Getting past the usual P&W sound......

Joseiy · 08-27-2009, 05:17 PM

Hey guys as of right now in Youth Group I am leading a group of two singers and a electric guitar player who is just learning but knows that hes not that good yet so he only turns himself up loud enough for himself to hear it. (Praise the Lord!) But I've been teaching him and hes slowly improving. But anyways I am the only instrument that people are hearing and the standard fare P&W guitar strumming is wearing on my ears and straight rhythm is too boring I can do choppy rhythms and stuff but that only goes so far. I've seen people like Phil Wickham live with just his guitar and he had amazing dynamics with his guitar playing. Also have seen some really good videos of John Mayer sounding really good singing with just his acoustic. I use 12 gauge strings and .60 mm picks and I've been thinking about moving to using my fingers for more dynamics but I wasn't sure if that would help or not. Any advice? I've been strumming for 4 and a half years and would like to get better than just strumming and randomly picking and alternating the few hammer ons I learned from Sweet Home Alabama.

blackjack · 09-23-2009, 07:13 PM

I've been feeling the same way about P&W for a while now, the strumming does tend to get mundane, especially after all that practice. A project that I've been interested in lately has been "Hendrixing" most if not all of the chords of the P&W songs I learned before. When using hendrix inversion chords, you can arppegiate and hammer on as much as you want. It definitely spices things up a bit and it sounds much more complex...just make sure you can sing while you perform your chord fills.

Joseiy · 09-24-2009, 11:45 AM

And how would you go about that if you do not mind me asking?

blackjack · 09-24-2009, 11:41 PM

Admittedly, having learned everything that I know from youtube and fiddling around, I am an awful instructor in all things guitar. This is the video that virtually opened a new world of possibilities in my playing. Cheers!

YouTube - Guitar Lesson: Hendrix Chords

Ak_Man4Jesus · 09-25-2009, 11:40 PM

I add a up strum about every four down strums.
I also just play 3 strings using 5 or power chords, doing 8 fast short strums in place of four standard strums.
This is all on a acustic.
BIC/Daniel