This is why Randy Rhoads was closer to a god than a man. Watch Mr. Crowley Afterhours and he rips through his solos without ever looking at his guitar.
SO. TRUE. I spent 8-10 years of practicing (fairly technical) music. I'm left-handed but I play right handed so I always assumed that it was because my picking hand isn't my dominant hand.. Nope. It's because I literally never looked at my picking hand all of those years. That's it. 🤦♂ Just acknowledging that hand and spending a little time with it/giving some focus, not even practicing exercises with it per se, has done more for my picking in a few weeks/months than over 8 years of playing. Just mind blowing.
You’re 100% right as usual. One thing that I’m doing right now is checking both hands in my practice. Usually I try to do 8 reps of the same lick or phrase, in a row, focusing in clean execution. Here’s my trick: if I screw 1 of 8 attempts, I considered it a “hit”, and then I go to the next exercise . If I screw 2 or more, its a “miss” and I start over again. On each rep, I check the right hand, the next: the left; then the right and so on. After finishing the 8 attempts, I try a couple without looking.
The fretting hand is dealing with more variables (6 strings and at least 21 frets) than the right hand. It makes total sense that someone would focus on it. Yngwie himself said that he never analyzed his picking hand until people explicitly asked him about it.
I always tell my students that the magic as in you’re picking hand. I have them do exercises from the very beginning to get really good picking techniques. Great video sir
I am not high while watching this video but somehow, I was waiting for the phrase... "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!" ...(then a toll free phone number appears below the screen). BTW everyone looks at their string picking when they start playing the guitar. When you are doing scales, that means you were at that stage at some point.
Paul Gilbert explains his picking! Are you serious??!? It doesn’t make a difference 4:37 if your looooking at your picking hand. You don’t have to!! Your just poi t this out to make a mute point and get people to watch you bud.
I unintentionally did watch my picking hand one time during a practic session and little did I know I need to pay attention to it more often. Thank you for this.
Another great video, thanks Mike. Last time I asked you something about the left hand and you gave me very helpful answers which I have incorporated into my game. It got much better, but something still didn't feel right with my left hand. I watched a lot of your videos and watched your left hand and then it felt like dandruff fell off my hair and I knew "WHAT" I had to move additionally to relieve the fingers - It was the last missing piece of the mosaic - Thanks Mike !! !
👍Excellent advice as always and if I may offer some of my own and that is: when you have learnt a technique, not necessarily completely, practice it with your' eyes closed. This can be basic scales, chords, licks, etc and I'm fascinated by how many guitarists in good pub/bar/function type bands will spend entire numbers looking at the fretboard for something they have down and as Mike says, it can be counter productive.
Fun fact, in a few interviews, Paul Gilbert said that sometimes he would only play the right hand part of a lick or solo individually and then the left hand individually and then try to sync them up...
Most of the time I practice in front of a computer with 2 screens. When the screens are black i can use them as a mirror. That way i see my pick hand at one and the freet hand at the other screen.
Good video. This will be the "the one solution to all my guitar problems" video I'll follow for the next two weeks now. After that I'll find another one, all in my decade long quest of evading a real teacher.
A while ago I criticized the way you adressed your diferenteces with Troy Grady aproach/method. And to keep the universe balanced I have to say that in this video you made your point much clearer and withouth being peyorative. Kudos
can you do a video on how to play fast playing the pentatonics? i am fascinated on how joe bonamassa can play so fast while playing the pentatonics (or the blues scale, i am not sure).... of course there are other artists thst can do that but i only know bonamassa...!
Watching my picking hand makes my playing 50% better. I figured out that's where the real issues and bottlenecks are happening. In reality the only time you really need to take a look at the fretboard is when you're making huge shifts. I wanna get myself a mirror or something so I can always check my right hand without looking down and bending over the guitar so much. Really bad for posture, which in turn results in stiffness and whatnot, and really ruins the technique.
This is why Randy Rhoads was closer to a god than a man. Watch Mr. Crowley Afterhours and he rips through his solos without ever looking at his guitar.
I see you a discerning man of culture, a hat tip to you, kind gentleman scholar 🎩
Agreed….Randy was lightening quick with laser like precision…and he was sooo young!!!!
Yeah, he was a little better than me 😉
@@Astro_touches_children look at you, mr. demigod lol
SO. TRUE. I spent 8-10 years of practicing (fairly technical) music. I'm left-handed but I play right handed so I always assumed that it was because my picking hand isn't my dominant hand..
Nope. It's because I literally never looked at my picking hand all of those years. That's it. 🤦♂
Just acknowledging that hand and spending a little time with it/giving some focus, not even practicing exercises with it per se, has done more for my picking in a few weeks/months than over 8 years of playing. Just mind blowing.
You’re 100% right as usual.
One thing that I’m doing right now is checking both hands in my practice. Usually I try to do 8 reps of the same lick or phrase, in a row, focusing in clean execution. Here’s my trick: if I screw 1 of 8 attempts, I considered it a “hit”, and then I go to the next exercise . If I screw 2 or more, its a “miss” and I start over again. On each rep, I check the right hand, the next: the left; then the right and so on. After finishing the 8 attempts, I try a couple without looking.
Good tips, gonna try that
This is IMPORTANT information! Great video.
The fretting hand is dealing with more variables (6 strings and at least 21 frets) than the right hand. It makes total sense that someone would focus on it.
Yngwie himself said that he never analyzed his picking hand until people explicitly asked him about it.
I don’t think Govan struggles to play anyones licks. He can literally play in any genre.
holdsworth can give anyone a run for their money
I always tell my students that the magic as in you’re picking hand. I have them do exercises from the very beginning to get really good picking techniques. Great video sir
I am not high while watching this video but somehow, I was waiting for the phrase... "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!" ...(then a toll free phone number appears below the screen). BTW everyone looks at their string picking when they start playing the guitar. When you are doing scales, that means you were at that stage at some point.
Paul Gilbert explains his picking! Are you serious??!? It doesn’t make a difference 4:37 if your looooking at your picking hand. You don’t have to!! Your just poi t this out to make a mute point and get people to watch you bud.
Great player and Teacher, but i'm sorry thats a hella ugly color Ibanez
my guess is that they are looking at their fretting hand while they play
I unintentionally did watch my picking hand one time during a practic session and little did I know I need to pay attention to it more often. Thank you for this.
Another great video, thanks Mike.
Last time I asked you something about the left hand and you gave me very helpful answers which I have incorporated into my game.
It got much better, but something still didn't feel right with my left hand. I watched a lot of your videos and watched your left hand and then it felt like dandruff fell off my hair and I knew "WHAT" I had to move additionally to relieve the fingers - It was the last missing piece of the mosaic - Thanks Mike !! !
rip shawn lane!
I think you should stare at hand wich you have problem with. If my fretting hand is sloppy and weak, why should i look at the picking one?
Why does is your guitar sound recorded so badly? It's like a a transistor amplifier recorded in a bathroom with a cheap mic. 😂
👍Excellent advice as always and if I may offer some of my own and that is: when you have learnt a technique, not necessarily completely, practice it with your' eyes closed. This can be basic scales, chords, licks, etc and I'm fascinated by how many guitarists in good pub/bar/function type bands will spend entire numbers looking at the fretboard for something they have down and as Mike says, it can be counter productive.
Fun fact, in a few interviews, Paul Gilbert said that sometimes he would only play the right hand part of a lick or solo individually and then the left hand individually and then try to sync them up...
Most of the time I practice in front of a computer with 2 screens. When the screens are black i can use them as a mirror. That way i see my pick hand at one and the freet hand at the other screen.
This video in the 90's should have save me several tons of frustration... this is great!
I like what you do.
I pray that I never wind up on your naughty list.
Excellent suggestions here. Very helpful indeed
Gotta admit my right hand trips me up, thanks for the vid
0:58 they're all looking at their fretting hand only
Good video. This will be the "the one solution to all my guitar problems" video I'll follow for the next two weeks now. After that I'll find another one, all in my decade long quest of evading a real teacher.
I mean, a real life teacher who can give me 1:1 feedback on _my_ actual playing.
Cheap jokes^^
🤘🤘
A while ago I criticized the way you adressed your diferenteces with Troy Grady aproach/method. And to keep the universe balanced I have to say that in this video you made your point much clearer and withouth being peyorative. Kudos
You could get to the point a lot more quickly. I give your presentation a D-
I'm devastated.
I'm watching usually a movie when shredding. Is it ok?
can you do a video on how to play fast playing the pentatonics? i am fascinated on how joe bonamassa can play so fast while playing the pentatonics (or the blues scale, i am not sure).... of course there are other artists thst can do that but i only know bonamassa...!
Go to the crossroads
@@colinjones4686 😎
Watching my picking hand makes my playing 50% better. I figured out that's where the real issues and bottlenecks are happening. In reality the only time you really need to take a look at the fretboard is when you're making huge shifts. I wanna get myself a mirror or something so I can always check my right hand without looking down and bending over the guitar so much. Really bad for posture, which in turn results in stiffness and whatnot, and really ruins the technique.