TOPIC: Last One To Know?

Well, I expect to get whaled on about this, but I just "realized" that I haven't been moving my pick up and down to be over the string I am cross-picking, but have gotten in the habit of just reaching for the string from a more or less anchored hand position. Seems a small point I guess, but I tried, yes while keeping my little finger anchored on the guitar, making a more concentrated effort to move the hand position up and down to let the pick be more centered on the string I am playing. Just the thought process seems to having me play a little more accurately, but I realize that now I will not be able to chew gum at the same time. Or is this the wrong thing to be thinking about?

I ca really relate. I was sitting in a lesson with the Fretmentor a couple of weeks ago and realized I had been holding my pick too far to the right of the sound hole on the guitar. Dave had been telling me for weeks that I was not playing my strums loud enough and we had even added loudness exercises to my practices. I came to realize it was because of where I was holding the pick, and for the most part not how I was striking the string. Now that I'm concentrating on playing over the sound hole, my "loudness issue" has mostly dissipated. Soon, I'll be as loud as George.

Oh NO! We'll have to bring ear muffs!!!

I'm also getting into cross picking, besides anchoring the little finger, I found that making the up and down movement from the elbow instead of the wrist also seems to help me with control.

Yeah, I heard that somewhere around the Kruger workshop time also, and found that it is true, though I haven't gotten it into my muscle memory yet. I'll also try moving my pick around to get more sound.

Pick direction is very important as we're discovering here. Fretmentor pointed out to me back in my first or second class that my pick direction was irratic. I've been working on that ever since. The down beats get the down stroke as a general rule. This has really helped my speed and accuracy as well as enabling me to play something second naturedly w/out thinking. I'm going over stuff I've already learned but applying the correct pick direction. My wife heard me playing Cripple Creek the other day and asked why I was struggling with it when I already knew it. I explained that I was having to re-learn it applying the correct pick direction. It is paying off. I am more consistant.