Correcting bad habits- any tips?

[sPliNtEr_777]

Hey guys, I haven't had much time these last few months to play and recently I've noticed a horrible bad habit has crept into my playing- for whatever reason my index finger on my picking hand has started creeping too close to the tip of the pick making my fingernail the first thing to hit the strings.

It's absolutely horrible- it affects everything about my playing: speed, clarity, precision, tone and, most worryingly, my confidence. Recently I've tried to correct but nothing seems to work, I just keep falling into the bad habit as soon as I start playing autonomously. Annoyingly, I don't know where this habit has come from either- I've been playing 12 years and never had any issue like this. Closest thing to a fix I've found is to hold the pick primarily with my middle finger (a la James Hetfield) but I just don't feel at all comfortable playing like that- it's functional and if anything I can play a little faster but it feels wrong.

So here's the rub: anybody know how best to defeat an ingrained habit? Should I persevere with the hetfield technique? Or should I go back to the drawing board and relearn my picking technique from scratch?

Help much appreciated,
Cheers

 

[classicalmetal24]

I think the only way you're going to be able to correct this properly is by playing everything very slowly and actually LOOKING at how you are holding your pick. Please concentrate on keeping your index finger tucked in and not sticking out.

 

[Unleash The Fury]

I think the only way you're going to be able to correct this properly is by playing everything very slowly and actually LOOKING at how you are holding your pick. Please concentrate on keeping your index finger tucked in and not sticking out.

just curious, why do you suggest he tuck in his index finger? what's the difference? what if it's uncomfortable for him to play otherwise?

 

[classicalmetal24]

What else is he going to do? He has clearly stated that his index finger is creeping up closer to the pick and as a result is brushing against the strings. If he keeps the index finger tucked in, then that eliminates any chance of that happening ever again.

 

[FifthCircleSquared]

As a stopgap, maybe try a larger pick? Or, if you are using jazz picks, maybe move back to something like an Ultex Sharp 1.0? I had a similar problem, and this helped resolve it for me.

 

[TedEH]

Maybe this is the opposite of what you're asking for, but I often do the whole fingernail-hits-the-strings-first thing on purpose. I use lighter picks than most people (.6-ish), which gives me the option of suuuuper light attack when I want it, and then the fingernail comes into play when I need a really exaggerated attack. So maybe rather than stopping it completely, you can think of it as another way to alter your attack when you feel like it. The trick is to adjust your picking style so that you're in control of when it happens.

I remember reading somewhere that it takes around 4 weeks to get out of a habit once you've started doing it. I dunno if that's right, or maybe I'm remembering it wrong... but I think you've just got to be be mindful/aware of what you're doing and you'll eventually practice the habit away.

 

[JeremyRodriguez5544998]

I've never heard of this one man! Pretty crazy. But the best advice I can give is to pretend you are holding your pick in your hand, and get the feeling of that shape ingrained into your muscle memory. Then try to imitate that feeling when you're actually holding the pick in your hand. Every few minutes do the same thing, and make the proper technique a habit.

 

[Ajaydizzle]

I think the only way you're going to be able to correct this properly is by playing everything very slowly and actually LOOKING at how you are holding your pick. Please concentrate on keeping your index finger tucked in and not sticking out.

This. When practicing and trying to improve techniques or fix bad habits, the only way to do it is to focus 100% on what you are trying to fix. That's the only way you will get the Brain --> Muscle connection working. after a while doing that, it becomes second nature. I had a bad habit of anchoring my pinkie finger on my pickup and I realized it was preventing me from picking arpeggios efficiently. I just sat down, stared at my guitar, and ran through 5 and 6 string arpeggios for an hour each night, focusing on keeping my pinkie tucked away. it was tougher to play initially, but somehow, your body knows how to adapt. After about a week, there was serious improvement and now it is second nature, I don't even think about it. It's all about focusing on the part(s) you are trying to fix.

Good luck man!