The tone of the right hand

[veinbuster]

We have lots of threads talking about how this or that affects tone, and sometimes a comment about it being in the hands comes up. Last weekend I made a couple of short videos to show the impact of just the placement of the right hand. One using a pick and one using the fingers (thanks to t.shamone for the idea for the second one).
There are no production values: video shot on a mobile.
No effects, just a hollowbody plugged into a clean channel.
No fiddling dials.
using a pick: Peter picking travelling right hand
finger style: Peter finger style, imagining he was playing a harp

And its irrelevant, but the finger style one is the reason I tried a video - to send one a day to my daughter for the 12 days of Christmas. If it makes her feel closer to home, that's all that matters.

 

[Danerada]

Peter - I think the right hand sets the "emotion" of the song. Where you strike the strings, how you strike them, how you hold the pick, what part of the pick, how you strum and where. I find that (for me at least) it has to do with feel. How do you want the song to feel to those listening and how does the song, or specifically that part of the song, feel to me.

I think the right hand makes the song a "conversation" rather than a "talking to" if that makes any sense.

 

[veinbuster]

Just when I thought the thread would disappear and put my experiment out of its misery.

I do think you are spot on that the right hand is the link between the player and what the listener is going to take from what they are doing. I often experiment with the impact of changing just one thing. In this case, what can I say by taking a very simple chord and just changing where I pick. The more of these experiments that I do, the more I understand how I can say what I want to say within the bounds of my technical skill set.

 

[clcwarlock]

Peter - one of things I learned watching Bill Lawrence play was picking position. I noticed on my single pickup gunslinger that I can get neck pickup sounds if I pick up close to the neck. When I do it right it sounds very convincing. Also, listening to Billy Gibbons pick, I can instantly identify his playing.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I think of a guitar player's picking hand in the same way as I think of a singer's lungs.

 

[alantig]

I think of a guitar player's picking hand in the same way as I think of a singer's lungs.

Really???

 

[bluefade]

Really???

This babes got a set of lungs,eh??????????

 

[jfb]

Interesting experiment. I can certainly see these and more like them being very useful. Mobiles are handier every day aren't they.

 

[veinbuster]

Interesting experiment. I can certainly see these and more like them being very useful. Mobiles are handier every day aren't they.

They sure are. I've been planning to set up something to record for ages - mostly so I can remember things I tried that I liked. But maybe I'll just stick with leaning the mobile against a chair. It makes for a simple solution that removes the pressure of trying to perform - just try it and see how it works out.