bluegrass cross-picking

Subject: bluegrass cross-picking
From:
Date: 14 Feb 99 - 04:51 PM

Hello, Happy Valentines day a to all.

I was wondering if anyone could link me to any sites which contain tablatures for cross picking guitar. Also, can anyone share any technique tips that may help me learn this style of playing. Thanks for your time!

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: Art Thieme
Date: 15 Feb 99 - 12:17 AM

Being a fingerpicker myself there's not much I can tell ya---except I believe the style was pioneered by Jesse McReynolds (of Jim & Jessee bluegrass band) on his mandolin. Put him in a search engine & you might get an answer.(That pickin is the same on a guitar.)

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 15 Feb 99 - 04:10 AM

Hi Art. A good way to start cross picking is to think of it like a banjo roll done with the fingers. Form a C chord and then pick down on the 5th, and 4th. Use an up stroke on the 3rd. Repeat those notes..down, down, up. Then play a downstroke on the 4th and an upstroke on the 3rd. You come out with....543, 543, 43.

Although Doc Watson got a lot of people cross picking in the 60s, and Clarence White made it hip for young rockers to play bluegrass, one of the finest cross pickers was Hank Snow who apparently was doing it in the late 40s. Tony Rice is of course a great one but I love Norman Blake's feel. It's very relaxed. When Sandy Paton loses his tuner pouch he can become quite a cross...picker!

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: mountain tyme
Date: 15 Feb 99 - 05:05 AM

I must agree as a Bluegrass picker (50 years) since before it was fashionable (if it is yet) Art & Rick are right on. Hank Snow did some great cross picking instramentals on 45rpm albums. JesseMcReynolds developed his cross picking style on his mandolin from the double cross bow style of the old fiddle tunes. He is an excellent fiddler and his "Me and my fiddles" album will expose his backround in this subject. And yes Rick Re; LYR ADD 15 Feb. there are a lot of "heathens" in the states as well (7 out of 14) at last count.....and we don't apologize! :-)

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: J Woodland
Date: 16 Feb 99 - 01:11 AM

Thanks alot for the responses guys Jeremy Woodland

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: mountain tyme
Date: 17 Feb 99 - 12:42 AM

Couldn't find this the other day. All you'll ever want to know about crosspicking is here http://www.mandolincafe.com/crosspicking.html includes guitar also. Happy Pickin'

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: J. Woodland
Date: 17 Feb 99 - 02:22 PM

Thanks alot! It was a great site, good instructional stuff.

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: Don Meixner
Date: 17 Feb 99 - 10:34 PM

Years back when all my fingers worked and I played guitar exclusively I fancied myself a bit of a cross picker. Probably more crosseyed than just cross.

A fine southern tier picker named Marc Chevaliertought me the little I knew and its was basically every note is up or down in sequence. Rests are played as silent notes so if a note is a down stroke followed by a rest the note following the rest is also a down note. Confused yet?

Then he said. " Down play with your wrist. Keep your wrist rigid and bend your arm at the elbow. More power that way." Marc could play that way, I couldn't. I used my wrist.

Regards.

Don

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: rick fielding
Date: 18 Feb 99 - 11:27 AM

Don, There seem to be two schools of thought in the "stiff or loose wrist" dilemma. I love the loose wrist approach, much warmer, and more expressive, but generally much harder to achieve a lot of speed.

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 01:22 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: bluegrass cross-picking
From: GUEST,Dewey
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 06:04 AM

I mainly play five string banjo, but do a lot of crosspicking too. If you are a banjo player first and also know a lot of chord positions throughout the neck of the guitar(and chord variations) , you will have a great and natural transition into cross-picking guitar.

If you play melodic (keith style) banjo, the transition will even become more interesting as your cascading chordal melodies can be applied to either the guitar or mandolin.

Finding and learning interesting closed chord positions throughout the neck in my opinion is just as important as the right hand technique.

Also where you choose to place your melody within the strings is important to the power and stability of your sound.

Avoid starting to cross-pick in the lower registers. Your tones will be uneven, dampened and not as powerful to the over-all rhythm.

The sweet spots on the strings are the 2, 3, 4 strings. The best area of the neck for sound is also at least about the third fret and up when chording arrangement are adapted to the guitar. The higher strings and upper kneck are by far the best for sound and projection.

Cross-picking, unlike flatpicking, is not as improvisational, it take more work and understanding of the positions and strings in which the melody can be placed in. The options are endless and it is a true artform of sound manipulation, that ends up sounding the best when it is carefully thought out and arranged ahead of time.

If you are a reasonably good banjo player, flatpicker, and chord expert. crosspicking is the place where all these disciplines come together in my opinion.

Good Luck,

Dewey