Expert: H-Bomb - 6/14/2009

Question
hey, i'm a beginner at guitar [14 years old, and trying to
teach myself how to play by using the internet since we
don't have enough money for lessons] and this might sound
like a stupid question, but in tabs when they have the chord
written over the word in the song, when should you make the
transition? after the word, a little before, or right on the
word?

and do you need calluses on your thumb too since its
sometimes used to fret the low E string ?

what are some practices i can do to help the calluses form?

and another question that might sound stupid, but how
exactly D0 you hold a pick? mine seems to make a really
tappy sound [like, you can hear the pick against the string
very clearly] and nearly as soon as i start playing, starts
to turn. then it ends up with the side, rather than the
point, of the pick strumming the strings.

sorry for the length
thankk you for your help :]

Answer
Lynn,

Teaching yourself via the internet isn't such a bad thing. In fact, I wish some of my now-former students would've done a little more internet-research instead of World of Warcraft, and maybe they'd have gotten somewhere.

The best thing to do when determining when a chord change takes place regarding placement with the lyrics is simply to listen to the song while you're looking at the tab or charts. Unfortunately there's no rules with it, and different people may pay different levels of attention to how accurate their placement of the changes is. With "official" tabs (like in guitar magazines or on guitar-mag or artist websites) it's pretty much on the money timing-wise (although sometimes their chord shapes and scales are seemingly meant to be harder than it actually is to play the song), so where the word is and the chord in relation to it, you play it like you see it. But places where "users" can add or edit tab, don't take it as the gospel, and do yourself a favor and listen to the song so you're on time. Trust your ears.

In 15 years of playing guitar I can't sat i have much of a callus on my thumb in comparison to the rest of my fingers, but I use my thumb a LOT (especially for AC/DC songs with big full G chords, some Stones stuff, and some of my original stuff; myspace.com/heathlanesolo). A very thin one may form after use, but not to the same degree as your other fret-hand fingers.

The best way to form calluses is simply...to PRACTICE! After your "responsible" activities (school, work, chores, etc) are done, spend a LOT of time with the guitar in your hands. Watching TV? Sit there and just make chord shapes on the guitar even if you're not strumming. Do a couple runs of notes up and down using all fingers. Stuff like that can work wonders to help toughen up your fingers.

How you hold a pick is something there is no set "rule" for, so my advice is to start with what is comfortable and you get the most efficient and accurate "attack" with. If the pick is moving when you play, you're not holding it tight enough. I recommend you hold a little tighter or hold more surface area of the pick when playing (a general rule I use is to hold it with my index finger's first knuckle parallel with my thumb, and about a half an inch of pick free---although sometimes I end up using one of the "butt" edges of the pick for different stuff too). Experiment to see what works best for YOU! And also, try out some different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials of picks to find what feels and sounds right to you. Sometimes that "click" or "tap" from the pick it's got to do with your attack and the makeup of the material of the pick. But you need to find the combination that works best for you, keeping in mind there ARE NO RULES, and you are free to experiment till YOU are happy!

I hope that was at least somewhat helpful, feel free to write back if you have any further questions and I'll do what I can to set you on the right track! Thanks for writing, and good luck.

H