#81 This Exercise Solved My BIGGEST Technique Frustration

Bernd Brodträger

When it comes to injuries, I sadly can't give any medical advice (I'm not an expert on that and don't want you to hurt yourself) - the goal would be to control your pinky finger to stay as close to the fretboard as possible :) But please don't do anything that feels weird or painful for you!

Mechanic Guy

Is it fine if I lift my pinky while doing the chromatic spider exercise? My little finger is very curvy due to an injury a few years ago and hard to straighten. So, in effect, it deadens everything if I leave it there.

Fwiw this tip : I work on an ipad and just open the mp3 files in the ( free) transcribe+ app ... then I can play freely with tempos very easily . Shred on 🤘🎸

Pavel

Hi mate, I was wondering same thing, you can if you wanted increase the tempo, in your DAW , and save as a different file.

Martin Jusuf

Thanks Bernth! This would take me years to play like you, love your posts!

Bernd Brodträger

Absolutely Martin! It's a great idea to work with this concept on all strings :)

Martin Jusuf

Is this exercise applicable to 2nd, 3rd, 4th string, so on..?

Bernd Brodträger

Hey Oliver, I always aim for a very light and economic technique - also with my picking hand! I don't really like the sound of super-aggressive picking, I get the appeal with riffs but I want my faster material to sound nice with a clean- or crunch sound :) I want the technique to also work on acoustic guitar, a small and precise motion always helps with that!

Oliver Richter

How powerful do you hit the strings? When you silence the Amp, can your Guitar clerly be heard or do you just gently touch them because the Amp does his job? I think i play to had, so my movements become to big an cramped. i'm sure i do, i tested. I play unnessessary hard.

David Mckee

I'll be watching this in just a bit.. can't wait to get my coffee cup.. maybe we can have coffee with Bernth?? New video

David Mckee

I can literally stir a drink with my pinkie while playing... 😭😂

Bernd Brodträger

Hey Joseph, thanks for your comment :) The practice backing tracks are mainly there for learning the exercise and getting a feeling for it - at faster tempos, I'd recommend to work to a metronome to only hear your own playing. Often, we rely too much on what we are hearing in the background (playing to guitar pro files or backing tracks) and actually struggle with performing the workout on our own. The page metronomeonline.com tracks your practice time and the click has a nice sound, that's the one I'm using :)

Joseph Houlihan

is there any way you can have faster BPM on your backing tracks? Thank you.

Bernd Brodträger

Happy you like this one Steve! I use the regular Dunlop oil, especially out on tour because of the sweat and dirt :)

Steve Shaw

Another great lesson to add to my ever expanding practice routine, Thanks Bernth. PS.. what oil do you use on your fretboard, I have an Ibanez too.

Bernd Brodträger

Thanks for the great question Debashish! In a lead guitar context, it always makes much more sense for me to work with alternate picking - it would be impossible to perform this one fast (like the second take) by only working with downstrokes, there's just a limit to the physics of this motion concerning tempo :) But downstrokes are very important for metal riffs and get you more picking attack - in case you want to work on that, I'd suggest moving the workout to your lowest string, turning it into a rhythm exercise!

Debashish Mallick

Hi Bernth, may I know why are you picking 4 times on the 4 th note ? Why not single pick on every notes? How it,s going to benefit us?

Bernd Brodträger

Great question Nick! Muting the strings above the one I'm playing one didn't come to my attention as a big problem factor yet, I do work with my right hand to get just a small amount of muting a lot of times - especially with high gain settings, to avoid ringing strings at all costs without getting the classic palm-muted sound. I don't want to rely on palm muting all the time because I want to perform the licks in both styles (open and muted) but you can get some additional muting from your wrist without blocking your strings too much :)

Bernd Brodträger

Hey Max, I also played V style guitars for a long time :) There is a difference between all guitars for me personally but I think everybody has his/her own preferences when it comes to that (sitting in classical or 'standard' position). I also had a really tough time getting my pinky under control but it pays off to work on that, I still also need to invest some time in that :)

Nick Everson

With the finger angle shown in the video, how do you handle muting the strings above the one you're playing? Is it with the right hand instead?

Max

Hi, I play a Jackson King V and I love the high fret board position when I play it. Is there a difference in playing technique to other guitars? Damn my pinky tends to move away a lot! It's insane to break through that habbit!

Arvid Richter

Yepp my pinky tends to move away a lot and I usualy actually have it drawn right back and curled when I don't need it. Going to be hard to break through that habbit.