Greetings, whoever-reads-this!
I found out today that guitarist Rick Haydon has passed away. He taught for many years at SIU Edwardsville. I had the good fortune to take two lessons with him back in 1986. After hearing me play for a bit, he told me I had wimpy technique.
It didn't hurt my feelings. In fact, I agreed with him. I had the habit of anchoring the pinky of my right hand, which was greatly limiting my range of motion. If you have big hands, that might work to use a finger as an anchor. But with my mitts, it wasn't quite getting there.
He gave me a scale exercise in major 6ths, which was nice and tricky. I had it pretty well for my second lesson. But the main thing he did for me was to un-anchor my right hand. My technique was vastly improved. It took a good year before it felt right though.
I've read in recent years about the George Benson picking style. It's supposed to be greatly liberating as far as fingerboard fluency. But I don't want to go through another adjustment year. So far so good as far as what I've already got going.
RIP Rick Haydon. I'm sure you've helped many student guitarists over the years. Even this one.
