another guitar question

I have another question, maybe for Dante or for whomever can answer
it, to assuage my overall guitar ignorance:

How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an electric
guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive strings
that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played
*consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played
simultaneously??

Thanks!

J. Pehrson

> How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an electric > guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive strings > that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played > *consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played > simultaneously??

Usually you don't. You strum everything and some sevenths or ninths might creep in. But there are other ways to do it. You can deaden the string you don't want to sound by touching it lightly with your left hand[1], and strum it anyway. Or you can play with a finger and thumb on each string you want.

Sometimes you hear a bass drone and a melody that seem to come from the same guitar. Ali Farka Toure does this a lot, and as there only seem to be two White Stripes so must one of them. It's very clever, anyway. I can't do it, but then I can't play a piano properly either ;) The nearest I can get is to hit the bass string perodically with my thumb.

[1] assuming you're right handed

Graham

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, Graham Breed <graham@m...> wrote:

/metatuning/topicId_4660.html#4664

> Usually you don't. You strum everything and some sevenths or
ninths might creep in.

***That's pretty funny, Graham...

But there are other ways to do it. You can deaden the
> string you don't want to sound by touching it lightly with your
left hand[1], and strum it anyway.

Or you can play with a finger and thumb on each string you want.
>

***Graham, you mean *instead* of strumming??

JP

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...>
wrote:
> I have another question, maybe for Dante or for whomever can answer
> it, to assuage my overall guitar ignorance:
>
> How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an electric
> guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive strings
> that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played
> *consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played
> simultaneously??
>
> Thanks!
>
> J. Pehrson

you can easily mute the intervening strings, or use your fingers
instead of the pick.

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"

/metatuning/topicId_4660.html#4676

<wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...>
> wrote:
> > I have another question, maybe for Dante or for whomever can
answer
> > it, to assuage my overall guitar ignorance:
> >
> > How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an electric
> > guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive
strings
> > that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played
> > *consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played
> > simultaneously??
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > J. Pehrson
>
> you can easily mute the intervening strings, or use your fingers
> instead of the pick.

***Hi Paul,

But it's still a bit contrary to the "usual" technique of the
instrument, yes? (Besides the fact that it doesn't feel as nice as
the nylon strings when one does this... :)

JP

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...>
wrote:
> --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"
>
> /metatuning/topicId_4660.html#4676
>
>
> <wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> > --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson"
<jpehrson@r...>
> > wrote:
> > > I have another question, maybe for Dante or for whomever can
> answer
> > > it, to assuage my overall guitar ignorance:
> > >
> > > How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an electric
> > > guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive
> strings
> > > that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played
> > > *consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played
> > > simultaneously??
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > J. Pehrson
> >
> > you can easily mute the intervening strings, or use your fingers
> > instead of the pick.
>
>
> ***Hi Paul,
>
> But it's still a bit contrary to the "usual" technique of the
> instrument, yes?

not really. any guitarist worth mentioning had ways of muting
strings, and virtually all used their fingers to pick at times . . .

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"

/metatuning/topicId_4660.html#4698

<wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...>
> wrote:
> > --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"
> >
> > /metatuning/topicId_4660.html#4676
> >
> >
> > <wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> > > --- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson"
> <jpehrson@r...>
> > > wrote:
> > > > I have another question, maybe for Dante or for whomever can
> > answer
> > > > it, to assuage my overall guitar ignorance:
> > > >
> > > > How does one play non-contiguous diads or chords on an
electric
> > > > guitar?? In other words, notes that are not on consecutive
> > strings
> > > > that could be "strummed?" Such notes would have to be played
> > > > *consecutively* and sustained, yes, but not really played
> > > > simultaneously??
> > > >
> > > > Thanks!
> > > >
> > > > J. Pehrson
> > >
> > > you can easily mute the intervening strings, or use your
fingers
> > > instead of the pick.
> >
> >
> > ***Hi Paul,
> >
> > But it's still a bit contrary to the "usual" technique of the
> > instrument, yes?
>
> not really. any guitarist worth mentioning had ways of muting
> strings, and virtually all used their fingers to pick at times . . .

***Actually, on Johnny Reinhard's concert tonight, two acoustic
guitarists had *independent* finger picks on their fingers...
something I hadn't noticed or thought about before...

JP