Free yourself and you'll never be the same player again. Check out all my lessons at: www.the-art-of-... Patreon: www.patreon.com/theartofguitar
Пікірлер: 139
@jamessilgram38945 жыл бұрын
I tense up as soon as I hit the 'record' button when creating tracks... so annoying
@Bassnbanjos7 ай бұрын
I know EXACTLY this deal. Hit record or play in front of anyone and immediately I get completely tense and it’s to the extreme. It’s everything that’s bad about my bad playing. I play pretty good in the moments I play relaxed
@brenthenderson53415 жыл бұрын
People it's 4am. Go to sleep. Shred tomorrow
@oliverslicey5 жыл бұрын
LMAO it’s 12 am for me rn
@angelvillegasarzaga41945 жыл бұрын
How did you know well it's gonna be 5 😂😪
@LSaba275 жыл бұрын
Wtf it's actually 4am
@gibbythekidd8825 жыл бұрын
How did u know ?! Lol
@sarangtamirisa50905 жыл бұрын
Wtf
@shadyknopfler77205 жыл бұрын
Every good guitarist is completely relaxed when playing, I get this impression. While I started to realize I get tense too often and in particular when I'm standing up. This video gave me the right motivation to revisit my playing because I really wanna get better and I feel I'm doing some things wrong that are holding me back and tension is definitely one of these.
@noeyes6151 Жыл бұрын
I have finally got a full size bass, and found being less tense on the fret arm is faster for that but on the playing arm i get more consistent tone/sound each string from keeping hand kind of tense anyway, so im half way there. Still trying to get fingers to do that walking the fretboard thing but its fun more than performance, I couldn't do stage for any money, maybe just my family and friends, but noooo😃 but its the first thing i had to try to get better at, i can't understand music notes and stuff, but its fun man, like i wish id started 20 years ago👍
@italiad10135 жыл бұрын
This is great advice even for day 1 beginners. Once you go loose n “dont care”, even mentally, youll fly around the fret board landing notes you struggled to even find when were tense.
@tammieschiller397 Жыл бұрын
my god i love and needed to hear this 'don't care' bring in the chill with expectations and let it happen as it will, awesome!
@masonevans60595 жыл бұрын
I tried this and now I've gotten better thanks 🤘👌🏆
@hypocondria68355 жыл бұрын
Excellent Advice Thanksssssss
@cody88045 жыл бұрын
My mom wouldn’t agree with you. She told me not to play with my wet noodle
@DR-nh6oo3 жыл бұрын
I just made sure my son had plenty of tissues.
@OriginalKingRichTv2 жыл бұрын
Yeah my mom is the same way
@greg61627 ай бұрын
He explained it perfectly!! I started playing about 1 year ago and learned the sublime Santeria solo in about 3/weeks. I recorded it and thought it was perfect… of course it was not. I could hear how hard I was picking notes and handling the fretboard. Then it happened… it was like I was getting a radio signal beamed to my brain, I literally felt like an antenna?! This is not a metaphor, when he says the music moves through… he’s not exaggerating. I could feel how loose I was. This happened when I learned how to play the solo standing up without looking. I taped a piece of paper on my guitar and practiced like I normally would because I seen it on a KZfaq video. It was weird for a couple days and then it just kicked in and I closed my eyes and played the solo. I was all of the sudden aware of all the tension I was holding and in my fretting and pick hand. Once I loosened up I hit my notes even plucked just enough to make the string sound lightly and I was relaxed. Now the notes weren’t lightly played notes I was just picking and fretting too hard. This is the thing ALL BEGINNERS will deal with and come to grips with at some point. Now I’m teaching myself to play chords and regret not playing even simple songs like Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit etc.
@domeniccercone94105 жыл бұрын
But seriously, this solves a lot of my playing problems. Now I realize this can effect whatever you’re playing. Every guitar player should do this.
@user-qy1fr6jr9i5 ай бұрын
Ive been completely relearning almost every technique that i thought i knew
@Westbridgfordwire6 ай бұрын
This is probably the best explained video I've ever found ref relaxing - I'm in my 50s, played incorrectly with no technique for years until 2020 - then took 10 lessons - fixed techniques and started to progress, but painfully and slowly. This video I watched over the past couple of years a few times, and didn't get it - then a couple of months ago watched again - and really noticed shoulder tension - each time I notice it I relaxed it - it's like my finders now have their own brain - suddenly I must be twice as fast and more accurate and learning parts I simply left alone thinking I could never do it. Now I can hit about 80% of the speed of moderately fast passages - and am confident I'll get there. Still the tension's coming in, but I know how to stop it. When you're aware of this you find ,most of your life going about everyday tasks probably involves tension in your yoke and shoulders - because of everyday stresses. It's just letting that go.
@domeniccercone94105 жыл бұрын
I know, it’s annoying. I hate it when my noodles get wet.
@Tiburcio19505 жыл бұрын
Outstanding tip. I tried it and it does help. It takes time and a bit on concentration, but once you relax fingers seen to float over the frets. Thanks
@born50945 жыл бұрын
Literally just came back from a drumming lesson and my teacher was saying the exact same thing, weird! A lot of my tension when playing comes from anticipation of what I have to play next and that's how my errors occur, I'm confusing my brain and then in turn my body, just gotta relax, take it slow, and the speed will come. Thanks for this video, it's really great
@med30495 жыл бұрын
Carlos Santana talks about that same metaphysical feeling of the music flowing through you in his autobiography. My best playing comes when I'm in that state.
@JohnLampson5 жыл бұрын
NOT FIRST! Thanks for this, Mike. This isn't brand-new to me, but retraining how I pick and fret is definitely something I've been trying to do over the last couple of years. Even though I've been playing for a long time, the tension you describe is invasive and has caused some plateauing. This is a great reminder of going "back to basics" to fix underlying issues, and I appreciate it.
@JustinNogle5 жыл бұрын
Well said John. Easy to get stuck in our ways that can actually impede progress!
@fishypaw5 жыл бұрын
Good advice. Reminds me of a Tai Chi video I saw. It said that you should have a relaxed fluid style to everything you do.
@nesfan85 жыл бұрын
This is the best advice I have recieved in a long time. I now pay attention to my shoulders and make sure to never let them rise up and my playing is that much more effortless, faster and even better
@shumberson Жыл бұрын
Dude thank you so much. I recently found your channel even though I've been playing for about 18 years now. Between this video and your down picking video, I've manged to play creeping death all down picked at about 90% speed with no fatigue. I'm usually gassed by the solo. And i only play rythym. (I didn't go full speed cuz I didn't think I'd make it through the whole song) Anyways I never realized how much damn tention I have in my picking arm. It starts in my trap, and just plagues my whole arm down to my wrist. Also realized my picking hand has more stamina when I'm relaxed. Thanks for sharing.
@geoffreywynn53815 жыл бұрын
Excellent advice......Thanks. Geoff
@atomik70665 жыл бұрын
I thought his name was mike
@ReeWebster4 жыл бұрын
Great advice. It’s pretty wild how much more there is to it, all the areas that might be holding players back.
@matejzvonecek66335 жыл бұрын
Your videos are the best.
@exurosanctus7 ай бұрын
I've been depending on tension for 20+ years, I knew my technique was wrong for a long time and figured I could build my muscles up and it wouldn't hurt anymore. It doesn't work like that, you don't have to build any muscles for guitar. If you treat it like a workout every day and use your whole arm to tremolo pick then you will end up with tendonitis and have to stop playing altogether. After all this time, the tendonitis forced me to finally learn a completely relaxed technique because it was either that or never play again. I was relying on my whole bicep to play fast and it destroyed me. If you watch Zakk Wylde, he picks like I used to and I have no idea how he hasn't torn a tendon. He will in time.
@ahmetkaramazovАй бұрын
holy fuck, i have been seriously practicing about 2 years and never even knew i had this problem. im 2 videos in and my mind is blown at how i didnt know these. thanks a lot man
@Nickshreds890Ай бұрын
Super duper important !! Thank you Mike ! I’ve been trying to reduce tension and I think this will help me a lot !! :)
@DovidM5 ай бұрын
I have a student whose thumb tenses behind the neck which makes shifting awkward (his thumb behaves more like an anchor than a brace). I’ve had him play one or two measures at a time so that he plays it first his way and then with a “floating thumb,” meaning a thumb that is in contact with the neck off and on. I also suggest that he tap his left thumb against the neck if he feels he’s applying too much pressure to the neck as you can’t really tap the neck if your thumb is pressing hard against it.
@mattgarkus24895 жыл бұрын
When i went to music school they would teach us to not tense up our shoulders and oddly enough the jaw area. A lot of players tend to tense up the jaw and push their teeth togheter.
@OriginalKingRichTv2 жыл бұрын
And singers too. That’s how you get a tight throat
@bradg92566 ай бұрын
This is brilliant advice, focusing on keeping my shoulders down with anything I play is realy working, its something I'll need to get used to more but I can feel the benefits already, your a genius!!!
@zaur6610 ай бұрын
dear sir... thank you for the enlightenment. I can't remeber how many times i was told to 'relax' while playing... but now it hit me.. thank you for explaining this , the way of thinking about your noodle shoulders really did the trick, i can fianlly see the difference. im quite speechless. Thank you sooooo much !!!
@prometheustv65585 жыл бұрын
Me when I shake people’s hands
@acousticarchivefortwayne930 Жыл бұрын
Great advice! Part of this may be from playing guitars with action that's too high. Another is adrenaline surge when playing live. The smoothest, most relaxed player I've ever seen is Jack Pearson. His hands seem to float on the guitar. Amazing!
@JGLikesGames Жыл бұрын
i tried taking this advice and played the blackened riff with almost no tension in my forearm!
@sebastianlopez62255 жыл бұрын
I love how easy you make it to understand, the visual aid helps as well, thanks for these vids!
@Vito506810 ай бұрын
Dude thank you for this, Ever since I joined my new band last year after not being in one for almost two years I've been kicking myself tryna work out why I can't play like I used to, why it doesn't just flow as right and this video literally just reminded me of everything I forgot and in five minutes it feels like the mojo is back. Great video man thank you!
@jonasirw18 ай бұрын
It’s a lot like pitching in baseball- Analogous to the difference between aiming the ball and pitching the ball. Once you try to aim the ball into the catchers glove, you’re destined to never throw a good strike.
@heybuddy67945 жыл бұрын
nice! This pairs well with that speed burst lesson on the Ben Eller channel. Love what y'all do :)
@autocrow4 жыл бұрын
You never really know if information in a lesson is going to help you until you try it. This works for me!
@snixelpig5 жыл бұрын
Good video,good topic, this lesson is an easy one for me to forget at times when I'm stressing about something. Always have to do a reset on myself.
@dougwolfley7963Ай бұрын
Helped! Thank you!
@andrecencil44725 жыл бұрын
I'm gonna do this exercise everyday
@rangamsarmah20615 жыл бұрын
Anybody else enjoying this with wet noodles? No? Well, then. Miso it is for me.
@TheArtofGuitar5 жыл бұрын
Miso hungry.
@rangamsarmah20615 жыл бұрын
*pretends to know how to play 'tom tom hi hat' on drums*
@gorf87992 жыл бұрын
damn i didnt realize how much i needed this
@BrianWhitmerMusic5 жыл бұрын
Relax everything but your face. Can't play properly without Guitar Face.
@davidacosta38745 жыл бұрын
Needed to see this. Thank you 🙏🏼
@Yogi_guitar11 ай бұрын
Very Helpful 🤘
@-emeysi-5 жыл бұрын
i was practicing last week with really stiff and tensed body and it wasnt working for me at all and my hands feel tired all the time so i gave myself 2 days rest. i might try what you said in the video. thanks!
@duckingpotato10 ай бұрын
This, my Gs, is how you master ultra instinct 😂
@greggriffiths90532 жыл бұрын
Good advice something I'm going to have to work on.
@luxangelsong2 ай бұрын
Still trying to figure out how to relax 😅 but the video totally makes sense. I am literally stiff as a board when I play.
@SleepingLionUK2 жыл бұрын
I have shoulder instabilty due to playing the guitar improperly and far too tensed up concentrating lol. I have a smaller acoustic but when I play my friends larger normal one it's worse. Its extremley painful. It makes my scapular Wing whilst playing. Thanks for the video.
@Slab_City_or_Bust11 ай бұрын
I like to do some practice with my thumb completely off the back of the neck. Let gravity pull your arm down. Of course, in actual playing, rather than technical practice, this goes out the window anyway.
@ScratchdHelp Жыл бұрын
the moment i paid attention to my picking i cannot play 5 seconds of creeping death and i literally and physically cannot stop tensing up
@riskromer97739 ай бұрын
I thought it was me when I notice that feeling of someone else is playing the guitar lol it's weird and cool at the same time
@blackfender1005 жыл бұрын
Thanks for all you do for us ! great advice.
@777Youchi Жыл бұрын
That part about. It's like It's playing through you I feel that when there is zero tension but when I have tension It's like I'm trying to play it It's forced but plus I'm wearing 2 rings on fret hand But this helped. ❤️
@grease3873Ай бұрын
Its 5:30 in the morning. Ive been playing all day, then all night. Its the next day. Where did this motivation come from
@OriNagel8 ай бұрын
Hey can you share a video where you describe the rotating wrist technique you mention here?? You said it really helped your playing but I doing see you teach it anywhere!
@jonathankrieger91215 жыл бұрын
Could you make a video talking about the gear you have/had? Maybe there is something to lern about buying and selling gear.
@JeffIndigo5 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Great video!
@SelectCircle5 жыл бұрын
Lack of talent is holding me back.
@2k13Ghost5 жыл бұрын
Dude ouch
@turolretar5 жыл бұрын
*oof*
@kyled3485 жыл бұрын
Lol. This is the only comment not liked by Mike.
@noir3714 жыл бұрын
Skill, not talent.
@feliciastuddard7556 ай бұрын
@The Art-of-the-Guitar I get a little soreness in the picking hand wrist when I'm doing a lot of picking.
@schifoso5 жыл бұрын
Breath in through nose, out through mouth. Breath in...out.
@JustinNogle5 жыл бұрын
Great stuff, thank you! The ongoing battle with tension must end! As soon as I hit record (especially), instant tension. How many less takes would be required if relaxed?!?
@miragy2 жыл бұрын
Maybe a weird comment, but when I relax my arm/shoulders I cant play powerful, cant hold my pick firmly, cant be dynamic. How do you anchor your arm?
@touchofmalice26176 ай бұрын
Hey what’s the name of the guitars with the head like that? (Fairly new but currently using someone else’s guitar to learn, wanting my own similar to that actually but struggling to find one)
@animeprofilepicture88555 жыл бұрын
thank you for not making a stretched out 10 minute video on something like this.
@orchidofallloollotroool35489 ай бұрын
before whenever i got on the guitar for the first time in the day, my hands were always relaxed, but now my hands are kinda stiff for some reason idk y, hope someone could tell me if my hands are somehow burnt from playing or something ig, idk but its making practicing harder
@bluephoenix38652 жыл бұрын
I think I was doing that when I was playing DragonForce on rhythm I’m gonna have to relax my arms when I play Fire through the flames again😲
@feliciastuddard755 Жыл бұрын
@The-art-of-guitar could have a lot of tension cause some soreness?
@tball56775 жыл бұрын
It's basically meditating with a guitar.
@ssm4455 жыл бұрын
Wet noodles. Ok. I'll try that, because I think I do have too much arm tension. And because every hint you gave worked out perfectly for me... Edit: works. Wow 👍
@ricktheexplorer5 жыл бұрын
With finger picking, your not supposed to move your hand, only your fingers. I am working on that now, because I always move my hand. I tried not moving my hand, and everything was easier.
@neon_one4 жыл бұрын
I constantly get snapped out of an effective state of mind thinking my neighbors hear me and think that I suck. ironically I play better when I'm sure they are actually there
@syrup_drinker11 ай бұрын
But the night is still young.
@graymond22374 жыл бұрын
I realized yesterday how bad I was playing master of puppets and so I stated trying to play it while focusing on something else like a Netflix series, there’s such a big difference when I’m not focusing on it and since I have been trying to let go of all the tension I was feeling when I was concentrating, does anyone have any tips for me? (I started playing like 5 months ago)
@AngryLlamaAttack3 жыл бұрын
I notice this happens to me a lot. I’m so tense and it messes up timing and chord chanhes
@lazalazarevic288121 күн бұрын
I noticed i cant play fast like before cuz my life is big tension now. Problems and disease in family , kid with autism and so on... Every of that problems reflected on my guitar now. I cant say its a big years im 37. So my opinion is quallity of life is one of most important things. I cant even make songs like before cuz i feel empty most of time. Anyway i agree all what you said, sometimes when i play for hours it happens i forget all the weight of world around and thing startin be more comfortable for play. Cheers.
@saywhat91585 жыл бұрын
This is why I find myself playing better after a beer or two. ;)
@michael.lentsman5 жыл бұрын
Yeah, a couple of beers works great. But this road is very slippery:)
@tm11802 ай бұрын
For many yesrs I thought all those things you mention in the beginning, I found out 10 yrs later I had axonal polyneuropathy and it felt like I had to fight for every note, self diagnosis would be, if your doing say, your scale exercises and suddenly your arms feel stiff like they turned into wood, when I told that to my Neurologist he immediately knew I had a demyelinating autoimmune disease. It's just a public service announcement. I hope it helps anyone out there with similar issues
@ObscureStuff4205 жыл бұрын
Link to the other vid for the lazy kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eMt6rLWm2LedlWQ.html
@Boldfacechimp5 жыл бұрын
I’m so tired but need to shred
@milkyman79484 жыл бұрын
Mines always a wet noodle
@Jinx2media5 ай бұрын
I do this without realising it
@sivertSt025 жыл бұрын
Can We have a the best Slayer guitar techniqes video?
@MiketheNerdRanger2 жыл бұрын
You can play faster with tension than I can without it 😢
@BlakeSpohn2 жыл бұрын
Tensions makes it easier for me
@persiaguitar2 ай бұрын
I know all these buy all my relaxed state won't last long
@ryanespinoza72975 жыл бұрын
Remember School of Rock people. Loosey goosey baby, loosey goosey
@CMM53005 жыл бұрын
I think you meant Zak wild....
@SatyamKumar-jq6iz5 жыл бұрын
Doesn't it come naturally with practice, as you get better?
@TheArtofGuitar5 жыл бұрын
No because you can accidentally create your technique with tension and then you have to stay tense for it to work.
@humangenerator38245 жыл бұрын
Hello people!
@CleatSurfer4 жыл бұрын
Have you ever picked up a new guitar at a store or a friend’s house and played better? I think we play more relaxed in those situations and it’s how mediocre players like me end up with 9 guitars.
@ericcameronchacun77825 жыл бұрын
Tension is the enemy of tone
@nolymitful5 жыл бұрын
That's what drugs and alcohol are for. His name was dimebag for a reason people.