How to rake like Les Paul?

Drew224 · 07-17-2012, 04:01 PM

I find his style of raking is really, really pretty. And mine is just kinda violent. Any tips?

Les Paul - Sleepwalk - YouTube

***Led Zep Fan*** · 07-17-2012, 04:10 PM

Hold the pick a little looser, don't grip it so hard.

You'll have to play around until you get it just right.

Thumpalumpacus · 07-17-2012, 04:19 PM

Do you have your chord in place before you rake? There's a big difference between raking over strings muted anywhere, and string muted with an eye to harmony. The latter will always sound more musical, the former more jagged.

Drew224 · 07-18-2012, 12:51 AM

Mine is a bit like Hendrix's when he was going nuts. I'm picking literally right after I figure out where my finger is going. Almost at the same time. No, I don't have the chord in place before. I never thought of that. I'll have to play around with this. Thanks.

Thumpalumpacus · 07-18-2012, 01:05 AM

No prob. It has a more genteel sound to it, less bluesy.

Rakes are like vibrato, you should have a few different styles at hand for different styles of music. I use a very aggressive rake for blues, where the thunk is percussive.

I use a mellower, chord-in-place variety for jazz or R&B-style stuff, and then, if you press down and lift up at the right time, that uptown, jazzy style of rake can morph into sweep-picking without too much trouble, if you want to get into that.

Malikon can teach you more in his thread on sweeping.

Drew224 · 07-18-2012, 01:06 PM

I'm going to take a shot at that stuff once I get a new set of strings. My guitars are all either missing a high E, or the strings are just rust.

Malikon · 07-18-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew224

I'm going to take a shot at that stuff once I get a new set of strings. My guitars are all either missing a high E, or the strings are just rust.

take a rag with some alcohol on it, wrap it (just use the corner of the rag, and hold the rest up so it doesn't touch the guitar) around 1 string somewhere in between the pickups towards the bridge, lift the string up and wipe it all the way down to the nut.

Repeat with the next 5 strings.

You'll be shocked how much dirt/sweat/skin/sh*t comes off on the rag.

But,...now your strings are clean.

07-17-2012, 04:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
*Led Zep Fan* MLP Anchorman Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 19,695 Thanks: 459 Thanked 776 Times in 309 Posts	Re: How to rake like Les Paul? Hold the pick a little looser, don't grip it so hard. You'll have to play around until you get it just right. Drew224 likes this. __________________

07-17-2012, 04:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
Thumpalumpacus Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hill Country Posts: 54,261 Thanks: 1,200 Thanked 687 Times in 79 Posts	Re: How to rake like Les Paul? Do you have your chord in place before you rake? There's a big difference between raking over strings muted anywhere, and string muted with an eye to harmony. The latter will always sound more musical, the former more jagged. Drew224 and Malikon like this.

07-18-2012, 12:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
Drew224 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Posts: 14,355 Thanks: 767 Thanked 173 Times in 58 Posts	Re: How to rake like Les Paul? Mine is a bit like Hendrix's when he was going nuts. I'm picking literally right after I figure out where my finger is going. Almost at the same time. No, I don't have the chord in place before. I never thought of that. I'll have to play around with this. Thanks. Thumpalumpacus likes this. __________________ Scarlet White

07-18-2012, 01:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
Thumpalumpacus Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hill Country Posts: 54,261 Thanks: 1,200 Thanked 687 Times in 79 Posts	Re: How to rake like Les Paul? No prob. It has a more genteel sound to it, less bluesy. Rakes are like vibrato, you should have a few different styles at hand for different styles of music. I use a very aggressive rake for blues, where the thunk is percussive. I use a mellower, chord-in-place variety for jazz or R&B-style stuff, and then, if you press down and lift up at the right time, that uptown, jazzy style of rake can morph into sweep-picking without too much trouble, if you want to get into that. Malikon can teach you more in his thread on sweeping. huw and Drew224 like this. Last edited by Thumpalumpacus; 07-18-2012 at 02:18 AM.

07-18-2012, 01:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
Drew224 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Posts: 14,355 Thanks: 767 Thanked 173 Times in 58 Posts	Re: How to rake like Les Paul? I'm going to take a shot at that stuff once I get a new set of strings. My guitars are all either missing a high E, or the strings are just rust. __________________ Scarlet White

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