Bar Technique

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 26 Mar 2003 12:58 pm

OK, when Im at a bar and I get up to use the restroom, when I come back to the bar.............KIDDING!

SERIOUSLY, having never taken PSG lessons, I have just recently noticed that when I slide my bar up or down the strings, I alway lead w/ the bass side of my bar, then the treble side snaps up/down to pitch. It sounds fine to me, is this a bad habit? Do you guys constantly keep the bar perpendicular to the strings?

Let me know!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 26 Mar 2003 1:42 pm

After observing Jay Dee(the human drafting machine)Maness' bar technique for several decades now,it seems like the way to go.That is to say(unless you're slanting of course),practice keeping it perpindicular to the strings. That way you have one less thing to think about - especially in the high registers. BTW,vibrato should follow suit and be a rolling perpindicular movement also. Ain't that right,Jay Dee?
-MJ-

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 26 Mar 2003 1:51 pm

This is a sort of unconscience habit I have developed. To be honest, I use my ears more than my eyes when i am finding the right fret, so the lower strings leading the tone of the higher ones might just be a byproduct of that.

Anyone do it the other way?

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 26 Mar 2003 2:20 pm

I've always kept the bar perpendicular too.....never thought about doing it any other way.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 27 Mar 2003 3:12 am

If you practice playing octaves on C6th and play more than two notes going up the neck without picking between them, I think you'll find it painful NOT to have the bar aligned. A lot of players lean over to their right when they get up high, just to make the perpendicular angle easier to keep. Having said that, I do notice that when I'm trying to play fast single string stuff and pick up the back of the bar the tip of the bar seems to want to "lead."

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 27 Mar 2003 7:26 am

I had an interesting thing happen recently at a jam. Milt Myers asked me why my bar was slanted when it looked to me as if it was perfectly straight. Actually it should look like- when it's below the 10th fret or so- the top of the bar is ever-so-slightly further away from you than the bottom~~ check your meters~~

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Mar 2003 2:40 pm

Jim, that's a great observation. Its so true.

DroopyPawn · Post by **DroopyPawn** » 27 Mar 2003 9:23 pm

I was playing with the same bar technique. I couldn't hear anything bad but at Dallas, I was in the Sierra room with Joe Write. I wasn't even playing through an amp - he had his back to me - I played a lick - he turned around and told me to quit slanting the bar. Now I have pretty good ears and I hear no change in perpendicular an minute slants (at least in the lower octaves), but Joe could hear it. I doubt that the average person could hear any difference.

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