Hi there!
Let's work on You're right hand. Gotta make all those movements nice and smooth. I know You already watched the v-chat session about this. Now tell me something more that would help to improve Your right hand skills. Have You ever been playing acoustic guitar? If so...for how long?

Hi Darius. I have played acoustic guitar, actually Classical. I went to Capilano University and studied classical guitar for 3 years but forgot most of it due to not playing for 15 years. My rhythm and timing for right hand needs work, I have a hard time with strumming patterns and would like to make right hand more percussive.

I was studying classical guitar too. If he program is similar for worldwide Music Schools then the problem is that classical finger picking doesn't involve wrist movements and this is why some players have problems with smooth playing from the wrist. Let's fix this.


Let's start from some lessons with constant right hand movemnets. Those will help You to learn how to keep Your hand with constant down/up picking. You know what is shuffle and how it has to be executed?

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Rhythm-Funk/

There You go with some cool lesson from Javier.


Or...we can start from something a bit simplier, and with a straight 16th notes pulse

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/rhythm-gu...riffing-lesson/

The whole idea is to move the hand constantly and just move it inside and ouside of the strings but...every "ghost" rhythm value that is the pulse, shoul happen in Your head and in Your hand - even though it's not hitted on the strings

Sounds Great Darius, I like the Javier lesson That will help tremendously:) Yeah the classical guitar and no disrespect to classical music really didn't do much for my playing as far as wrist movement and no bending, Thankfully Cosmin has me working on great pieces to help me out.

How's Your progress mate ?

Its coming along great , Thank you:) I hope lol. really focusing on the right hand movement literally watching Javiers video and copying the motions then getting the rhythmic feel in my head. I have always seemed to have a problem with those strumming patterns it can be frustrating but definitely making progress should have a video very soon.

Ok. Thanx for the update Just wanted to make sure everything is ok If You need to ask for some help just ask

Hi Darius, the hardest part for me is the intro, for some reason the muted notes throw me off but I almost have it I also noticed going to a lighter pick really helps a lot.

I also prefer thinner pick when playing this kind of stuff Try to test a few different point of rest for Your right hand. Start for having the muted string exactly in the middle of the right palm (count in from the wrist to the ond of the pinky finger). Hand position is more than important here

Hi Darius here is a rough take, my timing is off and as you will see that one lick is one of the problem areas. I can see where my timing is off when watching video will work on.

Actually quite a few problem areas

Ok! So no we know where we stand. Let's work on each detail step by step.

First thing - most of funky playing is a "whole hand" playing where You DO NOT REST Your palm on the bridge. Try to move it away and angle the wrist the way we do while playing regular chords on acoustic. Most of the muting job goes to the left hand. Of course You can try to focus picking hand to stroke mostly the notes You hold. We need wider movement of right hand to get those few strings sound like one. Currently they do not sound like a one solid piece.

Second thing - try to find a better position for camera so it could capture more treble from the PC speakers too. Also it would be nice to fit guitar volume into the mix - now it's too loud. Let me know if You could focus on those before going further ?

Hi Darius, Thank you for the observations and already have started to work on using whole hand movements and not resting my palm on the bridge and watching Javiers video I did see how his left hand was used for muting the strings. I have also put a post up on the forum as to what equipment I should buy in regards to doing a proper recording and am getting a tri pod for camera as well as a mic! Thank you

Great! So I waiting for another vid. You can startfrom changing the cam position so both - PC speakers and Your amp should be playing in the same direction and both shoul be visible on the camera (You can sit between them. This will help to get more high frequencies in the cam recording. Then we'll slowly upgrade Your gear

Thanks Darius, will set my gear up next video like that and get more light as well

That would be awesome

Hi Darius, here is another take, I know some of the timing is off but wanted to know if my strumming pattern is any better than before. I know that one fast lick is muddled which is weird I can play it on its own without any problems but as soon as I get it into the song I mess it up!

Indeed it's better. Let's try to improve it more Watch Javier's lesson very closely - he moves his right hand constantly - down/up - deosn't stop it when there are breaks in playing This is the exact trick we need to learn - it's all about how to assign notes to particular movement (down or up), and how to keep Your fingers muting all the strings with only left hand, so the right hand could even hit the strings on the breaks and get that cool percussive sounds Got it ?

Thank you Darius I did notice that in his video that he is constantly moving his hand up and down. I do have a question! Why is it that lick that he plays tricky for me. I can play it by itself but when I play it on the song I freeze up, frustrating!! Thank you for feedback Darius will post another video next week.

I think You could try to make blank movements on this part to get Your hand used to the regular movements at this part of the song. You could do this over original video from Javier. This one Your mind and hands will sort of get used to where the notes on which movement direction should be. Try to to this for quite some time before trying to add left hand again

Thank you Darius will try that!

Waiting for Your next vid then Good luck

Hi Darius sorry for such a long wait This piece will be the death of me, I came in early couldn't here metronome, I feel the strumming has improved I hope. Thank you for being very patient with me.

Yes it's better but it's still not the way it works. Your hand should be like a shuffle machine that works all the time, through all the bar

1. Keep all the shuffle groove just like drummers play hi-hat in the shuffle groove. You right hand should have a constant movement
2. Funky groove playing is based on regular movement and just pulling in and out from / to the strings. It's like Your hand makes some movements in the air and some on the strings but it keep pulsing

Try to look at Your right hand on the video and Javier's right hand in the main lesson video. You will see exactly what I mean