How to Hold a Guitar Pick the RIGHT Way [Guitar Playing Masterclass PART 1]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
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Here's how to hold a guitar pick the RIGHT way.... and this is just part 1 of my masterclass.
As a guitar teacher and guitarist myself-I'm convinced that a lot of the most-viewed guitar instructional videos are teaching how to hold a guitar pick and guitar picking techniques inaccurately...
Not only do these videos disregard the importance of how the position of the guitar influences the ability to play at high speeds, but they are also frequently created by individuals who can't achieve such speeds themselves.
I've had the privilege of learning from accomplished players like Spiro Dussias, Cory Wong, Stephen Taranto, and Jake Howsam Lowe, who've toured with musicians like Plini, Stefan Forte, Alex Campbell, and Alek Darson.
My aim today is to share the knowledge I've gleaned from these experts, along with my personal discoveries and innovations, and pass it all on to you in this guitar tutorial!
ALSO - many players face issues such as pain and playing discomfort, and often these stem from incorrect guitar and wrist positioning... And how they hold the guitar pick is often a SYMPTOM of their poor positioning...
I want to guide you through the steps to rectify this, helping you to eliminate pain, play more accurately, and set you up for comfortable high-speed playing.
I'll also introduce the picking motion predominantly used by professional players today, and reveal a special trick I use for increasing pick grip, along with advice on what to do with your spare fingers, the two categories of picks, my pick recommendations, strap height and type, thumb position, how to maintain a proper guitar position even without a strap, how tightly to hold the pick, and more!
This information is CRUCIAL for beginner guitar players to learn the difference between how hold a guitar pick for strumming and how to hold a guitar pick for speed. You need BOTH.
Last - This is just the first in a series on picking that I will be producing. Future videos will cover sweeping, string muting, funk strumming, guitar setup, and more. So make sure you're subscribed. ;-)
Now, it's crucial to mention a few disclaimers. Primarily, this lesson is designed for rock and metal players wanting to play faster, and it focuses on improving rhythm and shred guitar skills. But even if you don't aspire to super-fast speeds, the lesson is still beneficial to you if you want to play more accurately, enjoy long gigs or practice sessions without pain, and increase your overall playing ability!
00:00 What other picking videos get wrong
00:55 What you'll get in this guitar lesson
01:38 Important guitar picking disclaimers!
03:26 Wrist position (how to sit, strap height, etc)
09:00 Holding the guitar pick: essentials
11:05 Thumb positioning 101
14:34 How to grip the guitar pick
15:35 What to do with your other fingers
17:02 How to use your new picking set-up
17:49 My Single String Scales exercise
19:31 What kind of pick to use
23:12 Guitar picking FAQs!
32:15 RECAP
RECOMMENDED GEAR:
JP Flow 2.0mm picks: amzn.to/45pWC7D
JP Jazz iii 1.5mm picks: amzn.to/3q9ikN4
Dunlop Flow 0.73mm picks: amzn.to/43oKthl
Dunlop Seatbelt Strap (red): amzn.to/3MsgvC4
Dunlop Seatbelt Strap (white): amzn.to/3IG7DaV
Required disclosure - These are affiliate links
USX / DSX / Applied Wrist Rotation Lesson:
• Escape Picking Daily W...
#guitartutorial #guitarlesson #guitarist
![[Guitar Picking Tutorial] Picking From Wrist Vs. Elbow](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8JP5CQKLfkY/mqdefault.jpg)
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UPDATE TO THIS VIDEO:
See 0:46 and on in this live HERE: th-cam.com/video/J5MkZh3Ajys/w-d-xo.html
I am now using a flatter pick angle and using a "straight thumb". Check the live for why. Vey important stuff. :-)
Im a beginner learning to play guitar on a Strandberg Boden 6 String with angel Frets. What angel motion should your picking hand travel when picking up and down 90° or 45° ?
Who knew the Science of Pick?
This was great and I've been doing it right all along ! I'm a visual painting Artist and comfort with arms and wrist and fingers is oh so important. Fatigue, ergo, gravity... greatly saps muscle energy and limberness, loose playing.
Try holding something over your head, something light, and hold it in one position for 5 minutes.
I'll wait....
Yeah, something light weight doesn't matter, the weight of your arms is the issue. Fortunately, playing guitar, we are moving. Being loose and comfortable is a must.
Left arm, hardly moving. Holding up dead weight and not the neck, either. I did as a kid, holding up the neck to stand and sit. Too poor to have a strap. haha...
We didn't have tutorials 55yrs ago and this is a fantastic eye-opener. Thank you !
I don't quite understand your question... Can you try rephrasing? :)@@DaneRates
I've been playing for 15 years and despite that, I often watch videos like this because it can help me understand and also teach what I know better. To my surprise, this video taught me that I had developed a remarkably bad habit over the years! Putting the pick closer to the tip of my index finger in my grip improved my picking consistency drastically! I remember that I used to do this but for some reason or another stopped and my picking became worse because of it. It'd never too late break bad habits, you earned yourself a sub!
You have exactly the right mindset!! I too watch videos so I can find the 1% of things I missed, the little things other videos don't talk about. Less so with guitar... I get it from my teachers. But still.
After 38 years of playing, I find that your body is going to find its most comfortable positions depending on what you're playing. Holding your hands certain ways is going to give you certain sounds of the way you're playing and can help with certain techniques. Holding your pick one way or another can make you pick a certain way or not, maybe giving you the sound and helping with the technique you want at the time. To quote the best, it either sounds good or it doesn't. There truly is no right or wrong way if it sounds good and the way you wanted it to.
Videos of "how to hold your pick"? Unbelievable!!-Your statement is the only correct one. "There truly is no right or wrong way if it sounds good and the way you wanted it to"
I Thought the same thing.
However. What IF Your Both Correct?
Matt went out of his way to Create the
Video, Content. He Sounds Real to Me.
I would Say. Yes! There Is No Right Or
Wrong Way. To Do Anything in The Universe.
Yet. His Video for Me is Very Helpful
And Educational. Cut him some Slack.
Make a New Plan Stan. 🙂
He's doing a Great Service. Thank You Matt ! 🎸
@@danabiondo9243 Please don't think I am trashing this guy. I would not do that to anyone. I have learned things from newer guitars players but I also know a bit myself. If you want to think about what I said. If everyone held the pick the same way, everyone would sound the same. Guitar players throughout time have had some of the weirdest picking styles and all each way of holding the pick I have learned gives you different sounds, ways to tackle different techniques. Just like the way you change to sweep pick, its easier to close your hand, while palm muting the hand is open. But I am not here to trash anyone. We all spread out talents and learn from each other. I hope you understand this.
I'm a beginner guitarist so I've been scouring the internet on picking techniques and how to do it correctly and most of them left me with more questions than answers. This video, hands down, is the best video I found. It answered all of my questions for me! The hand on the table showing abduction/adduction was probably the best cue I found on proper wrist technique. Thank you so much!
This is my goal! You’re welcome. :-)
I really appreciate your guitar-nerdiness! Your minute technical tips are fantastic and I can see that playing guitar is your utmost passion in life. Thank you for tips on a lot of little things about my style to work on and correct. This video was awesome. Thank you for considering the smallest details to expand on that everyone else overlooks! This was a great help and leaves me with plenty of things to consider and build into my own habits.
You're very welcome!!
Love this level of detail and explanation. Thanks man!
I used to grip the pick with a 2 finger pinch grip and the tension over the years at a harsh angle has crept up on me. Between strap height, guitar angle, which leg the guitar is sitting on and my technique, it all adds up. I am on a mission to play safely and pain-free and look forward to implementing these changes.
Several years ago, I noticed my picking progress had really plateaued, and I went out in search of info on all these specific postural and ergonomic details. To my surprise, pretty much nobody explained all of these things you did. Troy Grady was the only one talking about how the pick should meet the strings, but even he didn’t give much info on all the other details which make or break the picking hand placement and ergonomics. This stuff should be picking 101 for new players, yet it’s very hard to find. Great video!
Dude, thank you so much! That's my goal with these videos! Empower people by teaching them the fundamental mechanisms behind picking. Often what comes naturally in regards to instrumental technique is not best for the long term.
Awesome Video !!! the best explanation to date about proper guitar picking .... thanks for sharing !!!:)
ALL are great tips, and I briefly heard this touched on "briefly"...but the KEY to picking is to "RELAX"...makes a huge difference. And Ive been playing guitar for 43 years so.
th-cam.com/video/Z6i5qTtNNog/w-d-xo.html
I've got a great vid on pain. Check this one out 🙂
He said a lot about avoiding unnecessary muscle activation…
Exactly. Look at Uli Jon Roth "strumming" those single note runs in Sails of Charon.
Wrist of rubber.
What a great and thorough lesson, very good stuff!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much common sense advice packed into one video; thankyou so much!
Been playing with the "hitchhikers grip" with guitar balanced on right leg for well over a decade but am finally finally looking to change my habits after always experiencing discomfort when playing for long practice sessions. Gonna take a very long time to get used to but I can already feel the difference in comfort, thank you so much!
Fantastic! Be sure to check the update video linked in the pinned comment :-)
I have an Ibanez with that same bridge, and I love it. It doesn't poke my hand however because
I tend to pick a bit further back, giving my palm a bit more space to rest on.
I occationally play Strats, so I learned this so as to not get caught on the middle pickup. I find this gets a tighter sound with more midrange as well.
Having played with open palm for 15 years, I recently started playing with a closed fist, and I found I could alternate pick way faster and more controlled.
It took some getting used to since I used to do the finger anchoring thing as well, but it was well worth it... for me at least.
Now, when it comes to picks, I used to play stubbys, but a friend of mine complained about my
pick attack and gave me a Jazz III. I loved how these sound, but I felt they were too small,
espesially when I'm strumming chords or sweep picking as I like to reveal more pick surface between my fingers when I do.
I actually started using Fender/Gibson Heavy picks for a while just to get the size until I found
Dunlop actually makes XL versions of the Jazz III, so now, and for the last 7 years I've been using
the Ultex Jazz III XL. I like the Prime Tone version a bit more for the grip texture, but they're way more expensive, and I find they sound pretty samey.
Ive been playing guitar since I was 14 I'm 40 now I considered myself a fairly good guitar player but I am lacking on certain runs like the lead on megadeths hook in mouth man you changed every thing I thought I knew about guitar your explanation is dead on thank you already seeing better results.
GREAT VIDEO! This is the ONLY video I’ve ever seen that demonstrated a pick-holding position that made sense and felt NATURAL.
The simple back and forth wrist motion is what I’ve always fallen into when I was REALLY in the pocket and relaxed. I think that says a lot about why it’s probably the best motion for most people.
Finally, the guitar POSITION really reduced fatigue.
It wasn’t exactly natural for me as I always wanted the guitar flatter against me. But hey, it’s just harder to play that way, or it’s harder to play for a long time that way.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yay for breakthroughs!
Awesome stuff Matt!!🤘🏻🤘🏻🎸🎸
Thank you thank you thank you one of the best explanations of wrist and pick placement.
I have taught hundreds of guitar players, including very advanced working professionals. The picking technique that works for one, will NOT work for all. By far the most important consideration for a guitarist's pick grip, is that the player feels RELAXED, and in control of the SOUND. George Benson, Pat Metheny, Steve Morse, and Ed VanHalen, all hold the pick the "wrong" way. They brilliantly make my point. Dig ?
you are right this guy is way over thinking,,,relaxation is every thing,guitar is dificult enough,although ithink that relaxation and metronome is the most important.
Years ago my guitar teacher told me I hold my guitar pick like Eddie Van Halen. I assumed it was because I hold it with thumb and middle finger but I feel I have more control.
And yet, one can learn something from this video.
Great lesson. Thanks for posting it.
thanks Matt. Excellent teaching style. Your explanations are easy to follow. I am not a shredder, but this information has helped a lot. Thank you!
Just started electric guitar and your videos are so useful.
This video has been incredibly helpful. Just simply switching to playing on my left leg has already made things easier. Such a simple helpful tweak. Thanks dude keep making these
You're welcome! Check out the Left Hand Masterclass video that just came out for even more clarity! :)
25:41 Was a point that I never considered in the past (wrist placement). Like you said, this is a point not addressed by others. This gave me a lot to think about. Thank you!
Amazing lesson!!!! This video really helped improve my mechnaics and make my goal of playing 16NPS in 4 weeks (240bpm with sixteenth notes) a lot more realistic
I’m glad! For pick speed, I’d recommend modeling Alex Campbell and Nick K on IG.
If you’re wiggling your whole arm up and down, you’re going to be sacrificing control big time. ;-)
Rooting for you,
Very thorough! Thanks!
25 years playing but this year i wanted to play faster things. tried economy picking etc. This video immediately changed a lot. Now i can use my thumb movement freely and changing strings seems easier. Thanks. I subscribed.
Amazing!!! 🙂
You're on the right track.
I'd highly recommend checking out this video next as it deals with string changing:
th-cam.com/video/pqA8N4tbMqY/w-d-xo.html
Bro!! This is the video I have been looking for for ever! Phenomenal thank you, thank you, thank you… Subscribed
You're so welcome :-)
Nicely done! Methodical approach suited to the broad spectrum of guitar players of every level. Sound fundamentals lead to proficiency - bad habits die hard. Thanks!
Held my pick like 0:21 for years. I switched to your recommendation about a week ago and I can already feel a huge difference. My picking hand is super relaxed now and stuff like alternate picking and sweep picking feels much more natural and effortless.
Love to hear this!
Having a double jointed thumb, I always held my pick facing up. I wish I knew how bad that would affect my speed decades later. I now know why I plateaued so long ago. I thought I was simply not capable of speed. I changed my picking 3 years ago, and what a change! Good video!
Good on you for making the change! It's not easy, but it's worth it!
And when you learn to understand mechanics like this, it will motivate even more change. 🤙
Wow I didn’t realize how much depth there is into this! 20 years of self taught, I realize I have NOT self taught myself shit lol. Never realized how sloppy my pick hand is until looking into it. Never too old to learn more my beautiful humans!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge hippy dude
thank you so much for this video, i just started out 2 weeks ago and this is by far the most detailed video i've seen regarding this topic. you just got a sub :)
Thank you! :-)
There's a time and place for multiple different pick holding techniques. Hitchhiker vs the other opposite sounds very different. I tend to alternate the pick angle depending on what sort of stuff I play. An angled pick just won't cut it when you need maximum thump and hitchhiker for me is way more agile on specific situations, also makes pinch harmonics super easy. There's a benefit to all techniques.
ive learn a lot...thanks😊
Thx for the video because it really helped and I struggle with using a pick because when I started learning I only used my finger to strum and it’s a bad habit
You are intelligent and interesting enough to hold on to every word! Your voice is also understandable, and I love your selection of words! Oh, and you ROCK by the way! Keep in rocking on!
I used to hate sharp picks, but have adapted because for thrash rhythm kinda stuff, they're unbeatable. They are the most accurate pick for striking two strings at once without hitting other strings. Also, they are super immediate.
Since speed is the goal here, for absolute speed on single strings, the FLOW is superior because it slides off the string a bit more easily...
I guess one has to decide which one is more important, given the context of what they are doing.
A good middle-ground I've found for me is the Gravity Classic Pointed picks. They have somewhat of a jazz tip but slightly pointier, and have a regular body shape, which allows me to modify my grip position and holding pressure on the fly for different picking situations.
If the pick is too small, like a Jazz III, I can pick fast on single strings, but for pretty much everything else, it hurts my hand. The flow also helps solve this problem.
The Petrucci Jazz III is too slippery, unless your hands are relatively dry. If you sweat or have moist skin, the can slip like crazy. If they made a Max Grip version, it could help in that situation. I can't even hold a Jazz III for more than 5 minutes without it being the carbon fiber max grip. I guess you fixed the problem by using a dremek though! 😅
For super thick picks, like the V-Picks Dimension picks, the benefit is being able not to make the grip larger perse, but to be able to hold the pick more loosely and tense up less.
If you’re having trouble with a pick slipping, check out the tip in my shorts that has a dremel in the thumbnail. You can SAND the grip area of a pick and that can help a lot :-)
Good info in the video.
Super-motivational - thank you!
Love this, keep it up!
Thanks, man!!
Seriously bro, this is quite a gem. It's amazing how subtle yet powerful picking is. There's an anecdote Ted Nugent gave about how he tried using EVH's gear but still sounded the same. Whereas Eddie would always sound like Eddie.Guthrie Govan equates picking to Bruce Lee's infamous one-inch punch
Great video. I have a background in flamenco and classical (but I primarily do jazz now) so I set my strap from the bottom strap button to behind the nut of the neck so I can maintain the old skool position while not having the tension of the strap pull on my back. I do this for my Camp Flamenco, my custom Signature Archtop by Yuhnzi, Fender Jazzmaster, and my fretless bass. I've been searching around for things about holding the pick because though I can sweep arpeggions upward (from high string to low) everytime I do a downward sweep, my thumb some how gets in the way. Anyway, I just subscribed from my non brand account - hope to see more videos from you
Welcome! Glad you found it helpful. :-)
Please also see the UPDATE to this video linked in the description. It's EXTREMELY important.
Lastly, I also have videos on sweeping.
From your comment on sweeping down is hard, I would bet you are rotating your wrist/hand too much.
Cheers!
Playing the wrong way for years. Thanks a lot for these tips, playing feels immediately relaxed!
Thanks for being open to change :-)
Great lesson...thx bro😁
Best explanation/directions on the interweb. I subscribed immediately.
I'm 69 and I likely won't be shredding - anything. However, I want to play faster and with more accuracy. And why not try shredding or new techniques? This video is the bomb. Just tons of good information for any picker.
Thank you, man!! 🙂
You're gonna love the video coming up on left hand coming up. 😉
To prepare, check out the Bending Tricks video. I bet you'll like that one too!
I developed a pronation/supination (rotation) picking technique (was somehow able to do 16's at 250 bpm), and was only really doing rhythm playing, and anchoring along the bridge itself, or strings when muting or playing palm muted notes. I played for a year and a half, and then stopped for two and a half. I didn't stop due to a RSI though, turns out I have hypermobility, and the type just so happens to causes a massive degree of pain (body-wide, so, both arms) around the time you turn 18 (when I stopped) which lasts for pretty much the rest of your life, but the pain has gradually gotten better mostly due to a medication. I've very recently tried playing again and tried playing as lightly, economically and ergonomically as possible. I plan on setting the guitar up with the equivalent of 8's tension, and getting and using .60mm picks, before I pick it up again soon.
I will try to transition to an abduc/adduc picking style and see what it's like; have you ever seen someone do arm rotation picking successfully for a large period of time? Do you have any tips for minimising pain, anything from fretting technique, to how to pick quite/very lightly but have it work, to guitar setup, or specific things like the Performaxe, or picks you'd recommend? Sorry for the convoluted and long comment. I'm trying to find as many small things no matter what they are to make playing less painful and more comfortable, so I appreciate any, any tips.
This comment is great. No worries about length. First off, hypermobility is sometimes a symptom of autoimmunity. Look up Kiran Krishna/Rebel Health Tribe/molecular mimicry. You can get a lab test called an ELISA ACT LRA which will tell you all foods your body is sensitive or allergic to based on both raw and cooked forms of protein. I’ve seen case studies of people go from wheel chairs to walking.
2nd, I’d recommend a “non flex” pick. Something around 1.0mm+. You’ll just a better response out of the guitar for metal type playing. If you’re doing blues/funk stuff, then stay with a flex pick.
Third, left hand. Get your string action as low as possible. Make it BUZZ, and then bring it back up but by bit until it doesn’t buzz.
Performance is a great tool and I’m looking to get one… They’re currently out of stock.
Good luck, man!
Hey, thanks! I will say that John Petrucci and Andy James both fold their index finger in towards the base of their thumb, and they do overlap their thumb over the pick quite a bit. I do this, too, and I find I get the best results this way. Shorter thumb (shorter fingers) people may need to copy their grip. I just ordered both of their Dunlop 2mm flow picks. I can't wait to try them out, so thanks for the recommendation and the tips!
1. Thanks for watching everything (it sounds like)!
2. Prepare for a harsh transition with those picks haha. About 2 weeks and you'll be feeling back to normal! Be patient with it.
@@mattwright466I am definitely seeing progress by using my metronome, staying relaxed, and practicing every day. Thank you
Hey Matt, I really like your style. Your'e very precise and technical and I admire that. You got me brother, I sub'd.Looking forward to all your vids! Peace
Thanks a bunch! Anything you'd like to see me cover?
bro thanks a lot!!
I appreciate your time Matt, because you are teaching others certain techniques that you find to be the best or correct way to play for free, and feel are "correct" positions, angles, etc. I have been playing since 1979-80, and my approach to practice and playing have changed over the years. I will not get into my pick grip, sitting position or strap height. If you sling your guitar as low as Jimmy Page does, you are gonna have some problems, just cuz you think it looks cool. There are many ways we guitarists do things. As far as "rules" go, I find that they can go the way of the Do-Do bird. All I will say is that my picking hand is very different from yours, but 40+ years without a hint of pain or discomfort must mean I am doin okay. The less movement, the faster you can play. And I mean both hands. Keep your action low (Yngwie claims his action is high because he wants the string to oscillate fully) Yngwie is full of shit. I have seen his guitars up close, on stands, at L`Amour`s, in Brooklyn behind stage. Economy is important for sure. We do not need or want wasted movement because it saps energy and slows us down, and then you will feel pain for damn sure. Find your comfort zone, your pick grip and most important, learn how to bend with authority and total control. Have fun!!! Make others feel good by hearing you play. Isn`t that why we love music? Cheers to all of my fellow guitarists, always! Grab your guitar for the day, plug in, turn up and shred!!!
Congratulations on this video. It is the most concise deep dive into what for me personally, in 60 years of playing guitar, is my least developed skill. I have never been a 'shredder'. More a 'Cowboy chord' fingerpicker. Given that I have recently started playing in a trio with bass and drums, it is something I need to develop, along with single note lead concepts. Your teaching skill is phenomenal. Thank you for taking the time to produce this. Subscribed and looking forward to more.
I would be most interested in pick manipulation in the hand, when not using it. It confounds me and the only solution I can see is a line of picks in one of those clip on boom mic stand holders.
Thank you so much! Glad you got a lot out of it. 🙂
There's lots of ways to do it... I'm not much of a hybrid picker. I'd look at a player like Steve Vai for this one. I forget how he does it exactly...
Different players either hold it with their accessory RH fingers or hold it in the palm of their hand. I don't have a super detailed answer for this (yet).
As a "self" (from videos) taught "guitarist" I really appreciate talking about positioning i 3 dimensions.
I would recommend the big stubby pic 3.0 as a training aid say for running through scales for 10 or 15 minutes, trying to manipulate the pick in different ways and get a feel for the strings..Then switch it to a lighter flow pick like 1.0 or lighter.Mix it up with the pucks even try .88…you will learn so much about the sound you can get with your hands and develop super power picking techniques…I am saying that with 35 years of running through the major and minor scales …..Good luck guys !
I've changed the humbucker of my Eastman T486 with Gibson T490 R & T Humbucker. Now it's a fantastic guitar. I'm not a Jazz-Player, but Blues)
The pont about the control of the picking existing in the last sections of the thumb and index finger was game changing for me. I was letting my thumb stick out of the pick and never really had any control of the sound and overall felt a bit lose. Now all the picked notes sound more active, with intent, and I have much more control of the pick strokes. I wish I'd known this 15 years ago when I was getting started :')
Love to hear it! 👏
Keep at it
Wow. Uploaded just as i first started playing the guitar. This will come in handy.
Cool. I've been playing for many years. You showed me several great ideas. For one, I'm left handed but play right handed. My picking has suffered a long time. I find I twist or spin my wrist and arm instead of the up and down. My neck angle is almost flat. I don't set my wrist on the bridge. My grip is is okay though. I have to practice your lessons. So many great tips! You have a new subscriber. Just from experience a tip to keep the pick from dropping is wet your thumb and fingertip from time to time. Another is I use a Tortex or Jim Dunlop and if you melt just the middle of the back side edge of the pick and mush it in a bit with the lighter and wait for it to cool you make a little ridge that keeps the pick in your grip. Anyway thanks for the time and effort and the lesson. Cheers mate.
First off, thanks for the sub. Second, thanks for watching (I assume) the whole vid. Get on the guitar now! :-)
I write with my left hand but play "normal"/right hand guitars as well. I haven't ever found this to be an issue.
1. The book Whole Brain Power by Lavery shows how even ELITE athletes can train in ambidexterity and even beat their competition because of it. Don't write yourself off as having some kind of disability.
2. If right hand if your struggle, this video is a good start, but you should have some daily picking exercise to "calibrate" your hands to the guitar. I've been doing these (link) for a long time and I'll be coming out with a video with some additional very helpful variations here on Monday. But for now, get started with these.
th-cam.com/video/pqA8N4tbMqY/w-d-xo.html
Cheers!
@@mattwright466 That's too funny because that's the video I'm watching right now!
I thought that you did an excellent job with the topic/video. Bravo! Subscribing
What a breakdown my guy. Measuring people and everything. Great content. You'll teach people for years to come with this one.
@ 14:50 min I am a beginner and I never knew the correlation between the grip strength and the sound. Very informative, thanks!
I have been playing for over 20 years and still end up finding out how I do things wrong and hacked it in my younger years. Thanks for the quality content man!
Thanks to you for being open to continuing to change and improve! 💪
Glad you enjoyed
thanxxxx a lot!!!
i got the hitch hiker thumb proly couse im 68 done my shair of hitchhiking back in the day lol cool video
You've done my head in mate
I use the Black Jazz III XL and I love it :D
I've been playing improvisational metal and jazz my whole life and ive learned comfort is a personal, subjective thing. People use the hunt for tone as an excuse for not connecting with art which reduces their practice, weighs down their pocket book and i pity thst. I have a friend with a half million dollar guitar collections and learns only covers. I play how i feel when writing and work on technique during warmup.
I wear my guitar up very high so i can reach every fret from another with little to no effort. It took me longer than most to get confident because of mental illness but ive let go of all the showing off and just play. Rhythm is most important, lead isnt a part of a song for me. I tend to not camp in any place and can hear a chord before i play it. I haven't played cowboy chords since I trained my ear and ive become better at sonic translation from brain to string.
Great lesson. I can see why people want to shred. I used to be one of them.
Good advice except it only works for people without arthritis or injury in their thumb. My finding is that the most comfortable way is the best way. I can't bend my thumb at the knuckle due to a motorcycle accident and this applies to people with arthritis also.
I found the jazz3 years ago but they are so small... thanktully they produce also jazz3 XL and this picks are perfect for me.
Good video. I am an acoustic player so I dont know how much differece you would see on electric, but BlueChip picks make a huge difference in tone on flat tops and wear forever. Might want to check those out. They arent cheap, but are good. Trust me I've bought to many different variations
Excellent video 🎥...do you find more speed / accuracy control with pinky anchoring or free-floating the fingers ala George Lynch etc?? Great stuff 🎼🎵🎶
Thanks man!
Not a huge fan of free floating… It’s basically going to necessitate some active lifting of the fingers… But it’s also going to come down to the design of the guitar the player is using.
It’s going to be REALLY hard to pinky anchor on some big hollow body thing…
Some guitar’s pickups are positioned where the pinky can really easily “lock on” to the edge of a pickup. Other guitars, like the Majesty, don’t always have this.
So, if you watch my playing, you’ll see that I’m technically “pinky anchoring”, but my pinky tends to slide around because of the design nature of the Majesty.
Ultimately, the pinky is another point in the GPS system of “what string am I on?” and as long as it’s not tensed, then some variation here is highly unlikely to cause long term playing issues.
I've bought the Dunlop Variety Pack for shredders, and found the picks I like. My faves are Dunlop Flow 2.0, Jazz III XL for a snappier sound, and Ultex Jazz III, both XL and regular (they seem to accentuate the low and mid frequencies while toning down the highs, and they never slip on me). The only thing I dislike about the Flow pick is that it seems weightless, without any density to it. That somehow feels uncomfortable for me.
Geeky, love it ❤
I’ve got a double jointed thumb, I fixed the wrist angle problem, by going to a jazz 3 pick, and copying fast players wrist position and adjusting the strap, then I found a harder pick material…then with a hole, but I think the thumb issue is why my right hand is just too jumpy, and hard to control, that fact changed my actual musculature I believe, but I never was trained by a teacher. As for sitting, I’m 6’6” that likely affected my musculature too, the angles are all just wrong, and first position is still a difficult place to get a good wrist angle even with a stap & standing, which is essentially the only way I play.
I have arthritis in my hands and have had trouble with the pick slipping out. I use a monster grip (stick-on) on the thumb side of the pick and lightly sand the index finger side. This has mad a huge difference in being able to hold on to the pick. I tried monster grips on both sides but it did not feel natural to me.
Nice! Glad you're finding something that works for you given your unique circumstances. 🙂
If you're open, this video may provide some additional insights:
th-cam.com/video/Z6i5qTtNNog/w-d-xo.html
Since I learned how to play in grade school, I've always held picks ("plectrums" in the U.K.) between the thumb and first TWO fingers. It's probably cost me some picking skills, but it gives me more a sense of security.
It’s a false sense of security. You don’t need to grip that much. It’s not necessary. And it also ties up this middle finger from being used for tapping. And it limits the picks you can use because they have to be big enough to allow for two fingers. When you let go to tap, you actually have a higher risk of dropping the pick. :-)
Hey Matt, Excellent video! What are your thoughts on using a pick grip with a fully/mostly curved index finger (as Troy Grady would call a "trigger" style grip)
Check my conversation with Guillermo in the comments on this video :-)
Also, could you link me the specific Troy Grady video that you're talking about? I haven't seen that one. Will watch and be sure to address.
Again, incredible and precises explanations, thank you!
For the pick, i'm actually trying the Ibanez Grip Wizard (sand grip one) because my pick always finish sideways because of sweat hands... For now, i'm pretty happy with it, let's see in the long term
Thanks man :-)
Nice! I've thought about gluing sandpaper to other picks. What thickness?
You'll also find that your fingers kind of "react" grip-wise to different pick materials. For some people, the Delrin of the JP Flow 2.0 is very slippery. Not for me. Also, My hands just don't sweat a ton.
@@mattwright466 0.8mm (medium for Ibanez picks) to start, i wanted to try the heavy ones but the medium are much easier too use for me since my attack is not great, for now of course.
I'm jealous of you, having sweaty hands is a nightmare for a guitarist 😂
@@Nephis Try working your way up. I'd recommend trying the JP Flow 1.5mm and do the sanding trick!
A non-flex pick will improve your attack. ;-)
@@mattwright466 Oh ok, i began with a Dunlop 0.6mm so i'm really used to those thin picks, and i was so scared to loose the feeling with the pick that i have forbidden myself all the picks above 1mm, but maybe the pick is not the problem here 😅
I'm gonna try that asap! Thank you for the advice 😉
@@Nephis It was BRUTAL when I sized up from 1.5mm to 2.0mm. Like I said in the video, it took me a SOLID 2 weeks to make that adjustment, but once I did... GREATNESS.
And, now that my default is 2.0, I actually find it easier to use thinner picks as needed.
Watch my A Change of Seasons Carpe Diem video for a direct comparison between the thick and thin picks on sound. That's in an acoustic context, but still.
You got this!!
OK Matt, you're now officially my favorite guitar teacher. Very, very well explained! Thank you:-)
Thanks a million!
Tosin Abasi has same curving thumb as I.
And he plays 8-string guitars. It is natural for him. I heard Paul Gilbert first play that way too.
Good video about basics👍.
Thanks!
I had my guitar strap too long for years. Finally shortened it to 38" and now it is much easier to play. I am pretty short too. I keep my thumb fairly straight because I got a short thumb, and it is good for getting squeals too LOL. I now use a Jazz III XL pick. The flow picks wear down to quickly. I did play with a 3mm stubby for 2 years, but the indent caused me a problem. I use a leather strap, but I got the length perfect now.
Nice work!
Thank you for this video, so many useful advices! I have one newbie question... When picking the string, should my pick touch the next string and be gently stopped by it (i.e. picking the 6th string and touching the 5th)? Or the movement should be really small in order to not catch the next string?
Generally speaking, try to not let the pick touch the next string. I've slo-mo-ed my fast playing and I do not touch the next string at all.
Reason why - It can cause extra noise, especially on high gain tones.
Your neck appears to be in line with your left tshirt sleeve hem, which is just about right for me in my classical position... I'm a classical player foremost but I'm a great believer in at least exploring all genres and techniques. Thanks for your input Matt your focus on anatomical consideration is much appreciated... every now and then it's good to check with other players, styles and techniques to see what can be incorporated into my own style and technique and I agree those classical players that have an almost verticle postion look odd, like giants playing a double bass 😂
This helps… just started playing about 1 year ago and took 4/months off (had bad tendinitis and decided on 6/month break from guitar but I think 4/months is fine now) so I’ve only been playing realistically about 6/months… my biggest problem is I drop the pick a lot. I use the orange Dunlop pick. I do play tense a lot and I’m working on relaxing. I’ve only been “in the pocket”twice. I learned the sublime “Santeria” solo and played that for like a month straight. I’m pretty good at doing solo’s (about 90%) but I neglected chords all together and just learned to play power chords and muting the root note string. So I’m pretty happy about that, however I jam with a live drummer and bass player I met at work. I drop the pick way too much. I also have it rotating in my hands and my strumming is just terrible. I can barely play “Smells like Teen Spirit” for any length of time
Edit: I play a Fender Player Plus and a Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Different people have different levels of oiliness to their hands. Check out the Flow line of picks by Dunlop. If you’re doing a lot of strumming, I like the Flow 0.73mm. They’ve got a GREAT texture on them.
You can also sand the pick, or run a little climbing chalk or cornstarch on your hands to help dry them out.
You can also check out the DAVA picks which have a variable flexibility. :-)
You should also watch the wrist pain video here on this channel. Restrengthening is VITAL after time off!
Hi Matt, Hal here. Great video.
Hey Matt, just want to say that the video is great and you're doing a great job. I appreciate all this detailed information. I have a question and i'm hoping you can help. So i've been playing for about 15 years and after a long break I decided to come back and look at my playing from the ground up. One of my friends that plays very clean noticed I hold my pick strange and it's basically the way you described with the hitchhikers thumb. I also slant the pick the opposite way of him. He holds his pick with the straight/perched thumb. I've been trying to learn the stright/perched thumb technique but i struggle hard with angling my pick so I can slice through the strings with the leading edge. On top of this, when I try to do fast chugs like herta style chugging (meshugga bleed) I get caught on the upstrokes constantly because i struggle to angle the pick enough to be able to do those smoothly. Do you think I should just keep practicing and i'll eventually get it? Or do you think that maybe my hand is just weird and I might have to stick to the hitchhiker thumb technique with the trailing edge pick angle playing?
Thanks man!
I'm going to give you a very specific protocol.
1. See 0:46 and on in this live HERE: th-cam.com/video/J5MkZh3Ajys/w-d-xo.html
2. Do this as the FIRST thing when you practice - Put on a timer for 5 minutes each day and focus the crap out of PERFECTING your desired motion. During that 5 minutes, I want you to look intently in the mirror so that the motion LOOKS correct. Once it is starting to look correct, close your eyes and FEEL how it feels to do it correctly. Once you've got the feel, then focus on the top part of your wrist joint feeling relaxed. Experiment with a looser and harder pick grip.
After those 5 minutes of intense focus on various aspects of your picking, FORGET ABOUT IT and go through the rest of your warm ups/start playing music.
Guitar is 100% a LEARNED SKILL. So you can change. IDC how long you've been playing. Apply that brain of yours and you'll get it!
It takes time! Stick to this for 2 weeks!!!!
@@mattwright466 thanks man I really appreciate this! I’m going to start on this tomorrow. You’re right about it being a learned skill for sure. I appreciate you taking the time to help me.
When I started playing, I had a friend of mine basically pick everything out for me since I had no idea what I was doing. I ended up getting a 0.73 mm pick that, honestly, was just garbage. And every time I tried to play, about 10% of my notes never sounded. The pick was bending too much, and not actually plucking the string. That caused me to grip the pick tighter and tighter, in an effort to make the pick do its job. When I switched to a thicker pick (something over 1mm, don't remember because I use Jazz picks now), I noticed I didn't have that problem and I ended up loosening my "death grip" on the pick.
So that could be what they mean about thicker picks relieving tension.
I played the Jazz 3s for years. The Flows literally changed my game for the better. Somehow they really helped dial in my mechanics. I use the Purple 1.14 for electric and the Blue .73 for acoustic. I have played for a long time and building speed to the level I want has always been elusive for me. I struggle with the consistency, sometimes I am like yay others Im like I suck..
I've got a way to train speed that blows all of the guru stuff on TH-cam out of the water.
You can see my progress here:
instagram.com/p/C5l90muS7zj/
I'm only teaching this method in lessons for now. If you're interested, you can learn more here. 🙂
go.mattwrightmusic.com/lessons
PS. It takes months to train it. There's no quick fixes.
Interesting observation on the wrist bands, Hefield and Dave Mustaine have used them as long as I can remember. I assumed it was to keep sweat off their picks and I’m sure that’s part of it but they also play mostly tune o matic bridges and I can tell you going from a Strat to something with a TOM can be tricky just the distance the strings are from the body make me feel like I need a different technique. I like to attack the strings closer to the bridge for thrash rhythm playing.
I also have hitch hikers thumb and have to drop my palm anchor point down to play on the high strings with any accuracy my pick angle is too extreme by the time I reach the b and e strings from my normal anchor point. I’ve tried other thumb positions but always revert back to the hitch hiker
DO what works for the kind of music you want to play! These lessons are really focused on putting you in the best possible position for lead type playing. And if that's what you're leaning towards, it may put a bit of a cap on your speed. But not everyone needs to or desires to play at Petrucci hyperspeed and that's OKAY! I'd maybe checkout Nuno Bettencourt's hand if that's your style. :)
And yeah for many people, the use of wrist/sweatbands is a sweat thing.
I have since publishes a video on how to move up and down 7 strings. Could help you :-)
th-cam.com/video/bJEKdRXEC5Y/w-d-xo.html
I have been playing a long time and have always set the guitar on my right leg. Then, I noticed some players sit it on their left leg. I have played Strats and Super Strats until a couple of years ago when I bought first a Haze Jazzmaster copy then last year a Fender JM and when I tried playing it on my left leg, the guitar seemed like I was playing a bass due to the offset design. I am going to try my Strat on my left leg to see how it feels. Great video...subscribed! PS with the guitar on my right leg, I do feel cramped when I play up the neck (toward the bridge) and have to adjust when going up there. Maybe I need to learn to play the guitar sitting on my left leg. I have not been in a band in a long time, so rarely play standing up.
If I'm playing low, I'm on my right leg. If I'm playing higher or a lot of "classical" stuff, then I tend to have a higher angle and play on the left leg. 🙂
Don't limit yourself. Biggest thing is don't have the guitar to vertically LOW.
Very good technical look in this video! I was having trouble with my picking hand-index finger-nail hitting the strings occasionally as I picked? any comments on why that may be happening? thanks!
1) Keep very short nails
2) Analyze how much pick is extended. Goldilocks - Not too much, not too little. Minimizing pick depth only increases *felt* and *apparent* speed to a point.
You can see how much my pick extends here. It's maybe 25% of the pick.*
th-cam.com/users/shortsr2meFH25lE8
*Will depend on the pick you use. Hope that helps. :-)
Thanks, I greatly appreciate it! @@mattwright466
Subbed bro !
Matt Wright is right
😆
I’m against anchors on the top of the guitar.
I believe the hand should be curled as if was hanging on your side while you walk. This is the natural position of the the hand and wrist.
Then the hand floats above the string with the arm moving slightly along with the wrist movement.
You have the weight of the hand to get a better sound. Of course I play jazz on a arch top so this may make a difference.
I taught my son to use this method when he was a child and he plays metal and shreds.
Good video.
The gain used in metal sounds takes care of that for you. No more force than necessary. I also see many jazz players with a totally extended RH first finger. IMO, this position limits “extension” moves.. It also not eliminates, but makes more difficult squeezing the pick harder in order to get a harder sound. I demonstrate this somewhere in one of my vids with acoustic stuff… The other thing is, if the hand is floating, it’s going to limit possibilities for palm muting.
@@mattwright466 I don’t palm mute in Jazz. Joe Pass Is a good example of what I’m talking about or any Gypsy player.
@@tomhynes2908 Totally. My channel is all about metal playing.
Thx
I like the Clayton jazz pick 1.50
I havea b.c. rich warlock avenge series tuned in drop D. The pick i use the dunlop max grip jazz III.
Like the Guitar...its a dream guitar of mine😀
I never thought about the height to E strings!! but now that you say it that seems so obvious! do you know if all schecter have this problem? or do you know some good mid-price 7 strings/brands without this problem? thx
It will generally come down to which bridge is on the guitar. So just check that first.
I cant use the flow or the jazz 3 or any wide nose pick. I need that classic Dunlop shape, not really pointed but a more rounded point. I use the Nylons, as they can add a nice tonal quality to a thinner single coil, and they dont smash the strings, doing that heavy atonal thing, during humbucker driven heavy distortion. Picks are a huge secret actually, using different ones produces different tone and even can be the difference between subtle, and aggressive on their own.