Some Things I've Changed, Of My Technique, Over The Past Few Years That Have Greatly Improved My Playing

[TSJMajesty]

Thought I'd share my 'technique progress', for anyone who may be interested.

Back when I was in bands, I never really focused much on my technique, or trying to improve upon aspects of it that were holding me back.

But when I got serious about guitar about 5 years ago, and bought some new gear to help inspire me (or was it the other way around?), and decided I wanted to be able to play music I'd never been able to, I started looking at my technique, and ways to improve it.

I learned about pick slanting, I watched Ben Eller and Bernth videos, and gradually I tried some of the ideas that I found in them. Not sure what came first, so in no particular order...

• My pick grip:

I held my pick between my thumb and the tip of my 1st finger, and that placed the pick in a naturally downward slope, not to mention giving me an unwanted callous on the side of the tip. I wasn't much into alt picking, but as I tried to incorporate it into my playing, I found it very difficult to execute string changes. Bernth insisted the pick should be held by setting the pick on the side of your 1st finger, but much further from the tip than I was used to, then placing your thumb over the pick.

I found this to be very uncomfortable, so I made this change gradually. But I could see, ergonomically, that I did indeed need to move the pick further from the tip of my finger, so it could then naturally sit at a 90 degree angle to the plane of the strings (but still at a ~45 degree angle to the neck.) This way, I could just rotate my grip either way, very slightly, in order to get a downward or an upward slant, depending on which was needed, to give myself the best chance of doing string changes cleanly.

I've moved the pick away from my fingertip a little bit at a time, each time allowing myself to get comfortable with the new position, and it has definitely helped with string changes! Outside ones still give some trouble, but I'm very comfortable with inside changes.

• Closing my hand:

I used to always rest my pinkie on the guitar and use it as a pivot. My green Enchanted Forest Majesty was starting to show that same wear hole right where the bridge PU rout is that my Les Paul has on the top (same as Adam Jones's!), so between not wanting to do that to my newer Majesty, Bernth again insisting on something specific- using a closed grip, and also just not wanting to get fingernail scratches on my guitars (shoot me Haha), I decided to try it.

This one was also hard to adapt to, but when I would just do a tremolo pick on 1 string, I did find it freed my wrist. I'd let my palm rest on the bridge, and that be my "pivot" so to speak.

It was like, 1 step forward, 2 steps back. It slowed me down at first, but eventually I was able to pick more accurately at faster tempos.

• Breaking the pinky/ring finger dependence.

I found licks that worked these 2 fingers independently (one is in YJM's I'll See The Light Tonight, which incidentally, Ozgur (YT) who is a fantastic player and teacher, also pointed to that very same lick, so I knew I was on the right track), and practice them regularly. It has really helped.

• Building pinky strength

Just doing 1-3-4 legato licks on the lower strings with a triplet feel, and as many variations as I can think of, has helped with this one. Lack of pinky strength causes me to sound the adjacent string when I do a pull-off with that finger. So when I practice those legato riffs, I purposely try to land the pinky harder than the other fingers. That was something I picked up from a piano lesson of a GF in high school, for the same exact reason: Strengthening your weaker fingers.

• Keeping fingers close to the fretboard

With the high gain tones I love to play with, every single little touch, or bump, of a string I'm not playing makes an unwanted noise. It's very noticeable. So I've worked hard to only lift my fingers just enough to bring the string away from the fret, while still keeping my finger on the string, so it will be muted. Once I've moved away from that string, the palm takes over the muting.

Plus, my fingers aren't fast like some people, so simple physics says the closer my fingers are to the string, the less they have to travel. So that helps me with not having super-fast muscles.

• Muting in general

I focused in on always making sure I leave the tip of whatever finger I'm fretting a note with, resting slightly against the adjacent string. It's second nature now, for the 1st finger, and gets progressively more challenging with the other fingers. But again, it's very helpful in keeping things clean. And this doesn't apply of course, when playing melodies where the strings are meant to ring out. That's a whole nother area of focus for my technique!

Another muting technique that I've adopted I picked up while watching Petrucci- placing my thumb and an available finger onto strings that I'm not playing. I use this in a riff in Muse's The Handler, (all hammer-ons/pull-offs to open, on the D string), or anything else involving a single string (lots of JP stuff!)

• Pivoting at the wrist

I used to have a bad habit (I feel) of rotating my wrist (like you would to turn a doorknob) when I picked. Very out-of-control way to pick. So I would simply do 2-note exercises where all I was focused on was keeping my wrist rotating. I've pretty much broken that habit, and it has greatly helped my control.


And I'd have to say I got every bit of this from the internet! Maybe, if I had this available to me when I was a teen, it wouldn't have taken me so long to get where I am.

 

[OrganicZed]

I got quite a lot from Ben Eller with regard to how picking should look. This video provides a great view of pick slanting.

 

[Warmart]

Thought I'd share my 'technique progress', for anyone who may be interested.

Back when I was in bands, I never really focused much on my technique, or trying to improve upon aspects of it that were holding me back.

But when I got serious about guitar about 5 years ago, and bought some new gear to help inspire me (or was it the other way around?), and decided I wanted to be able to play music I'd never been able to, I started looking at my technique, and ways to improve it.

I learned about pick slanting, I watched Ben Eller and Bernth videos, and gradually I tried some of the ideas that I found in them. Not sure what came first, so in no particular order...

• My pick grip:

I held my pick between my thumb and the tip of my 1st finger, and that placed the pick in a naturally downward slope, not to mention giving me an unwanted callous on the side of the tip. I wasn't much into alt picking, but as I tried to incorporate it into my playing, I found it very difficult to execute string changes. Bernth insisted the pick should be held by setting the pick on the side of your 1st finger, but much further from the tip than I was used to, then placing your thumb over the pick.

I found this to be very uncomfortable, so I made this change gradually. But I could see, ergonomically, that I did indeed need to move the pick further from the tip of my finger, so it could then naturally sit at a 90 degree angle to the plane of the strings (but still at a ~45 degree angle to the neck.) This way, I could just rotate my grip either way, very slightly, in order to get a downward or an upward slant, depending on which was needed, to give myself the best chance of doing string changes cleanly.

I've moved the pick away from my fingertip a little bit at a time, each time allowing myself to get comfortable with the new position, and it has definitely helped with string changes! Outside ones still give some trouble, but I'm very comfortable with inside changes.

• Closing my hand:

I used to always rest my pinkie on the guitar and use it as a pivot. My green Enchanted Forest Majesty was starting to show that same wear hole right where the bridge PU rout is that my Les Paul has on the top (same as Adam Jones's!), so between not wanting to do that to my newer Majesty, Bernth again insisting on something specific- using a closed grip, and also just not wanting to get fingernail scratches on my guitars (shoot me Haha), I decided to try it.

This one was also hard to adapt to, but when I would just do a tremolo pick on 1 string, I did find it freed my wrist. I'd let my palm rest on the bridge, and that be my "pivot" so to speak.

It was like, 1 step forward, 2 steps back. It slowed me down at first, but eventually I was able to pick more accurately at faster tempos.

• Breaking the pinky/ring finger dependence.

I found licks that worked these 2 fingers independently (one is in YJM's I'll See The Light Tonight, which incidentally, Ozgur (YT) who is a fantastic player and teacher, also pointed to that very same lick, so I knew I was on the right track), and practice them regularly. It has really helped.

• Building pinky strength

Just doing 1-3-4 legato licks on the lower strings with a triplet feel, and as many variations as I can think of, has helped with this one. Lack of pinky strength causes me to sound the adjacent string when I do a pull-off with that finger. So when I practice those legato riffs, I purposely try to land the pinky harder than the other fingers. That was something I picked up from a piano lesson of a GF in high school, for the same exact reason: Strengthening your weaker fingers.

• Keeping fingers close to the fretboard

With the high gain tones I love to play with, every single little touch, or bump, of a string I'm not playing makes an unwanted noise. It's very noticeable. So I've worked hard to only lift my fingers just enough to bring the string away from the fret, while still keeping my finger on the string, so it will be muted. Once I've moved away from that string, the palm takes over the muting.

Plus, my fingers aren't fast like some people, so simple physics says the closer my fingers are to the string, the less they have to travel. So that helps me with not having super-fast muscles.

• Muting in general

I focused in on always making sure I leave the tip of whatever finger I'm fretting a note with, resting slightly against the adjacent string. It's second nature now, for the 1st finger, and gets progressively more challenging with the other fingers. But again, it's very helpful in keeping things clean. And this doesn't apply of course, when playing melodies where the strings are meant to ring out. That's a whole nother area of focus for my technique!

Another muting technique that I've adopted I picked up while watching Petrucci- placing my thumb and an available finger onto strings that I'm not playing. I use this in a riff in Muse's The Handler, (all hammer-ons/pull-offs to open, on the D string), or anything else involving a single string (lots of JP stuff!)

• Pivoting at the wrist

I used to have a bad habit (I feel) of rotating my wrist (like you would to turn a doorknob) when I picked. Very out-of-control way to pick. So I would simply do 2-note exercises where all I was focused on was keeping my wrist rotating. I've pretty much broken that habit, and it has greatly helped my control.


And I'd have to say I got every bit of this from the internet! Maybe, if I had this available to me when I was a teen, it wouldn't have taken me so long to get where I am.

Wow, you've been busy! Quite a few things you've detailed will help me, especially the muting - although I do sometimes like some of the weird noises that surprise me out of nowhere!

It's great to hear how much it's helped you, looks like you're roaring forward and conquering things very well!

 

[PLX]

I give Ben Eller $5 / month so I don't play like my step-dad anymore.

 

[TSJMajesty]

looks like you're roaring forward and conquering things very well!

I turned off the metronome last night, started with a clean tone, and just went for it for about an hour. Switched to my high gain tone about midway through, blasted through a few riffs that I still don't have quite up to speed, and came away from it all very pleased.

Definitely huge improvements from where I was a few years ago. I even thought, Hmmm, I talk a lot about this stuff.... Maybe it's time to post something.

(I'd have to learn how to use this DAW though, which doesn't interest me at all. Maybe a simple phone recording...., Yeah, fire up the 2:90/Tri Axis..., we'll see.)

 

[Warmart]

I turned off the metronome last night, started with a clean tone, and just went for it for about an hour. Switched to my high gain tone about midway through, blasted through a few riffs that I still don't have quite up to speed, and came away from it all very pleased.

Definitely huge improvements from where I was a few years ago. I even thought, Hmmm, I talk a lot about this stuff.... Maybe it's time to post something.

(I'd have to learn how to use this DAW though, which doesn't interest me at all. Maybe a simple phone recording...., Yeah, fire up the 2:90/Tri Axis..., we'll see.)

I should prob learn of these 'clean tones', you speaketh of. Are these made with acoustic guitars?

I don't have a DAW, either, lol. Back in one of my former 'guitar playing attempts (failures)" I was using something that was really easy. Kristal AE, I think? Although I know recording oneself is wise for improvement, I just don't yet gaf. For me, guitar is all about fun, and no work. Constantly getting better, of course, and I try to find the problem areas and then correct them.

Speaking of picking hand index finger callouses! Heh, funny you should mention that! I was looking at my right hand index finger a few days ago, and it was a little scrubby looking, like 1/3 of the way from the front, right along the side of the nail. I'm like, "Wtf is that like that for, I can fix it!" - so I did, lol. Then, for the next couple days I felt pain with every single solitary note I picked. Lesson learned

 

[TSJMajesty]

"Wtf is that like that for, I can fix it!" - so I did, lol. Then, for the next couple days I felt pain with every single solitary note I picked. Lesson learned

I was shopping for an emery board, and this woman had her cart right in the middle of the aisle, (which I'll admit, it annoys me, just another example of people only thinking of themselves...,) so I gave her a look. She starts mouthing off, "Oh how hard is it to just move it out of your way?" so then I was like, "It's real easy to put your cart to the side so others can get by too." That's it.

Which escalated her attitude, and she goes, "What are you even doing here in the ladies cosmetics section anyway? You some kind of pervert?"

I couldn't stop....,"Well if you must know, I'm a guitar player and I'm looking for the emery boards so I can file down the callouses on my fingers."

I guess that totally disarmed her, because she goes, "Oh...., I think they're right over there."

UFB