how far off I was. The chap on Truefire was critical of players who use heavy picks, he says you need some flex. From his recommendations the only one I owned was a Dunlop nylon one  - I think it's 1mm so I can feel it but it still flexes a bit. He said you need to relax and hold the pick lighlty - expect it to go flying a few times until you get it right. Then get the 16th notes very even. Use the fretting hand bounce to mute, don't do picking hand muting. 
Hendrix used medium celluloids, from what I've googled, so that's actually pretty light ( 0.6mm?).    

soma1975

Yeah I have gone on a plectrum journey recently starting with 1.14 Tortex and now using celluloid Fender mediums. Definitely helps. 

soma1975

Bumping for Little Barry C to join the forum chime in and give me some tips. 

scalino65

I remember him when he worked at V&R in Denmark Street. Such a lovely chap and really humble about his guitar playing. Brilliant to see his success.

soma1975

I can't believe it took me until this year to discover Little Barry. Right up my street. 

lovestrat74

How are you getting on with this technique? He's some player

soma1975

Yeah that was a slightly more optimistic time in my guitar playing history. I've achieved bugger all in this area of guitar playing. 

lustycourtier

Barry is wonderful to follow on IG. Hes been filling in for Bonehead during his Chemo in Liam Gallaghers band and did a wonderful job, as he did in Primal Scream, but his Little Barrie stuff is incredible.  

bertie

isnt it something that just "comes" with practise/age/length of playing/confidence ?   

or possibly from "not" ever practising a particular style and just letting your play develop naturally ? 

jonnyburgo

Barrie is brilliant, just absolute quality. 

Brize

Just a brilliant player. For those who don't know, he played the guitar on the intro credits for Better Call Saul.

Stuckfast

The technique in the second clip is not so far removed from clawhammer banjo aka frailing. That would be a good starting point if you wanted to learn how to do it. Along with bucketloads of talent and hard work obviously.

DonnyMac

A friend of mine introduced me to this a couple of years ago, ever since I'v become a mega fan.