I wrap a tight rubber band around my nuts and stick my toe in an electric outlet while sitting on razor blades. . . and that helps a lot, generally. Never thought about playing guitar though. Might check it out . .
The Crazy thing is that in 1986 metallica will regularly play master of puppets at 115% speed at least, and Creeping Death at like 120% the speed or something crazy like that.
Joaquín Velázquez Well.... I’m a huge Metallica fan, and I’ve seen a lot of live gigs from the 80’s, and yes they played those songs faster but James and Kirk used play some parts with alternative picking like creeping death in 1985 in metal hammer, ‘cause at that speed is very hard to keep the tempo, but if you see concerts since 1989 ‘till nowadays they play all the songs with downpicking, sometimes faster is not better.
Hetfield was kinda always my idol, so I always focused on down picking to the point I can down pick pretty damn fast now. I've never tried holding the pick with three fingers though. Interesting.
When I play master of puppets I use the pre chorus and chorus as motivation. I play the verse and I think “the pre chorus isn’t far away, just get to there”. I find the pre chorus easier on my right hand then the verses. I then think “just get to the chorus and then I can have a break” because the chorus is easier then the rest of the song down picking wise
The dribbling basketball metaphor is just perfect. Something clicked and now I can't wait to get my guitar on and take this perspective as I practice. Thank you :)
I also compared using full sized picks to Jazz IIIs and I noticed that the bigger picks sound CRUNCHIER and have a good amount more edge on palm mutes, as If I turned my distortion up 4 notches compared to the Jazz III. But the Jazz was able to make less mistakes in more technical picking for me.
I love my jazz III & the slightly larger Jazz III XL series. Now Ice picks sound great and your body temp actually does something to the pick and it's hard to drop. Now I just have to find the Ice pick that is the same exact size at my Dunlop Jazz III's :-)
Dude, i really appreciate how real you are in the first minute, i dont play in a band, just a hobby, but yep, the legendary metallica brought me here, felt so discouraged, gonna try this out soon. Thanks
Honestly if I play every day I start to get better at this type of stuff. If I take a few days off I feel like I take a few steps back. It's kind of like if you want to be a good long distance runner. If you don't put the miles in you won't be any good.
Its a matter of time, it takes Reps for your brain to learn a new habbit. Once you do it enough your brain builds that "Muscle" for lack of a better term. However, too much repetition totally removes the fun out of any song im trying to learn.
I use picks at around .78-.81. I try and use others when trying to play Master of Puppets to see where I'm most comfortable at. After 7 or 8 years, it's still hell to play! Love your videos!
I recognize that riff you were demoing at 6:30 right off the bat...."Live Wire". That's a great song and Mick Mars really nailed those down aggressive strokes.
I always played this riff with alternate picking. Two years ago, watching bfmv lives, i've noticed that it's all downpicking and i've threw my guitar through the window
NO ONE can do this without self teaching: You must ingrain it in your very being: Muscle ~ Tendon Memory will do the rest: But not if you master it; then say leave it for a year: Then you gotta do muscle ~ tendon recall: Ive been playing for 22 years now and would never swap places back to not playing: Its timeless to play any musical instrument with passion: Self teaching is the key: I personally use a 60mm Dunlop Pick for fast down strokes [Master of Puppets or Whiplash] with PM [palm mutes] or in the case of Banjo or Ukulele I use a 40mm to 44mm for up/down speed picking using fingers instead of hand gestures: If you are a metal fan; try switching genres all the time to blues or any other: My fav genre/style switch was to Classical [Example: Playing Cavatina EXACTLY how John Williams plays it on YT] Imagine the level of skill one would have if RUclips was available in the 1980s to 1990s with FREE Apps like Songster for example: As opposed to playing `by ear` with a Walkman Tape and then a Personal CD player: Once you achieve a level where your mind and muscles arent bothered; youve mastered that style: Literally:
Thank you for this video! I've been playing Master for decades (well.... attempting to), but after watching this I feel like it is possible. Applied what's discussed here last night and it already went better!
This is the second video I've watched from your channel. I like the way you explain things, you learn something and then you come here to show us the learning process, I believe it's a great method
I know that this is an old video but i will comment anyway. For me (53 year old guy with serious bad picking habits i have been trying to correct for the past 10+ years) the thing i notice the most is that your forearm does not move or jerk around when you pick. I used to be an entire arm picker for a long time. I am now finally starting to get used to the wrist picking motion after 10 years of trying to change this bad habit. However, trying to get my forearm to stay still while wrist picking is a huge task. I am obviously still using wrong muscles and it is another hurdle to overcome. the wrist rotation motion is tough because my forearm wants to jump around and i have to really stare at my forearm while picking to try and figure out which muscles don't cause it to move around when picking. Word of advice for new players... work on this aspect first before anything else or you will fall into the trap of bad habits that are extremely hard to break.
Absolutely this! I spent the first whole year practicing without seeing much improvement because of this. One the second year which is this year, i spent the whole 2 month solely working on my right hand, with the help great online reaources like this, the last 3 weeks i've seen more improvement than my last 5 year of self learning guitar.
@@hoangduong4981 Do you have any channels that you can recommend? I've had my guitar for 9 years and I just gave up on playing it many many times just because I can't downpick effectively and it drives me crazy.
I've been able to use Hetfield's way of picking and I have done it so much to the point that I prefer it over the 1 finger and thumb method. I can even alternate pick a bit but it's a little harder. But it's fun because I can do Hetfield's parts and then switch to the 1 finger and thumb method and do Kirk's solos
Being a huge Hetfield fan I changed to holding my pick like he does and it has actually helped me alot. Still goof around with holding my pick differently or even play without a pick, but I always go back to the "Het-way" when I'm (trying to be) serious :)
This is exactly what I needed, thank you. I'm practicing with the speed bursts and the relaxed and tensionless arm etc, but this was massively helpful. I've always wanted to play Master of puppets, I'm ready to take it on.
I've been playing guitar for around 15 years or so and honestly, after I learned to alternate pick, I noticed my down picking dexterity was slowly declining. This video absolutely helped me get back to speed. Almost can down pick all of Master of Puppets & I'm playing other down pick heavy Metallica tracks effortlessly (Through the Never, Creeping Death, etc) -- Thank you so much!
I started using James’ picking technique back in March to just try it out, and I’ve been using it since. I love it, it’s made downpicking so easy (fastest I can downpick now is over 300 bpm). It is just a fun and unique way to hold the pick and play guitar, so I definitely recommend it to others who want to only downpick.
I was struggling with downstrokes on a Motley Crue tune and found your video! Got excited to see you play Live Wire, I also played it like you did cause the downstrokes are tough to get right. Mick Mars has an amazingly fast picking hand. Thanks for making this, I’m gonna get practicing.
I had to login to my account just to like your video and comment on the basketball metaphor, it instantly changed my way of feeling and playing downstrokes. This is a brilliant video, congrats!
I learned downstroke technique by listening to the first Ramones album. They recorded with guitar and bass coming out of separate speakers. Just turn the balance to left or right. Helped me a lot.
i immedialetly picked up my guitar and played master of puppets TOO FAST . the pick holding technique tip is amazing.also what i learned is BELIEVEING a song is hard makes it EVEN HARDER.i could play master of puppets just in speed with all of my energy put in and i couldnt do another round after.now that i believe its not that hard i can play it relaxed and over and over.cant thank u enough edit: lol an accidental link there
This was a great explanation/nuance about James’ technique. As someone who’s studied his down picking greatness, here are a couple other tricks that may help. The three-finger trick is actually just the index finger and thumb. The middle finger isn’t actually on the pick...it’s tucked under the index finger for support only. Look closely at some of James’ videos and then try out it out... The middle finger support really helps in those fast downpicked parts like MoP and especially Blackened. Another tip, along the lines of your basketball analogy: James wanted to incorporate percussion into his guitar technique. So imagine playing drums... you don’t hit every snare note at 100% velocity, but rather you accent the downbeats and play the notes in between with lesser attack. Same thing with fast downstrokes... accentuate the first and third note that coincides with the bass drum and snare drum (but not hi-hat notes in between).
OMG!!!! I just tried this small change of bouncing the pick off the string just changed my playing all of a sudden I could play Misirlu all the way through down picked without my arm falling off not once but multiple times in a row. THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS UP👍
The key to their songs (and any fast metal songs) is that you aren’t playing aggressively, but you are playing aggressive music. There is an art to using the arm and wrist muscles efficiently and without strain. You incorporate tight muscles into your playing and you run the risk of screwing up those muscles and NOT being able to play anymore. Have to keep the arms relaxed.
Jazz picks made all the difference when I was much younger and trying to learn how to play Metallica. Now I can use full-sized picks and do the same thing. Great video!
Just stumbled upon this video, excellent one! In the band I have, I play the rythmic guitar. Metallica was the band that got me into Metal, so James is obviously a reference. I used to hold the pick as you do, but somewhere down the road I changed it and now I hold it like James. It FEELS like locked to my wrist, I can play consistent 8th notes up to 220-225bpm. (and throw some 16th here and there). Constant 16th notes up to 230ish. You also feel more powerfull (consistent and aggresive), in my opinion playing with a smaller subdivision in mind (8th note) makes you play more precise in comparison if you are thinking in a quarter note. Have you heard/watched Jon Shaffer from Iced Earth? That dude has a different technique and can play up to 240bpm downstroked 8th notes, it's INSANE. (Longest song I know from them, 16 min, with LOTS of downstrokes; "Dante's Inferno" if you want to check it) Thanks!! :) PD: English is not my native language, pardon any grammar mistake.
If you wanna see crazy downstrokes on Master of Puppets, just type " Nomakills Master of Puppets " ( the guitar cover, not the full album, and yeah he did the full album with all solos, this guy is crazy I know xD ) Enjoy guys ;)
Many people seem to think downpicking is only for metal players - not so! I play a variety of styles, from rock and blues to jazz, and yet whenever I'm playing my way through chords with various picking patterns, I tend to do mostly downstrokes. For one, I feel like it gives me more power and assertiveness in how I play dynamics. Now, if I'm playing a fast flurry, I'll often alternate pick / doublepick. The downpick just gives a different sound. I'm a klutz, so I use the large triangular, turtleshell Fender medium picks, cause I can grip it better, and I use that on both acoustic and electric. On acoustic, I've found the medium gives the best tone against the strings (crisper!) and has perfect flex.
For lowering the speed of the song, I've also discovered RUclips has the function built in in the video settings. I used it all the time to practice songs slower to get the riffs down as accurately and relaxed as I can before I speed it up again.
I actually learned this method when I was first starting out. Had to reteach myself to be able to pick the way you normally do. Excellent job explaining the methodology of it. Keep up the good work man
Your video really helped me start a goal I'm trying to learn master of puppets all downstroke now I can get to the clean guitar part I'm half way there!!! \m/ I'm glad I found this channel
JJWP 88 Man, you just loved to tear people apart in this comment section! I also consider a thumb a finger because it is a stub that is attached to my hand. A thumb is a finger because it IS the same thing with a different name (kind of like how in America we call chips 'chips,' but in other places they're called 'crisps.')
When you were doing the song with up and downstrokes I thought, "Oh is that Two Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden" before the downstroke only version revealed it clearly to me. Great video.
2:22 I use various different picks - from Dunlop Jazz III XL's, .88 Tortex Fins & T-IIIs, to V-Pick Snakes & Eclipses to heavy Fender 355 "Dorito Chips" - depending on what I'm playing. The bumpy side of the Fins are for when I need some "chime" on my strings (like The Edge of U2), the, Jazz III XL's, T-IIIs and Eclipses for shredding & sweeping, the Snakes for string skipping (a la Paul Gilbert) and the Fender Doritos are for all rhythm strumming (no leads). I got my pick use down almost like a science and I like to try various other picks as well.
I’ve seen so many comments on how does James sing and down pick all these amazing riffs... he practices! You can too! The easiest way to conquer downpicking and singing Metallica is to find a band, be James in that band, amd the energy alone will push you to limits you used to have and well beyond them. I tried downpicking MASTER for over 2@ years and just could not do it all the way through... but once I auditioned for a METALLICA tribute and got the job as James, all the PRACTICE I put in paid off and once I warmed up a couple songs I somehow could downpick WAY FASTER ZTHAN EVER BEFORE! Why? The energy of being live yes, playing for large groups of people YES, amd realizing the 20 plus years of practicing down picking was worth it! All I needed was the BOOST one gets when playing live on stage w a band! When I’m home playing, I can’t hardly do it unless I’m way warmed up. When I’m live at a gig, we open w the “D” songs... SAD, FUEL, KING, WHISKEY, ETC.. then tune up to D# and go another 2 hours playing everything else. It works perfectly because everyone is warmed up by then!
Thank you for your videos! I'm on a journey to fix my downstrokes and gallops and your lessons motivated me. Sidenote: I usually hate SG guitars but that candy red finish is gorgeous!
Hey, I can actually switch between the way you hold the pick for up down, and I can switch to the 3 finger grip for lead type of play or just harsher down strumming. You can have the pick resting on your index and and parallel with your strings. To switch all you have to do is pivot the pick over your index finger tip and then just add you middle finger to it. This also gets your pick to be at around 40 degrees from your strings making it so your pick can sort of phase through the string. It also gives it a chuggy sound. I never noticed that I switch pick grips that way before but now I know why the printed labels on my picks always wear off of the pick. This works on standard sized picks but it should be noted that I'm using Jazz III shaped 0.88mm picks. Super thick picks sound too chuggy and are too rigid for 45 degree picking. Everyone's sweet spot is different.
Some very good advice! I came to similar conclusions back in the days, when I payed attention to how Slayer played "divine intervention" (the song) insanely fast down-picking main riff
I wrap a tight rubber band around my nuts and stick my toe in an electric outlet while sitting on razor blades. . . and that helps a lot, generally. Never thought about playing guitar though. Might check it out . .
Jason o h
LOL that actually made me laugh wow
👀⁉️
James Hetfield is a darn beast, how can he do that shit AND sing at the same time?
Agreed.
Dave Mustaine is way more interesting on how he plays those crazy riffs and sings.
but Mustain can't sing...
Matrim Czadzeck not really
And keep in mind that for the first few years they played MOP live, they played it even faster than the album.
The Crazy thing is that in 1986 metallica will regularly play master of puppets at 115% speed at least, and Creeping Death at like 120% the speed or something crazy like that.
Joaquín Velázquez Well.... I’m a huge Metallica fan, and I’ve seen a lot of live gigs from the 80’s, and yes they played those songs faster but James and Kirk used play some parts with alternative picking like creeping death in 1985 in metal hammer, ‘cause at that speed is very hard to keep the tempo, but if you see concerts since 1989 ‘till nowadays they play all the songs with downpicking, sometimes faster is not better.
They also drank alcohol and did drugs back then, so they didn't feel the fatigue until later; then, they'd drink or do drugs again.
Mustaine was the only drug user.
its probably so they can get done with the concert faster. make the same money in less time.
Pizza Monster kirk also
My middle finger sometimes scrapes the high E string and makes me want to throw my guitar through a window.
BlackDogsMatter SAME HERE XD
BlackDogsMatter that escelated fast 😂
Haha!
Same :/
I'm in the boat ..... sadly
This guy's a good teacher.
christianarchist speak a lot but he is great
@@andresleihe Isn't he supposed to share more information?
Sure is!
Hetfield was kinda always my idol, so I always focused on down picking to the point I can down pick pretty damn fast now. I've never tried holding the pick with three fingers though. Interesting.
Snake3169 he's your idol and you didn't know he held it like that? Hmm lol
Austin Bramer I mean he's mine too and I found that out only a few months ago
Snake didn't say he didn't know Hetfield held the pick like that, dipshit.
He said he has never tried holding the pick that way.
@GinRummy
Ironically, your use of "dipshit" was completely unwarranted, so you're the only one who looks like the bad guy here.
MegaCrasherMusic It's the internet, bro. It's the internet...
Love how everyone automatically talks master of puppets when anyone talks down picking
When I play master of puppets I use the pre chorus and chorus as motivation. I play the verse and I think “the pre chorus isn’t far away, just get to there”. I find the pre chorus easier on my right hand then the verses. I then think “just get to the chorus and then I can have a break” because the chorus is easier then the rest of the song down picking wise
your videos are pure gold! thank you so much!
the funny thing is that master of puppets was intended to be even faster
Thomy omg really? that's mental!
No that's metal. Hehe.
Sometimes they play it double time live. Slayer plays their whole set at twice the speed. It's something to admire for sure.
Does he play Fight Fire with Fire only with downstroke as well?
Metallica always play it faster live
Youre honestly one of the best teachers ive seen, thank you
The dribbling basketball metaphor is just perfect. Something clicked and now I can't wait to get my guitar on and take this perspective as I practice. Thank you :)
Thats how i feel!! Hope your journey is going well friend
I use jazz 3's
J Peace I tried them but could never get used to the feel. Maybe one day.
I also compared using full sized picks to Jazz IIIs and I noticed that the bigger picks sound CRUNCHIER and have a good amount more edge on palm mutes, as If I turned my distortion up 4 notches compared to the Jazz III. But the Jazz was able to make less mistakes in more technical picking for me.
JAZZ III!!! I like to drill 3 or four holes in each one to create a solid ground point for grip and reference.
I love my jazz III & the slightly larger Jazz III XL series. Now Ice picks sound great and your body temp actually does something to the pick and it's hard to drop. Now I just have to find the Ice pick that is the same exact size at my Dunlop Jazz III's :-)
Grave Protocol use the gripped jazz 3
If they aren't all downstrokes, they aren't rock'n'roll. - paraphrasing Ramones.
Dude, i really appreciate how real you are in the first minute, i dont play in a band, just a hobby, but yep, the legendary metallica brought me here, felt so discouraged, gonna try this out soon. Thanks
Sigh i dont get it, its just so uncomfortable to down pick :(
@@TheSoulWithin7Yep, feel you
Honestly if I play every day I start to get better at this type of stuff. If I take a few days off I feel like I take a few steps back. It's kind of like if you want to be a good long distance runner. If you don't put the miles in you won't be any good.
acanova2001 you could have just said
*practice makes perfect*
For me I get burned out.
I take a few days off and I come back stronger.
Its a matter of time, it takes Reps for your brain to learn a new habbit. Once you do it enough your brain builds that "Muscle" for lack of a better term. However, too much repetition totally removes the fun out of any song im trying to learn.
I use picks at around .78-.81. I try and use others when trying to play Master of Puppets to see where I'm most comfortable at. After 7 or 8 years, it's still hell to play!
Love your videos!
I recognize that riff you were demoing at 6:30 right off the bat...."Live Wire". That's a great song and Mick Mars really nailed those down aggressive strokes.
Yep, classic!
Bullet for My Valentine - Waking the Demon's riff is whole down picking and that shit is sooo hard man...
I always played this riff with alternate picking. Two years ago, watching bfmv lives, i've noticed that it's all downpicking and i've threw my guitar through the window
NO ONE can do this without self teaching: You must ingrain it in your very being: Muscle ~ Tendon Memory will do the rest: But not if you master it; then say leave it for a year: Then you gotta do muscle ~ tendon recall: Ive been playing for 22 years now and would never swap places back to not playing: Its timeless to play any musical instrument with passion:
Self teaching is the key: I personally use a 60mm Dunlop Pick for fast down strokes [Master of Puppets or Whiplash] with PM [palm mutes] or in the case of Banjo or Ukulele I use a 40mm to 44mm for up/down speed picking using fingers instead of hand gestures: If you are a metal fan; try switching genres all the time to blues or any other:
My fav genre/style switch was to Classical [Example: Playing Cavatina EXACTLY how John Williams plays it on YT] Imagine the level of skill one would have if RUclips was available in the 1980s to 1990s with FREE Apps like Songster for example: As opposed to playing `by ear` with a Walkman Tape and then a Personal CD player:
Once you achieve a level where your mind and muscles arent bothered; youve mastered that style: Literally:
I use the 60mm dunlop tortex amazing pick
There's no way your gonna be playing whiplash with downstrokes
Thank you for this video! I've been playing Master for decades (well.... attempting to), but after watching this I feel like it is possible. Applied what's discussed here last night and it already went better!
This is the second video I've watched from your channel. I like the way you explain things, you learn something and then you come here to show us the learning process, I believe it's a great method
I solved the problem with the pick sticking out to much by buying smaller picks..
I know that this is an old video but i will comment anyway. For me (53 year old guy with serious bad picking habits i have been trying to correct for the past 10+ years) the thing i notice the most is that your forearm does not move or jerk around when you pick. I used to be an entire arm picker for a long time. I am now finally starting to get used to the wrist picking motion after 10 years of trying to change this bad habit. However, trying to get my forearm to stay still while wrist picking is a huge task. I am obviously still using wrong muscles and it is another hurdle to overcome. the wrist rotation motion is tough because my forearm wants to jump around and i have to really stare at my forearm while picking to try and figure out which muscles don't cause it to move around when picking. Word of advice for new players... work on this aspect first before anything else or you will fall into the trap of bad habits that are extremely hard to break.
Absolutely this! I spent the first whole year practicing without seeing much improvement because of this. One the second year which is this year, i spent the whole 2 month solely working on my right hand, with the help great online reaources like this, the last 3 weeks i've seen more improvement than my last 5 year of self learning guitar.
@@hoangduong4981 Do you have any channels that you can recommend? I've had my guitar for 9 years and I just gave up on playing it many many times just because I can't downpick effectively and it drives me crazy.
I've been able to use Hetfield's way of picking and I have done it so much to the point that I prefer it over the 1 finger and thumb method. I can even alternate pick a bit but it's a little harder. But it's fun because I can do Hetfield's parts and then switch to the 1 finger and thumb method and do Kirk's solos
You are a great teacher, man. And a very humble one.
Being a huge Hetfield fan I changed to holding my pick like he does and it has actually helped me alot. Still goof around with holding my pick differently or even play without a pick, but I always go back to the "Het-way" when I'm (trying to be) serious :)
Man, I love the way you explain things. Thanks for another great video.
Thanks a lot dude! I had troubles with puppetz too. Thanks to you my arm does not get destroyed everytine i play it. Keep up the good work :)
This is exactly what I needed, thank you. I'm practicing with the speed bursts and the relaxed and tensionless arm etc, but this was massively helpful. I've always wanted to play Master of puppets, I'm ready to take it on.
Did you finally do it?
don't usually comment: but great tutorial, as usual. this art of guitar fellow is an excellent teacher! super humble and easy to sit with. thanks!!
I've been playing guitar for around 15 years or so and honestly, after I learned to alternate pick, I noticed my down picking dexterity was slowly declining. This video absolutely helped me get back to speed. Almost can down pick all of Master of Puppets & I'm playing other down pick heavy Metallica tracks effortlessly (Through the Never, Creeping Death, etc) -- Thank you so much!
Dude, that's a fuckin beautiful guitar colour!
Lilriddz II SG is the best guitar ever made
EElectric_M guitars are better for some players then others there is no real best guitar
Ethan Wolters agreed.
I started using James’ picking technique back in March to just try it out, and I’ve been using it since. I love it, it’s made downpicking so easy (fastest I can downpick now is over 300 bpm). It is just a fun and unique way to hold the pick and play guitar, so I definitely recommend it to others who want to only downpick.
I was struggling with downstrokes on a Motley Crue tune and found your video! Got excited to see you play Live Wire, I also played it like you did cause the downstrokes are tough to get right. Mick Mars has an amazingly fast picking hand. Thanks for making this, I’m gonna get practicing.
Same the moment I heard the riff I was like LIVE WIRE!!
Paranoid is another good song to practice
I had to login to my account just to like your video and comment on the basketball metaphor, it instantly changed my way of feeling and playing downstrokes. This is a brilliant video, congrats!
What's even more impressive is Newsted's been downpicking this live when they play it even faster. It's even more exhausting on bass, he's a beast.
I learned downstroke technique by listening to the first Ramones album. They recorded with guitar and bass coming out of separate speakers. Just turn the balance to left or right. Helped me a lot.
i immedialetly picked up my guitar and played master of puppets TOO FAST . the pick holding technique tip is amazing.also what i learned is BELIEVEING a song is hard makes it EVEN HARDER.i could play master of puppets just in speed with all of my energy put in and i couldnt do another round after.now that i believe its not that hard i can play it relaxed and over and over.cant thank u enough
edit: lol an accidental link there
I was able to get Creeping Death up to Speed in a week using these tips. Best Hetfield tips on RUclips. Thanks again!!
Jazz III boi
TomsFruitStand BUDDY!!
Eyyyy I use those too it's easier to play fast 😁
TomsFruitStand 100%. Should be the only plectrums being made.
Jazz III is life 👌
I use Jazz II's, same shape, only thinner :)
This was a great explanation/nuance about James’ technique. As someone who’s studied his down picking greatness, here are a couple other tricks that may help. The three-finger trick is actually just the index finger and thumb. The middle finger isn’t actually on the pick...it’s tucked under the index finger for support only. Look closely at some of James’ videos and then try out it out... The middle finger support really helps in those fast downpicked parts like MoP and especially Blackened. Another tip, along the lines of your basketball analogy: James wanted to incorporate percussion into his guitar technique. So imagine playing drums... you don’t hit every snare note at 100% velocity, but rather you accent the downbeats and play the notes in between with lesser attack. Same thing with fast downstrokes... accentuate the first and third note that coincides with the bass drum and snare drum (but not hi-hat notes in between).
I was drummer for 6 years, and now I play guitar so downstrokes are easy!
Yeah downstrokes just easy for drummers lol, it came much more naturally for me
@@BlakeSpohn fr
@@BlakeSpohn Probs explains Hetfield's beast skills. His first instrument was the drums!
OMG!!!! I just tried this small change of bouncing the pick off the string just changed my playing all of a sudden I could play Misirlu all the way through down picked without my arm falling off not once but multiple times in a row.
THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS UP👍
I use Dunlop Stubbys 3.0mm. Love the channel man I have learned a lot.
Coty Duncan i use the sames! but the 2mm ones
Coty Duncan same! I have pretty thick strings on one of my guitars, and I just got used to a thick pick lol
Coty Duncan I remember those bad boys. It was like pinching a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
I use Dunlop Big Stubbys 3.0mm
Jack Barlow Dunlop tortex 1.14 mm picks here. The purple ones.
I really appreciate how you teach how to feel it instead trying to explain technically
Helped me a lot !
Thanks !
The key to their songs (and any fast metal songs) is that you aren’t playing aggressively, but you are playing aggressive music. There is an art to using the arm and wrist muscles efficiently and without strain. You incorporate tight muscles into your playing and you run the risk of screwing up those muscles and NOT being able to play anymore. Have to keep the arms relaxed.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
How you think about what you are doing has EVERYTHING to do with how you do EVERYTHING!
I use Kirk hammett jazz3
Frizzle Fry yes my bruddah you know da way
ruairidh mckean you mean 'know the wah'?
Try out chicken picks
Jazz picks made all the difference when I was much younger and trying to learn how to play Metallica. Now I can use full-sized picks and do the same thing. Great video!
Actually, Johnny Ramone had the best downstrokes of all time. He never alternate picked. His technique is well known as the buzzsaw
ACTUALLY DUDE
Man, this video is gold! I still send my students here regularly
Thanks! This really helped me figure out many things I'm doing wrong when using a pick.
Best advice ever! It really make a difference in your playing
I use Dunlop flow picks 1.5mm
I also use James Hetfield black fang picks
Thanx for the three finger tip. Very much helped me to get Creeping Death working for me.
Downpick faster, obey you master!
Your pick fades faster, obey your master, master
Just stumbled upon this video, excellent one!
In the band I have, I play the rythmic guitar. Metallica was the band that got me into Metal, so James is obviously a reference. I used to hold the pick as you do, but somewhere down the road I changed it and now I hold it like James. It FEELS like locked to my wrist, I can play consistent 8th notes up to 220-225bpm. (and throw some 16th here and there). Constant 16th notes up to 230ish.
You also feel more powerfull (consistent and aggresive), in my opinion playing with a smaller subdivision in mind (8th note) makes you play more precise in comparison if you are thinking in a quarter note.
Have you heard/watched Jon Shaffer from Iced Earth? That dude has a different technique and can play up to 240bpm downstroked 8th notes, it's INSANE. (Longest song I know from them, 16 min, with LOTS of downstrokes; "Dante's Inferno" if you want to check it)
Thanks!! :)
PD: English is not my native language, pardon any grammar mistake.
If you wanna see crazy
downstrokes on Master of Puppets, just type " Nomakills Master of Puppets " ( the guitar cover, not the full album, and yeah he did the full album with all solos, this guy is crazy I know xD ) Enjoy guys ;)
David Rachelski John Browne from Monuments has Het-worthy downpicking technique as well.
xThe_noJx john browne has a robots hand.
Dude is fucking beast.
Noakills sepultura covers are like porn to me
Many people seem to think downpicking is only for metal players - not so! I play a variety of styles, from rock and blues to jazz, and yet whenever I'm playing my way through chords with various picking patterns, I tend to do mostly downstrokes. For one, I feel like it gives me more power and assertiveness in how I play dynamics. Now, if I'm playing a fast flurry, I'll often alternate pick / doublepick. The downpick just gives a different sound. I'm a klutz, so I use the large triangular, turtleshell Fender medium picks, cause I can grip it better, and I use that on both acoustic and electric. On acoustic, I've found the medium gives the best tone against the strings (crisper!) and has perfect flex.
When you've already been doing the pick holding technique the whole time
I've always picked with the same 3 fingers
a very good point - the part with the pick. i will try to implement it as i am starting to study "the sin and the sentence" by trivium.
Great lesson, I feel like this broke the cage that was holding me back. I was stuck at 200 bpm forever.
U can down pick at 200?
@@shamicentertainment1262maybe 8th notes
I play mostly downstrokes in my band, in the johnny ramone style. This was really helpful for the palm mute stuff.
I use a jazz 3 pick it helps a lot with down picking
That basketball analogy is genius, definitely trying that visualisation
Who LOVES playing the 🎸??!! I sure do!
That guitar is beautiful. Decent lesson too. Thanks, Art.
Dunlop Jazz III picks are the shit.
I’m a bass player and just got my first electric guitar. I’m loving your stuff.
For lowering the speed of the song, I've also discovered RUclips has the function built in in the video settings. I used it all the time to practice songs slower to get the riffs down as accurately and relaxed as I can before I speed it up again.
I would put it in a programm that fixes the pitch...
I actually learned this method when I was first starting out. Had to reteach myself to be able to pick the way you normally do. Excellent job explaining the methodology of it. Keep up the good work man
Who else is hear for master of puppets
Owen MacIntosh here*
Currently learning this song rn
Disposable Heroes*
Im here for hardwired
I"m here for Live Wire but came back for Master of Puppets
Your video really helped me start a goal I'm trying to learn master of puppets all downstroke now I can get to the clean guitar part I'm half way there!!! \m/ I'm glad I found this channel
Wow! I never realized I was picking like James Hatfield. Also, I use .60 mm picks
1mm Tortex here. Thanks for the video, I'm definitely going to try it. I've always struggled with downpicking.
orange Dunlop picks are the best imo
Just stumbled across this channel. Haven't subbed this fast to a channel in a good while. Keep up the great work, dude!
A thumb is also a finger.
manofconstantsorrow yeah obviously, it has a different name because it's the same thing.... Is my foot just my leg hand then?
@@jay8819 A mug is still a cup.
JJWP 88 Man, you just loved to tear people apart in this comment section! I also consider a thumb a finger because it is a stub that is attached to my hand. A thumb is a finger because it IS the same thing with a different name (kind of like how in America we call chips 'chips,' but in other places they're called 'crisps.')
Google solves these types of disagreements sometimes ;)
Jay 88 a thumb pretty much does the same thing as all the other fingers and you comparison sucked donkey ass
B-Ball , meeting OF Physics & Riffing ! Has Worked For Me , Now I
Realize What I Was Doing ! Great Communication , Thanks
I use the Kirk Hammett signature jazz 3s if I'm playing lead, and .88 mm tortex.
Your ideas are always very sound and work exceptionally for me thank you.
Am i the only one who had motorhead flashbacks at 3:09
THE ONLY CARD I HAVE IS THE ACE OF SPADES
Your channel should be called learning something new every day!!! Great idea's every time,cheers my man\M/
THanks man. I don't have the energy to post daily tho. Haha
I see Papa Het in a thumbnail I click.... very original type of comment. I know. but is true
When you were doing the song with up and downstrokes I thought, "Oh is that Two Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden" before the downstroke only version revealed it clearly to me. Great video.
Little do you know this is actually Markiplier trying to achieve his dream in being a guitarist in a successful band
2:22 I use various different picks - from Dunlop Jazz III XL's, .88 Tortex Fins & T-IIIs, to V-Pick Snakes & Eclipses to heavy Fender 355 "Dorito Chips" - depending on what I'm playing. The bumpy side of the Fins are for when I need some "chime" on my strings (like The Edge of U2), the, Jazz III XL's, T-IIIs and Eclipses for shredding & sweeping, the Snakes for string skipping (a la Paul Gilbert) and the Fender Doritos are for all rhythm strumming (no leads). I got my pick use down almost like a science and I like to try various other picks as well.
Do anybody ever look in replies of comments and wonder who their talking to until realizing it got deleted or something
10,000 subscribers without any videos? yeah
The mental niches of learning small muscle techniques like this is so important and you covered it in great detail
Omg. You’re actually Markaplyer’s Doppleganger.
I’ve seen so many comments on how does James sing and down pick all these amazing riffs... he practices! You can too! The easiest way to conquer downpicking and singing Metallica is to find a band, be James in that band, amd the energy alone will push you to limits you used to have and well beyond them. I tried downpicking MASTER for over 2@ years and just could not do it all the way through... but once I auditioned for a METALLICA tribute and got the job as James, all the PRACTICE I put in paid off and once I warmed up a couple songs I somehow could downpick WAY FASTER ZTHAN EVER BEFORE! Why? The energy of being live yes, playing for large groups of people YES, amd realizing the 20 plus years of practicing down picking was worth it! All I needed was the BOOST one gets when playing live on stage w a band! When I’m home playing, I can’t hardly do it unless I’m way warmed up. When I’m live at a gig, we open w the “D” songs... SAD, FUEL, KING, WHISKEY, ETC.. then tune up to D# and go another 2 hours playing everything else. It works perfectly because everyone is warmed up by then!
I just can't keep my stroke going that long. Never can last. So frustrating cause I'm always feeling it
Branden Anderson lmao
Thank you for your videos! I'm on a journey to fix my downstrokes and gallops and your lessons motivated me. Sidenote: I usually hate SG guitars but that candy red finish is gorgeous!
I'm not so sure this is the technique for me. I learned how to downstroke really fast by practicing "Blitzkrieg Bop" over and over.
Same. I’m used to the Ramones method of all-in-the-wrist and relaxing everything else.
Very professional explanation. Thank you!
Practice always holding the pick very strongly, it eases the process after, atleast for me!
does that not create unnecessary tension in your right hand?
my low e brokes when i start to pick it hard
Devrim Odabaşı jeez what strings do you use?
it creates unnecessary tension. The most important thing is feeling comfortable while playing
Hey, I can actually switch between the way you hold the pick for up down, and I can switch to the 3 finger grip for lead type of play or just harsher down strumming.
You can have the pick resting on your index and and parallel with your strings.
To switch all you have to do is pivot the pick over your index finger tip and then just add you middle finger to it.
This also gets your pick to be at around 40 degrees from your strings making it so your pick can sort of phase through the string.
It also gives it a chuggy sound.
I never noticed that I switch pick grips that way before but now I know why the printed labels on my picks always wear off of the pick.
This works on standard sized picks but it should be noted that I'm using Jazz III shaped 0.88mm picks. Super thick picks sound too chuggy and are too rigid for 45 degree picking. Everyone's sweet spot is different.
A thumb is not a finger? What is it then?
MAGRIE All thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs.
According to google, they're digits
Some very good advice! I came to similar conclusions back in the days, when I payed attention to how Slayer played "divine intervention" (the song) insanely fast down-picking main riff