1 ESSENTIAL tip to instantly improve your guitar playing

[@EnriqueNuesch]

I am already in tension just for looking the pattern

[@RickGraham]

IT's okay! That means that you more aware already. Recognising the problem is the first step to rectifying the problem.

[@justinburdettemusic]

Rick Graham, I struggle immensely with excess tension. How do you balance a light left hand with hard picking? I feel like I can relax my left hand to a degree but it buzzes when I pick harder.

[@Danny_Aniss]

Justin Burdette Oddly enough I found one of the best ways to practice this is actually using drum sticks , instead of practicing it on your guitar. ( use drumsticks fingers not with you wrist) It gives your body a better chance to build the muscle memory with you having sticks and you can clearly hear the slightest difference in tension, and just practice simple rudiments alternating tension between right and left hand. Hope it helps you!

[@nedim_guitar]

@Garry Marshall I just asked for the same thing, 3 years after you! 😄

[@nedim_guitar]

@Garry Marshall Yeah, I can totally relate to that LOL

[@bryceland8245]

Most people would just start over if they coughed right at the beginning of the video. This guy don't play by no rules

[@alexmurphy5289]

Guy? This is a talking guitar

[@acecarolino101]

@@alexmurphy5289 hahaha you crackpot

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

it adds character to the video

[@RustySpoons6490]

LOLOLOL!!!!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@annaadams6576]

Always learn new techniques from you Rick... Thanks again. lol. You Rock ! ~

[@OlaEnglund]

I never tried that! Very interesting, keep up these videos man love them!

[@colinparks619]

Me too man mega inspiring

[@lockedowng]

Ola Englund I think you have been doing alright without it Ola!

[@rickmartin7674]

That is some props right there. Grats Rick. Love your vids as well Ola, keep up your awesome work :)

[@viivic.9136]

Ola the sweet

[@mike104740]

Oi

[@TrueLink1]

Thanks you so much for posting a video about this subject. I am in University right now as a Viola Performance major, and jokes aside, tension is still something that doesn't get addressed enough. Students definitely need to learn that moving from a relaxed tensionless position will be infinitely faster than moving from a tense one. I have students clench their fist and try to open just a finger or two just to try and illustrate. Tension is a major problem. I think there were 3 colleagues of mine who began to suffer from tendinitis just last semester alone. There is a stigma out there that we need to be extremely hard on ourselves and push ourselves through our practice, and while that may be true about dedication and perseverance, it can not be true of tension if there is going to be significant progress made

[@n3kkaguitar]

We are always doing extremely well out there, when you upload videos)

[@McNastySlam]

I watched this about a year ago and have done this every time I pick up my guitar. It’s helped my endurance and efficiency tremendously. Thanks a ton Rick!

[@josephrusso7069]

Thank you for putting in your testimony. It makes me want to apply these principles even more.

[@jdimeleegoku2971]

One of the best and most important lessons I have ever seen

[@gafflord2684]

been playing for 10 years self taught, watched countless videos after I hit a dead end in my progress just to try and break back into a good rhythm of steady improvement but none of them really acknowledged this, honestly every word was like a wake up call, cheers Rick

[@cjdonald1983]

Good words Rick! Jaimie Andreas is a mainly classical guitar player who really has majored on eliminating excess tension in playing. She has a website AND is on youtube, but her books are the motherload. She strips everything back to basics and teaches the most important techniques for playing with as little tension as possible. She is worth checking out! PS. in case you were wondering, no, I dont have any connection with her, this is an unbiased assessment!:)

[@s0cks1985]

I bought her book too. It still took me a good year almost to really appreciate and understand the techniques (I had a lot of bad habits) but the results have been amazing. Using the weight of the arm to apply the pressure has made playing almost effortless on my steel string acoustic guitar. It's almost magical and I'm so excited moving forward now. Even bar chords are effortless.

[@cnutella9947]

I'm always so impressed with the connection between your right and left hand. I never realized this was such a big part of it. Thanks for this!

[@Qartoffeln1]

It’s amazing how effortless it seems when you play, man. Question there: when picking it’s clear that we can choose the tension we apply with the left hand until the sound comes clear; however, doesn’t hammering-on require much more tension into the strings precisely because there is no picking? I suppose that the same exercise from the beginning applies until we find that right tension? Thanks for the great lessons, Rick. You’re truly an inspiration for many.

[@guitarnoir8842]

Rick, thank you for this video. As a classical guitarist, it's the most critical part of technique that I teach my students about. Every musician should focus on relaxing.

[@stuartmckay9105]

Glad to hear you're doing well Rick!

[@annetteprince7536]

As a professional I agree that players often overlook their legato. What made me able to do this is my background with sweep picking. I noticed the arpeggio sweep up you did at the last of the line. And sweep picking also leads to proper pick slating techniques. When I developed my sweeping I got super fast. Now I’m working on the legato . When I seen you line at fast speed it reminded me of the old Richie Kotzen stuff he used to do. Great vid!!!! Wish they where more players that really sharpen their skills. I work on mine hours every day

[@YngtchieMusic]

Now this one really stopped me dead in my tracks, and got my looking at my playing a whole different way. Been applying too much tension without realizing it for years now, as it happens. Hats off to (Rick) Graham.

[@TobyKBTY]

I recently started being much more conscious with my left hand tension when it comes to sweeping, and I swear it was the missing piece after all those fruitless years of trying to sweep. Accuracy and speed have improved massively in just a year and I started incorporating the same loose tension methods to my other practice routines and my hands are thanking me everyday for it!

[@chusssMusic]

I have thought about this but never actually practiced it daily or even regularly, it just that sometimes it feels like magic when you apply that optimum level or energy required to play effortlessly but was never able to tell that was the trick. Great explanation and demonstration. Thanks Rick.

[@Sean.Tyler.]

Concepts like this are what helps me learn guitar something I never realized that I think a lot of people should also know is the string height if it’s way to high it’s super hard to "shred."

[@theweightlifted]

A Wise Jazz Master once told me... “All of music is tension and resolution.” And just when I thought my mind was already blown, he said... “Really... All of life is tension and resolution.” 🤯

[@minkorrh]

I absolutley love the fact that so many of these little tips and tricks I've managed to discover on my own. Nice to get the affirmation that what is working for me is the right track to awesome.

[@roberthrvatin7088]

I have never seen a tutorial video that has been more helpful than this one. After trying this out I feel like notes play themselves. You mr. are the best teacher.

[@jackrobinson3106]

RIck after two days of practicing this advice my play has already cleaned up, I've been way too aggressive with my picking and the excess movement has been slowing down my progress. Feels like a hurdle has been overcome. Many thanks!

[@michaelyork4554]

I learned this the hard way when I was always trying to play barre chords, which prematurely ended my practice sessions. Finally I opted to only practice runs and scales and I noticed that I was always moving toward a feather touch to get my speed up, so precision picking makes you learn this and then I could go back and play chords with the same mindset. I agree with economy picking, but every guitarist should practice individually picked notes as fast as they can to make the brain learn that level of precision, even if you plan to use hammer ons and pull offs to achieve the same sound. Muscle Memory is phenomenal. Thanks Rick

[@mrmisterman999]

I've played guitar for 30 years and just came across this after buying a cheap Chinese guitar. The zero feet keeps the action low so I dont have to kill the strings. Using a super light touch helps so much

[@junehonda9062]

I would like to add Japanese subtitles in this video.

[@victordeandrade5286]

Rick, these types of videos are so helpful man, don't know if you know just how much. This here changed my playing, took me to another level. Thank you.

[@cbeserra]

Did anyone else rewind the fast picking part at 5:54 when Rick hit warp 10? OMG

[@ashwanisharma8561]

Chris B NOPE.. I was ready for that.. :D

[@rickmartin7674]

Yep. That's a little bit of guitar heaven right there.

[@senorallen9938]

Chris B It's all practice and muscle memory, practice the pattern all day and I bet at the end of the day you'll get it!

[@xfuego666]

Chris B what scale was he using?

[@mikepshena]

That's still super slow for what rick can do lol

[@dcottee]

Brilliant! That has instantly improved the speed of my left hand over the fretboard. Thanks Rick!!

[@Zootallure]

Outstanding piece of advice. Makes a huge difference.

[@AmonOfTheSahelijos]

this is such an important concept to keep in mind when practicing. sometimes people will harp on practicing slow and staying relaxed without actually explaining why

[@yungm3m331]

This is exactly what I have been after all these years Rick, this is the key to that Dank Rick finger Tone! 😎😎😎

[@benoitfleury8487]

Man, your words are pure gold. Thank you for keeping this channel so awesome

[@TobyKBTY]

But seriously, this makes so much sense. This is why my fingers seem to hurt way faster on certain days compared to others. It isn't enough to just warm up, we all need to be waaay more conscious of the our finger tension. Thanks for the tip!

[@The_Musical_Cartograph]

I've always love the way your fingers move effortlessly on the strings, it's like you are just caressing them, it's just beautiful i've got this trick from Tom hess actually ! but there is also the right hand tension to care about !! i found out that getting the right thickness for my pick allows me to keep it in control it's thick enough so i can use different level of tensions and dynamism but it's light enough so i can feel the moments when i hold it to strong, because it's slightly deforming

[@zealfer]

Thanks Mr. Rick Graham. I'll keep this in mind.

[@rdshred4]

After 25 years I changed strap position and ended up with tendinitis in my arm, this video is fantastic, I was gripping the neck far to hard with the lower strap position, always worth looking at the small things like this!

[@ArklayT103]

You're right. This topic honestly is not talked about in our guitar community as much as it should be. I remember Steve Vai mentioning it briefly in an interview, but just discovered it recently on my own, and wow...what a difference! Great explanation and video :)

[@uglijimus]

this is so right. I don't have this problem with shredding, but when playing thrash, especially alternate picking palm-muted open Es or As it is so difficult to keep speed, accuracy WHILE keeping no tension in your wrist.

[@ESPSJ]

insane advice here, one of the most important things. I instinctively pressed harder thinking it would give me a louder note, but it doesn't. That comes from the picking hand which i wish i understood when i was learning guitar. Great stuff Rick.

[@redacteurpp]

This lesson goes for all of life, not just for guitar. Thanks for the eye-opener man, this is important stuff!

[@mandel4065]

I think this just changed my game, thank you Rick! I think I used way too much pressure because I'm used to having to apply so much force to hammer on / pull off. Everyone's starting out with bad technique so you have to use much more force than necessary and it sticks with you.

[@monnemann]

I've only played a couple of years but this came to my mind a few months back. And as you mentioned it's very easy to forget if you aren't self aware 100% when you play. Seems like a great tip to start of your sessions applying this! I will definatelly do it from now on. Great video 👍.

[@AntohinAndrej]

it's T H I C C here

[@pistolpete7280]

LOL

[@Rouwiinator]

This is very true what immediately helped my playing is when I think about that the string never is really supposed to touch the fretboard. Every time i kept that in mind somethings just clicked and things seemed to work a little easier.

[@patpogoallroundguitarist5814]

I’ve thought about that concept, but never heard about that until you mentioned it. It makes sense.

[@Samuelee97]

one of the best video lessons ever. rick i would love to study with you you are seriously an incredible teacher. thank you

[@LuckyPkerz]

Hi there guys it's W R I C K H A I R

[@Miserysux]

Tomas Klimaitis u

[@Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Tomas Klimaitis nice

[@aliatruman]

THICC HAIR.

[@stephenbell8337]

Thanks Rick. Very helpful for all levels.

[@GlennWallaceMusic]

I'm only 4 minutes in but I think so far this is brilliant, and such a simple idea. Definitely something I'll need to pass along to my students. My hand already feels better after practicing some of my more difficult warmups. I only recently subscribed to this channel, wish I'd done it years ago. So much good content.

[@cerrito7806]

The best 9:46 lesson I've ever watched - and I certainly can play - but this is NEVER talked about. Thanks Rick!

[@wesleytrott6397]

That was an excellent lesson! That was surprisingly a lesson I've never seen before and very helpful. I've had surgery on my left wrist 2 times to remove ganglion cysts that were a direct result of guitar playing. I know I used too much tension back then. And that caused the inflammation and eventual injury in my wrist that lead to me getting ganglion cysts. This lesson is very valuable. Thank you Rick!

[@jayaristonlim4244]

A Generous Guitarist who teaches his knowedge❤️🙂👍

[@vigaren]

maybe the best technique video on youtube! incredible smart and true that no one talks about it!

[@valavaaramusic]

I’ve noticed this over the years. And as my forearms suffer more from tension and I need to massage them more, I’m excited to pay attention and practice this more too! Should save my arm muscles too!

[@askartakraw]

My fav guitar channel.. thank you Rick.. I learn a lot from your lessons

[@Tikktator]

this had such an enormous impact on my thinking, especially explaining the delay between hand and brain! thank you!

[@devilsplotz]

Rick, you progress remarkably, not neglecting all this talent you have, but analyzing your way of transposing your ideas musically, in words, your progress in relation to weight loss. It is simply incredible, I believe that this is directly related to who you are as a person, but I wanted to know, if you practice any method regarding the focus of "sit and study", something like mindfulness, or some way to face that moment of study. I charge in a way that is not healthy, I always see the guitar thinking of being better than the others, and I just do not progress. I live with a certain weight, I just wanted to get rid of it, and get the sound that satisfies me... that "Weight" seems to be killing the pleasure of just sitting and playing. If you can comment on, I'll be grateful.

[@MrArchie800]

I consider myself as quite an advanced player and this is something I've totally forgotten so thanks very much!! I'll be practicing tomorrow!

[@pjhunton]

Nice tip, I actually identified this issue with my playing but this vid has helped me address it

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Good advice! Also use low action, light gauge strings and high gain make playing with light touch and relaxed 100x easier.

[@lionPGF]

Very useful lesson !Thank you Rick!

[@johndsouzaguitartoday3075]

Thanks for the very important tip for controlling tension... Could you post a video on how to relax you ur body before a stage performance so that nervousness & tension does not creep in & ruin the playing.... And also how much gap should be be there between a warm up and stage performance

[@nickpilla7998]

I’ve been an intermediate player for a while now and I’m trying to get myself to be advanced. Thanks for this

[@lucaprovinciali2493]

Rick,i'm doin' eeeeeeexxxtreeeemlyyyy well:i'm a novice,and today i have been deep in practice and try to relax...........incredible in a moment everything has changed,all so smooth and i noticed even right hand tend to be more relaxed,so the exs will be part of my daily routine,you're an eeeexxxxtreeeemlyyyy good teacher and you're plaiyng is terryfyin'...so many thanks!!!!

[@robertmills9767]

This is great advice. I've been applying this to my practice routine and it has really transformed my playing. Especially when performing live as I often tense up...

[@The11eleven]

I beg to differ on this theory! It is the variance of tension that gives the notes we play soul! That's why it's been said that "tone is in the fingers!"! Sure, practice with all levels of tension, but don't deny getting tense and aggressive with the neck/strings

[@serseriherif9530]

In electric guitar you don't really have the concept of dynamics like on acoustic or classical guitars as you adjust the volume/add distortion etc. After that just 'getting' the note is mostly enough

[@iamdankdaddy370]

Miran Öztürk nah mans there’s a lot of dynamics involved

[@KaninTuzi]

@@serseriherif9530 On the contrary, most of the time the little details are amplified with electric.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@John W : I think you're confusing tense with aggressive. They are not the same thing. Or maybe just not taking into account Rick isn't saying not to use dynamics in your playing. You can get a much more aggressive picking attack with a lighter touch than any player can get by flailing their entire arm around, or gripping the pick too tight. In fact, if you pay close attention to the actual sound of each note Rick plays, not how fast it is, you'll notice he has a particularly aggressive sound. Reason being, cleanly picked notes always sound better, and a cleaner sound is always a more aggressive sound than one that is not so clean. The technique he is showing is necessary for being able to play fast and clean.

[@david-ky7rt]

Great tip man. When i practice, i have strung up a practice guitar with very heavy gauge strings and practice modes and various other exercises, using all fingers left hand and right hand technique using alternate picking. And if playing live, i would still use a heavy gauge string, as you get a bigger sound, thin strings, get a thin song.

[@TheWetToaster]

It's so coincidental that you made a video on this, I've very recently made a mental note to myself that I am indeed too tense when I play. Once I was able to relax myself, everything that was technically demanding became so effortless. I've had it in the back of my mind ever since, but this is a great way to measure it, and incorporate it into my practice. Thanks for addressing this, Rick!

[@unfetteredaxes1032]

Rick I need this more than anything!!!!!

[@sandroperette4143]

this guitar is absolutely beautiful.....I want one with this color

[@MrLuismizraji]

Wonderful, the result is immediate and incredible. Thanks Rick!

[@milesharris335]

Thank you so much for all of your videos especially this one. I have been working on controlling tension and this was exactly what I needed to see and hear today. My fingers thank you.

[@ronniecoffey9945]

it's like another level of control !! great lesson, thx again for all your training & insight

[@aaronjones3181]

The first time I ever saw you playing was on your guest solo for Envision by Polyphia. The very first thing I noticed was how effortlessly your fingers glide over the fretboard. I've been trying to recreate that in my playing since then but never could figure it out, until watching this video. Thanks for all the great content, and just being a wonderful inspiration! You've really inspired me to start practicing again after being stuck in a rut for a long time.

[@s0cks1985]

Rick, I play acoustic, and found that I could apply the pressure to the strings by relaxing and using the weight of my arm rather than simply pressing my finger into the fret. Once I had that technique under control my playing improved dramatically, as now my fingers were only creating the shapes required, and the pressure comes from relaxing the arm. This meant I had virtually no tension in my fingers, or arm - amazing! It also means the thumb is always, always, relaxed and not applying pressure (just lightly touching). I always wondered if this is what good guitarists are doing too, or do electric guitarists still use the method of applying pressure with the fingers and thumb due to the lighter strings?

[@russjchandra]

Thank you. This is what i need and overlook for a long time.

[@TheLittleHouseStudios]

Great tip, I've been playing for years and have a long way to go on my solo playing but a friend of mine suggested this to me about tension and it has helped tremendously. Thanks for the great video.

haven't really thought about that discipline before, i will now, thanks Rick!

[@PartialS]

Brilliant video Rick, thank you! I'm constantly battling my hand cramping up some days when I practise after just a few minutes, yet others I can practise for hours without any pain. Never thought it could be because I was using too much tension.

[@jz4901]

A critical lesson! Thanks RG!

[@xandrewbrown]

Cool lesson. I have bad tennis elbow (and I've never played a game of tennis in my life) from my overboard finger pressure.

[@Glenzo78]

A method I use is a finger strengthening device from the guitar shop before I play, it’s a concept like using an exercise medicine ball and going into a basketball game, feels effortless.

[@7thString84]

Definitely, Rick! Definitely! The last 3 - 4 years of my playing, I thought more about the psychological aspects than I've practised. And most of what I think/thought about is/was indeed tension and breathing. You know what? Instant improvement since some weeks, since I seem to have discovered the "right" way. Now, it's a matter of getting really used to it and to involve it in every day playing. And yes... pracitsing more would also be a good idea. ;) But I have to ask that question in this context again, that I asked you many times before already. (Without answer). What about vibrato? Especially the downward motion on the low strings. I always feel, that I need a least amount of strength, so that the string does not flip away from my fingers when bending. That's a big problem when playing as relaxed as possible and then land on the vibrato, where much more strength is needed. Instantly. These vibratos nearly NEVER work. Any recommendations? Thanks! And great video! Cheers!

[@MrBungle222]

Wow. This vid allowed me to realise a problem I've had since I started playing that I've never really seen talked about. Unknowingly and without intention when I would be playing after a while during a solid practice session my entire ring finger would begin to lock up to the point where I wouldn't be able to move it at all without considerable pain for a couple of minutes. I just wouldn't notice that my finger was exerting more force than it needed to in a lot of legato and bending especially, you sort of get into a zone and are playing great then the joint would begin to lock up and then my entire forearm would tense up and I'd obviously get frustrated and confused how others where able to play (near) entire sets going at that speed and accuracy. Thank you Rick, this was really really helpful and something I can at least identify and work around.

[@JMetalGuitarist]

You should take a break when that happens... taking a break does: 1. Gives time for the muscle memory to sink in 2. You’ll be less tense physically 3. Your brain will be less stressed and able to take in more information. You’ll actually be able to accomplish more than you thought possible before. I highly recommend trying it out especially for longer more complicated riffs.

[@ErayAltin]

Great tips and great playing! Enjoyed it very much despite the single-coil noise which I really can't stand...

[@jch5150]

Great lesson Rick. This concept of getting myself to play live as relaxed and light on the touch as I do in my home office has really been on my mind as I get ready for my next gig. I have a tenancy to tense up when I solo which really messes me up. I do wish the practice scale you use here was tabbed out.

[@willgunawan4232]

So I took some time off guitar playing due to schoolwork, and getting back at it just last night (thanksgiving break ftw). I was confused as to why I couldn't play the songs (that I wrote and recorded!) up to speed, even struggling at 3/4 actual tempo. Then I remembered this video, tried it, and just like that, I got my speed back. Amazing. Thank you Rick!!!

[@jasonHam-x6o]

I remember Yngwie Malmsteen briefly mentioned this on his REH video but he related it more to playing on a scalloped fret guitar. I have noticed that my tension is to high. Thanks for focusing on this seemingly minor but important issue!

[@kungfuman82]

j I play metal and I'm always more tense than I should be because my brain equates tension with aggression. I've been on a Rick Graham bender and his stuff works! I'm not any faster but I feel I've gotten a little cleaner and it's easier to play.

[@Sorc47]

I think that a scalloped fretboard forces you to use as little tension as possible, because if you press too hard, the notes go out of tune.

[@jasonHam-x6o]

Matouš Vokál exactly, making light tension required!

[@alancosens]

Too much squeeze was always a problem for me. I found that going to very light strings helped me break this because too much tension would push them sharp when fretting, so I had no choice but to constantly keep my touch light.

[@harrisfrankou2368]

so true working on down strokes i tense up at my bpm threshold!!

[@AllanGildea]

Cheers Rick, you're as good a teacher as you are a player.

[@semilivesixstringstrumist5595]

YES! So true. It had been a problem for me for a long time. In the beginning I did not make aware the problem. I caught it later on and still fight with it. I hung a sign on my guitar stand to remind me everytime I play. You don't notice at first. And later on it is what is stopping you to excel. A major factor that separates guitar players. What makes you a side lead and rhythm player to a front and center lead player. Lol. But that doesn't matter now as much as it used to. Guitar has fallen back a lot in most genre"s. But with all that said, Heavy grippers have more feel! Yeah we do and you know it! lol. The bottom line is if you want a great band? Get all heavy grippers! Lol

[@grantmungo5738]

Great Lesson Rick!

[@kipponi]

This is great I have learned this before somewhere can't remember where. I have a lot of tension in barre chords and it is hard to play long time with too much tension. But finger placement and fingers must be in perpendicular to fretboard. Of course with chords some fingers are less. Maybe the extra force comes when someone bend strings and use the same force ? I bend a lot and it demands strong fingers. Yeah, this is ultimate and fundamental tip for all instruments, thanks.

[@MrLuismizraji]

Hello Rick, I tell you ... I am from Argentina and I am a great admirer of yours for many years ... I have taken as reference your incredible technique is giving me very good results ... I would like to ask you what caliber of strings you use? Greetings and thanks!...

[@BluesInSeattle]

Gotta love that single coil buzz haha. Cool exercise, thanks.

[@alexanderdeeds4100]

Amazing. I love your teaching!

[@Empathy37]

THANK YOU. This is the #1 issue that's holding my playing back.

[@thehazarika]

I have been a huge fan of your tone. Please make a general tutorial on how to get a good tone. Please.

[@ezramoore1288]

Have you ever considered mounting a camera up by your head looking down at the fretboard so that your viewers can see the patterns from the players perspective? I love videos like this but it's difficult to look at the neck and flip it in my mind from this standard camera angle. Just a thought. I rarely see the above angle on guitar videos but I always find it easier to learn from. Great video and excellent playing!