funkin' tips?

hi guys, i've been practicing a lot and this website keeps on proving itself as an excellent resource

i'm trying to get a few chops down in the funk dept, but i'm doing a pretty pathetic job when it comes to dead notes

i'm trying to get this lesson ( http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8935 ) done but i keep having trouble with my picking. i know practice will give me better feel and get me through this, but would an instructor be kind enough to make a video for it with a closeup of the picking hand?

i'm playing the low E5 with my forefinger and then lightly barre all the strings to keep them dead when i pick, i start all dead notes with a downpick/downstroke. i usually play deadnotes on only one string, because it sounds that way in the audio sample... is that wrong? (because in the notation, dead notes are on the high E and B in the first couple phrases)

i try to keep my picking hand as loose as possible (which is a bit of a bitch really, but it's getting there)

any tips or advice? am i doing anything wrong?

ps: i tend to anchor my arm on the upper right corner of my guitar. is that a no-no?

Hey chaosengine,
I listened to the licks, it sounds cool. Darren is hybrid picking. If you want some exercises to get used to some of these techniques, then check out my tutorial on hybrid picking. Hybrid picking is using a pick, and one or two fingers.

If you've ever played this way, check out some of my workin' man riffs.

http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10889
http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8229

If you haven't, you may want to start with the tutorial, here is that link. Some of the same techniques are used in these lessons, and they will give you an idea of what's going on with muting the strings.

http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=364


JD

Check out my lessons
http://guitartricks.com/instructor.php?g=all&input=52878

hey JD

thanks for the lessons!

i practiced them for a couple of days and you're right, i was attempting that tutorial with just the pick (instead of going hybrid)!

definitely puts things in perspective. working on synchronizing my fingers for those higher strings...

thanks again : )