Trendlines

What is the best chart view to draw trendlines? - For any pair. I’m using MetaTrader to practice.

I like the 4hr myself. Then I scale down to my time frame im trading. I think it depends on what time frame you are trading in. Keep in mind that timeframes are very subjective and will change from person to person. In my opinion, the larger the timeframe the more the price will adhere to and respect the trendlines. a 5min trendline isa more likely to be violated than a 4hr. hope this helps.

Yes it does help. Would you suggest drawing trendlines at the 4hr and then draw new lines as you scale down or should I adjust the 4hr trendlines.

for the most part i use the 4hr and use those 4hr lines on the 15min. if you are trading in the 5min timeframe than maybe draw from the 1hr. I personaly like horizontal lines too.

I learned from tess how important past price is.
http://forums.babypips.com/free-forex-trading-systems/6632-alternative-technical-templates.html
btw this an excellent thread to learn about price. its advanced but i can say without a doubt it will make you a better trader.

If a particular instrument hits a price more than once historically, than that price is important and it is likely that that may be a turning point for that instrument. for diagnal trend lines you can use anytime frame but i think the larger the timeframe the more relevant it is and the more likely that price will “obey” it.

I personally look at the Daily, 4 hour, 1 hour, 15m, 5m, and 1m. A trend line on ANY TIME FRAME is important; however, a trend line on a higher time frame is usually more important than a trend line on a lower time frame.

Also, many times you can see a trend line from a higher time frame on a lower timeframe as well. All of the time frames are interconnected and they all represent price action for the same currency pair.

This can be another lesson on fractal geometry. It is important that you understand what fractal geometry is and how it applies to forex. A Fibonacci retracement works on a weekly chart, all the way down to a tick chart. Amazing huh?

Happy Pipping.

Ben I agree with what you say 95% of the time, but I’m not sure you have to know about fractal geometry to get ahead in forex :wink:

One other thing to add to this list about trendlines is that the more obvious it is, the more important it is. Because, quite simply, more traders will see it and be aware of it.

Triphop, I am not saying that you need to be an expert on fractal geometry. You simply need to be aware of its existence and how it plays a part in forex. I have attached an image of a standard Head and Shoulders pattern in red, then on the right side of the head of the pattern I have shown various other chart patterns that are part of the head and shoulders.

This illustrates how within a chart pattern on lower time frames other chart patterns can also exist in the making of the larger pattern. This may seem like common sense to an old trader, but when I was first starting out, it helped me for someone to explain it in this way.

Happy pipping!

PS. Let me know on that other 5% Triphop, I am here to learn too! :smiley:


Awesome picture. Are you saying that most lines move in this way or very similar way?

I am not saying that the pattern I drew is a specific pattern that price will follow, it is only an example to illustrate the fractal nature of the market. Please don’t think that at the top of every head and shoulders there is a mini-head and shoulders, it may be a 1-2-3 pattern, a doji candle, or any other standard reversal pattern.

All I am trying to say is that within the big moves, there will be little mini moves. Price action basically acts the same way on a daily chart as it does on a 1 min chart.

Its like the study of Galaxies and atoms, they both behave in similar patterns but on different scales.

I hope that I have helped.

Happy Pipping!

Yyyeeeees, and no! I’m careful not to rain on anyone’s parade because there are so many ways of looking at the market, if it works for you, it works full stop no matter what anyone says.
But my problem with chart pattens are their low rates of working out. More than that though is the problem of paralysis by analysis. If I look at a chart in terms of candlesticks, chart patterns, MACd, fib rets, a couple of stochs and MAs I swear I would never take a trade because there’d be so many confusing signals.:eek:

For me it’s 50% fibs, S&R and TLs only. I know that’s a bit bare-bones but it works for me. I don’t think my head’s capable of dealing with anything more :slight_smile:

Nice Triphop. Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all! I was spoon fed on indicators first starting out so they are what I am used to. But I do have a chart set up with nothing on it but trend lines and fibs (Its my favorite. shhh… don’t tell!) :stuck_out_tongue:

The only indicator that I believe is ABSOLUTELY necessary is the clock. Its the only one that comes on every chart besides the price indicator if you think about it.

Happy Pipping!