Hey everyone! Hope you're doing well. So sorry for the lack of lesson and playing content on the channel. I now have WAY more time to produce my own material for various reasons, so here goes! Hope you all enjoy the video and find it useful. If you want more info on legato technique be sure to check out the lessons on my website - www.tomquayle.co.uk/lessons.html - Thanks so much for watching and all the support. Tom ❤
Apology welcomed and accepted! So glad you're back to playing music! I'll be honest, after a while, I rarely even bothered watching any of those gear demos :-/
Tom, your lesson is great, your videos are great, you look great, and your guitar looks slightly different from the TQM1...*new model???* (looks freakin awesome)
How do you get that tone? That seems to be my biggest pain point right now. My own legato doesn't sound anything like this, even when played slow. Edit: I'm not fast, sadly.
Wow. It's not just legato. Un-anchoring that first finger helps generally. I picked it up in ten minutes after watching this vid (well enough anyway) and turns out it was the source of a lot of mud in my double picking. Thanks a bunch.
i used legato a lot, then found troy gradys videos 10 years ago. changed the way i hold a pick and just worked at it. relearning some legato, its good to have different techniques
I’m a traditional student/player and definitely have this “anchoring” problem. The way you describe the “rhythmic accuracy & hand tension” pitfalls of the traditional anchoring technique make a lot of sense. I’m going to try your exercise to see if I can make my first finger more “active”. Thank you for the well-produced video, Mr. Quayle! 👍🏼👍🏼
It's not a problem, play how you want. There are plenty of as accomplished or more accomplished players who actually recommend keeping your first finger down. By using this method you are creating unnecessary movement in your hand that is not required. Clearly, either method works for different people so don't take one as gospel. But know that there isn't a "problem" here, there is just a different method. There is a lot less tension in my hand when keeping my first finger down and there is a lot less wasted movement so playing is nice and swift for pull offs
That's a great point. It's actually one of those many things that are wrong with many methods and teachers, that suggest the opposite, keeping all fingers on the string. And it definitely adds a lot of tension.
It's ok when the fingers stay there but relaxed, they don't have any weight on the strings. Then it's not much different from what Tom described here though.
When I learned bass, I was informed the importance of the 'one finger per fret' rule. Particularly because of the tension required of our muscles along the back of the hand and forearm. Sometimes there's reason to use more than one finger to press (chords and the like), but this skill is very important to develop on bass because of the typically higher action required for fretting down a bass. I never thought of it as 'lazy finger', but it does make sense. I still make this mistake on guitar a lot. This is a great video, Tom, thanks!
I noticed that my legato and playing in general really became smoother and more in control when I didn't pay attention to technique but focused solely on connecting my lines as smoothly as possible. Then I recorded and looked at my hands and sure enough, the more I focused on connecting my lines the more unlazy my first finger became naturally. I actually thought that was bad technique (years of "proper" playing) but really liked the sound and feel. This video shows me that I'm on the right path. Thanks 😊
"I suck at picking" -> Says one of the greatest players of the decade! There is still hope for the rest of us! Great video mate! And btw, anyway reading this, checkout Tom's 50 advanced rock licks! They helped me more than I can express!!
I was practicing alternate picking rhe other day, and at certain speeds my fretting hand felt really tense and unnatural to use. So I tried this exact concept for regular fretting (no legato involved) and found it really helped to make my hand feel more relaxed and quicker. I'm glad I found this video though, just to get some sort of confirmation on what I am experimenting with. I will keep this in mind for when I start learning legato as well. Thanks Tom!
You are so massive man. This is a truly awesome lesson. Thanks for doing this. My legato is weak after all these years of playing. I can economy pick and of course can do some anchor type legato, sorta phoning in a few tricks I learned many years ago and playing them sloppy. This is so helpful. As I watched and lifted my first finger everything feels different. This will take some time on my end but you inspired me and sent me on a new path. Thanks man!
This a an actual revelation to me! For decades, I’ve stubbornly kept my first finger pressed on the fingerboard while it didn’t needed to be. I’ll work on that for the next weeks, that’s for sure. Great tip Tom, thanks!
There's a term in cultivation novels - and in real life - called enlightenment. When I saw your legato example, I instantly knew what I needed to do to prevent my fingers from going stiff. I picked up my guitar and the results were fantastic! My fingers don't go stiff as much - a bit awkward with this new style, but that's okay - and I played significantly cleaner! Thank you very much! This gave me more insight than 'How to play legato - practice' videos
Interesting. I play bass a lot more than guitar these days, and the longer neck has apparently forced me to work out something similar on my own. I have to release my fingers and shift my hand to play certain patterns down low, since it hurts to try to lock any one finger down & stretch. And I say similar because it seems I've developed a sense of anticipation about when my finger needs to let go, to either cross strings or shift, however, the default is to anchor. I never thought about it before, but it's good to be more conscious of it. Thanks!
Thank you for this vid. I started lifting my index finger and things just fell into place. After practicing an hour or so it has solved so many playing issues I’ve had. After I got used to not anchoring my index finger so much it instantly became easier to play smoother with a ton less tension in my fingers.
Awesome. Difficult to change my planted first finger after 40 years of playing. I have small hands. 30 years ago I tried to play like Allan Holdsworth for 2 years. Due my small hands and the massive tension while playing legato I got a permanent inflammation in the joint capsule of my 1st finger (static/lazy finger). I will definitely try this method. Thanks Tom!
This is so simple yet genius, just realizing you can pick up the the pointer finger and not have to leave it down on the neck to base everything afterwards note wise off of is just bind blowing to me in its simplicity. It’s very easy to execute this way and learn even if you have been playing the other way for years. Just discovered your work Tom your instructional videos are awesome! Thanks for showing us your technique
Thought I was learning something new, but turned out I've been doing it for awhile, lol. Always paid attention to the angle of my joints and to optimize movement so I can feel less fatigued and spend more energy focusing on how I want to translate what I hear in my head. This lesson was such an eye opener because it just adds a whole new dimension to keeping out the tension in the top of your hand, wrist, and even down through your forearm.
So I’ve been doing this alll day and it feels impossible but after a while it gets easier and easier and you start to feel a lot a big change in the hand . I’m an alternate picker I struggle with legatos and my left hand is getting stronger !! Thanks for the info ! Great vid
Excellent video, Tom, thank you so much! It actually helps not only with legato but with improving control over string skipping - that's what I've learned implementing your tip. Blessings!
If your picking sucks, I am not sure what that means for the rest of us.... Hybrid picking IS picking, and you are mighty fine at it!! I have really enjoyed listening to your music and really like your style. I am not a much of a player, but have always noticed your left hand looked much different than many players when fretting...looked busier but more fluid and intentional. Makes sense now!!
I came from piano before guitar so lifting every finger all the time was second nature already. Also, on the topic of muting, you can still left hand mute while lifting your index finger, it's just different. You're reducing pressure so the first finger note isn't fretted anymore but you keep just enough pressure that contact is maintained and the note is muted. This is my default way of playing. Even if you're doing a barre string transition it still works and it has a solid down motion this way to keep you in time, it's just a different motion (flattening the knuckle).
Hello Tom, it is good to see you again, it will always be like that for me, currently I am in curentena as many also because of my health since I am 63 years old and what I do is play my guitar every day and see you is very good, it did me good, you are An excellent musician and well it's just that, take care of yourself a lot friend and thank you for giving us so much, greetings from Argentina ..
My god man.. You are not human are you Tom?.. Those runs you are doing are so perfectly exacted its unreal my friend. Wow.. I had to put my guitar down and collect my thoughts here..
Until very recently I didn't really know there was such a thing as a "legato player" so to speak. And I've been playing guitar since the late 80's. It just goes to show what an incredibly difficult and complex instrument the guitar is. That someone can suck at picking, and still be a great guitar player. There are just so many techniques and styles to master that no human can master them all. And yet a person can specialize in a specific style and/or technique, and make a name for themselves. Gotta love the guitar. It's far and away the most underrated instrument there is, and that's despite the fact that it's wildly popular. Most people, including most guitar players, continue to underestimate the depth of the instrument.
Great lesson! I practice my first finger by playing legato three note arpeggios with one open string, first finger and pinky (for instance 0-5-8 , 0-4-7 alternating per string)
You have a point. However the first finger has another very important purpose to leave it planted (well relatively planted). That is noise management, so a finger for example on the 3rd string, if planted correctly like a mini barre it mutes the 4th (above), 2nd and 1st string (below). Obviously you do muting with your right hand as well, but the 1st finger works complementary to everything else. In this way you don't have strings ringing all over the place. Now the technique for changing strings efficiently with that finger, would be something close to what you would do with sweep picking (playing with the finger joint), so you do the training that is necessary there.
Hey Tom ! I really want to see what is in your studio and how do you set up things for yourself. Can you shoot one of a studio tour kinda video ? Thanks anyway. Take care.
Good lesson. I've been playing for over 50 years and didnt realise that releasing my first finger was an option. Having read an advanced classical guitar techniques book years ago which stated that you need to keep your finger as a barre across the neck until it was needed to move.
Good lesson! I actually thought about this and how the first finger being to tense causing tension in the palm as well when anchoring. So this lesson is very helpful thanks! I m a guitar player but I m not a violin player but I studied violin on my own to find hidden gems of technique that I could apply to guitar. Tension in the left hand is one of the biggest problems. Example: 1. The thumb gripping to much on the neck is one of the biggest tension creators. Less tension in the thumb means less tension in the whole hand. 2. Called 'crowding' fingers drawn to close together or bunching up creates tension ..finding another way to accomplish the same thing that the crowded fingers are trying to accomplish i.e. try to substitute a crowded finger’s task with a lessor crowded fingers way or maybe a more sparse spreading of the fingers. There’s more but I don't won't to get too lengthy here. >Here is an exercise I discovered for violin to increase speed of lifting one's fingers (which is interesting because we don't focus on that as much as placing the fingers down) but if your lifting speed becomes faster then your over all speed or just in general your finger lifting is improved. This is how the exercise is done: No picking will be used on this exercise it's only a left hand exercise. 1. Place the 4th finger tip on the 12fret on the 6th string. 2. Place all the rest of the fingers down so you have fingers tips down on frets 9-12 so that's one finger per fret on the 6th string. 3. Keep all fingers down and then only lift the 1rst finger up as fast as you can and as high as you can without lifting or moving any of the other fingers. Remember to try to keep the hand in a more relaxed state at all times and as much as possible. 4. When you reach the maximum height the finger can reach or lift, then gently and relaxed with the least tension you place the 1rst finger tip back down and slowly, then repeat this for every finger. Do this as a cycle for 3 times. 5. Approaching the would be 4th cycle after the 3 cycles ..instead when lifting the 1rst finger up this time you want to place it down as stated in LINE 4. above, BUT this time the 1rst finger goes down on the next adjacent string (5th string) so you now have a string crossing. 6. Continue lifting the remaining fingers and place them as well down on the next adjacent string (5th string) 7. Repeat this on every string ascending. Hope this is helpful for somebody! Cheers!
I've been playing violin for 5-6 years and the best way to learn is to not only be conscious about posture, but to practice mindfully. Don't play a song repeatedly, play a song while thinking of your every move and what holds you back. Also, you can only get better by playing.
Yes Tom, of course brilliant observation mate...however I believe we teach the anchored first finger method because most students fingers go flailing off the fretboard if not fixed down. ;)
Dear Tom thank you for this lesson. I notice that over the years I’ve been lifting or releasing my first finger as well, but the string jumping exercises can really help develop the nimbleness of the first finger. That’s a huge tip. What I’d like to see you talk about is how to break out from the basic finger dexterity exercise be it single double or triple strings and make it more non exercise sounding, in words approach musicality while working out on the technique. Thanks again and cheers 🖖🏽☺️✌🏽👽
I always found for good Legato form the 1st Finger is the most Important . Planting and fretting with the 1st Finger sets up your line . If that 1st finger note isnt solid and ringing out right your whole Legato run will be off the 1st Note sets up the rest . So its need to be done just right watch Guys like George Lynch , Vai they set it up with that 1st finger pluck or hammer on .
It is interesting, it reminds me of Scott Tenant’s “Pumping Nylon”. He talks about weight displacement. When on one string he keeps the fingers on the same string but shifting the weight which requires no pressure, just momentum. As the be finger lies on the string the previous ones relax. When shifting from string to string the anticipation you describe is necessary not just for legato but for other motions as well. The more that can be compressed into fewer things physical motions the better. Awesome video, your legato is really neat and precise.
Welcome back Tom!! This is a gold knowledge here, this could potentially help a lot of people coz yes like you mentioned its not that common to talk about. Gosh Im so glad I realized this thing a way back in the day ( I think this was a byproduct of me being complete Holdsworth wannabe haha) Still remember like as soon as I showed this to my brother he actually finally started to progress in his legato. Amazing!
This is a really interesting idea, not just for speed, but to help those of us with carpel tunnel to not put as much strain on the fretting hand. As always, your lessons open up new ways of looking at my playing. Thanks Tom!
Exactly this was holding back my legato . Other your lesson about left hand position completely changed my playing. This one is just essential addition. Thanks Tom
Excellent! this is one of the most useful tips ever given to me, I adopted it immediately, and it's true, it works well! Thank you, thank you very much Tom
You make some good points. When playing any piece, we must plan for smooth transitions and that includes prepping each finger in anticipation, thumb included (move the anchor for changes in position). Although I will argue that slur exercises requiring planted index fingers are immensely helpful, I can see a lot of promise in your string-skipping exercise as well. There are no strict rules, just whatever is best for your interpretation of music. As a classically trained guitarist, I probably won't be shredding anytime soon, but your perspective is appreciated nonetheless!
Tom amazing as always. I met you and Martin at the Masterclass put on by Andertons. I won the Laney amp 1st prize. I have all your legato material even the Lick Library stuff and it is all so useful. I just wish I could get my head around all the sub division stuff because my legato just sounds like the usual type of legato. Maybe a little different because you are my legato influence but I cant seem to get the syncopation of notes like you do. Also you are too humble. When you said about your legato style being like all of your influences, well, I'm sorry but you definitely have your own style and I could make it out a mile away. You are definitely original even if you don't think you are. Thanks for all the lessons though and cant wait for more. Peace
What a amazing video. I really stopped practicing legato because of the presure on my first finger in the first two joints. This could really be the answser. Thank you so much.
I know one thing Tom, You make any guitar equipment sound amazing - coz you play that much more better than most people doing great reviews on UA-cam, You're my inspiration, ambition & role model as a guitarist - wishing I could play even half as great as you is a life long dream!
I really love this. When someone pointed me toward this video, i was a little skeptical, but as I watched it, I realized i had started doing something like this a little more often to releave tension...but i never noticed...and your version of this is incredibly detailed and done with intention. sounds so good. thanks for the video!!
Tom, I’d really love to see a video about what guitars, compression and sustain, action setup, tones, etc. you’d recommend for legato. I haven’t seen a video on this anywhere, and I wonder if that’s included in your lessons. I wonder if my Gibson SG with P90 pickups is one factor that’s making it more difficult for me to develop a good legato technique. In your case, the high output or something does seem to be helping you a bit to get all that sound without picking.
I love this video! I have only recently begun purposefully building up my legato technique as an advanced part of my playing. I have noticed in my picking lines that often the first finger of my left hand and it's being late on a string change is THE thing that has gummed up the faster lines. So it is so incredibly fitting that you came out with this video. Thank you, Tom!
Great lesson, and great looking guitar. I had already been practicing this for a few months after getting hold of an old Troy Stetina book. Definitely helps being more fluid, and finger independence.
Very insightful! l have discovered a similar challenge in changing quickly between chords. The problem many times isn't the change to the next chord but the timing of the release of the previous and residual tension slowing the fingers down and creating friction prereventing smooth position shifts. This video helps further illuminate the issue and provides good tools to work with. Thank's!
Incredible legato technique. It sounds so clean. My wrist hurts when I play legato on a string for too long, maybe because of the tension. Very good tip. I will check out your video course. Thanks for inspiration!
interesting...i tend to always keep that first finger planted as a sort of "home base" when i begin a legato run, but after seeing this it is clear that your method is way more economical. crazy how i've always overlooked something that now seems so obvious. looking forward to working on this! Thanks Tom!
I was wondering why after a long time practicing legato I wasn't able to unlock the high speed mode. I think I have no excuse now ... Thank you so much !
Thank you so much for this! I've been seeking an answer to this question for so long. I naturally release my first finger but after seeing so many people anchoring I tried to force myself to learn but it always introduced tension and mucked up my timing. Thanks again Tom.
thank you Tom, very good insight. It seems so obvious, yet it's true that most people keep the 1 down. I can really feel that keeping the 1 down causes a lot of tension in the hand.
Hey everyone! Hope you're doing well. So sorry for the lack of lesson and playing content on the channel. I now have WAY more time to produce my own material for various reasons, so here goes! Hope you all enjoy the video and find it useful. If you want more info on legato technique be sure to check out the lessons on my website - www.tomquayle.co.uk/lessons.html - Thanks so much for watching and all the support. Tom ❤
Apology welcomed and accepted! So glad you're back to playing music! I'll be honest, after a while, I rarely even bothered watching any of those gear demos :-/
btw the affiliate links don't work :(
Nikolaj Christensen thanks - I need to sort that out.
Tom, your lesson is great, your videos are great, you look great, and your guitar looks slightly different from the TQM1...*new model???* (looks freakin awesome)
How do you get that tone? That seems to be my biggest pain point right now. My own legato doesn't sound anything like this, even when played slow. Edit: I'm not fast, sadly.
Today I learned
-My first finger is lazy
-I have 4 first fingers
and you say that, broooo?!?!?! :D Then I have NO fingers at all!
Lmao!!! Full point!
Yeah, Leon. Your fingers are just shocking. Oh to have such tardy, problematic digits.
I have four middle fingers
@@MrPDTaylor Your hands are made for punk and metal!
Yes! I got to realise this a year ago when slowing down one of your videos.
Pretty sure it was you that pointed it out to me.
How are you not verified anyway??
You two are my new guitar heroes.
@@iganpparamarta8813 yeah mine too quayle its insane
Martin, do you feel this concept works in ALT picking runs too? im asking about the muting job of the index
Tom Quayle saying he sucks at picking. Man, you're so humble.
Well, that's why he's so good at legato....unlike Rick who is good at both.
This is the kind of camera focus that I can only dream of
Wow. It's not just legato. Un-anchoring that first finger helps generally. I picked it up in ten minutes after watching this vid (well enough anyway) and turns out it was the source of a lot of mud in my double picking. Thanks a bunch.
Wow - this is great stuff Tom! I never thought about this before and I had no idea how lazy my 1st finger actually is. Back to the woodshed haha!
But you’re easily on Par with Tom!
Give us mortals a chance!
I've been playing for 30 years and am a Berklee grad...and I think this is pure gold. I know what I am working on during the holidays 🙂
03:52 Now that is the finest TAGADAGA-TAGADAGA-TAGADAGA-TAGADAGA-TA I've heard in a long time!
i used legato a lot, then found troy gradys videos 10 years ago. changed the way i hold a pick and just worked at it. relearning some legato, its good to have different techniques
I’m a traditional student/player and definitely have this “anchoring” problem. The way you describe the “rhythmic accuracy & hand tension” pitfalls of the traditional anchoring technique make a lot of sense. I’m going to try your exercise to see if I can make my first finger more “active”. Thank you for the well-produced video, Mr. Quayle! 👍🏼👍🏼
It's not a problem, play how you want. There are plenty of as accomplished or more accomplished players who actually recommend keeping your first finger down. By using this method you are creating unnecessary movement in your hand that is not required. Clearly, either method works for different people so don't take one as gospel. But know that there isn't a "problem" here, there is just a different method. There is a lot less tension in my hand when keeping my first finger down and there is a lot less wasted movement so playing is nice and swift for pull offs
That's a great point. It's actually one of those many things that are wrong with many methods and teachers, that suggest the opposite, keeping all fingers on the string. And it definitely adds a lot of tension.
It's ok when the fingers stay there but relaxed, they don't have any weight on the strings. Then it's not much different from what Tom described here though.
When I learned bass, I was informed the importance of the 'one finger per fret' rule. Particularly because of the tension required of our muscles along the back of the hand and forearm. Sometimes there's reason to use more than one finger to press (chords and the like), but this skill is very important to develop on bass because of the typically higher action required for fretting down a bass. I never thought of it as 'lazy finger', but it does make sense. I still make this mistake on guitar a lot.
This is a great video, Tom, thanks!
2020 Year to Remember
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- “I SUCK...” - Tom Quayle
I noticed that my legato and playing in general really became smoother and more in control when I didn't pay attention to technique but focused solely on connecting my lines as smoothly as possible. Then I recorded and looked at my hands and sure enough, the more I focused on connecting my lines the more unlazy my first finger became naturally. I actually thought that was bad technique (years of "proper" playing) but really liked the sound and feel. This video shows me that I'm on the right path. Thanks 😊
"I suck at picking" -> Says one of the greatest players of the decade! There is still hope for the rest of us! Great video mate! And btw, anyway reading this, checkout Tom's 50 advanced rock licks! They helped me more than I can express!!
I was practicing alternate picking rhe other day, and at certain speeds my fretting hand felt really tense and unnatural to use. So I tried this exact concept for regular fretting (no legato involved) and found it really helped to make my hand feel more relaxed and quicker.
I'm glad I found this video though, just to get some sort of confirmation on what I am experimenting with.
I will keep this in mind for when I start learning legato as well.
Thanks Tom!
Awesome lesson. This was super helpful for me. Definitely going to get your course when I've got some extra practice time.
You are so massive man. This is a truly awesome lesson. Thanks for doing this. My legato is weak after all these years of playing. I can economy pick and of course can do some anchor type legato, sorta phoning in a few tricks I learned many years ago and playing them sloppy. This is so helpful. As I watched and lifted my first finger everything feels different. This will take some time on my end but you inspired me and sent me on a new path. Thanks man!
This a an actual revelation to me! For decades, I’ve stubbornly kept my first finger pressed on the fingerboard while it didn’t needed to be. I’ll work on that for the next weeks, that’s for sure. Great tip Tom, thanks!
There's a term in cultivation novels - and in real life - called enlightenment.
When I saw your legato example, I instantly knew what I needed to do to prevent my fingers from going stiff.
I picked up my guitar and the results were fantastic! My fingers don't go stiff as much - a bit awkward with this new style, but that's okay - and I played significantly cleaner!
Thank you very much! This gave me more insight than 'How to play legato - practice' videos
Interesting. I play bass a lot more than guitar these days, and the longer neck has apparently forced me to work out something similar on my own. I have to release my fingers and shift my hand to play certain patterns down low, since it hurts to try to lock any one finger down & stretch. And I say similar because it seems I've developed a sense of anticipation about when my finger needs to let go, to either cross strings or shift, however, the default is to anchor. I never thought about it before, but it's good to be more conscious of it. Thanks!
Thank you for this vid. I started lifting my index finger and things just fell into place. After practicing an hour or so it has solved so many playing issues I’ve had. After I got used to not anchoring my index finger so much it instantly became easier to play smoother with a ton less tension in my fingers.
Same for me too. I use to anchor my index finger all the time. Such a simple yet effective thing to apply. I never thought about it until this video.
I think this is the best legato video I have ever seen. Thank you for posting Tom.
This lesson is pure gold - initially so counter intuitive, and yet I can immediately notice the improvement, thank you so much !
This was great! A short lesson pointing out an obvious blind spot in my playing, so quite priceless.
Good point. Thanks.
-5:24... Alrighty then! 🤘😁
-4:39...nice exercise/riff...
Thankyou very much for this free lesson. God bless Mr. Quayle
Thank you very much for the idea and exercises.
Awesome. Difficult to change my planted first finger after 40 years of playing. I have small hands. 30 years ago I tried to play like Allan Holdsworth for 2 years. Due my small hands and the massive tension while playing legato I got a permanent inflammation in the joint capsule of my 1st finger (static/lazy finger). I will definitely try this method. Thanks Tom!
This is so simple yet genius, just realizing you can pick up the the pointer finger and not have to leave it down on the neck to base everything afterwards note wise off of is just bind blowing to me in its simplicity. It’s very easy to execute this way and learn even if you have been playing the other way for years. Just discovered your work Tom your instructional videos are awesome! Thanks for showing us your technique
Thought I was learning something new, but turned out I've been doing it for awhile, lol. Always paid attention to the angle of my joints and to optimize movement so I can feel less fatigued and spend more energy focusing on how I want to translate what I hear in my head. This lesson was such an eye opener because it just adds a whole new dimension to keeping out the tension in the top of your hand, wrist, and even down through your forearm.
Genius! Never thought of this as the problem with left hand tension, string crossing etc. Thanks Tom!
What a fabulous lesson! Thanks Tom!
So I’ve been doing this alll day and it feels impossible but after a while it gets easier and easier and you start to feel a lot a big change in the hand . I’m an alternate picker I struggle with legatos and my left hand is getting stronger !! Thanks for the info ! Great vid
Your point is something that I thought many times in the past and felt guilty that's against "proper technique"... Thanks!
Excellent video, Tom, thank you so much! It actually helps not only with legato but with improving control over string skipping - that's what I've learned implementing your tip. Blessings!
If your picking sucks, I am not sure what that means for the rest of us....
Hybrid picking IS picking, and you are mighty fine at it!! I have really enjoyed listening to your music and really like your style. I am not a much of a player, but have always noticed your left hand looked much different than many players when fretting...looked busier but more fluid and intentional. Makes sense now!!
I came from piano before guitar so lifting every finger all the time was second nature already.
Also, on the topic of muting, you can still left hand mute while lifting your index finger, it's just different. You're reducing pressure so the first finger note isn't fretted anymore but you keep just enough pressure that contact is maintained and the note is muted. This is my default way of playing. Even if you're doing a barre string transition it still works and it has a solid down motion this way to keep you in time, it's just a different motion (flattening the knuckle).
I’m more of a picker, but was wanting to work more on my legato. This is extremely valuable information I hadn’t even considered. thank you!
Hello Tom, it is good to see you again, it will always be like that for me, currently I am in curentena as many also because of my health since I am 63 years old and what I do is play my guitar every day and see you is very good, it did me good, you are An excellent musician and well it's just that, take care of yourself a lot friend and thank you for giving us so much, greetings from Argentina ..
My god man.. You are not human are you Tom?.. Those runs you are doing are so perfectly exacted its unreal my friend. Wow.. I had to put my guitar down and collect my thoughts here..
Until very recently I didn't really know there was such a thing as a "legato player" so to speak. And I've been playing guitar since the late 80's. It just goes to show what an incredibly difficult and complex instrument the guitar is. That someone can suck at picking, and still be a great guitar player. There are just so many techniques and styles to master that no human can master them all. And yet a person can specialize in a specific style and/or technique, and make a name for themselves. Gotta love the guitar. It's far and away the most underrated instrument there is, and that's despite the fact that it's wildly popular. Most people, including most guitar players, continue to underestimate the depth of the instrument.
Please can you make an in depth series about your style of legato? It’s probably my favourite style of legato I’ve heard
I have always thought I had this problem and could not get an answer of how to address it. Excellent topic.
Great lesson! I practice my first finger by playing legato three note arpeggios with one open string, first finger and pinky (for instance 0-5-8 , 0-4-7 alternating per string)
You have a point. However the first finger has another very important purpose to leave it planted (well relatively planted). That is noise management, so a finger for example on the 3rd string, if planted correctly like a mini barre it mutes the 4th (above), 2nd and 1st string (below). Obviously you do muting with your right hand as well, but the 1st finger works complementary to everything else. In this way you don't have strings ringing all over the place.
Now the technique for changing strings efficiently with that finger, would be something close to what you would do with sweep picking (playing with the finger joint), so you do the training that is necessary there.
Thank you for this Master Quayle. I have learned a lot from you.
Hey Tom ! I really want to see what is in your studio and how do you set up things for yourself. Can you shoot one of a studio tour kinda video ? Thanks anyway. Take care.
This the kind of advice I wish I had been told 25 years ago :) Thanks Tom!
Good lesson. I've been playing for over 50 years and didnt realise that releasing my first finger was an option. Having read an advanced classical guitar techniques book years ago which stated that you need to keep your finger as a barre across the neck until it was needed to move.
This is one is the best lessons ever. Also I'd say it's not only applicable for legato players.
Good lesson! I actually thought about this and how the first finger being to tense causing tension in the palm as well when anchoring. So this lesson is very helpful thanks! I m a guitar player but I m not a violin player but I studied violin on my own to find hidden gems of technique that I could apply to guitar. Tension in the left hand is one of the biggest problems. Example:
1. The thumb gripping to much on the neck is one of the biggest tension creators. Less tension in the thumb means less tension in the whole hand.
2. Called 'crowding' fingers drawn to close together or bunching up creates tension ..finding another way to accomplish the same thing that the crowded fingers are trying to accomplish i.e. try to substitute a crowded finger’s task with a lessor crowded fingers way or maybe a more sparse spreading of the fingers.
There’s more but I don't won't to get too lengthy here.
>Here is an exercise I discovered for violin to increase speed of lifting one's fingers (which is interesting because we don't focus on that as much as placing the fingers down) but if your lifting speed becomes faster then your over all speed or just in general your finger lifting is improved.
This is how the exercise is done:
No picking will be used on this exercise it's only a left hand exercise.
1. Place the 4th finger tip on the 12fret on the 6th string.
2. Place all the rest of the fingers down so you have fingers tips down on frets 9-12 so that's one finger per fret on the 6th string.
3. Keep all fingers down and then only lift the 1rst finger up as fast as you can and as high as you can without lifting or moving any of the other fingers. Remember to try to keep the hand in a more relaxed state at all times and as much as possible.
4. When you reach the maximum height the finger can reach or lift, then gently and relaxed with the least tension you place the 1rst finger tip back down and slowly, then repeat this for every finger. Do this as a cycle for 3 times.
5. Approaching the would be 4th cycle after the 3 cycles ..instead when lifting the 1rst finger up this time you want to place it down as stated in LINE 4. above, BUT this time the 1rst finger goes down on the next adjacent string (5th string) so you now have a string crossing.
6. Continue lifting the remaining fingers and place them as well down on the next adjacent string (5th string)
7. Repeat this on every string ascending.
Hope this is helpful for somebody! Cheers!
I've been playing violin for 5-6 years and the best way to learn is to not only be conscious about posture, but to practice mindfully. Don't play a song repeatedly, play a song while thinking of your every move and what holds you back. Also, you can only get better by playing.
Yes Tom, of course brilliant observation mate...however I believe we teach the anchored first finger method because most students fingers go flailing off the fretboard if not fixed down. ;)
Quite a few folks saying they have been doing this already. For me this is a revelation, thank you.
you have no idea how much this video has helped me!! thank you so much!!
Dear Tom thank you for this lesson. I notice that over the years I’ve been lifting or releasing my first finger as well, but the string jumping exercises can really help develop the nimbleness of the first finger. That’s a huge tip. What I’d like to see you talk about is how to break out from the basic finger dexterity exercise be it single double or triple strings and make it more non exercise sounding, in words approach musicality while working out on the technique. Thanks again and cheers 🖖🏽☺️✌🏽👽
I always found for good Legato form the 1st Finger is the most Important . Planting and fretting with the 1st Finger sets up your line . If that 1st finger note isnt solid and ringing out right your whole Legato run will be off the 1st Note sets up the rest . So its need to be done just right watch Guys like George Lynch , Vai they set it up with that 1st finger pluck or hammer on .
Been playing guitar for 16 years. Thank you. Now i need to learn everything again.
It is interesting, it reminds me of Scott Tenant’s “Pumping Nylon”. He talks about weight displacement. When on one string he keeps the fingers on the same string but shifting the weight which requires no pressure, just momentum. As the be finger lies on the string the previous ones relax. When shifting from string to string the anticipation you describe is necessary not just for legato but for other motions as well. The more that can be compressed into fewer things physical motions the better. Awesome video, your legato is really neat and precise.
Welcome back Tom!! This is a gold knowledge here, this could potentially help a lot of people coz yes like you mentioned its not that common to talk about. Gosh Im so glad I realized this thing a way back in the day ( I think this was a byproduct of me being complete Holdsworth wannabe haha) Still remember like as soon as I showed this to my brother he actually finally started to progress in his legato. Amazing!
You addressed your use of hybrid picking and what happens to first finger muting just as I was thinking about them, very thorough. Well done!
This is a really interesting idea, not just for speed, but to help those of us with carpel tunnel to not put as much strain on the fretting hand. As always, your lessons open up new ways of looking at my playing. Thanks Tom!
Exactly this was holding back my legato . Other your lesson about left hand position completely changed my playing. This one is just essential addition. Thanks Tom
Excellent! this is one of the most useful tips ever given to me, I adopted it immediately, and it's true, it works well! Thank you, thank you very much Tom
You make some good points. When playing any piece, we must plan for smooth transitions and that includes prepping each finger in anticipation, thumb included (move the anchor for changes in position). Although I will argue that slur exercises requiring planted index fingers are immensely helpful, I can see a lot of promise in your string-skipping exercise as well. There are no strict rules, just whatever is best for your interpretation of music.
As a classically trained guitarist, I probably won't be shredding anytime soon, but your perspective is appreciated nonetheless!
Love it when a video is posted at the exact time I need it in my progression. Thx Tom
Tom, I am glad your providing lessons again. You're my favourite online guitar teacher by far.
Tom amazing as always. I met you and Martin at the Masterclass put on by Andertons. I won the Laney amp 1st prize. I have all your legato material even the Lick Library stuff and it is all so useful. I just wish I could get my head around all the sub division stuff because my legato just sounds like the usual type of legato. Maybe a little different because you are my legato influence but I cant seem to get the syncopation of notes like you do. Also you are too humble. When you said about your legato style being like all of your influences, well, I'm sorry but you definitely have your own style and I could make it out a mile away. You are definitely original even if you don't think you are. Thanks for all the lessons though and cant wait for more. Peace
Brilliant advice. Very helpful. We need more of that. Thank You very much. 👌👍
Very interesting. Had a go this morning - Definitely eases pressure and balances the hand in a legato/scale runs type situation.
What a amazing video. I really stopped practicing legato because of the presure on my first finger in the first two joints. This could really be the answser. Thank you so much.
The man is back. Great to see you're back doing your think. Great insight and playing, top class.
Thanks very much Tom! Loads of useful tips and information
Nice one! I was so relieved to find I don't have a lazy 1st finger!
He has evolved into a really effective, confident, well-paced teacher.
I know one thing Tom, You make any guitar equipment sound amazing - coz you play that much more better than most people doing great reviews on UA-cam, You're my inspiration, ambition & role model as a guitarist - wishing I could play even half as great as you is a life long dream!
I really love this. When someone pointed me toward this video, i was a little skeptical, but as I watched it, I realized i had started doing something like this a little more often to releave tension...but i never noticed...and your version of this is incredibly detailed and done with intention. sounds so good. thanks for the video!!
Tom, I’d really love to see a video about what guitars, compression and sustain, action setup, tones, etc. you’d recommend for legato. I haven’t seen a video on this anywhere, and I wonder if that’s included in your lessons. I wonder if my Gibson SG with P90 pickups is one factor that’s making it more difficult for me to develop a good legato technique. In your case, the high output or something does seem to be helping you a bit to get all that sound without picking.
Thank you so much. This is absolutely going to help me on my guitar journey. Have a wonderful day my brother
I love this video! I have only recently begun purposefully building up my legato technique as an advanced part of my playing. I have noticed in my picking lines that often the first finger of my left hand and it's being late on a string change is THE thing that has gummed up the faster lines. So it is so incredibly fitting that you came out with this video. Thank you, Tom!
Great lesson, and great looking guitar. I had already been practicing this for a few months after getting hold of an old Troy Stetina book. Definitely helps being more fluid, and finger independence.
Very insightful!
l have discovered a similar challenge in changing quickly between chords. The problem many times isn't the change to the next chord but the timing of the release of the previous and residual tension slowing the fingers down and creating friction prereventing smooth position shifts.
This video helps further illuminate the issue and provides good tools to work with. Thank's!
im a big fans of your legato technique, thanks sir
After I had been playing for about 30 years, I reworked my whole style:)
Great lesson, Tom - welcome back!
Incredible legato technique. It sounds so clean. My wrist hurts when I play legato on a string for too long, maybe because of the tension. Very good tip. I will check out your video course. Thanks for inspiration!
This very helpful in keeping the Legato clean and musical!
Great insight, my hand and wrist had been getting sore lately. Focusing on releasing the tension from the first finger has helped tremendously.
interesting...i tend to always keep that first finger planted as a sort of "home base" when i begin a legato run, but after seeing this it is clear that your method is way more economical. crazy how i've always overlooked something that now seems so obvious. looking forward to working on this! Thanks Tom!
Thank you for the upload!!
Thanks for this great video. Now I understand what to do! Very well explained.
As always, I learned a lot from this. My heartfelt gratitude to this instructional video.
This technique combined with hybrid picking is absolutely fantastic and surely someting I´d like to master. Thanks Tom!
GREAT lesson! I have your modern legato lesson pack. This is a perfect addition, maybe the most important element for me.
I was wondering why after a long time practicing legato I wasn't able to unlock the high speed mode. I think I have no excuse now ... Thank you so much !
Thank you so much for this! I've been seeking an answer to this question for so long. I naturally release my first finger but after seeing so many people anchoring I tried to force myself to learn but it always introduced tension and mucked up my timing. Thanks again Tom.
thank you Tom, very good insight. It seems so obvious, yet it's true that most people keep the 1 down. I can really feel that keeping the 1 down causes a lot of tension in the hand.
Thanks so much Tom! Absolutely useful information that I'm keen to implement.
So simple yet I never thought of it!!! Liked and subbed!