The 3 Worst Guitar Habits You're Probably Doing (WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING)

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

What bad habits have you or are you currently struggling with in your playing? Let me know in a comment!

[@albertobenitez6427]

It’s tough for me to stick with my guitar schedules. Sometimes I feel like I’m too strict but other times I think I’m too easy on myself.

[@lavnishhh]

I tend to play high level fingerstyles with only my thumb and first finger. This makes me loose the opportunity to play the song with beats.😭😭

[@lavnishhh]

I also tend to ignore bass notes while learning fingerstyle arrangements 😭

[@seanh9882]

I have a habit of only using my thumb, index and middle finger, I can play a lot with it, I just can't play as much with ease

[@trevorfielding7910]

Excited for the new grip on the neck you suggested! There's a song that I love. But haven't been able to play all the way through without shaking out the tension in my hand cause of all the barre chords.

[@jacobpretl4376]

He has a way of making everyone feel like they are actually good at guitar

[@supercooldude9804]

Bob ross, guitar version

[@garretthill82]

man all these years... my thumb will never forgive me for this oversight. Pull with the arm! PULLL WITH THE DAMN ARMMM! Gravity, it was just that simple

[@bobhardman8468]

I am 53 years old, and have been playing since the age of 5 years old. I started playing with a pick, after the likes of Roy Clark and Chet Atkins. Now i am finger picking, especially doing pieces for church in a semi-classical style....like Doyle Dykes. I NEVER knew that I was doing these particular mistakes, until NOW. WOW! Thank you so much for the advice...I will start immediately implementing these helpful practices! Thanks again and looking forward to watching more of your videos. Have a great day, God bless!

[@egaga-]

Thank you for bringing up string squeaking (at 6:15). I was not aware how easily recognisable it is through recording until you mentioned it, or that it might be annoying. Now I hear the problem, and trying to remove that habit. Keep up the good work!

[@edgarramirez8462]

There are so many "guitar teachers" on KZbin but they all imitate each other or teach the same thing. You however, are different. You actually know how to teach and have unique perspectives. Please don't stop teaching !

[@jeffreagan2001]

Finally, a classical guitarist who calls out string squeaks as annoying. Bravo!

[@noteymcnoteface4612]

After all these years of getting really good at bad technique I've happened upon your videos and what you say makes so much sense. Something I found that helped me with the thumb pressure thing is to practice a piece now and again holding your thumb half an inch or so away from the back of the fretboard so you're not putting any thumb pressure on at all - only for practice though.

[@MatthewSmith-fy5hk]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I am guilty of all these bad habits and identifying them is the first step to rectifying them and improving as a guitar player. That being said, I completely adore Andy Summer's string squeaks through delay on Every Breath You Take. Keep up the good work, sir.

[@whonkie5641]

Nathan, I am guilty of #2, and #3, both which I felt were normal things of playing guitar. In fact, I've had multiple people complaining about string squeaking, which I got super offended about. Because I sing, I've played without looking at my left hand and I thought I needed to touch the neck as much as possible which caused the squeak. Very interesting to hear these videos from someone classically trained. I will be aware of both and try to practice at getting rid of these habits. Thank you for your videos. You are very helpful.

[@loganspoon3626]

Wow! I do all three of these...☹️ great advise especially on the way I grip chords. Dropping the elbow is a great tip. Nathan I just found your channel the other day. I subscribed and downloaded the Fretboard Freedom course-loving it. I’ve been playing for a while, but lost the joy and grew stale. You’re a great teacher and I’m excited about the guitar again. Thanks for what you’re doing!

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks for the kind words

[@Davidahuas]

Great video. You should do more of them with more bad habits. I finally broke my bad habit of anchoring my pinky after 13 years of playing. Breaking that habit was such a breath of fresh air.

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

Thanks, David! Ooh yeah that's a big one, congrats! That's no small feat.

[@AaronWillmon]

My teacher threatened to glue a tack to my soundboard to keep me from anchoring my pinky there.

[@StimPakTskAwwYea]

David Wiles the funny thing is, there’s a good amount guitar players who swear by anchoring your pinky. I started with anchoring as well then my guitar teacher eventually beat it out of me

[@jcbbluesman]

@@StimPakTskAwwYea So you've heard of Tommy Emmanuel, Martin Taylor etc etc. lol!

[@angelg8445]

Anchoring the pink is great as long as it’s RELAXED! There’s some styles that benefit greatly with the pinky and others not so much. I also think it’s more ergonomic to anchor the pinky in many cases.

[@holmganghamburg]

i love rolling cords very often on renaissance music. it sounds much better and lute like. i will keep doing this, even if many do not like it very much.

[@dennishamm5721]

Definitely guilty of the squeaking strings and gripping the neck for pressing down on the strings. Thanks for sharing the method of using gravity and your arm instead of pinching.

[@snclassical8263]

Always my palm gets locked up because of not having gravity to help me. Learnt something today. Thanks!!!

[@StimPakTskAwwYea]

Love this! Please continue making these, since I know there are plenty of bad habits that I have struggled with and may still have and not know about!

[@GuitarSVD]

Roll roll roll the chords! I rolled chords subconsciously and need to supress that default! XD And I definitely become a better guitarist since I started recording myself!

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

Haha you are not alone, my friend. You're doing fantastic, I always enjoy your videos

[@J-Kestrel]

I relate to all three, and I was completely unaware of each before watching. I'm so glad I watched this, thank you!!

[@geraldespinosa7888]

#2 is one of the bad habits beginner or intermediate players develop. Im so glad ive watch this video totally life saver.

[@ztca142]

No one had ever shown me how to properly apply proper fretting pressure. I just kind of coasted along for the past 8 years. It'll be a tough one to break, but thank you so much for the advice :)

[@OwenCostelloMusic]

thanks for the tips brother! i'm guilty of relying on my thumb to squeeze the neck. i'll make the shift to the bicep and gravity! sounds way however, I'm also a yoga teacher and have tailored some specific practices to dramatically improve the flexibility and dexterity of my hands, wrist, fingers, forearms, and neck. i'll keep up the self-care but i'm excited to implement your advice

[@nataliehalling]

I caught the first habbit right off the bat bc when I first started classical I asked my teacher how to roll chords but he said he didn't want me to do them YET for the reason you explained. now I understand!

[@brianmellor6840]

Just found your video, very good, and I like your attitude. Of the three, my main problem is the thumb and pressure to get all notes clear, both individual and barre, I have tried dropping my left elbow and pulling back/down for the last few months and it works a bit, but still not satisfied, it hurts and I know this is holding me back in many ways. As you said it takes time.

[@kawai99100]

I started playing old blues on an acoustic and my hands go everywhere!! Now I'm getting into serious jazz...oh goodness. Lord help me.

[@SoKevinly]

Oh snap, I'm just starting to learn F and I literally was taught that the pain / burn in the thumb/index big muscle is meant to be there as you press with your thumb... I'm really glad I watched this video beforehand. Gravity / Bicep makes so much more sense

[@hadriscus]

I was lucky my teacher explicitly taught me point no.2. It changed everything... I got so much more comfortable playing and complicated left hand positions became more approachable. On the other hand I am absolutely guilty of squeaky strings and should consider recording myself. Thanks for the great lesson !

[@johnstickney7042]

My left hand 1st finger tends to stick out when using other fingers who are close to finger board Love your tips. Beside over using chords also over use of trills

[@xpursangjock8724]

Finally, someone has addressed the incessant cord rolling that guitarists use. Once I notice its overuse I turn the music off--it's all I hear. I would like to add item #3--The chords are not written in the score to be played in a rolling fashion. The notes are to be played simultaneously.

[@sagharkhalili2959]

Thank u soo much for this video,🙏🏼 I was getting used to roll every chord, luckily I came across this video and stopped it before it became a habit

[@colink4823]

Definitely the left hand death grip! Now working on improving after watching your video. Thanks

[@Zazulastudios]

A habit that I am working on fixing is when I practice I have a tendency to continuously play over and over again with out thinking of how to fix my problem areas. My teacher is making me keep a practice journal and review every practice session I do throughout the day

[@DaNZealand]

gosh man, rolling every bloody chard, that's what I been always doing since I mastered it. Thans for pointing it out. But this occurred to me some time in the past I think.

[@ethantanatsiwasesedza8305]

The tight gripping thumb and string squeaking are definitely bad habits I need to work on 🙏🏿🌠

[@shosho_hrubblefongers9311]

When I used to play tremolo, like in "Recuerdos de la Alhambra", I played all the notes with apoyando (rest stroke) instead of tirando (free stroke). I found out that this was the reason my tremolos sounded very bad and muted. Playing tremolo with tirando is a huge improvement.

[@jaromoore]

Squizing the fretboard... I play all types of guitar and so when I play more blues style where I have to play more bar chords my hand always cramps up after awhile! This video is awesome thank you!!! I would also like to know techniques and specific practices to play certain riffs faster and more acurate.

[@roosterillusion1985]

I've struggled to fret the g string on my minor Barre chords for years so I'm curious to see if the gravity technique helps with that.

[@jimlombardi8797]

I do a four finger chromatic sequence on the fifth fret everyday - just first finger on 5th second finger on 6th, etc. moving through all 6 strings and checking to see if I buzz on the adjacent strings after each four. Recently I have also added an effort to use as little pressure as possible - even trying to make the 5, 6, 7 and 8 fret buzz. It is surprising how little pressure one needs to make a string ring.The idea is to find the buzz and then just add enough pressure to make the buzz go away.

[@casgrotto]

This was so helpful. I've always had trouble keeping my hand relaxed and those tips are really great. I was sitting with my guitar while watching this and when I tried the things you mentioned i already felt a huge difference in the tension in my hand and thumb. It's going to be hard to break this habit but I can do it!

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

Yes you can!

[@piotrscibor1257]

I liked the part about squeaky sounds. Actually I still make especially audible when playing with an amplifier. I was trying to eliminate them and it improved a little but not too much over last 10 years. One funny story. Many, many years ago, over decade for sure, I have taken my wife to a concert of Tommy Emmanuel. Right after she said, she has been thinking that it was something wrong with my guitar playing technique but now she thinks it is probably an unavoidable thing when playing a guitar. She was surprised to hear quite a lot of squeaking during Tommy's performance. I didn't notice them so much. Even now they don't annoy me at all if not too frequent.

[@drawwithbeektor6329]

I have a bad habit of using my thumb behind my fingers. I’m so used to it that it’s never hindered me but I’ve been trying daily to break it now that I’m playing classical and not a bunch of everything.

[@Z7y631]

When i play villa lobos etude 1 i would use my right hand arm to keep guitar still and add pressure to play the barre chord section, itd hard to use just the left arm weight when it makes the guitar turn away from right hand, LF> help with this dilema

[@cmk8899]

Aw, young Nathan! Admire the depth of mastery you have for your craft.

[@kostasz6258]

A bad habit I've always had is putting my picking hand on the guitar while playing, instead of having it free without touching the guitar body. I've heard that this isn't such a big problem and it really doesn't affect my playing ability or my tone. The problem is that I usually put my hand on the guitar neck, thus causing the screws to slowly rust because of my sweat. Can someone suggest a way I can deal with this? (Either by fixing my technique or by preventing the rust) Also, another problem that it causes is the fact that I can't play on a Les Paul, because if I place my habd on its beck, the strings are muted

[@cosmic2750]

I just started playing, and in fact, besides the first one, i do both almost all the time, especially the squeakiness, and of course you're right we all ignore it, even professionals and advanced guitarists we see on KZbin and concerts (concerts less so, cause you know they use electronic guitar, so) specially on KZbin, almost every guitarist playing on KZbin does the squeak and ignores it. This is actually such a good point to break out, cause this later becomes an unavoidable habit and of course, gives problems with mics and recordings. Thanks a lot for bringing these out, would definitely try to minimise the habits as far as possible!

[@davidwilliama.7296]

I have had all 3 of these problems. The chord rolling isn't as much of a problem. I have tried to stop doing that as much, but I sometimes slip into it every now and then. I think that I do the pressing with the thumb less than in the past. Sometimes I do it for barre chords, but I think I have improved on that over the years. The string squeaking is a problem I noticed, but had no clue how to get rid of it. It especially shows up with new strings. They just make the squeaking louder even though the sound of new strings is nice. I always wondered how guitarists played without the squeak. Great video and advice. I definitely need to record myself more, but I don't like hearing myself play from a recording. It sounds so different than what I hear while playing.

[@zarcero21]

1. Rolling. Opposite issue for me. Took effort to learn how to roll. 2. Barre chords. I learned by doing them with no thumb. 3. Squeaks. Still working on that.

[@chris-ns7xd]

Very good advice! 👍👍👍

[@zaneandiylamcwhorter8479]

Wow that second bad habit I've been wondering about, i have to start doing that. Thanks for the video.

[@philipglaser]

A very good and helpful video - many thanks.

[@albertfiscaletti520]

String squeaks were pointed out to me on my second lesson. For me the best piece to practice eliminating squeaks is Lagrima. It's an easy piece and has lots of movement..

[@brysonbauer8451]

100% relate to all 3. #1 probably the least so. There are definitely times when I can appreciate someone utilizing the string squeak as intentionally.

[@j.s.c.4355]

The first classical guitarist I ever listen to was Andreas Segovia. I was actually really fascinated by the squeaking of the strings as he played, and I have always associated that sound with classical guitar.

[@sjain6320]

I got my classical guitar a few months ago and started out with acoustic fingerstyle. I have noticed that i keep all my fingers planted at all times and don’t have a floating hand. Despite this, i don’t end up muting any note midway. Should i change this habit?

[@soundsolacestudio]

Hi, Nathan! The tip about using gravity instead of pressing the notes is something brilliant! The content of this lesson is very good. At 9:23, what is the name of the song? I play the chords together with the video and it seems to be a good practice. The complete song will be even better. Thanks!

[@Ripzone91]

I've played guitar 20 years ago and haven't played since until a couple weeks ago. I picked up the Ukulele 2 years ago and felt, that my hand just felt cramped into the tiny form factor of the Ukulele in comparison of a guitar. Well I picked up my partner's old guitar 2 weeks ago, started playing and all felt so much more natural, but: my left hand grabbing cords would still feel very tight and fatigue. Now, I just tried what you said about "pressing" or holding the cords with gravity rather than pressing from underneath and BOY did that relax my hand immediately. So that trick helped me even I just picked up the guitar again recently. Also the squeaking is a thing and kind of got into my mind already as something that's gotta be that way to sound... well, kind of cool? But your channel especially the arrangements of your gaming music of AC, WoW and GoT (even I never watched it) got me to pick up the guitar again. And your sound is so clear I can now see where it might come from. Cheers Nathan for that vid! Greets from Germany

[@joost0400]

Thank you. Your videos are really high quality.

[@sethferguson7365]

I'd like to see a part 2 of this! Really helpful!

[@elmakabro681]

I never thought about these errors thanks for the tips

[@cgmahony]

I was surprised by the three you chose but after seeing this I think they're a great choice. Love your channel.

[@sethfreer6496]

I have been having left forearm problems, and that 2nd one helps so much!!!! Thanks! Thanks, Seth

[@sethfreer6496]

Yay I recognized that prelude #4 Lobos! I totally do that badly and squeak the heck out of it...😔

[@meowthedog]

Found out about number 2 literally two days ago. The funniest thing is, I did get to the point where my thumb was strong enough to hold pretty much any chord for minutes on end, but then I ended up with a different problem: my thumb would get "stuck" on polished necks. I found making small adjustments in hand position nigh impossible. And then, just like that, solved!

[@ThankYou-bn6bp]

We have a musician in our family and when he heard your playing for the first time yesterday, he immediately said “he is so clean! I love it!” Now it makes sense

[@xnine7158]

2:12 steins gate reference ;)

[@thanagan5192]

For me the biggest issue with rolling chords is that it results in cutting corners. It gives your left hand fingers extra time between chords. When you play all notes at once, all your fingers need to be in position, meaning you need to be faster.

[@sasakikojiro9258]

I have a bad habit of not knowing how to play the guitar 🙂

[@s.alexis1599]

You need to unlearn your very bad habit 😁

[@Aalii6]

Thank you for sharing these videos! I personally used to repeat and therefore practice mistakes after having memorized a new piece. Whenever I practiced a piece I just memorized the notes of, I would stumble my way through the sections I could not play that well, saying that I would isolate and solve the problems later. By now being very strict about not practicing mistakes (at least the ones I happen to notice) my progress is much better and practicing became more satisfying (because I don't develop nearly as much bad habits in the context of a piece).

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

You hit the nail on the head! I call it preventative vs. reactive practice. We should be practicing to prevent mistakes, rather than reacting to them and trying to fix them after we've already made them

[@Aalii6]

this is a nice way to describe it

[@AnimatedBlast]

Could you plz explain more about rolling chords?

[@ixxgxx]

AP1520 yes make a tutorial

[@charliebradshaw6533]

I move my right a lot when playing tremolo. How can I practice to keep my right hand still?

[@matthiasrohkostkanal6406]

Nice tipps, thanks!

[@claramercier7924]

I've had a lot of issues with the second habit, to the point where I would stop in the middle of a piece during an exam 'cause my left hand was just dead :b I really like your channels and appreciate what you do :) it's great to have little reminders and lessons (especially since I don't have a teacher anymore)

[@thorsten9211]

I try to leave my pinky on the guitar pickguard but it hurts so I lift it. I can’t help why it hurts but it limits my precision with the picking hand.

[@actgms5883]

Awesome! Thanks! Veeery useful❤

[@morlevy5730]

Thank you !

[@TodDorozio]

I've seen a half dozen or so of your videos Nathan and they are all informative, thoughtfully conveyed and fun too! One thing i have often wondered with regards to the classical guitar and squeaking is that other stringed instruments, like the violin have had flat wound type strings for centuries and as a result don't squeak. I've used some very nice polished strings from La Bella over the years and they worked really well for Romantic-type music where blending is paramount. It is true that the basses do not project as much as standard round wound strings but perhaps it is only a matter of time before we too will have excellent 'flat wound' strings to make our guitar music with! Having said all that, i do agree that it is important to learn how to eliminate squeaks technically because one never knows when one will break a string and have only a round wound to replace it with!

[@latavernedeloracle3007]

Million thanks Nathan !

[@richardsantos4706]

I always referred to squeaks as sound debris it makes it seem more undesirable, I agree it is something many guitarist do, I learned by focusing on them while playing scales

[@edwardlee6275]

Great video as always, and great tips for every guitarist out there~ 😄

[@Apndectomy]

I've got the habit of squeezing the back of the neck with my left hand thumb. You're right, it is especially important not to do this unless there is no other way to accomplish what you're trying to do, eg, some full bar chords. I'm paying the price for this habit now, as my left thumb has bad arthritis, while the right thumb is doing well.

[@markpereira7972]

I love those string squeaks that happen once in a while lol.

[@charlespoulter4155]

Whats the song in first example?

[@emirlanberdybaev2386]

Thank you Very mush, that's was very goo d video

[@jacobraymundo9836]

Is picado also applicable for classical guitar???

[@maurobarbosa61]

I´ve studied for 7 years as a teenager, then stopped studying. When I was in my forties, I started studying again, and bad habit 1 was one of the first thing my new teacher pointed in my playing; I was totally unware of it!

[@cycling.guitarist]

Some pieces require intonation of a big shift on the lowers strings, ie Villa Lobos preludes. The real achievement is to light the pressure of the finger, and or change the contact point of the finger on the string and work out the string whistle. Just removing lifting the fingers is easy to do during slow passages, but on real time fast shifts its not good enough.

[@ThePiedPlucker1]

thanks for this Nathan it's been an awesome video. Great tips I loved all of what you said and I have been guilty of all of them at sometime still struggling with a squeaks and pressing too hard on the fretboard ;)

[@ArifRahman-qj4ny]

number 2 is my problem all the time. Thanks for letting me know im not alone man. Gotta pick that guitar again ! :D

[@ArifRahman-qj4ny]

Just tried it. It works like a magic !!

[@00bubbles00]

Can someone please tell me what the first song he used as an example is? I know it from somewhere and it physically hurts cause I cant figure it out!

[@prwtotokos61]

I'm guilty of all three, though recently I've begun mapping out when I want to roll a chord. About string noise, when I first became interested in classical guitar, I loved the colorful palette that the guitar provides, but the string noise just drove me crazy. At first it was like fingernails on a chalkboard, but eventually I started to tune it out and only noticed it when it was egregious (Segovia seemed oblivious to his own string noise). Then one day I purchased a CD by Eduardo Fernandez and was really impressed with his playing, which was absent string noise. I was so intrigued with this that I did a little research and learned that he or his teacher (or both) pioneered a method of virtually eliminating string noise. One thing that I find interesting was that while Segovia just let his string noise ring out loud and true, Christopher Parkening, one of his students, plays like he learned his musicality from Segovia, but his noiseless technique from Fernandez. BTW, If you've never heard Parkening, I HIGHLY recommend his recordings. His technique and musicality are out of this world. I'd especially recommend his recording of Bach's "Joy of Man's Desiring", Bach's "Sleepers Awake!", which he performs as a duet with himself, and Weiss' Passacaglia. I've heard dozens and dozens of recordings of the Weiss piece, and only Parkening properly emphasizes the bass notes, which is the key to offering a successful rendition of this piece.

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

I love Christopher Parkening. I've read his autobiography "Grace Like A River" a couple times

[@scotthanson6684]

Super lesson :)

[@GuitarFable]

Dont know if its a bad habit but sometime i over practice some section and that take me more time to learn a piece, even if i know that i know the section i will play it few time even ,if i know i should move to the next section. Its not about the guitar though it is for practice in general ! I have to check about number 2 not sure if i do it or not !

[@sethkins123]

I roll almost every single chord and I never noticed until just now

[@vianaautocenter258]

Me escrevendo agora! Muito obrigado pelos tips

[@jamesguan5225]

This is really helpful!

[@merto5582]

The second mistake is frustrating me since I started 3.5 years ago. Can’t play 2 songs without a break between. Thanks

[@lukasvandewiel860]

My number one bad habit was not sitting properly. Just hanging on the couch with the instrument, always in different positions. My body operates the guitar. So if my body is not consistent, how could I even begin to operate the instrument consistently. I could not. Sitting up straight on a proper chair or stool helps a lot.

[@ammiellopez6764]

You deserve much more subscribers, it's just takes time

[@jaelmacgregor5853]

Wow thank you

[@BejyBoi]

I never even thought about my string squeaking. Now im Hyper aware of it since I perform alot on discord. It's going to take a while to kick that habit.

[@toroj92]

I honestly like the string squeaks when I hear it. Makes it sound authentic. Sometimes

[@scriptedjava9265]

Every sound has its place

[@FakeGoogleName]

The second one is definitely real. I know that it's a bad habit but it's just so hard to get some barre chords cleanly without pinching

[@BeyondTheGuitarAcademy]

Hardest habit I've ever had to break. This one's really not as black and white as the others. It's more of an ongoing process of continuously eliminating any extra tension. There are times where my hand still tries to tense up if I'm not careful.