Download your play-along videos, tabs, guitar pro files, backing tracks, and instructional videos for all these exercises here: www.patreon.com/bernth - happy practicing my friends! :)
Hey Bernth. May I have an idea for you that will absolutely not cost a penny and cost super low amount of time while it will add a very unique and useful feature to a course? next to normal videos (like the one I am watching right now) add a copy that is mirrored. That way a person practicing can look at you playing in a way that is an exact mirror of how they hold a guitar. I realized this while showing a left handed buddy how to play a guitar. He could just mirror my movements which was easy for him while a right handed buddy who is a beginner had to sit next to me and do a rubber neck. In other words it's like a left hand person would sit in front of a right handed person playing guitar. As in - looking at this (very helpful video) i see your guitar facing right while mine is facing left. An additional reversed video could probably benefit both left and right handed players :)
If you want to be a pro begin with your pickups! Throw out the sd and install some DiMarzio's and than listen and look how Marty Friedman plays. He is self thought
I've been playing the guitar for 6 years, my progress stopped like 2 years ago. One video of yours and I feel like beginner again, progressing like crazy. Thank you so much! My passion for guitar is born again. If you're a beginner, don't question, just listen to this guy.
If you are just starting play guitar, LISTEN to him. Seriously. I have been playing for 32 years and until a couple of years ago, I used really soft picks. 2 or 3 years ago, I realized that using these soft picks allowed me to use and develop some really odd habits and tendencies with my picking hand. A few years ago, I switched to using really stiff picks and discovered all of the bad habits that I had developed due to the thin picks. I then tried to correct these issues....and guess what? For at least 6 months, it honestly felt like I was learning to play all over again. That is why I say, if you are new to guitar, LISTEN TO BERNTH. Save yourself some major headaches down the road.
Had been playing electric guitar for 15 years and had the same experience. I broke a few Plateaus due to Bernth and his awesome explanations/reasons for different movement improvements and/or exercises. One of the best if not the best (guitar) teacher on UA-cam. There was once a guy called Feynman who was able to explain things really really well and in great detail if needed. Listening to and learning from Bernth I remembered that guy. He got me to understand things that I had never been able to or had the patience to learn. I wish Bernth all the success in the world.
I use a kinda middle of the road thickness personally. Too thin and the precision isn't there for the more intricate picking; too thick and I can't be as aggressive with my strumming which is not good for chords. .73 is my sweet spot, but I do like to use different picks to mix it up every once in a while 👍🏽
Thank you! This is super helpful for beginners and people of all skill levels. Out of curiosity what is everyone else using as a pick? I play the red jazz 3 pretty much exclusively as I find that suits me best :)
Another note regarding the first tip, even if you aren't pulling the string out of tune, it's also possible to cause a note to go out of pitch by simply pressing it too hard into the fretboard. Can try it out by fretting a note lightly and then applying more pressure without any bend added.
40 years playing guitar... and I'm guilty of all 5 bad habits. I've always struggled maintaining interest with exercises to improve speed and technique. Playing along with songs at 80% speed is my plateau. But I do appreciate the insights.
I've been playing guitar for 30 years (mostly self taught). The first 14 years, I had all of these bad habits. Then I got the John Petrucci Rock Discipline DVD and that changed everything. I spent the next year or so correcting all of my bad habits. And I still come across bad habits to this day (like #5 of this video). BERNTH is carrying the torch of that John Petrucci Rock Discipline DVD. And he's taking it to the next level. He has helped me tremendously. Every beginner, intermediate, and even pro players should seriously listen to him. He has walked the path and learned the hard lessons of that journey. Accept his wisdom!
I'm super late to comment on this but thank you so much for including footage from the BACK of the guitar to show your thumb positions. Thumb positioning is a pretty big struggle for me as a beginner / intermediate player and I find it's my biggest weakness. It's been a bit hard to visualise whenever you talk about thumb positioning. The video footage helps a LOT.
Something I thought this video might address is the finger position of the picking hand. I’m self taught and have been playing for 23 years. I’ve always held my pick between my thumb and pointer finger, with the rest of my fingers flared out and pointing down. I think I’ve developed the habit of using the side of my hand and pinky to help mute strings. I’ve noticed a lot of my favorite guitarists hold their pick with all their fingers closed into their palm, and they seem to have great precision without needing to rely so much on using their entire picking hand to mute strings. It also looks a lot more controlled, comfortable, and certainly less awkward. I’ve tried to adjust to that way of playing and haven’t yet reached a point where I can play cleanly. I’m curious if you or anyone has an opinion on this and thinks this is a habit that is worth changing.
I feel you! I was expecting that too. I feel that my freeting hand with the fingers faned causes more string-noise than it helps to avoid. Also the angle of the pick changes dramatically when making a fist for holding the pick which could result in more precise playing. I don't know, at the moment I am very uncertain about my picking hand (also playing for more than 20 years by now) Closing the hand feels a little wierd but not totally unnatural, so I think I'll try for a while and see how it works. 🤔 At least it is allways easy to fall into bad habits again so nothing is lost 😁
I'm more of a rhythm guitar player but I would say closed hand is a better position in the sense that you don't have to expend any energy holding your fingers open and away from the strings to prevent unwanted noises etc. As far as the grip itself is concerned, that may be a more "horses for courses" thing. I use thumb, forefinger and middle finger with the tip of the plectrum protruding at roughly the same angle as my two fingers. I mute quite tightly but forward of the bridge (Jackson Randy Rhoads T.O.M style bridge) and using 9's or 10's I find that gives me a nice tension to work with for fast rhythm stuff and big chunga chunga stompy riffs.
@@restojon1 I think you're rigth, but open vs closed seems to be more a (speed-)picking issue than for rhythm. for rhythm playin' I use and allways will use open hand, caus' of the control of the chugga with the palm. right at the moment I think switching finger positions on the fly can be mastered.. we will see 🤔
@@procrasti-nation9517Is because you hand already got used to it,that's no correct way for picking hand. If u think that makes you technique worse then go watch angelo batio,tosin abasi,kiko loureiro,van halen and many others that can play perfectly with they own hand technique.
Keep at it and you *will* git gud, as long as you practise to eliminate technique mistakes like these. You might have been playing a long time and think it's too much of a hassle to completely redo your technique, but it's worth it.
using sturdier picks is hardly a challenge if you're playing any sort of rock or metal music, using thinner picks is considerably harder for playing fast lmao
BERNTH one thing i like about this is your thumb recommendations is very nice comparative to what i hear some people say, theres people believe the thumb should always be up but i believe it should ebb and flow to keep steady basis for strechy chords or fast playing higher up the neck
My main take away from this was definitely that it's best to be mindful of your thumb and how far it's having to reach to play what you want to play. No problems keeping the thumb wrapped over the neck if it's not hindering you (and can even be beneficial or even necessary depending on what you're playing), but for runs like the exercise, having the thumb move along to keep things consistent seems like some really solid advice and the right move.
Holy crap the thumb thing is insane. I didn't realize how much this actually affected my playing. I've been playing for years and have been trying to really nail down good technique to get from that intermediate to advanced, and I cannot believe that I have gone all this time without realizing that the fundamental way that I'm fretting is wrong
Dude I know that habit blew my mind. Been playing for 6 years and always wondered why I couldn’t get fluent at solos no matter how hard I tried. This opened my eyes, I feel like an absolute rookie trying to relearn with the thumb but I can already tell it will make a huge difference
Sadly I only have an acoustic and if I lose control of it on my lap when I don't have my thumb locked more often than not. Not sure how to get around this issue, but I keep trying to force myself to move my thumb position when moving fret positions. I hope that I can figure it out with repetition. Thanks for the suggestion on the exercise. Also, sadly, I don't have free cash to join your pateron. Maybe one day soon. Keep making these for us poor folk. They help!
@@procrasti-nation9517\m/ It is. I've owned a few of the decades. Just isn't in the budget at the moment. I've got my eye on a couple when there's some free cash that won't break the bank.
I’ve been playing guitar for a little over a year and the thumbnail got me thinking: is there actually a difference in the way you hold the pick? Like the open fingers vs the closed fingers
Yes there is and I am pretty sure most of the greats would alternate between thumb-index and thumb-middlefinger depending on what they needed to play. But I do not claim to be good at guitar.
Not really as long as you are comfortable and doesn't end up hitting the string or the rest of the guitar with your fingers. Although as someone who basically started with the "open fingers" approach I'd say "closed fingers" is better, easier in the wrist and takes less effort as you don't have to deal with your fingers "bouncing".
Hard to say. Michael Angelo Batio actually uses the open-hand posture with his fingertips hard-anchored to the pickguard when he's playing at full speed. Even though you can't really do right-hand muting that way, he plays so cleanly that you can't hear noise anyway. However, this also means he can't mix palm-mutes as easily into his solos, as it requires a change in hand posture. But that's not really part of his style anyway, so I doubt he feels limited. There are even *weirder* styles than that, of course - see Marty Friedman's style, for example, or Steve Morse's style. Both have unique advantages that allow them to play in the styles that they're known for. For example, Marty's heavily downslanted attack angle makes it much easier for the pick to slice smoothly through the strings when playing ascending sweeps, which he uses to play his signature two-string sliding dyads. Steve Morse's posture lets him switch strings using both upstrokes and downstrokes, so he can play alternate-picked arpeggios like those from Tumeni Notes, including ones with huge string skips. It lets you play an incredibly diverse set of patterns, but it also limits your leverage/top speed and makes it a little trickier to grab pinch harmonics. You'd probably struggle to play high-tempo thrash rhythms using that technique, and in fact, much of his solo playing is fairly mid-tempo. But, it's so inventive that it still sounds great. Ultimately, every style has strengths and weaknesses. I'd recommend starting with a balanced one - thumb/forefinger grip, anchor with the wrist placed on the bridge, and primarily move from the wrist. However, sound is king - if you find that certain passages benefit from different techniques, then mix it up! I've found it helps to be comfortable with a variety of ways to play, and I occasionally find myself switching mechanics in the middle of a song.
@@gigatesla it's worth mentioning that steve himself has said that conventional pick grip gives better speed and that playing with a three finger grip has given him tendonitis so now he plays with a glove meant to reduce the pain
any method works as long as you don't have tension in your hand or wrist. That being said, I personally find that closed hand grips are easier to play relaxed with. Also you won't hit the guitar controls with the unused fingers near as much.
Holy crap, I really need to watch more of your videos. I thankfully don't feel like I'm too hindered by most of these habits (I prefer playing high notes more than low, honestly), and I've already been aware and trying to work on some of them, but the exercises and tabs I know are going to be really beneficial. Those thumbnails, man. The last one I clicked was the same way, where the implication is your going to tell people to stop opening their fingers and then you never do. Basically you bait us with a more subjective hot take, and then the actual video is just fantastic. If only more "clickbait" thumbnails led to actually good videos...
Hi Bernth! Thank you for these excellent exercises. I've been struggling with my fretting hand . It has been for some strange reason sitting on a weird angle and luckily my guitar teacher has been able to point it out. Both this video and my teacher are helping me to use less tension and to make my technique more efficient so I don't injure myself ! Thank you so much for sharing with us! :)
I find myself (being an amateur guitar player) keeping my thumb toward the LOW E string all the time...great tip and something I definitely need to work on correcting. Really messes up your playing and causes massive hand fatigue.
thankyou for this helpful video I cant wait to start practising these! i also wanted to say thanks for making it very clear these were all bad habits youve overcame as its very easy to be turned away when you hear someone "shitting" on you for being self taught.
11:18 Also playing A7Xs Beast and The Harlot works for this. I noticed some beginner issues that cannot leave me since, just look at my latest short I have huge arms and can't even hide my thumb lol
Crap, I have been playing for over 20 years and I do all 5 of these bad habits. Listen to bernth he knows what he is talking about because he has been where you are at. Thank you bernth for all the free information on technique. Your helping so many players advance.
This might be why I've kept having to remove 3 nps from warm up to add in much later in warm up/playing, I need to check my thumb position. Very uncomfortable and my thumb and wrist are not happy. Thank you! Update: It was my thumb position and moving this made the warm up and playing so much more comfortable and enjoyable for the first time in a long time. 3NPS are slowly coming back! More work to do to keep it consistent, another thank you!!
I haven’t done my practice yet today but I have a feeling tip #2 is going to help me a lot. I don’t know how I never noticed I don’t move my thumb much and playing high strings are uncomfortable.
Bernth, Thank you for getting into the details on these videos. You do what other teachers do not. I press hard on my frets causing dents in them and my fingers always hurt. How do you express yourself while staying relaxed while your fingers do their magic? It seems when I am really getting into my playing I press hard on my frets. I need to stop that.
As cliché as it sounds, what always works for me is to slow it way down. Focus on keeping my grip soft and fluid at 50% speed, and work my way up to usually around 80% speed in 5 bpm increments. Usually once I've made it to 80%, I can play it full speed while staying loose. I usually notice a lot more difference between the end of practice and the next day, rather than start and end of practice so don't get discouraged if the practice feels like it isn't working during the session.
Hmm, what about if I can play the exercises with my own form? Mainly denoting on that picking hand position. My little finger touches the body giving better accuracy and releasing it when playing notes on the sixth E or A string and when picking fast.
I'm super happy for this video. I'm self learning right now, and transitioning from traditional to electric is hard because I haven't been using picks. I plan on rewatching as I learn
Thanks. :) I got several tips in this vid, that'll help me do a bit better. I've several disabilities on the left, and will never get far, but I try to get most of what I have. Only two independent moving fingers on that hand (big 2 at least), ulnar neurapathy, and had minor stroke. My attempting to play, really helps.
Great tips. The only downside to perfect everything is that everybody will sound exactly the same eventually. I know my heroes SRV, JH and even Vai aren't playing perfect, which is exactly what makes them so distinguisable. That's no excuse for skipping practice, but to each their own, I suppose ✌🏻
I remember when I first got a guitar teacher the first thing we worked on was getting rid of my weird inconsistent picking technique 😅, but number 4 is what I'm really struggling with right now, so this was a saving grace, keep it up!
Compare to so many crappy videos on bad techniques on UA-cam this one is extremely valuable. Got a question a #2 (if anyone can answer as I don’t believe Bernth will read this), my first teacher also taught me keep my thumb straight and follow my fingers up and down. But in this position I feel it hard to bend on the E or B string and tend to put my hand flat on the neck so I have enough strength to bend. What’s the correct position? Is it okay to learn both positions and alternate depends on the kind of solo you’re playing? Or better to stick to the thumb straight behind (in this case any exercise to learn to bend correctly)?
I am always a fan of your skills but when you break down these things in simple terms it shows how humble and gentle you are, I am also in the self taught process and I find it very amusing how I can discover almost every 'not to do' thing from you. Thank you
Been playing 2 years now and I am pleased with my progress. I have grinded practicing to get as good as I am (I am not saying I am good btw) but I know I have many bad habits lol. I am trying to identify and rectify. I think I need a teacher really. I may try bernths course first though
Interestingly since I bend my strings away from my body rather than towards with solos I've never had a problem with issue #1 lol. That's how I do bends and vibratos because your fingers are actually stronger and more accurate with bends using flexion rather than extension of the fingers. Little anatomy tip lol
I always have to change how I play because my pinky is kind of messed up and it cramps if I try and do too much with it. It's crooked from being broken when I was a kid in a fight and it was never fixed. So, now I have to play with mainly my other fingers which really hinders me in a lot of these runs.
I try to go a lot to the tempo and notice that I don't alter anything and I don't sound dirty and each note sounds very clean, that is, with the palmutes and changes of fifths and company. Playing clean costs more, but when you achieve it it makes you feel better, especially because of the sound you get, playing clean gives pleasure, is my opinion; and in the end you end up playing the song, you just have to practice, but of course, don't start thinking that on the first day you will play like Slayer... start with slower songs
Single best advice i can give for being consistent on the right hand is to practice resting your arm in the exact same position, every time you are supporting yourself against the body of the guitar. As a self-taught player who gets very physically into the music, my biggest problem is playing with "too much feeling". I make unnecessary, big movements, and as a result, i end up sounding sloppy.
I’m definitely guilty of neglecting the upper end of the fretboard. It’s tricky to fret cleanly when the gap between the frets is narrower than your fingers.
Hi, great video. Nice work! Gives me plenty to work on... A question, though. I haven't heard anyone on UA-cam talk much about translating techniques from sitting to standing. I can play most of this stuff comfortably in a sitting position with the guitar resting between my legs, but the angle (especially with thumb placement) is completely different once I stand up, especially as I move up the neck. Any thoughts, advice? Do you have a course for that one, too? 😄
"Recipe for Inconsistency" is the title of my sex tape. Seriously though, great video, at 44yo its finally time to correct my bad habits... I'll be subscribing for access to your course \m/
I can't angle my pick like that in the thumbnail. I get nothing but pick scraping and it drives me insane and with my fingers curled in they are scraping the strings as well.
As a bassist im definitely guilty of pressing the strings to hard when i play guitar. im so used to bass because its just more physically demanding to play than guitar.
aw man not my recordings my recordings my recordings my recordings and my live performances my live performances my live performances that i don't do noooooo NOOOOOOOOOOOO
I find something challenging...i saw a couple of virtuosos play with their thumb on top of the fret. I tried what was suggested and my goodness is it difficult and caused some strain to my hand... So which is Right thumb behind the fret? Or above it, or both?
I've been watching several videos on BERNTH channel (both guitar academy and the BERNTH OFFICIAL) and they seem really informative and I really enjoy them. I don't find it difficult to grasp most of the things explained in the video but still.. I'm a complete beginner and I literally started my guitar journey a month ago or so. And as a self-taught person I feel like everything I'm doing is probably wrong. So, I'm wondering if joining the guitar academy patreon would be beneficial for someone like me... I'd really appreciate it BERNTH or anyone with an insight can answer me
maybe stupid question but, should i give enough pressure so that the string touches the fred or to i have to apply enough pressure so that the string touches the neck part between two freds?
Hey bro I can tell u how I take care of fret hand pressure. First I scalloped the fuck outs the board like grotesquely, maybe 4-5mm 😂 then I compensated the intonation at the nut so EVERY note on the whole board is EXACTLY to pitch. Well to a 1/2 cent or whatever the Poly does. Then to top it off I run 9's, DR Dime of course. With this set up if anything sounds even remotely sour well guess what? Its all my sorry ass fault😂🤘
Just curious why not stand with the guitar strap, I play guitar rarely sitting down I know it's a preference bit does this technique apply to standing? Thanks you shred I can hear the difference!
I have been playing for about 20 years and i never noticed, I don't use my thumb to pull my fingers into the neck, i use my picking hand to push the guitar at the bridge and fret with my thumb just hanging loose, is that weird?
If I played solos I'm sure I would be guilty of some of this. But it's hard to tell since I never play stuff like this as a rhythm/riff focused player. Title should be 5 bad lead guitar habits :)
I had the bad habit of slightly bending notes and I never addressed the problem. now it sounds like I am using a whammy bar even though I have never used one.
That first one reminds of that meme of the guy holding his chicken sandwich real fucking hard like burying his thumb into it and the caption being like "relax bro no ones gonna take it from you" Interesting ideas tho thx! I feel like im the sloppiest guitarist ever and probably do all of these 😂
Honestly, the first bad habit is the worst when it comes to a lot of things, not just playing instruments. Staying loose is very important for accuracy and stamina.
Download your play-along videos, tabs, guitar pro files, backing tracks, and instructional videos for all these exercises here: www.patreon.com/bernth - happy practicing my friends! :)
Hey Bernth. May I have an idea for you that will absolutely not cost a penny and cost super low amount of time while it will add a very unique and useful feature to a course?
next to normal videos (like the one I am watching right now) add a copy that is mirrored. That way a person practicing can look at you playing in a way that is an exact mirror of how they hold a guitar.
I realized this while showing a left handed buddy how to play a guitar. He could just mirror my movements which was easy for him while a right handed buddy who is a beginner had to sit next to me and do a rubber neck.
In other words it's like a left hand person would sit in front of a right handed person playing guitar. As in - looking at this (very helpful video) i see your guitar facing right while mine is facing left. An additional reversed video could probably benefit both left and right handed players :)
When will more of the full member and gold member slots open?
If you want to be a pro begin with your pickups! Throw out the sd and install some DiMarzio's and than listen and look how Marty Friedman plays. He is self thought
I've been playing the guitar for 6 years, my progress stopped like 2 years ago. One video of yours and I feel like beginner again, progressing like crazy. Thank you so much! My passion for guitar is born again. If you're a beginner, don't question, just listen to this guy.
If you are just starting play guitar, LISTEN to him. Seriously. I have been playing for 32 years and until a couple of years ago, I used really soft picks. 2 or 3 years ago, I realized that using these soft picks allowed me to use and develop some really odd habits and tendencies with my picking hand. A few years ago, I switched to using really stiff picks and discovered all of the bad habits that I had developed due to the thin picks. I then tried to correct these issues....and guess what? For at least 6 months, it honestly felt like I was learning to play all over again. That is why I say, if you are new to guitar, LISTEN TO BERNTH. Save yourself some major headaches down the road.
Had been playing electric guitar for 15 years and had the same experience. I broke a few Plateaus due to Bernth and his awesome explanations/reasons for different movement improvements and/or exercises. One of the best if not the best (guitar) teacher on UA-cam. There was once a guy called Feynman who was able to explain things really really well and in great detail if needed. Listening to and learning from Bernth I remembered that guy. He got me to understand things that I had never been able to or had the patience to learn. I wish Bernth all the success in the world.
I use a kinda middle of the road thickness personally. Too thin and the precision isn't there for the more intricate picking; too thick and I can't be as aggressive with my strumming which is not good for chords.
.73 is my sweet spot, but I do like to use different picks to mix it up every once in a while 👍🏽
Just say save your self a headache and pass on this channel. Click bait nonsense and talking at you is not a good method of teaching. @@zaebos0079
Thank you! This is super helpful for beginners and people of all skill levels. Out of curiosity what is everyone else using as a pick? I play the red jazz 3 pretty much exclusively as I find that suits me best :)
@@Nickshreds890 jazz 3 is pretty much the best pick in my opinion too
Another note regarding the first tip, even if you aren't pulling the string out of tune, it's also possible to cause a note to go out of pitch by simply pressing it too hard into the fretboard. Can try it out by fretting a note lightly and then applying more pressure without any bend added.
Thanks for thumb cam. The role of the thumb is a bit overlooked in guitar tuition.
14:03 "I paid for the whole fretboard, I'm gonna use the whole fretboard"
priceless 😁
I paid for the 6 strings, I want all the strings ring (simultaneously)
Did you steal that from Fortnine?
40 years playing guitar... and I'm guilty of all 5 bad habits. I've always struggled maintaining interest with exercises to improve speed and technique. Playing along with songs at 80% speed is my plateau. But I do appreciate the insights.
Really? Watch some of the best players in the world live and you will see this guy is often full of shit. He knows what works for him
@@OldDawg-mc3dyok boomer
I've been playing guitar for 30 years (mostly self taught). The first 14 years, I had all of these bad habits. Then I got the John Petrucci Rock Discipline DVD and that changed everything. I spent the next year or so correcting all of my bad habits. And I still come across bad habits to this day (like #5 of this video). BERNTH is carrying the torch of that John Petrucci Rock Discipline DVD. And he's taking it to the next level. He has helped me tremendously. Every beginner, intermediate, and even pro players should seriously listen to him. He has walked the path and learned the hard lessons of that journey. Accept his wisdom!
I'm super late to comment on this but thank you so much for including footage from the BACK of the guitar to show your thumb positions. Thumb positioning is a pretty big struggle for me as a beginner / intermediate player and I find it's my biggest weakness. It's been a bit hard to visualise whenever you talk about thumb positioning. The video footage helps a LOT.
Something I thought this video might address is the finger position of the picking hand. I’m self taught and have been playing for 23 years. I’ve always held my pick between my thumb and pointer finger, with the rest of my fingers flared out and pointing down. I think I’ve developed the habit of using the side of my hand and pinky to help mute strings. I’ve noticed a lot of my favorite guitarists hold their pick with all their fingers closed into their palm, and they seem to have great precision without needing to rely so much on using their entire picking hand to mute strings. It also looks a lot more controlled, comfortable, and certainly less awkward. I’ve tried to adjust to that way of playing and haven’t yet reached a point where I can play cleanly. I’m curious if you or anyone has an opinion on this and thinks this is a habit that is worth changing.
I feel you! I was expecting that too. I feel that my freeting hand with the fingers faned causes more string-noise than it helps to avoid. Also the angle of the pick changes dramatically when making a fist for holding the pick which could result in more precise playing. I don't know, at the moment I am very uncertain about my picking hand (also playing for more than 20 years by now) Closing the hand feels a little wierd but not totally unnatural, so I think I'll try for a while and see how it works. 🤔 At least it is allways easy to fall into bad habits again so nothing is lost 😁
I'm more of a rhythm guitar player but I would say closed hand is a better position in the sense that you don't have to expend any energy holding your fingers open and away from the strings to prevent unwanted noises etc.
As far as the grip itself is concerned, that may be a more "horses for courses" thing. I use thumb, forefinger and middle finger with the tip of the plectrum protruding at roughly the same angle as my two fingers.
I mute quite tightly but forward of the bridge (Jackson Randy Rhoads T.O.M style bridge) and using 9's or 10's I find that gives me a nice tension to work with for fast rhythm stuff and big chunga chunga stompy riffs.
@@restojon1 I think you're rigth, but open vs closed seems to be more a (speed-)picking issue than for rhythm. for rhythm playin' I use and allways will use open hand, caus' of the control of the chugga with the palm. right at the moment I think switching finger positions on the fly can be mastered.. we will see 🤔
@@procrasti-nation9517Is because you hand already got used to it,that's no correct way for picking hand.
If u think that makes you technique worse then go watch angelo batio,tosin abasi,kiko loureiro,van halen and many others that can play perfectly with they own hand technique.
No need for chance. Look at Hendrix, Clapton, Gallagher or SRV. To name a few....
This video just made me realize i should quit
Keep at it and you *will* git gud, as long as you practise to eliminate technique mistakes like these. You might have been playing a long time and think it's too much of a hassle to completely redo your technique, but it's worth it.
Bro... Don't
Skill issue complaining instead of practicing
Blud talking like i don't practice. Damn he knows everything
@@big_tuna8 at some point you would've realized there will be times where you'd hit a wall and be stuck there for a while...
I use 3mm jazz picks - the stubbys. Once you challenge yourself to use thicker picks you'll be amazed at how your technique will improve
I've been using thick picks since I started playing. I had no idea it made a difference!
the best picks ever
using sturdier picks is hardly a challenge if you're playing any sort of rock or metal music, using thinner picks is considerably harder for playing fast lmao
@@cazza710 so you're saying it's harder to play AND it brings all of the drawbacks of thinner picks. sounds good
@@SternVonAfrika i didnt say any of that actually, i dont think you can read.
BERNTH one thing i like about this is your thumb recommendations is very nice comparative to what i hear some people say, theres people believe the thumb should always be up but i believe it should ebb and flow to keep steady basis for strechy chords or fast playing higher up the neck
My main take away from this was definitely that it's best to be mindful of your thumb and how far it's having to reach to play what you want to play. No problems keeping the thumb wrapped over the neck if it's not hindering you (and can even be beneficial or even necessary depending on what you're playing), but for runs like the exercise, having the thumb move along to keep things consistent seems like some really solid advice and the right move.
@@reNINTENDO exactly, and if more players start realizing these things sooner, the more shredders we’ll have
Holy crap the thumb thing is insane. I didn't realize how much this actually affected my playing. I've been playing for years and have been trying to really nail down good technique to get from that intermediate to advanced, and I cannot believe that I have gone all this time without realizing that the fundamental way that I'm fretting is wrong
Dude I know that habit blew my mind. Been playing for 6 years and always wondered why I couldn’t get fluent at solos no matter how hard I tried. This opened my eyes, I feel like an absolute rookie trying to relearn with the thumb but I can already tell it will make a huge difference
Sadly I only have an acoustic and if I lose control of it on my lap when I don't have my thumb locked more often than not. Not sure how to get around this issue, but I keep trying to force myself to move my thumb position when moving fret positions. I hope that I can figure it out with repetition. Thanks for the suggestion on the exercise. Also, sadly, I don't have free cash to join your pateron. Maybe one day soon. Keep making these for us poor folk. They help!
Friend, seriously, get an electric guitar! Buying one was one of the few better decisions I made in my life. 😉All the best for you!
@@procrasti-nation9517\m/ It is. I've owned a few of the decades. Just isn't in the budget at the moment. I've got my eye on a couple when there's some free cash that won't break the bank.
Just a thought, but have you considered using a strap?
@@kasperdenouden7650 I do use one and it does help in certain situations. No easy way to use it when sitting based on peg placement for the acoustic.
@@kasperdenouden7650 I was gonna say the same thing
I’ve been playing guitar for a little over a year and the thumbnail got me thinking: is there actually a difference in the way you hold the pick? Like the open fingers vs the closed fingers
Yes there is and I am pretty sure most of the greats would alternate between thumb-index and thumb-middlefinger depending on what they needed to play. But I do not claim to be good at guitar.
Not really as long as you are comfortable and doesn't end up hitting the string or the rest of the guitar with your fingers. Although as someone who basically started with the "open fingers" approach I'd say "closed fingers" is better, easier in the wrist and takes less effort as you don't have to deal with your fingers "bouncing".
Hard to say. Michael Angelo Batio actually uses the open-hand posture with his fingertips hard-anchored to the pickguard when he's playing at full speed. Even though you can't really do right-hand muting that way, he plays so cleanly that you can't hear noise anyway.
However, this also means he can't mix palm-mutes as easily into his solos, as it requires a change in hand posture. But that's not really part of his style anyway, so I doubt he feels limited.
There are even *weirder* styles than that, of course - see Marty Friedman's style, for example, or Steve Morse's style. Both have unique advantages that allow them to play in the styles that they're known for. For example, Marty's heavily downslanted attack angle makes it much easier for the pick to slice smoothly through the strings when playing ascending sweeps, which he uses to play his signature two-string sliding dyads. Steve Morse's posture lets him switch strings using both upstrokes and downstrokes, so he can play alternate-picked arpeggios like those from Tumeni Notes, including ones with huge string skips. It lets you play an incredibly diverse set of patterns, but it also limits your leverage/top speed and makes it a little trickier to grab pinch harmonics. You'd probably struggle to play high-tempo thrash rhythms using that technique, and in fact, much of his solo playing is fairly mid-tempo. But, it's so inventive that it still sounds great.
Ultimately, every style has strengths and weaknesses. I'd recommend starting with a balanced one - thumb/forefinger grip, anchor with the wrist placed on the bridge, and primarily move from the wrist. However, sound is king - if you find that certain passages benefit from different techniques, then mix it up! I've found it helps to be comfortable with a variety of ways to play, and I occasionally find myself switching mechanics in the middle of a song.
@@gigatesla it's worth mentioning that steve himself has said that conventional pick grip gives better speed and that playing with a three finger grip has given him tendonitis so now he plays with a glove meant to reduce the pain
any method works as long as you don't have tension in your hand or wrist. That being said, I personally find that closed hand grips are easier to play relaxed with. Also you won't hit the guitar controls with the unused fingers near as much.
Perfect time to get back into practicing guitar. Thanks for the video
wow! i really need to learn correct technics like this. i have been playing wrong all these years. no wonder my fretting hand cramps up all the time.
Thanks for the video man! You have been my electric guitar teacher for the past 2 years. Time to practice! ✌🤘
Holy crap, I really need to watch more of your videos. I thankfully don't feel like I'm too hindered by most of these habits (I prefer playing high notes more than low, honestly), and I've already been aware and trying to work on some of them, but the exercises and tabs I know are going to be really beneficial.
Those thumbnails, man. The last one I clicked was the same way, where the implication is your going to tell people to stop opening their fingers and then you never do. Basically you bait us with a more subjective hot take, and then the actual video is just fantastic. If only more "clickbait" thumbnails led to actually good videos...
Hi Bernth! Thank you for these excellent exercises.
I've been struggling with my fretting hand . It has been for some strange reason sitting on a weird angle and luckily my guitar teacher has been able to point it out.
Both this video and my teacher are helping me to use less tension and to make my technique more efficient so I don't injure myself ! Thank you so much for sharing with us! :)
Dear Bernth,
would you tell me what amp or amp settings you're are using when you are filming that exercises? Because I always loved that tone.
Me too.
you forgot to close it off with who it's from
i gotta say i really like your vidoes. They are very helpful and i gotta appreciate your very very chill vibe
I find myself (being an amateur guitar player) keeping my thumb toward the LOW E string all the time...great tip and something I definitely need to work on correcting. Really messes up your playing and causes massive hand fatigue.
thankyou for this helpful video I cant wait to start practising these! i also wanted to say thanks for making it very clear these were all bad habits youve overcame as its very easy to be turned away when you hear someone "shitting" on you for being self taught.
You're constantly adding tips in, great video. Not a bunch of useless junk in t
11:18 Also playing A7Xs Beast and The Harlot works for this. I noticed some beginner issues that cannot leave me since, just look at my latest short I have huge arms and can't even hide my thumb lol
Crap, I have been playing for over 20 years and I do all 5 of these bad habits. Listen to bernth he knows what he is talking about because he has been where you are at. Thank you bernth for all the free information on technique. Your helping so many players advance.
this video was helpful, thanks dude. subscribed!
This might be why I've kept having to remove 3 nps from warm up to add in much later in warm up/playing, I need to check my thumb position.
Very uncomfortable and my thumb and wrist are not happy.
Thank you!
Update: It was my thumb position and moving this made the warm up and playing so much more comfortable and enjoyable for the first time in a long time.
3NPS are slowly coming back!
More work to do to keep it consistent, another thank you!!
Its insane to think that simple things like that makes all difference!! Such an amazing video
I haven’t done my practice yet today but I have a feeling tip #2 is going to help me a lot. I don’t know how I never noticed I don’t move my thumb much and playing high strings are uncomfortable.
Bernth, Thank you for getting into the details on these videos. You do what other teachers do not. I press hard on my frets causing dents in them and my fingers always hurt. How do you express yourself while staying relaxed while your fingers do their magic? It seems when I am really getting into my playing I press hard on my frets. I need to stop that.
I think that’s pretty common I do this too
As cliché as it sounds, what always works for me is to slow it way down. Focus on keeping my grip soft and fluid at 50% speed, and work my way up to usually around 80% speed in 5 bpm increments. Usually once I've made it to 80%, I can play it full speed while staying loose. I usually notice a lot more difference between the end of practice and the next day, rather than start and end of practice so don't get discouraged if the practice feels like it isn't working during the session.
¡Sos un genio, chabón! ("You're genius, dude!" in argentinian slang)
¡Saludos desde Argentina!
❤ love it all, especially exercise 4 🎸
Hmm, what about if I can play the exercises with my own form? Mainly denoting on that picking hand position. My little finger touches the body giving better accuracy and releasing it when playing notes on the sixth E or A string and when picking fast.
I'm super happy for this video. I'm self learning right now, and transitioning from traditional to electric is hard because I haven't been using picks. I plan on rewatching as I learn
You saved me an I’m fully invested IF YOU ARE LEARNING FOR THE FIRST TIME OR RELEARNING LIKE ME LISTEN TO BERNTH!!
Thanks. :) I got several tips in this vid, that'll help me do a bit better. I've several disabilities on the left, and will never get far, but I try to get most of what I have. Only two independent moving fingers on that hand (big 2 at least), ulnar neurapathy, and had minor stroke. My attempting to play, really helps.
You should check out Django Reinhardt, his left hand was also disabled and he was an amazing guitarist
I'm weird cause I went to school of rock for a yr then stopped going and didn't play guitar for at least 2 yrs now I'm self teaching myself😭🙏
Great tips. The only downside to perfect everything is that everybody will sound exactly the same eventually. I know my heroes SRV, JH and even Vai aren't playing perfect, which is exactly what makes them so distinguisable. That's no excuse for skipping practice, but to each their own, I suppose ✌🏻
great material man, thanks for taking the time to put it out
Tysm, i was wondering why my pikcing hand sucks. now i think i can truly imprive it ty
I love the videos. I have 100% seen improvement in my own playing from watching and learning from you. Shred on
I remember when I first got a guitar teacher the first thing we worked on was getting rid of my weird inconsistent picking technique 😅, but number 4 is what I'm really struggling with right now, so this was a saving grace, keep it up!
Compare to so many crappy videos on bad techniques on UA-cam this one is extremely valuable. Got a question a #2 (if anyone can answer as I don’t believe Bernth will read this), my first teacher also taught me keep my thumb straight and follow my fingers up and down. But in this position I feel it hard to bend on the E or B string and tend to put my hand flat on the neck so I have enough strength to bend. What’s the correct position? Is it okay to learn both positions and alternate depends on the kind of solo you’re playing? Or better to stick to the thumb straight behind (in this case any exercise to learn to bend correctly)?
I am always a fan of your skills but when you break down these things in simple terms it shows how humble and gentle you are, I am also in the self taught process and I find it very amusing how I can discover almost every 'not to do' thing from you. Thank you
Thank you, Bernth ❤❤❤❤
Been playing 2 years now and I am pleased with my progress. I have grinded practicing to get as good as I am (I am not saying I am good btw) but I know I have many bad habits lol. I am trying to identify and rectify. I think I need a teacher really. I may try bernths course first though
Interestingly since I bend my strings away from my body rather than towards with solos I've never had a problem with issue #1 lol. That's how I do bends and vibratos because your fingers are actually stronger and more accurate with bends using flexion rather than extension of the fingers. Little anatomy tip lol
I always have to change how I play because my pinky is kind of messed up and it cramps if I try and do too much with it. It's crooked from being broken when I was a kid in a fight and it was never fixed. So, now I have to play with mainly my other fingers which really hinders me in a lot of these runs.
I try to go a lot to the tempo and notice that I don't alter anything and I don't sound dirty and each note sounds very clean, that is, with the palmutes and changes of fifths and company. Playing clean costs more, but when you achieve it it makes you feel better, especially because of the sound you get, playing clean gives pleasure, is my opinion; and in the end you end up playing the song, you just have to practice, but of course, don't start thinking that on the first day you will play like Slayer... start with slower songs
Single best advice i can give for being consistent on the right hand is to practice resting your arm in the exact same position, every time you are supporting yourself against the body of the guitar.
As a self-taught player who gets very physically into the music, my biggest problem is playing with "too much feeling". I make unnecessary, big movements, and as a result, i end up sounding sloppy.
I’m definitely guilty of neglecting the upper end of the fretboard. It’s tricky to fret cleanly when the gap between the frets is narrower than your fingers.
Thank you so much for sharing, it helps!
I've always been bad at guitar tbh lol. May pick it up again and use this video.
Hi, great video. Nice work! Gives me plenty to work on... A question, though. I haven't heard anyone on UA-cam talk much about translating techniques from sitting to standing. I can play most of this stuff comfortably in a sitting position with the guitar resting between my legs, but the angle (especially with thumb placement) is completely different once I stand up, especially as I move up the neck. Any thoughts, advice? Do you have a course for that one, too? 😄
Good video ! Liked and Subscribed !
You are the teacher i needed when i was 13 years old.
I guess 22 years later isnt the worst it could be...right? 😅🥲😭
I focused on my strokes. Now I last longer. Thank you BERNTH :)
"Recipe for Inconsistency" is the title of my sex tape.
Seriously though, great video, at 44yo its finally time to correct my bad habits... I'll be subscribing for access to your course \m/
Good work and thanks
I can't angle my pick like that in the thumbnail. I get nothing but pick scraping and it drives me insane and with my fingers curled in they are scraping the strings as well.
Thank you for correcting me...this technique needs me
Thanks from brazil
11:20 I am practicing this exercise in the hope to play faster whilst switching strings. I wonder if it will work.
Bernth voice is awesome 😶
Thank you
As a bassist im definitely guilty of pressing the strings to hard when i play guitar. im so used to bass because its just more physically demanding to play than guitar.
I got a problem when I don't know when should I change picks and what pick to use cuz the pick I'm using right now its tip is getting round
Very helpful, thank you for sharing!
3:54 - I do this and am self taught It feels safe to anchor but man you got to stretch
Na servas i hob nua 21 frets! Thanks Bernth, I hereby confirm I have all 5 bad habits.
Thanks for the tips!
aw man not my recordings my recordings my recordings my recordings and my live performances my live performances my live performances that i don't do noooooo NOOOOOOOOOOOO
I find something challenging...i saw a couple of virtuosos play with their thumb on top of the fret. I tried what was suggested and my goodness is it difficult and caused some strain to my hand... So which is Right thumb behind the fret? Or above it, or both?
Depends how big your hand is how useful that can be
@@calebbean1384 I have very long fingers ... And size 13 shoes 😂😂😂
What about Georges Lynch's picking hand technique? 😂
I've been watching several videos on BERNTH channel (both guitar academy and the BERNTH OFFICIAL) and they seem really informative and I really enjoy them. I don't find it difficult to grasp most of the things explained in the video but still..
I'm a complete beginner and I literally started my guitar journey a month ago or so. And as a self-taught person I feel like everything I'm doing is probably wrong.
So, I'm wondering if joining the guitar academy patreon would be beneficial for someone like me...
I'd really appreciate it BERNTH or anyone with an insight can answer me
Really Really Really Good Job! ❤❤❤
maybe stupid question but, should i give enough pressure so that the string touches the fred or to i have to apply enough pressure so that the string touches the neck part between two freds?
13:42 *Grins nervously in Les Paul*
Hey bro I can tell u how I take care of fret hand pressure. First I scalloped the fuck outs the board like grotesquely, maybe 4-5mm 😂 then I compensated the intonation at the nut so EVERY note on the whole board is EXACTLY to pitch. Well to a 1/2 cent or whatever the Poly does. Then to top it off I run 9's, DR Dime of course. With this set up if anything sounds even remotely sour well guess what? Its all my sorry ass fault😂🤘
Bro just called me a noob in 99 different languages
One of the worst things for the second habit is gloss finish necks. Your fingers will stick to that super shiny finish more than any other.
Great tips
Really a blessing ❤
Nr. 5 really haunts me!
What is the name of the guitar he is using ? It's really sick....... I think I want one ( also I'm a beginner, should I get it ?)
Just curious why not stand with the guitar strap, I play guitar rarely sitting down I know it's a preference bit does this technique apply to standing? Thanks you shred I can hear the difference!
try the classical sitting position it worked for me tho
I have been playing for about 20 years and i never noticed, I don't use my thumb to pull my fingers into the neck, i use my picking hand to push the guitar at the bridge and fret with my thumb just hanging loose, is that weird?
Thanks man...
If I played solos I'm sure I would be guilty of some of this. But it's hard to tell since I never play stuff like this as a rhythm/riff focused player. Title should be 5 bad lead guitar habits :)
I had the bad habit of slightly bending notes and I never addressed the problem. now it sounds like I am using a whammy bar even though I have never used one.
1:59 5:10 9:21 11:19 14:49
That first one reminds of that meme of the guy holding his chicken sandwich real fucking hard like burying his thumb into it and the caption being like "relax bro no ones gonna take it from you"
Interesting ideas tho thx! I feel like im the sloppiest guitarist ever and probably do all of these 😂
Very goodd
Honestly, the first bad habit is the worst when it comes to a lot of things, not just playing instruments. Staying loose is very important for accuracy and stamina.
I like your guitar action is very low.
Im trying to somehow reach the top strings without demolishing my wrist lmao, it always gets in weird ass positions
This man will teach me how to play guitar
My problem is being able to successfully play individual strings. I a;ways play string I don't want to play. so annoying.