help me with my picking technique please

[corrupt]

brand new owner of a gun metal gray DXMG from Guitar Monger. traded my ibanez RG4EX1 in for it. love the guitar overall. a little brighter than my ibanez RG 570 but i think it'll be a nice contrast once i figure out what i want to do with my guitars as far as pickups.

anyway, i'm having an issue and i would like to think i'm doing something wrong rather than blame my equipment. while picking the high strings (1,2,3) my picking hand gets caught between the bar and the volume knob. on my 'nez the bar is more flush in the bridge so my hand can go over it but that's not possible here. my instructor is pretty strict with technique and wants me to keep my picking hand in a little ball.

how do y'all make this work? i'd hate to dump this guitar. i love how it looks and the neck ain't bad.

[corrupt]

oh my bad. didn't realize there was a technique forum. sorry.

[Sunbane]

my instructor is pretty strict with technique and wants me to keep my picking hand in a little ball.

That sounds odd. There are no rules about picking hand technique, but I'd actually consider that bad advice. I would advice people to use an open hand if they can. Like you've discovered; when you ball your hand up, you will hit things. I use my picking hand a bit balled up, but I really wish I could use a more open picking hand technique, because I keep hitting the volume knob with my finger knuckles. And since I can't adjust my technique, I have to take the knob off of my guitars.

Look at the picking hand techniques of famous players. You'll find that most of them use a fairly open hand, with the fingers fanned out. A few use their picking hand balled up, but I'd say they're the minority.

1. Find a picking hand position that YOU are comfortable with.

2. Find an instructor that cares about relevant things.

Also, if you find that the vibrato bar is in the way; move it out of the way. I use very little tension on the bar myself, so it swings freely. This lets it swing out of the way when I'm not using it. The drawback is that it has a little bit of play in it.

[corrupt]

That sounds odd. There are no rules about picking hand technique, but I'd actually consider that bad advice. I would advice people to use an open hand if they can. Like you've discovered; when you ball your hand up, you will hit things. I use my picking hand a bit balled up, but I really wish I could use a more open picking hand technique, because I keep hitting the volume knob with my finger knuckles. And since I can't adjust my technique, I have to take the knob off of my guitars.

Look at the picking hand techniques of famous players. You'll find that most of them use a fairly open hand, with the fingers fanned out. A few use their picking hand balled up, but I'd say they're the minority.

1. Find a picking hand position that YOU are comfortable with.

2. Find an instructor that cares about relevant things.

Also, if you find that the vibrato bar is in the way; move it out of the way. I use very little tension on the bar myself, so it swings freely. This lets it swing out of the way when I'm not using it. The drawback is that it has a little bit of play in it.

it's not that part of the bar. it's where it screws into the bridge. my ibanez has the bar flush with the bridge so my hand goes over it.

[Sunbane]

it's not that part of the bar. it's where it screws into the bridge. my ibanez has the bar flush with the bridge so my hand goes over it.

Ah, I see. Yeah, I tend to hit that part too (and when I do, it warbles the notes). But I'm attempting to adjust my technique to work around it, and that is working out fairly well (unlike the volume knob problem).

I suppose you could try and find a bar that sits lower? Often you can switch out the whole arm assembly (arm + socket). I have no idea if an Ibanez bar assembly would fit a Jackson trem though...

[corrupt]

Often you can switch out the whole arm assembly (arm + socket). I have no idea if an Ibanez bar assembly would fit a Jackson trem though...

that would be spectacular. the bit that screws into the bridge is like $10. from there i'd just need a bar.

[Disturbing Manor]

A more open-handed picking technique will also allow you to use the heel of your hand to deaden the strings you aren't playing, as opposed to having to dampen strictly with your fretting hand. Definately more control this way than trying to pick with a fist.

I use this same technique with my nose. It really lets you dig right in there for the good stuff!

[Jacksons Shred]

I use to be very obsessed with how my picking hand was, there is no "right" technique.

Do whatever is comfortable to you, picking just takes time get down.

Proof: http://youtube.com/watch?v=UVdyHs_IX1I

Until then..Practice slow, I use to do the same thing, when I'd get to the higher strings, my hand would get all weird and in weird positions... Practice slower!

[UFORocks]

my instructor is pretty strict with technique and wants me to keep my picking hand in a little ball.

I had a teacher that played like that. He's a great guitar player, mostly a jazz guy, but I hated some of his technique, especially how he would keep his hand all balled up like a knotted sock.

The one time he really tried to force me to do it his way I told him I was going to do what was comfortable for me and that was the end of it. My hands cramp up when they're all balled up like that.

[Guyver1]

Kirk Hammett has got the most open handed right hand i've ever seen