SRV Grip Technique

http://www.steviesnacks.com - This is a foundational part of the SRV style, and something that is essential if you really want to emulate the sound that he got. It's not the only way to play guitar, but it was the way that he did it. Played through my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

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[Gibbo1291]

I've been playing for about 3 and 1/2 years and have always used the 1:33 grip. I wasn't taught this it was just the way i picked it up. I want to change to this grip. Anyone else here changed grips like this? How long did it take to get used to?

[gr8bluesgtr]

It took me a long time, but it's the only grip I learned so I worked at it constantly. If you're serious about adopting this grip, pickup my new lesson called "The Grip" from the Essential Techniques for Blues Guitar series. :-)

[loldecepticonlol]

I've been playing guitar for about a year or two and I've always held my neck similar to this. I can fret the E string with my thumb (though, I rarely do, but I might start practicing that) and if I stretch far enough I can get it to the A string. But when I'm soloing beyond the D string I tend to take my thumb and place it on the back of the neck to reach for the strings.

[gr8bluesgtr]

As you reach towards the upper strings, this will naturally cause your thumb to rotate behind the neck. This is perfectly alright. Just try to keep enough of your thumb over the top to mute the Low E string.

[andrewjeff]

what do you have the master,volume,drive,bassmidtre­b set to?it's AWESOME sounds!!5 stars!

[gr8bluesgtr]

I wish I had written that down :)

[Fitzliputzli23]

This is exactly what kids do instinctively the first time they grab a guitar.

Most academic guitarists would say this is totally wrong. On the other hand: you won't find too many academic guitarists who master the blues convincingly.

[yorkeysa]

Thanks! Great lesson. I've played guitar for 5 months now, and I'm glad this is how I started playing - with my thumb over.

[fragman08]

@ThomasDeLello you talk of the old blues men not playing by the rules, perhaps the best thing would be not to try and emulate them, but not play by any rules yourself? I'm only a kid, but I figure that's the best way to go about it. A lot of this blues talk gets me all confused and I'm starting to think it best if I stop listening and just find my own style.

[fragman08]

@gr8bluesgtr I don't (with all respect) want to sound like SRV, I want to sound like me. I naturally play like 1:33, but what I want to know is if this is in any way a barrier to becoming a competent blues guitarist.

[hermanshermits124124]

Stevie? JIMI HENDRIX did this first!

[topdog2328]

@Fitzliputzli23 Blues isn't exactly something that a guitar play would go to school for either

[LosLurvos]

what the hell i havent seen any guitarist doesnt hold the guitar like this when playing the higher strings

[TobyEllisSongwriter]

its funny, i naturally played with my thumb on the back, and had to learn to put my thumb over many years ago.

Heres my question though, what about at the bottom of the neck, at the joint between my fingers and the rest of my hand, should that be in contact with the neck or not? I see players do both, pros and cons?

[Jjjj187]

@Gibbo1291 well i used to play like that too but i just noticed hendrix, mayer, and SRV would do that. Idk how exactly i started to do that but it came very natural using the thumb. I just felt it was more comfortable and i havent played chords without my thumb since.

[gibsonacdckid]

thanks god i started like this

[alxlief]

@Fitzliputzli23 "wrong".

that's a word I think it does not apply to music, or music techniques.

a can list dozens of great names like SRV that hold the guitar like this, or even use the thumb to play the 6th string. then they're all wrong.

I think this is the reason we're missing good young guitarrists.

[Detman101]

@Gibbo1291: It has taken me a year and a half to learn this grip. It may take you less time if you're not firmly stuck on playing in the standard form. This form is soooooo much more comfortable and much more rewarding. If you listen to any hendrix, john mayer, SRV and some Pearl Jam songs, you will wonder how they got that "Sound". Well, I'll tell ya, you can only get it properly with this playing technique. I tried for months to play "Yellow Ledbetter" in the standard form and i couldn't.

Dm