Looking for that snappy, country tone when hybrid picking

[jjkrause84]

Hey guys,

Still trucking along with my god awful hybrid picking. I'm getting better (faster and increasingly fluid) but I still think I'm 2-3 years out from any sort of basic proficiency. One of the things that's really bothering me now is how dull and dead my finger-plucked notes often are, ESPECIALLY when using my ring finger. Is this a strength issue? Am I just not plucking had enough? what do you think?

[McGlamRock]

There are a lot of great classical guitar studies that do a wonderful job of developing right hand finger strength. Heitor Villa-Lobos Etude #1 in Em and Carcassi Study #7 in Am are the first two that come to mind. Lots of great transcriptions at www.classtab.org

[Mark Moore]

Grow your right hand nails out a bit, and curl your fingers when plucking a note to let the nail grab the string. That will give you some snap.

[jjkrause84]

Originally Posted by Mark Moore

Grow your right hand nails out a bit, and curl your fingers when plucking a note to let the nail grab the string. That will give you some snap.

I've always been scared to try the fingernails technique....I may have to cave and go for it.

[Paul in Colorado]

Get some good files that woman use for acrylic nails. They have three different "grits" on each file. Keep your nails as smooth as you can. That way they won't catch and chip or break. I keep my nails rounded.

[Big John]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

I've always been scared to try the fingernails technique....I may have to cave and go for it.

I think it's the only way jj, allied with a stiff pick it's the way to go, they don't have too be stupid long, just enough to 'snap' the string.
FWIW I use Ernie Ball regular 'Hard' picks and my nails, it sounds a pretty even mix to me.

[TeleTim911]

I've been trying to learn chicken-picking for a while now, not having much luck even though I can do finger-picking acoustic stuff.

On the vids I've watched trying to learn they teach two ways to do a finger picking technique. One is to just pick the note, nice and smooth. The other way is to literally pull up the string and "pop" it...gives it that super twangy sound.

Yes, it takes practice, and I'm a horrible chicken-picker, but I'm doing my best trying to learn, it's been a long slow process. I doubt I'll ever play half that stuff.

Hope this helps? Good Luck!!!

[jjkrause84]

Originally Posted by TeleTim911

I've been trying to learn chicken-picking for a while now, not having much luck even though I can do finger-picking acoustic stuff.

On the vids I've watched trying to learn they teach two ways to do a finger picking technique. One is to just pick the note, nice and smooth. The other way is to literally pull up the string and "pop" it...gives it that super twangy sound.

Yes, it takes practice, and I'm a horrible chicken-picker, but I'm doing my best trying to learn, it's been a long slow process. I doubt I'll ever play half that stuff.

Hope this helps? Good Luck!!!

That does help, indeed.

I can do the pull > snap, but it's not always appropriate and I find it hard to control, volume-wise.

More practice is needed!

[Don Miller]

A compresser will help even out the picked and finger picked notes. Most of that real snappy Nashville stuff has alot of compression on it....

[rumbler5467]

you tube Danny Gatton videos... you will see some right hand technique and exercizes

[teleon]

http://www.guitarsquid.com/Latest/gr...nal-video.html

[Sid Hudson]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

Hey guys,

Still trucking along with my god awful hybrid picking. I'm getting better (faster and increasingly fluid) but I still think I'm 2-3 years out from any sort of basic proficiency. One of the things that's really bothering me now is how dull and dead my finger-plucked notes often are, ESPECIALLY when using my ring finger. Is this a strength issue? Am I just not plucking had enough? what do you think?

Dial the compressor back a bit, and pull the snot out of the strings with the right hand.

Finger nail length is personal preference. Brent Mason wears his long, I wear mine shorter. Gatton could do it with band aids on the end of his fingers!

1. That classic Hybrid snap comes from a very strong aggressive right hand. (I never saw a stronger right hand than Danny's). He also played with quite high action which required a stronger right hand.

2. Lower the string just a bit but not so much that they rattle (of course).

The classic Nashville snap as heard on many recordings is a combination of two things.

The right hand is so aggressive that it actually makes an occasional string pop against the fret giving that snappy yet still full and meaty tone.

Final thought: If you get the strings too low then they will just sound like they are bottoming out. This you do not want. (I don't think)

The compressor has nothing to do with the Nashville snappy Tele tone.

It has been my experience that some players believe that they are getting "the tone" by using high compression settings when they are actually not.

What they are actually hearing is the signal slapping against the threshold of the compressor. This is a totally different deal!

Oh yeh, there is one more thing. I know there a several guys on this site that are quite touchy when it come to the subject of compression.

So; The above is "In my Humble Opinion"

[Ken Carlson]

No disrespect intended, but if I had only one pedal to choose from, hands down, it would be a compressor. I started using one while playing with Don Kelley in Nashville back in 1990. Don was very instrumental in helping me develop my tone, giving me advise on things Brent Mason used for the 12 years he played with his band.

I use fake acrylic nails as well. I have to. My nails are super thin and would tear off in seconds without them. I don't recall Brents nails being long when I met him a couple years ago, or in any photos I've seen. Nothing like Johnny Hylands nails. Now his are long! Neither ways better, just different.

To get the snappy Chicken Pickin sound you have to incorporate a few techniques, and popping the strings with a finger is one of them. If it sounds "dead" you may want to consider using the fake nails. They are a pain, but I wouldn't come close to the tone I have without them.

This is my first post on this forum. I hope I'm not breaking any rules here by posting this link. Please let me know. I have free videos on my site that might help some of you folks at: http://countryguitarchops.com

Best Regards, Ken

[Sid Hudson]

Originally Posted by Ken Carlson

No disrespect intended, but if I had only one pedal to choose from, hands down, it would be a compressor. I started using one while playing with Don Kelley in Nashville back in 1990. Don was very instrumental in helping me develop my tone, giving me advise on things Brent Mason used for the 12 years he played with his band.

I use fake acrylic nails as well. I have to. My nails are super thin and would tear off in seconds without them. I don't recall Brents nails being long when I met him a couple years ago, or in any photos I've seen. Nothing like Johnny Hylands nails. Now his are long! Neither ways better, just different.

To get the snappy Chicken Pickin sound you have to incorporate a few techniques, and popping the strings with a finger is one of them. If it sounds "dead" you may want to consider using the fake nails. They are a pain, but I wouldn't come close to the tone I have without them.

This is my first post on this forum. I hope I'm not breaking any rules here by posting this link. Please let me know. I have free videos on my site that might help some of you folks at: http://countryguitarchops.com

Best Regards, Ken

Ken, No disrespect taken and No I am sure you haven't broken any rules here that I am aware of.

Brent's nails are not long like a classical player but they did at one time extend beyond his finger tips. (mid 80s)

Mine are filed even with my finger tips maybe just slightly beyond.

I am with you on the compressor.

Very important piece of equipment and I use mine is on 100% of the time I am using my bridge pickup. It is off 100% of the time I am using the neck pickup.

I am surprised to hear Kelley encourage you to use stomp boxes because he hates them. His present guitar player JD uses guitar, cord and amp. That's it!

And Kelley love JD.

I don't remember you.

You see I was playing with Barbara Mandrell and in 1984 she had a car accident and was unable to perform for 1 year.

In 1984 I took Brent Mason's place.

A year later Barbara went back to work and so did I.

Danny Parks took my place and after Danny it was:

Rodney Riley
Guthrie Trap
Red V.
Johnny Hiland
JD.

Not necessarily in this order.

[Ken Carlson]

Cool! I got to Nashville in 1990 and Redd was playing with him then. About a year later Don left the Stagecoach and Him and Artie and I did a Trio for a while. I wasn't a real good player then (not that I am now), but I'm grateful that I had the opppertunity to play with those guys.

The last time I was there, JD had a couple pedals, An overdrive and compressor, I think. I spent an afternoon with Johnny Hyland and he said something about Don not wanting him using too much compression or something along those lines. But he's the one who turned me onto them and my first tube screamer. Those were the 2 pedals he suggested I get when we started playing together. He also turned me onto the LAB series amps. I used one for the 5 years I was there till it broke down.

I've been using a Matchless for the last 15 years or so, but some crazy "Amp Repair" guy talked me into letting him mod it for me to get more power and headroom. He didn't know what he was doing and "neutered" it, it lost all it's balls and sounded bad. He refused to take the mod out, and argued with me about it and then busted a guitar over the top og it! I sent back to Matchless and had Phil go thru it and fix it up, but it just don't sound the same. I'm very dissappionted now. I just bought a Egnater for the Gig and will use the Matchless for studio work.

[Sid Hudson]

Originally Posted by Ken Carlson

Cool! I got to Nashville in 1990 and Redd was playing with him then. About a year later Don left the Stagecoach and Him and Artie and I did a Trio for a while. I wasn't a real good player then (not that I am now), but I'm grateful that I had the opppertunity to play with those guys.

The last time I was there, JD had a couple pedals, An overdrive and compressor, I think. I spent an afternoon with Johnny Hyland and he said something about Don not wanting him using too much compression or something along those lines. But he's the one who turned me onto them and my first tube screamer. Those were the 2 pedals he suggested I get when we started playing together. He also turned me onto the LAB series amps. I used one for the 5 years I was there till it broke down.

I've been using a Matchless for the last 15 years or so, but some crazy "Amp Repair" guy talked me into letting him mod it for me to get more power and headroom. He didn't know what he was doing and "neutered" it, it lost all it's balls and sounded bad. He refused to take the mod out, and argued with me about it and then busted a guitar over the top og it! I sent back to Matchless and had Phil go thru it and fix it up, but it just don't sound the same. I'm very dissappionted now. I just bought a Egnater for the Gig and will use the Matchless for studio work.

Cool!

If you ever need a great sounding Tele, Don Kelley is the guy to help you find one.

I bought my tele from him back in the very early 80s that he bought from a drunk on Broadway, I put a 3rd pickup in it (center position) wired the tone pot as a volume pot for the center pickup and still play that guitar today.

About a year later Don found that primer gray tele for Brent Mason. At the time Brent was playing a Hagstrom.

Don has a way of finding great guitars! He is the "Go to guy".

[Breen]

I have pretty hard nails naturally, and you can tell if I have been playing guitar if you see my ring and middle nails and sometimes the pinky with a concave carve around the inner portion of the nail.

Go for it JJ! Snap (on) it! I subscribe to the Tommy Emmanuel half finger half nail rule. Use your flesh and your nail to get a strong sound. Also, your left hand should control the note as it rings. Helps in controlling snap and twang.

[Sid Hudson]

Originally Posted by Breen

I have pretty hard nails naturally, and you can tell if I have been playing guitar if you see my ring and middle nails and sometimes the pinky with a concave carve around the inner portion of the nail.

Go for it JJ! Snap (on) it! I subscribe to the Tommy Emmanuel half finger half nail rule. Use your flesh and your nail to get a strong sound. Also, your left hand should control the note as it rings. Helps in controlling snap and twang.

Amen to that!!!!

[asatfan]

Just thought I'd mention....I don't use my nails, just the tip of my fingers and I've never thought it sounded anything but twangy, snappy, and poppy! The key for me is to really pluck 'em hard and let 'em snap.