How to FIX Your Pick Hand Finger Position! THIS WORKS!
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
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Have you ever wrestled with what to do with your pick hand fingers while playing guitar? Fan them out, rest them on the body, curl them up, anchor them... how do we attain that loose closed fist position so many players have? On today's video, Uncle Ben Eller here is gonna show you a trick he picked up from @massive_bass_nerd (aka Massive_Bass_Nerd on instagram) to fix this common problem instantly! Whether you're a funky strummer or a metal shredder, this WORKS!
Les Paul Custom
Friedman BE100
Thanks again to Massive_Bass_Nerd for inspiring this amazing trick to fix your picking hand position! Did you try it yet? Did it work?
my life just changed.......not the way it changed from my other biological step uncle
Thanks! I'm going to give this a try. I struggle with this. What I tend to do is plant my pinky on the edge of the pickup and sometimes I realize that I've actually hooked my pinky finger around the low E string. I think I'm going to glue something to the guitar right below the E string and see if my pinky takes to that. I really like the hand stability of having my pinky anchored. I'm not dogmatic about it but it can get pretty noisy sometimes because sometimes the pinky must be lifted (to do something funky and strummy) and if I drag it across the strings it makes noise. That being said, I'm tending to control noise mostly by keeping my picking hand flat on the strings at all times these days so its less of an issue.
Uncle ben, dude is also on YT @Justyn Delbridge 🤘😎🎸🐙
@Ben Eller I just did some tests with this. I keep my finger in a modified Petrucci position. The interesting thing I realized checking it out is that I use it for strumming, not picking the high strings. I am a big man with big hands and I can easily lift the pick two inches above the low E string without lifting my pinky. I never use my elbow at all for strumming. It's actually the ease with which I can wreck the pick against the larger strings that drives me to want more hand stability. I play metal rhythm primarily. When I do play the high strings, my little finger rolls away from the E string so that the finger nail is flat against the guitar and there is space there for the string to move.
Just like you said, this is a new habit that has developed since I've started to learn to play faster.
Who knew all this time 38 Special was talking about picking. I naturally hold my hand the way your explaining unless I'm muting or finger picking. Although I hold the pick on the flat side of my index with my thumb holding it in place. Helps me some times when I'm going for a good harmonic on like a ZZTOP song with little or no difference in the position my hand is in.
Thank you for bringing more attention to Francis Bubbletrousers. He is an amazing guitarist who rarely gets the credit he deserves.
Legendary
I thought he was the Scorpions bassist (?) 🤣
Criminally underrated player!!
@@d.nakamura9579 Nope, that's Klaus Bubbletrousers.
Dude, thank you SO much for posting/sharing this! Massive_bass_nerd here. So happy that you found this useful. You rock dude 🤘😻
The man, the myth, the legend 🤘😎🎸🐙
Thanks for saving lives out there!
Massive_bass_genius *FTFY thank you for sharing something so obvious that nobody noticed until now!
Thank you both!
Dude thank you for sharing this trick of yours online! This is actually something I've been consciously trying to work on with my picking technique but changing how I hold my fingers felt so unnatural that it affected my playing (20 years of holding my pick is hard to change).
This absolutely works for me, I look forward to a few weeks of using this trick.
Thanks again man!
A tip i found out myself for this was learning to hybrid pick, it really made me close my hand as a default when playing other stuff and because of that i find that my alternate picking got more consistent, more controlled and overall comfortable now. Thanks for the video uncle Ben solid information as usual!
For me, a self-taught guitarist, this worked as magic. Improved and took away tension instantatly. I'm blown away! 🤯
I’ve got another hint to help release tension while playing, at least during practice: holding a biscuit or similar between teeth and trying not to crunch it. It works helping to relax neck and jaw muscles.
Good idea thanks I'll try it
Especially if it's a disco biscuit!
Being a lefty playing on a right hander, I've been a pinky planter for eons! Excited to try this out and see what positive changes I can make. Thanks a bazillion uncle Ben!
This method is helping me a lot! I have been trying to ditch the pinky anchor technique that I had picked up but it always felt like I was 'floating' above the strings if I moved my fingers toward my palm. 10 minutes of playing using this method and for some reason my brain thinks that this is the natural way, plus I think I'm feeling less tension on fast runs. Thank you Ben, Love from the UK.
Francis Bubbletrouser is my favorite guitarist!
Loved the .38 Special reference. Etch-A-Sketched this lesson into my corpus collosum and got me chuckling with no time to watch videos or play lately because of work BUT always come back for your content and wittiness.
I started out in the 80’s and a lot of my “heroes” played with fanned fingers Lynch, DeMartini and to a lesser degree EVH. I did evolve to anchoring my pinky on the pickup ring for speed picking but I did have someone show me that strumming with my arm vs wrist really helped. That said the one technique that I have never been able to get is using my thumb to cord with my fretting hand. I’ve tried multiple times but I have big thick palms and I’d have to be playing a guitar with a broomstick for a neck to be able to pull it off lol
I'm really glad this video was made! Uncle Ben, along with 2 other personal favorite guitarists, directly influenced my picking hand ever since I started my guitar journey.
❤️❤️❤️
I’ve been in a rut for a while. This helped me increase my speed and helped my technique a lot
I had a realization that I had an issue with my picking hand maybe a year and a half ago watching your videos, and have been playing so much cleaner ever since. This too is gonna be extremely helpful!
nobody is more well spoken or can explain something better than my uncle ben
Wow. I'm still a beginner with 3 months in and recently noticed that I was resting the rest of my fingers in the body. Until now it wasn't getting in the way, and I actually felt comfortable with it, until some days ago I was having a bit of forearm pain and some said that it could be the resting fingers creating tension. Until now it was like relearning how to pick without those fingers in the body, but that simple trick of assigning them a task was so helpful! Now I feel like the pain is going away and my skill is quickly coming back to my picking hand
I play bluegrass and everyone I've played with plays with stretched out fingers. If you're doing a lot of pluck strumming it really helps having as many anchor points as possible. Just a thought I guess. I watched a bluegrass guitar competition recently and most of them play with an open hand as well. I'd like to start playing with with a closed hand just to see what it's like though.
@@NubsWithGuns What do you mean?
Sierra Hull plays Mando with a closed hand ;)
This video is a HUGE help. I started to play the guitar barely a year ago and very soon afterwards, I was inclined to rest my pinky on the guitar body. A lot of people say it limits your speed later on, but in certain circumstances it can help though - depending on what you play.
Even if I almost completely got rid of resting the pinky on the body, after the practice sessions I feel tension in my upper forearm, mainly when I practice tighter riffs from Metallica.
Then I found this.
I just finished an uninterrupted session of 90 minutes playing For Whom The Bell tolls and Muster of Puppets riffs with the second pick hidden under my fingers, and feel no tension at all in my forearm!
In a few days I guess, my finger position will be fixed with this method.
Another very big benefit of this is that I can play more quickly with this hand posture, when it comes to very fast down picking such as in Puppets.
Thank you.
exactly I just watched it and thought wtf and what a difference it makes great tip
I tried this for 15 minutes and my picking was so much cleaner!i struggled with hangin fingers a long time,thanks
This is genius! I was a finger fanner before trying this, but this really cleaned up some noise from other strings i had when playing solos and my picking hand is more relaxed!!
I find that tucking my fingers in during tight rhythms is cool and fanning out when doing sweeps or other busy lead stuff can help me mute extra string noise by having other light points of contact that can further hamper any sympathetic harmonics or vibrations.
Thanks Ben!
I'll be honest, I have my fingers basically stretched out, but I've never had a problem with it while playing. But I do understand it can be a problem and it might start to get a problem for me as well, so why not practice this?! thanks for the tips!
It's not a problem.
I don't understand how it would ever get to be a "problem" for you: Are you planning on hybrid picking? If the answer is no then it won't be an issue, ever.
@@dimitriid its not a insurmountable problem per se but, it could make things more difficult to execute that involve the wrist
@@denafitzgerald2554 what about guys like martin miller? john petrucci? both of them anchor their fingers and can play literally everything
@@dimitriid *someone picks up a guitar for the first time* "I think I'll hybrid pick, knowing nothing of this instrument, or what it is."
"Plan?! Apu, kids just happen!"
oh man, thanks for this. Was really looking for a solution for this headache of a problem while playing.
"...and there are dog and kitty videos, really important stuff too". Totally dude. You took the words right out of my mouth. 😊
I'm more of a ancient relic when it comes to the guitar, I just happened to come across your path on CZcams great job and a beautiful service for all guitar players of all levels. And as for the real reason for this comment, is.Thanks for the laughs you can be very funny although mild compared to me. Keep it up and give all those guitar player as much love as you can give them we all need it. Good teacher!
I've always been one to stabilise my hand by planting my little or ring finger on the guitar or hook it under the high E. I've tried on and off to play more with a closed hand, and it never felt right. Holding something in my hand though... wow instantly felt more normal to have my hand in that position! Amazing tip!
Ahhh Good Ole Francis Bubble Trousers, what a legendary player
OMG the music in the background is from the NES Duck Tales game!!!! I played it so much as a kid!
Jesus I think I need this video. You're the best uncle Ben
Love the Moon Theme in the background!
I had that issue about 8 years ago and decided to change my technique from those flayling fingers to closed hand. All in all, it took me like 8 months to just get comfortable without cramping up and tiring my forearm and another couple of months to feel confident with it and not constantly revert back to it. But damn, did it make a difference, for sure, especially when tracking.
I’ve often shared a technique with newer guitar players that can really open their eyes and increase/improve awareness of habits.
Video tape yourself playing. Make it a habit, not just a one-off performance for the camera but a regular learning tool, way to capture you and your guitar interaction.
This video technique was very helpful to me while also learning some firearm manipulations and playing disc golf.
Rock on Uncle Ben…”on and on and on”
Great tips!
I'm going through this with a new student. Never crossed my mind to have students try this. Would've helped me a lot when I was new too.
Halfway I stopped the video to grab my custom, so infectious to watch. I'll finish the video later haha 👍 great lesson 🎸 thanks!
Cool trick, have to add to my playing !
wow, this does work, within three days i got rid of the habit of keeping my fingers on the pickguard . Thanks for sharing this trick!
The great uncle Ben once again sharing our wisdom with us. Thanks a lot!
I used to put my fingers on the body of the guitar all the time till I got into hybrid picking, now I keep my fingers in a sort of relaxed claw (like holding a small ball real lightly while having your hand on the table) when playing leads so I can quickly go from shredding to arpeggiating a chord with my fingers. Hell, I've even worn a small tear in the wrapping of my bridge pickup from anchoring that pickup during a certain part I play a lot. 😂
After nearly 40 years I'm trying to adopt the closed fist. I notice it definitely requires less energy for fast riffing but it's much harder to control the mutes
Finally, an Uncle Ben video that fixes my worst issue. Based Ben coming through once again
Love that solution. I have been trying to fix my fan recently and this looks great. What I have been doing is wrapping a hair tie around my non-pick holding fingers. As soon as my fingers started fanning there is tension in the hair tie I know I am opening my fingers. Thanks for sharing that one
BRILLIANT! I've been battling this problem for a long time. My right pinky finger would constantly bump into the volume knob on my Ibanez RG, usually turning it down. To compensate, I developed a bad habit of lifting my fingers away from the guitar so they would pass over the top of the volume knob. Problem solved, right? WRONG! Because of this new, bad habit, I'm getting a lot of sympathetic string noise from the high E and B strings. It's very frustrating. I tried to curl my fingers (after watching a BERNTH video), but it felt too awkward and my fingers wouldn't behave. After watching this video, I'm definitely going to try this trick of holding a 2nd pick in my right hand. Thanks Ben! Thanks MASSIVE_BASS_NERD!
very cool idea. I'll give it a try. not sure I'll like it, but worth trying. Thanks for the video Ben !
just tried it and already my sound is cleaner. I had a bad case of the flailing fingers for years. Thanks to you and Massive Bass Nerd!
Holy crusty crap! I just tried it. That's absolutely wild. Using a dunlop Jazz pick and it's totally working.
Malmsteen's picking hand is the picture of rrelaxation and what I patterned mine after. It's like a loose, but controlled, finger placement that barely glances the pickguard. It lets you quickly use the fingers to tap, or volume swells, etc.
Thanks,
I have been waiting for someone to do this.
Best video in months. I just replaced the pick in my palm with a shard of glass. My hand is chill as hell after a bit of getting used to 🤘
Some of us have this come naturally to them. For example, I've *always* anchored my pinky finger on the body of the guitar when picking, and naturally loosely held my fingers together when strumming. It's never caused any concern or hindered my playing in any way.
It just goes to show that what is natural for some is a mountain to be conquered for others, and that we all have insight to give, whether we realize it or not.
Thanks, Uncle Ben.
Instant fix for my 10 year pinky anchor! Thanks so much uncle Ben.
I only anchor my pinky when I'm soloing. When I strum, I curl them all in lightly. Haven't noticed any pain, but I'll be more conscious to any tension it might be causing. It's definitely a precision thing for me. Gonna have to practice this to see if I can tell any difference.
Plus there's dog and kitty videos. We all need that. So human Ben, so freakin human.
Good technique.
When I'm playing rhythm I have my hand open. When I switch to leads, I fold my fingers in.
Thanks for the tips. Very appreciated. I will teach this to my stepson tonight.
:)
Been playing guitar for 10 years now. Been holding the pick wrong the whole time. I tend to rest my pinky and ring fingers on the body. I’ve tried to fix it multiple times but haven’t had the discipline to work through the uncomfortableness. I’m excited to hopefully fix it now with this trick!
Man, I’ve decided to give this a go and now my picking is much more accurate ! Thanks a million!!
Uncle Ben…when I was a wee lad learning the electric twanger…my idols were, Lynch, DeMartini and of course Eddie…they all had their fingers splayed out and I thought that was how you picked fast…as a result, I cannot play Strats to this day because I crash into that pesky volume knob!!!
Real cool video. I hate when teachers or guitar CZcamsrs say you should only pick “this way” and other ways are “wrong and won’t work”.
Genius! I am a shifter right now from open to closed, will def try this.
You're the best CZcams guitar instructor I've come across. Funny. Great editing. Kikker
Thank you for this video! I usually make a fist with my right hand but sometimes that cramps up, was wondering what I'm doing wrong. Nice to know that wasn't necessarily 'wrong'!
Miles Dimitri Baker always plays with his hand open and has some of the best technique on the planet
Plus he’s a sweet dude
@@BenEller just like uncle Ben
@@BenEller have you tasted him bro? 💀
I had never thought about it until I watched this video. Had to pick up a guitar and see. Also went back and watched a couple of old videos of my playing. My fingers flair out but slightly curdled in. I guess I've been doing that since the 80s.
Ben excellent idea. I am a 60 y/o player who does exactly what you are talking about/as i have gotten older my picking has actually gotten worse. So lately I have been working on improving picking/but do fan my fingers and at times rest them on the pickguard or guitar. I love the idea of the pick will start trying this today. Thanks again.
Using strat type guitar where the volume knob is so close to the strings this really helps , thanks a lot ✌
Oh my god this has been a peeve of mine for so many years! I’ve taught myself to tuck them when I have to do a speed run but can never maintain it. I’m going to practice this all the time now! Thanks dude!
Great tips and a much-needed conversation, thanks Uncle Ben & Massive_bass_nerd!
Thanks for the information! I was just practicing my picking and wondering how to stop planting my pinky one the guitar top then This video came up
You rock! I should get back on your patreon. I've been playing for three years and always come back to your videos for refreshers.
my 3 fingers are wearing on the finish of my les paul I just cleaned and polished it and it's right back where I started so I'm going to do this today thanks for the tip ROCK ON!!
Brilliant. This has 100% helped me. I always anchored my pinky and ring finger to the body or had my fingers splayed out. Two weeks later, big difference.
Great tip. I have been struggling with keeping my hands under control and this simple trick helped a lot
I find that fanning my fingers out is the most relaxed position for my playing, but the problem I have is that my fingers flail in such a way that they can slight pluck the strings beneath where I mute during rhythm playing. I can’t stand playing any other way, since I think it puts a bit too much tension in my picking hand.
Wow unc just blew my mind with this simple hack... i kinda have my fingers out but relaxed i loke to hybrid pick alot so curling in isnt an option for every song ..
This is amazing. I’ve had to remove the pickguard from my les Paul because I’m so use to resting my fingers on the body. Gonna work on this and see if I can put the pick guard back on 😊
I am quite thankful that you got around to the "whatever works for you", it's quite a relief. I have a skin issue on top of the last three fingers on my picking hand and when they touch the strings, its very uncomfortable. But i always thought that meant i am playing wrong. My hand is relaxed, i feel comfortable and i think i just keep an eye on it but stop to worry about it.
Totally agree. To me anchoring my right hand with a finger is super necessary for my single note playing or very precise metal rhythm. But it does not work for me for traditional rhythm playing. I just transition from one to the other when needed. Edit: Another game changer for me was changing the angle of my guitar, the neck is kind of horizontal when playing rhythm but goes diagonal if I need to shred high notes, it just gives me a better access to to the low E-A strings, I have small fingers.
Definitely! When practicing the easy stuff while sitting, I rest the guitar on my right leg, when I need to kick it into the higher gear, switch to classical position on the left leg and the world opens up by putting the neck in that diagonal position for that easy access you mentioned.
@@nickpage8350 You know, when I started doing that I realized that is why lots of guitar heroes from the past would make a pose and put the guitar vertical not just to look good but also to be able to play the higher notes, Slash comes to my mind for this now. I think Petrucci puts his left leg on a monitor for the classical position as you described too, for easy access to higher frets. Ain't that crazy? Posing and functionality in perfect harmony :)
Was thinking about that, thanks Uncle Ben
Thank you for just going straight into the advice and not adding a bunch of unrelated things to the video. I feel like I’m a pretty intermediate rhythm player, and low intermediate in leads. My picking is the biggest factor holding me back from feeling advanced, especially trem picking (i play metalcore/deathcore). I have been trying all sorts of hand positions for trem picking and am finding that closing my fist has been helping a lot. I am 100% going to try this.
Thank you
As i continued to watch, I’m also the person that tends to anchor on the bottom string/pickup 😂 this video was made for me
gotta try this! my right hand has been the bane of my guitar playing life forever! i'm a lefty but play righty so getting the right hand to cooperate has been an ongoing struggle.
OMG !!! Dude ! This is so simple.I tried it out and it works great !!!!! :) Thanks man.
As a newer guitarist I am always working on what may work the best for me. I will give this a try.
Thi internet loves you to Ben!
My pinky has a different opinion.
But it’s holding a pick right now.
I just want you to know that i love you hours of screwing around solved by a guitar pick lol
Vai often rests his pinky finger on the scratchplate. I do too, but only very lightly and able to move around with my hand. Helps maintain a distance from pick to string, even when not looking.
After getting a new guitar with awful neck dive I created bad picking hand bad habits due to having to struggle to keep the guitar upright. It took me a long time before I realized and now I have to relearn playing the way I have always done before getting the guitar.
Francis Bubbletrousers! 😂 great vid uncle Ben! 😎
After only a day, this is an amazingly effective, effortless and relaxed way of keeping my fingers from rubbing across the strings. Fastest technique shift ever. Thanks Ben & MBN !!
My god why didn't u see this 2 years ago !!!.
Going to try this one !!!
I made kind of a hybrid change and even though it's taking me a while to get it mastered, it has helped me be more precise.
Absolutely brilliant Ben, I've been struggling with the sprayed out fingers syndrome. Gonna give your tip a try 👍🏻👍🏻
THERE IS NO WAY! No one talks about this stuff, thank you so much ben for this information. I have to change my pick hand finger position because I always found for DSX picking that the low E and A strings were really awkward with my hand position so I had to slow down a bit
Guitar instructor in college noticed I planted my pinky on the guitar body. He suggested I hold a AA battery with my three fingers - keeps things a bit more round - that "egg" thing you talked about. Worked.
Great tip! Holding a dice instead of a second pick.
I love your new LP, Ben.
No jokes, that's awesome, and the first time a bass player has actually been useful!
Wow What an incredible gift this video was. I’ve been working on a picking style of flamenco for the past year along the lines of Al Di Meola’s technique. And I have been trying to break the resting finger habit and in 30 seconds you did that for me. A deep our gratitude, my friend
Brilliant! My fingers are finally freed from their anchor. Immediate improvement on the WW327 “One String to Rule” exercise. And yeah, John Petrucci can do whatever he wants whenever he wants because, well … he IS John Petrucci.
This is absolutely brilliant. I am going to try this when I get home tonight.