It's frustrating at first when you have been doing it wrong for so many years but then after you commit to jsut getting it done and persevering through this, the breakthrough happens and picking becomes so easy and fluid it's somewhat hard to believe. GREAT lesson, awesome and detailed explanation. This works!!! Thank you!

I've managed to accumulate 3 hours of practice on this idea today and, man, results are showing already. Changing between strings above 140bpm is a damn sight easier thanks to this and I appreciate that you have put it out to us for free. Isolating that cheeky thumb flick *is a must* if you are going to take this seriously! I found it easier by consciously locking my thumb at the knuckle whilst playing slow and deliberate when striking a string. Using only the E and B strings to start with, pick the notes of the Aeolian scale and work back up the scale 2 strings, or 6 notes, at a time. Descend and then work on slowly sewing the scale portions together. From there, ease up the pressure, of which you're using to lock the thumb, in increments, until you're not grabbing the pick like a £100000 note. Keep it slow and deliberate until it feels more subconscious than a few repetitions ago. It helped me a massive ton in just a few hours.. I'm looking forward to 3 month's progress! Thank you as always, Tom. Your lessons, mainly your teaching style, is unparalleled in my opinion! 🤘

Tom Hess's comment in the end totally makes sense.

I saw this video right away twice. I guess this is one of those key moments in my guitar life. In the mid-nineties it was the discovery of alternate picking. Took a lot of time to get that right. Years! Once in a while I consider to throw away the pick completely. That opens lots of possibilities and at least one impossibility: The pick drops on the floor and can't find him. Anyway, good video!

Very important video. Thumb movement is a killer of picking speed. Thanks for posting Tom Hess!

Great info and amazing speech at the end Tom. Thank you! This is exactly what students AND teachers need to hear.

I need to watch this video several times again. Some good info is been said. I need to apply these techniques. I think the best way is to record myself and see what my hand, body, arms and fingers are doing.

Critical to do the right way in the beginning. Thank you, Mr. Hess.

You always give us information and the reason of it. It always makes sense.

Great video, Tom you're the best teacher!!!

Tom, ur teaching tekniqs are superlative! I've already made improvements, & have been playing since 1966. Mucho thanx, bro!!!

This is helpful, thanks!

I use to flick my thumb while picking. Stopping this really helped my picking technique.

Love the vids Tom! Would be great to see one on increasing speed for triple riffing/gallops

Awesome and very necessary points about deciding to commit to the training outlined to a student. I know exactly what you mean from a student and a teaching perspective. Really glad you included that point in this video. People watching this video should really take it seriously. Thanks Tom Hess.

Thanks, this is exactly what i been looking for, my right hand gets really tired when i try to play fast with metronome, so i cant increase my speed.

Great information 👍 I've experienced the same thing teaching martial arts over the years always creating innovating ways in which to teach the students precise technique until they achieve the desired goal of focus, movement/action, into application without the students losing attention nor their passion to learn and advance. Each student learns differently and at different speeds, in the end it is the students responsibility to make/take the time to apply the needed focus, time, and a real inside desire/dedication to advance oneself in anything he/she sets they're interest in. Again great video!

You're the Best ! Thank you !

I know I personally didn't pay NEARLY enough attention to my picking techinque for a very long time... this video definitely makes it much easier to correct all the bad habits I've formed. Thanks for sharing!

I've recently just started to put a ton of focus into my right hand, something I've never done before. I've finally gotten to a point where I'm comfortable enough with my fret hand to stop watching it constantly and start focusing on my right hand. Once I started focusing on my right hand is when I realized how bad it is and why I still suck so much, hence why I'm here.

I wish i had learnt this 30 years ago. I need to reprogram my brain. For years i’ve struggled and not understood why, i will put this new knowledge to immediate use. Thank you

I probably need this

Awesome video!

man i wish stuff like this came out when i started out, 3 years now and i've been using so many wrong techniques and horrible methods, being self-taught is rough

I wish the camera had closeups of Dans right hand

The Ibanez ARZ307! Mi first 7 string... Ahhhhh the memories

Tom Hess you are the best

Hey Tom does that picking style work the same way for blues soloing. Thanks for your professional videos you are indeed the best guitar teacher I have seen..

Loved your comments at the end

Very informative could you do lesson on how to correctly hold your pick correct arm angle ect thank you 🔥🔥🔥🎸

Such an awesome lesson! My previous guitar teachers never even bothered showing me how to pick correctly.

Wicked!

One of my main problems is theory, hitting the right notes every time. My hands want to move faster than my brain. I would love a lesson on how to hit the right notes every time without having to stop and think much about it.

I have used thumb picking for years and I think it is the best way to mute the strings. But one downside I see is that the pick can get "trapped" between the strings when you do scales of three notes per string. If you lift the end of the thumb up somewhat upwards you will have more angle, and the pick wont get "trapped" and you will easier cross over the next string. But then, the muting is not 100%. How do you approach this?

What happens when you only pick on 2 strings? Most of the licks on 2 strings only are alternate picking, so how would directional picking look like? Do I pick from the wrist all the time only even though I sweep through it or do I sweep half the times even though normally I would pick from the wrist only if it was say only one string or 3 strings? example Technical difficulties song Paul Gilbert : starting riff.

plz talk about how to sync both hands

Can you make a lesson on how to hold a pick right? Great video!

Tom can you do a class on CAGED system

I used to do economy picking naturally (directional picking) and my teacher taught me that this is the right method. After some time I went to another teacher and he introduced me to alternate picking and told me economy picking is not the right tool to play fast. Correct method is alternate picking. I practiced alternate picking a lot but sill mess up sometimes. Then I watched Tom Hess's video which shows that economy picking is the right technique and alternate picking requires far more practice and time which can be saved by economy picking and it is a myth that alternate picking is better. Please lemme know what should i Practice so that I don't waste time juggling between these two techniques?

By far the best Guitar techniques lessons on YT, great job !

Do you have any tips for playing more precisely? I struggle playing higher up on the fretboard where finger placement becomes less forgiving

The other problem with thimb movement, is that the pick can rotate in you hand, and slip up to the finger joint - and not be in a good position for consistent pick attack. It was the 'capstone of the pyramid' learning to use rapid movement from the wrist and position over the string with the forearm.

Thank you this is a great video. It resonates with me both as a student and a teacher.

Thank You very much! That was really what I've dreamed about. Incorporation of that movements (arm pulling by shoulder when string changing) changed my technique totally, now I can start to play! Awsome explanation! Many thanks!!! 🤗🤗🤗👍👍👍

I have enjoyed your videos for years! Thanks man!

Who DIDN'T hold their pic wrong at first? Out of all the things I've learned on guitar, unlearning the way I initially held the pic was the hardest.

This was awesome!!! I love it!!! Thank you!

Here in Canada we use Duck Tape to fix EVERYTHING

Hi Tom, I recently enrolled as a student to your guitar teachings. I'd love to see a video about thumb muting explained. Thanks! :-)

How people like Marty Friedman,start playing Guitar at 14 year's old can be soo badass already at 20 years, amd didnt make mistake of holdin pick eccc....its frustraiting sometimes because even if i spend 10 per day its seems impossible to reach shred level..should i have to focus on tecnic and try to not create tension while i play.. everything is crazy

I was teaching the intermittent sweep picking technique back in 2001. It's not something one really needs to be shown but have a need for. If you have the need the technique will appear on its own, just wanting to have a more fluid picking isn't enough. If you begin applying this technique to everything you do without a need it will mangle your playing by introducing stutters - I've seen it happen. My advice is single out the pieces you've had trouble with that can obviously benefit from it and consider it a utility device for those pieces ONLY. If, after 50 hours or so, you feel it has improved your playing then adapt it to the rest of what you do. Don't try to always start with an up or a down stroke - keep that kind of stress away from your mind, you'll need the ability to be cat-like and start it from any up/down orientation at any moment. Also, work on moving the left hand positioning more efficiently as much as possible so that the 'roundness' (think tai chi, hold the ball kind of thing) of the fluidity to it (which you will experience and can not be expressed in words lol) isn't only on 1 hand.

I have a question. How do you play fast if you don't play with a pick?

No matter how many videos i watch, i cannot figure out how to play tremolo picking from the wrist in extremely fast speeds. i am stuck at 130 BPM and when i try to increase, it is so fast that the pick itself slips from my fingers and it ruins the riff / song.

your guitar advices are pure gold

Been playing for almost 2 years. Now have to undo everything 😢

Ask students where or what is your pasion for guitar

I could kill for a close up

Loved it Lol ❤🥰🥰👌👌

This is exactly the missing piece of the puzzle. The movement when changing strings comes from the elbow (somewhat from the shoulder) It's always explained quite differently on YT: With one pair of strings, the movement comes from the wrist and only with the next, 3rd string, the elbow is used, but also with a movement together with the wrist. But this didn't get me any further, despite many practice sessions. I'm trying now as Tom Hess explains. I noticed an improvement after half an hour - this is the right way - thanks Tom Hess

Thank you for this.

Hey Tom Hess........do you by any chance have my computer bugged? I can't believe the timing of the email for this lesson. I have been playing for 40 years, and just between you and me, I am a pretty poor player for someone with so much experience.....but only yesterday I was growing really frustrated with my lack of speed and I was starting to wonder if maybe it was something to do with the way I am picking. I decided that I would start trying to find out if I was picking incorrectly , and this morning your email landed in my Inbox. I made a commitment to myself recently to start practicing more diligently and regularly - now I can at least fix my picking problems and hopefully reap some rewards from that practice. Thanks!