Your Playing Playing Technique Bad Habits

[fenderboy]

I'd be interested to know everyones overall style and technique of playing (Bad habits especially).

Me personally i would imagine a lot of people would describe how i play as one big bad habit, but hey i don't play so bad considering.

My picking hand: I always rest it well back on the bridge. far enough back so as not to inadvertently mute the strings. For me it gives me an idea of what sting i'm on a lot better than if my hand floated. Obviously this could be a problem if using a floating bridge.

My picking style: Well as long as i've played i've always only ever used downstrokes (cue the boo's and hisses). Obviously if it is impossible to play without an upstroke, then on very rare occasions i'll use them, but i've become quite fast using just downstrokes alone.

My fretting hand: (Here we go, more boo's and hisses) I only ever use three fingers to fret with and have adjusted very well to only using three fingers, i did try a very long time ago when i first started learning to try and use my pinky, but i just dismissed it and learnt to play without (shame, i know).

Anyway, i've confessed all. Let's here about how you fellas' work, and if any of you share the shame styles (or should i say bad habits) as me.

[Grin'n'pick]

My little finger on my fretting hand moves around too much, it likes to drop down and away, which plays hell with economy of motion. But above all my worst habit is not practising enough good habits to remove bad habits!

[bobthecanadian]

My worst habits are that I am lazy and unmotivated.

[bender-freak]

have too many to list...one would probably be the fact that i like to let my thumb on my fretting (left) hand ride up over the top of the neck and using the thumb to engage notes on the E string while doing lead rides...hey...it gives me five fingers on my frettin' hand....i also use a thumb pick and ALL my fingers at times on my right hand....have heard some say it is incorrect to do THAT also but i guess after all these years i'll just have to continue on that way...

if a certain "out of the norm" way works for someone, i don't see how it can really be wrong...just different.....

[thunderbyrd]

i think that my worst beseting guitar sin is that i try to hybrid pick everything and tend not to strum anything. that might would be alright if i was really good at hybrid picking, but Chet Atkins i'm not.

[blacklinefish]

I have a great technique for my first three fingers of my left hand. Perfect scalpal motion that raises just off the fretboard when not in use. Then, there is my pinky finger. The 4th finger (I do use it) lifts way to high. In college, my classical guitar teacher threatened to tape it to my ring finger so it wouldn't rise so much. He probaby should have followed up on that threat.

As for musical technique, I really think you can tell my string changes on a run, especially those comfortable three-note-per-string scales. I really should try harder.

--gh

[Larry F]

I don't hit all of my bends. I'm practicing now with a tuner in my effects chain. I can see when I over- or under-shoot. Then I drill that sound into my meager little brain.

[Tim Bowen]

Too many for me as well... some because I started teaching myself 40 years ago and didn't have anybody around to tell me otherwise, until the bad habits were ingrained and unfortunately part of the deal, and others due to physical limitations such as carpal tunnel and bursitis.

As to the former, I've no idea what my pinky is all about, I call it "pinky on vacation" syndrome. It flails about wildly, and I didn't catch the problem early enough to fix it. When I see students with the same problem, I suggest the same fix that Frank Gambale used in his formative years - practice playing up against the wall; regardless of how strong you might be, a structural wall will not allow fudging.

As to the latter, where would I start. My hands have been in piss-poor shape for years, due to automobile wrecks, sports injuries, stupid decisions, and such. Tremolo picking on guitar or mandolin hasn't been a viable option for years. If I need to get this vibe, I rapidly flick the bird finger back and forth. It looks ridiculous, but it works.

The blessing and curse of my existence is that my sense of intonation is tuned in fairly well. Whether I'm sitting down in a comfortable environment, or am standing up at some gig in 105 degree temperature, my fretting hand always adjusts to apply tension accordingly. Everything sounds out of tune to me, regardless of whether the frets have been properly crowned, the instrument has been recently intonated by a professional luthier, or if I've a Peterson tuner in line. When I play a chord, my fingers are tensing in different directions, as the intonation info is sent to the brain. I can't help it. It drives me nuts, but fortunately, I generally enjoy music enough to simply laugh my goofy self off in this regard.

[fenderboy]

I think it's all down to the person playing. Some people find it easy playing ways which some people believe to be a hinderance, and vice versa. At the end of the day if they are comfortable playing that way and get the job done sounding good then that'll do me, in my mind anyway.

As someone mentioned above, anything that may be considered a bad habit is because is probably because i taught myself.

[raf]

What is proper technique anyway? There are alot of famous players who play "improperly." Just do what works for you....there is not another person in the world who plays like you do!

[Axis29]

Originally Posted by raf

What is proper technique anyway? There are alot of famous players who play "improperly." Just do what works for you....there is not another person in the world who plays like you do!

Thank God too!

My worst habits have to do with my practice schedule...or lack thereof! And my unstructured practice time... when I do get around to it.

Technique wise I don't think I do too bad, though I do the flying pinky thing, but at least I use it... all the time!

Musicicianshipwise it's a whole 'nother story. I have so much to learn and so much I avoid learning...

[markothefish]

Originally Posted by Larry F

I don't hit all of my bends. I'm practicing now with a tuner in my effects chain. I can see when I over- or under-shoot. Then I drill that sound into my meager little brain.

that is a great idea. I will be doing that when I practice now .

[Flat357]

2nd finger bending springs to mind . So much that I often lose my fingertip .
Kinda got used to it when I had to play without my ring finger after a break .
Using a tuner for too long doesn't help much either .
I can't stand still either lol . If I do , I feel off balance , so I kinda dance with the music he he .
I am also the worst at cutting nails ... ouch .

[Razzamatazz]

First of all, I spend too much time on browsing forums and not enough on playing guitar.

My fingers are very tensed and stiff when playing and I can't get to loosen them up. I always marvel at those players who seem to play without effort like there's nothing holding back those fingers. I feel like there's lead in mijn fingers and springs pulling the wrong way when I play.

That wouldn't be a problem if I only had to play rhythm, I'm great at rhythm and chords, but I always get pushed into lead guitar because the other guitarist is a) the singer or b) ignorant of scales

[neocaster]

My fretting pinkie goes rogue on me. Once it went missing for days. I found it behind my neck, making out with my thumb. I bite my nails something fierce, so I have none. When I play with my fingers, I use the side of my thumb and my fingertips themselves, so the sound is very non-percussive with little attack. It's fine for what it is, but I'd prefer to stop biting my nails. I won't turn my nose up an any suggestions.

[Razzamatazz]

Can't help you... I'm biting my nails all my life.

[Durtdog]

My main problem is that I play Gimme Three Steps and Billy Don't Be a Hero over and over and over...

[Chris Callahan]

I don't know if it's bad but I tend to hit alot of strings with my right hand and choose the note that sounds by muting the others with the fingers of my left hand. So there's alot of noise associated with that but I kinda like it. Also, I'm not very good at using all the fingers on my left hand. Tend to ignore the pinkie. I'm working on it though.

[kludge]

I squeeze the neck and fret too hard. And I tense up when I'm playing fast or energetically.

And I don't practice NEARLY enough.

[refin]

Originally Posted by kludge

I squeeze the neck and fret too hard. And I tense up when I'm playing fast or energetically.

And I don't practice NEARLY enough.

I've seen that with my playing,not relaxing enough---when I'm tense,I get the GRIP thing going.Eric Johnson stressed the importance of breathing right.Hmmmm.............