Death Grip and Ice Pick

[punkin]

I've got this student...he's just a youngster (13 I think maybe a little older), he plays average I guess but I'm trying to break some bad habbits of his.

He has a death grip on the neck and plucks each string like he's digging a gold mine. I've been having him do simple exersizes and scales slowly for me focusing on an exadurated light touch. He seems to do well with that while we're grinding through the exersizes but as soon as I turn him loose on a song, just a few measures into it, his excitement seems to take over him and he's right back into abusing that poor guitar.

We're talking electric guitar here...I've asked him to try playing with the guitar amp turned up hoping that this will help satisfy his excitement needs. I've been toying with suggesting one of those stylus type pics as well...anyone used these before? Any other suggestions (I've already thought about using a ruler to smack him but I'm betting his folks won't be too jacked about that approach).

Thanks

 

[ermghoti]

The stylus picks are terrific, except that they sound the same regardless of what angle the pick attacks the strings. I much prefer keeping a flat pick parallel to the string for clarity.

As a training aid, they can't be beat, and will definately drive home your lesson to young El Kabong.The booklet has pretty nifty exercises, as well. Other than that, ruler time, or maybe electric dog training collar.

As far as the left hand, just get him doing some speed drills, and the wasted effort will illuminate itself.

 

[punkin]

Thanks Ermghoti...

In the past my approach has always been slow and accurate but maybe it's time to push him for some speed in the drills. See if we can't get a nice forearm burn going for him.

I'll give the Stylus pic a go as well. Their website has a bit of a snake oil hype feel to it but some of the info there seems plausable.

Thanks.

 

[ermghoti]

No problem. Maybe for the drills, start on the 1234 1243 etc. ad infinitum finger exercise, that way you're not encouraging him to "race" through his actual music lessons. Just a thought.

 

[kludge]

Turn weakness into strength. Perhaps he can build a style around that death grip? Such a thing can turn into a POWERFUL approach, a way to really wring sound out of the strings. Stevie Ray Vaughn didn't play lightly either.

But he does need to be consciously aware of his grip, whether he uses it or not.

One exercise I do a lot is just picking open strings (or unchanging fretted notes) against a metronome. It's good because it makes me very aware of the tone my fingers/pick makes against the string. Start him with that to make him consciously aware of tone (yeah, it's boring, but good for you!), then have him fret simple two-note sequences. He'll quickly learn about left-right hand coordination and what is required to get a clean tone on sequenced notes at speed.