• Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Topic: Ridiculously obvious revelation

I was working at my desk yesterday when my three year old came into the office and started running a pickle (she calls picks pickles) across my guitar's strings.  She ran it mid-way up the neck.  She ran it right over the sound hole.  She ran it way down by the bridge.  They sounded different every time.  What a revelation for me!  I have always just figured you strum or pick over the sound hole and that was that.  Getting different tones from different spots is COOL! 

This is the problem with teaching myself.  It takes a three year old goofing around before I learn anything. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

2 Reply by Stonebridge (edited by Stonebridge 2008-12-12 21:46:43)

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: Ridiculously obvious revelation

Strumming the strings in different places encourages or inhibits the presence of different harmonics in the string's vibration. This in turn creates a different colour in the notes produced.
(I just wrote a load about this in the music theory section at the end of the "Open chords to power chords" thread. Odd you should mention this just now)

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Ridiculously obvious revelation

Zurf wrote:

I was working at my desk yesterday when my three year old came into the office and started running a pickle (she calls picks pickles) across my guitar's strings.  She ran it mid-way up the neck.  She ran it right over the sound hole.  She ran it way down by the bridge.  They sounded different every time.  What a revelation for me!  I have always just figured you strum or pick over the sound hole and that was that.  Getting different tones from different spots is COOL! 

This is the problem with teaching myself.  It takes a three year old goofing around before I learn anything. 

- Zurf

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." If you watch Stevie Ray Vaughan, he used the technique your young'un' uses. I think you have created  a natural musician with a brilliant mind.

  My 3 year old just recently accidentally broke one my 'practice guitars' and tried, very cleverly,  to hide the damage with a wrist band( the guitars' neck was snapped in a perfect upsidedown u-shape just behind the nut, in a horrific oops I tripped accident! ) I laughed for a half an hour with my wife outside the house. We then returned  back inside and tried with all of  our might to refrain from laughing at each other while stressing to the little man that Daddy's guitars are off limits! No major loss, it was only a $30 guitar but the point needed to be made. Oh, and by the way, the 'nice' guitars are way up high on the wall!!!..............

SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: Ridiculously obvious revelation

Yeah i always moved up and down when i played cuz i thought it sounded different too... people started griping at me when i first started playing, told me you have to play right on the whole... but hey i was watching Lightnin Hopkins and he moved up and down too so I stuck with it. But yeah, there's a definite difference, to me anyway

All You Need is Love smile

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  • From: New Hampshire
  • Registered: 2007-02-17
  • Posts: 845

Re: Ridiculously obvious revelation

SouthPaw41L wrote:
Zurf wrote:

I was working at my desk yesterday when my three year old came into the office and started running a pickle (she calls picks pickles) across my guitar's strings.  She ran it mid-way up the neck.  She ran it right over the sound hole.  She ran it way down by the bridge.  They sounded different every time.  What a revelation for me!  I have always just figured you strum or pick over the sound hole and that was that.  Getting different tones from different spots is COOL! 

This is the problem with teaching myself.  It takes a three year old goofing around before I learn anything. 

- Zurf

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." If you watch Stevie Ray Vaughan, he used the technique your young'un' uses. I think you have created  a natural musician with a brilliant mind.

  My 3 year old just recently accidentally broke one my 'practice guitars' and tried, very cleverly,  to hide the damage with a wrist band( the guitars' neck was snapped in a perfect upsidedown u-shape just behind the nut, in a horrific oops I tripped accident! ) I laughed for a half an hour with my wife outside the house. We then returned  back inside and tried with all of  our might to refrain from laughing at each other while stressing to the little man that Daddy's guitars are off limits! No major loss, it was only a $30 guitar but the point needed to be made. Oh, and by the way, the 'nice' guitars are way up high on the wall!!!..............

SouthPaw41L

Yeah, I noticed that in the Vintage Fret Shop of Ashland NH.  LOL  Now I know why!  <grin>

"I don't have pet peeves...I have whole kennels of irritation."  --Whoopi Goldberg

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