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Chicken Pickin

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(@mattypretends116)
Honorable Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 530
Topic starter  

Can anyone offer tips on chicken pickin? I use hybrid picking and really pull up on the strings with my free fingers to get that pop, but it's not creating the desired effect. I know there is some frethand technique involved, i.e. releasing the note as it is picked to create the muted, cluck effect but I can't seem to get it right. Any tips?

Thanks,
Matt

"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."

-Guitar World :lol:


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

Bending into a sudden mute is part of the technique. I often pull the string while starting a bend, then slightly lift my fretting finger at the peak of the bend, which of course mutes the note abruptly. But not all notes are muted. I think part of the art of chickin'pickin' is learning which notes to sustain and which to mute. Use of ringing open strings adds to the style as well.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@mattypretends116)
Honorable Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 530
Topic starter  

Thanks. The sound I'm trying to get is in the intro of the Dixie Dregs tune "Ice Cakes." Muted, scratchy "buk bukah BOooK" :lol: I'm just starting to get into hot country, and have seen variations on what chicken pickin is described as. I always thought it was the clucking sound I so wonderfully described above haha, but one sight had a link to a chicken picken "how to" video and it just showed a guy doing regular, open string-based country licks.

I'll try what you described, but I can't seem to find the territory in between a note and a mute. It's either a regular clear sound or no sound at all. I changed my attack and am trying to lift the strings away from the guitar for that pop but I'm still cluckless. It's probably like harmonics, just takes a bit of trial and error to get.

"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."

-Guitar World :lol:


   
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(@ab0msnwman)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 125
 

buy the albert lee videos


   
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(@artlutherie)
Noble Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1157
 

Peter Vogl has an excellent demo here Chicken Pickin

Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
ChuckNorrisFactsdotCom


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

With chicken picking you have to have good coordination between the picking hand and fretting hand.


. . . . . h . . h . ~~~

e------------8^------8^----5-------
b--5-5-5-5-5-----5-5-----5---------
g----------------------------------
d----------------------------------
a----------------------------------
e----------------------------------
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

. = staccato- played abrupt, stopped short
h = half note bend (same as one fret)
~ = vibrato- wiggle note

In this classic Chickin' Pickin' lick, you have to stop the notes on the B string quick. As soon as you pick the note, let up pressure with the fret finger (I use the index for this lick). Your index finger will feel like it is bouncing up and down on the string in time with your picking. On the half bends, when the note reaches it's peak, let up on it also (I like to use the pinky for this bend, use what is easiest for you). The last note on the B string is played staccato again, the last note on the high E string you apply vibrato or wiggle to the note.

Edit- Also, I use all downstrokes for the notes on the B string, but use upstrokes for the notes on the high E. I think this is an important part of getting this sound.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@mattypretends116)
Honorable Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 530
Topic starter  

Peter Vogl has an excellent demo here Chicken Pickin

That's the video I was referring to. I could be wrong, but I think he just plays chord-based country style licks, no clucking. I can't watch the video on my computer right now, no quicktime. But I have seen it in the past, and I don't recall any actual chicken pickin.

Thanks for the lick and tip Wes, I'll give it a shot. The simultaneous picking/mute might be the problem :)

"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."

-Guitar World :lol:


   
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