Like you, I also decided change/fix some things and bad habits about my playing after just about 30 years of playing. My biggest issue was using extremely thin picks for all of those years. When I was a kid, I liked how forgiving they were. But just a few years ago..I realized they were why I have having accurancy issues and having to work way, wayyyyy to hard to achieve things I could easily do if using my fingers. Due to thin picks being so forgiving and flexible, you don't have to use proper picking or strumming technique. You can simply flat pick and plough straight through the strings. This is fine in most situations..but if you are trying to do any type of fast alternate picking patterns or simply trying to get the 'clock effect' when palm muting, forget about it. The pick doesn't flex back fast enough. So beginners, use a firm pick. I would suggest at least 1mm. It really depends on the material though. As a 1mm acrylic pick is goign to be more firm than a 1mm tortex pick. Just use something that doesn't have any give and use proper technique. Do not plough through the strings. Trying to break a 30 year habit is extremely frustrating. sa
Thanks for sharing this. I also recommend to students to have plectrums that are over 1mm. More control. Otherwise it’s like trying to write your name with a rubber pencil :)✏️
Exactly. I played for almost four decades before an old friend led me to a great luthier who set up all of my guitars. It made such a huge difference. But I didn't get the answer until I knew to ask the question. Until you know the difference, you can play guitars that are not set up correctly until the end of time. And you will never even know. If you find out, things get a lot better.
Well said! Getting right the neck shape, radius, fret size also is an important factor which I didn't mention but any guitar with a great set up will certainly play and feel better. Once you know, you know. love it!
Wow, so true, very much agreed my friend, 👍 I've experienced all this mistakes when I'm first learning, the guitar set-up thing is spot-on. I bought my first electric guitar only to get disappointed and almost gave up because the action was like a "bow and arrow" thing.😅 And the philosophical thing in the end really resonates, "Why are you trying the thing you want to learn?" - The answer would be simple, I love playing music even with no audience and I love jamming and teaching my friends new guitar licks. No need to be as good as Steve Vai, but it would be good to play what he plays through practicing.👌Cheers! SUBSCRIBED.🔥
Thanks so much for this comment. It’s amazing how many badly setup guitars I play (students) with a few tweaks makes the guitar play much better! We can always try to be as good as Steve Vai! Thanks for the sub!
I agree with everything you said, especially that you don't have to practice or play music you don't like unless you get paid for it. I cant do blues or heavy metal because I don't care for those genres. But I aim to be a Kevin Shields/Johnny Marr/Tom Verlaine/David Gimour hybrid lol
My mistake (acoustic guitar) was to fret too hard because i thought volume was tone and the harder i smashed the strings the harder i ended up to fret needing fret. In reality you need to play super light to avoid buzzing especially for complicated crosspicking like bluegrass
@That.Guy. I see! There is so much possibility’s with loud and soft in the picking that when going to loud mode most tense up. It’s possible but difficult so well done if you have got that down now?
@@RiffsRhythm getting better….dont need to fret as hard and the strings dont hit my finger nails when i make chords like b7 anymore. Strumming sounds better because im not pulling everything sharp from squeezing to hard
I can’t really comment now as I went to ACM in 2003. So many years ago and a lot has probably changed! I would recommend visiting each one to what each has to offer. I hope that has helped.
Get your FREE Ear Training PDF - www.riffsandrhythm.com/eartraining
Like you, I also decided change/fix some things and bad habits about my playing after just about 30 years of playing. My biggest issue was using extremely thin picks for all of those years. When I was a kid, I liked how forgiving they were. But just a few years ago..I realized they were why I have having accurancy issues and having to work way, wayyyyy to hard to achieve things I could easily do if using my fingers. Due to thin picks being so forgiving and flexible, you don't have to use proper picking or strumming technique. You can simply flat pick and plough straight through the strings. This is fine in most situations..but if you are trying to do any type of fast alternate picking patterns or simply trying to get the 'clock effect' when palm muting, forget about it. The pick doesn't flex back fast enough. So beginners, use a firm pick. I would suggest at least 1mm. It really depends on the material though. As a 1mm acrylic pick is goign to be more firm than a 1mm tortex pick. Just use something that doesn't have any give and use proper technique. Do not plough through the strings. Trying to break a 30 year habit is extremely frustrating. sa
Thanks for sharing this. I also recommend to students to have plectrums that are over 1mm. More control. Otherwise it’s like trying to write your name with a rubber pencil :)✏️
Exactly. I played for almost four decades before an old friend led me to a great luthier who set up all of my guitars. It made such a huge difference. But I didn't get the answer until I knew to ask the question.
Until you know the difference, you can play guitars that are not set up correctly until the end of time. And you will never even know.
If you find out, things get a lot better.
Well said! Getting right the neck shape, radius, fret size also is an important factor which I didn't mention but any guitar with a great set up will certainly play and feel better.
Once you know, you know. love it!
Wow, so true, very much agreed my friend, 👍 I've experienced all this mistakes when I'm first learning, the guitar set-up thing is spot-on. I bought my first electric guitar only to get disappointed and almost gave up because the action was like a "bow and arrow" thing.😅
And the philosophical thing in the end really resonates, "Why are you trying the thing you want to learn?" - The answer would be simple, I love playing music even with no audience and I love jamming and teaching my friends new guitar licks. No need to be as good as Steve Vai, but it would be good to play what he plays through practicing.👌Cheers! SUBSCRIBED.🔥
Thanks so much for this comment. It’s amazing how many badly setup guitars I play (students) with a few tweaks makes the guitar play much better!
We can always try to be as good as Steve Vai! Thanks for the sub!
Great tips!!
Glad it was helpful! Can you relate to any?
Ty for posting this!
Hope you got some value from it?
I agree with everything you said, especially that you don't have to practice or play music you don't like unless you get paid for it. I cant do blues or heavy metal because I don't care for those genres. But I aim to be a Kevin Shields/Johnny Marr/Tom Verlaine/David Gimour hybrid lol
Thanks for sharing! streamline the process, make it fun and I wanna hear your hybrid of those players!
the finger pressure tip is VERY imporant for beginners. very good video
Thank you, yes it’s so important, it makes playing guitar so much easier. Glad you found it useful.
My tip: have your tipp written in the video while explaining for orientation
Thanks for the feedback. Hope you found the video useful though
When I first began playing it was all by ear. This was before you tube and tabs
Old school.. the best way as it forces you to use your ear.
Thanks.
You're welcome, I hope it's helped
My mistake (acoustic guitar) was to fret too hard because i thought volume was tone and the harder i smashed the strings the harder i ended up to fret needing fret. In reality you need to play super light to avoid buzzing especially for complicated crosspicking like bluegrass
Did you find it much easier to play? Less tension?
@@RiffsRhythm less tension in the fret hand was easy. Making my picking hand lighter is the hard part for me
@That.Guy. I see! There is so much possibility’s with loud and soft in the picking that when going to loud mode most tense up. It’s possible but difficult so well done if you have got that down now?
@@RiffsRhythm getting better….dont need to fret as hard and the strings dont hit my finger nails when i make chords like b7 anymore. Strumming sounds better because im not pulling everything sharp from squeezing to hard
@@That.Guy. sounds like you are on the right track! Took me years to figure this out :)
Thank you
You're welcome! I hope you don’t make the same mistakes as me! Any you can relate too?
Great video - my son is a really talented guitarist, would you recommend ACM? Have heard good things about ICMP, mixed reports on BIMM
I can’t really comment now as I went to ACM in 2003. So many years ago and a lot has probably changed! I would recommend visiting each one to what each has to offer. I hope that has helped.
Ok thanks - do you feel you are a better guitarist/musician for having gone to a music uni like ACM?
@@ukdadgamer6033 I gained so much knowledge in a structured way. If you put the work in you’ll get a lot out of it
@@RiffsRhythm Thank you 👍🏻🎸🤘🏻