bad habits

slay · Post by **slay** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:42 pm

im sure we all have some.. mine is not using my pinky when i should be.. my pinky's stamina sucks

must practice more

you guys?

The Doctor · Post by **The Doctor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:50 pm

Same. I only use it when I play chords.

Gnarkiller · Post by **Gnarkiller** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:23 pm

I only use pinky when I need to. for stretches and half-step, whole-step shit below 12th fret.

otherwise it seems pointless to me.

bad habits of mine would just be sloppyness and lack of styles (not style)

DBS · Post by **DBS** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:42 pm

i pick my asshole

washburnML · Post by **washburnML** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:59 pm

overuse of pinch harmonics.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:00 pm

Playing with my thumb over the neck when I don't need to.

slay · Post by **slay** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:20 pm

washburnML wrote:overuse of pinch harmonics.

zacky be wyldes... im guilty of this aswell

Big Ben · Post by **Big Ben** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:24 pm

washburnML wrote:overuse of pinch harmonics.

Pfl?yd wrote:Playing with my thumb over the neck when I don't need to.

I also hate finger-picking which really hurts my acoustic-playing.

Sometimes when I finish drumming a song or session I like to throw my sticks at something and it usually causes some sort of damage.

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:31 pm

Pfl?yd wrote:Playing with my thumb over the neck when I don't need to.

I think this is a "bad habit" all bass players have.

UNGODLIKE · Post by **UNGODLIKE** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:45 am

excessive wanking

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:56 am

PABassPlayer wrote:
Pfl?yd wrote:Playing with my thumb over the neck when I don't need to.
I think this is a "bad habit" all bass players have.

It's an extension leftover from when I played guitar more and when I did more chordal work on a five-string and needed the thumb to move the roots around.

But it just looks kind of stupid just playing regular lines with that just hanging out over the neck like that. And since it pivots your fingers at an angle when you do it, it cuts your speed in half.

I've been playing a five-string a lot more again, so it forces you to break that habit because just doing it without thinking just makes it uncomfortable, so you automatically just don't do it.

Kellan · Post by **Kellan** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:53 am

I was always taught to never have my thumb even start to creep over the neck. With a seemingly endless myriad of chord voicings for a single chord, there's really no excuse for using your thumb; in my opinion.
I also never used to use my pinky and forced myself to start using it. It took about a year to build up sufficient strength in it, but things like sweep arpeggios and just general shredding is about 20x easier with the use of my pinky. It's vital, really.

I never use a metronome and I really, really should. That's one bad habit I can think of.

slay · Post by **slay** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:05 pm

a metronome or a nice drum beat in the background would be something i could also use

Hunter/Killer · Post by **Hunter/Killer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:24 pm

Kellan wrote:I was always taught to never have my thumb even start to creep over the neck.

srv, hendrix etc used their thumbs for chords.
try doing it. very challenging

cottonmouth · Post by **cottonmouth** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:26 pm

Every solo I play comes down to pentatonics, Im so used to it, I can't unlearn it
During fast palm muting I put my pick in too much of an angle with the snares, gives it a scratchy sound I don't want.

As far as drumming goes, I guess I can get too pumped up in a song and let the tempo progress while I shouldn't.

Despite this I'm still awesome though.

PABassPlayer · Post by **PABassPlayer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:30 pm

slay wrote:a metronome or a nice drum beat in the background would be something i could also use

a very simple, but effective "computer drum machine" is called Rythm Rascal" it can be easily downloaded from Limewire.

Kellan · Post by **Kellan** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:33 pm

Wayne wrote:
Kellan wrote:I was always taught to never have my thumb even start to creep over the neck.
srv, hendrix etc used their thumbs for chords.
try doing it. very challenging

That still doesn't negate the fact that there's a plethora of different chord voicings for a single chord, even on the same fret; which don't require your thumb. I just don't think it's necessary and that it's bad technique.

slay · Post by **slay** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:36 pm

PABassPlayer wrote:
slay wrote:a metronome or a nice drum beat in the background would be something i could also use
a very simple, but effective "computer drum machine" is called Rythm Rascal" it can be easily downloaded from Limewire.

will check it out

AoD · Post by **AoD** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:36 pm

i cant use my pinky its been broke too many times and is a useless finger, it never does what i tell it

Hunter/Killer · Post by **Hunter/Killer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:36 pm

Kellan wrote:
Wayne wrote:
Kellan wrote:I was always taught to never have my thumb even start to creep over the neck.
srv, hendrix etc used their thumbs for chords.
try doing it. very challenging
That still doesn't negate the fact that there's a plethora of different chord voicings for a single chord, even on the same fret; which don't require your thumb. I just don't think it's necessary and that it's bad technique.

i guess it's more style/feel than anything else. and sometimes that trumps technique

Kellan · Post by **Kellan** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:34 pm

Well I guess then by that definition, thumb-over the neck isn't my style. But if it works for you, have at it

no pun intended with the

emoticon

BassPhemy · Post by **BassPhemy** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:32 pm

I've been working on muting strings I'm not playing that end up ringing sympathetically. I'm good at it on bass but I have a fuck of a time doing it on guitar.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:36 pm

BassPhemy wrote:I've been working on muting strings I'm not playing that end up ringing sympathetically. I'm good at it on bass but I have a fuck of a time doing it on guitar.

Yeah, I avoid using open strings on a bass at all costs. I naturally mute strings all over the place, though. I don't even think about it. It was all that funk playing, I think.

RandomRussianDude · Post by **RandomRussianDude** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:42 am

my worst habbit and curse is falling asleep when i play. i can't explain it. one minute i'm wide awake but the moment i start strumming those strings i'm dozing off. standing up and putting cigs out on my arm doesn't help

i'm kidding about the cigs

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:03 am

RandomRussianDude wrote:my worst habbit and curse is falling asleep when i play. i can't explain it. one minute i'm wide awake but the moment i start strumming those strings i'm dozing off. standing up and putting cigs out on my arm doesn't help

i'm kidding about the cigs

Sounds Pavlovian.

croninburg · Post by **croninburg** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:19 am

I don't even know where to start. I'm sure I have bad habits that I don't even know about yet.. I intend to take some lessons in the summe, hopefully I can find a decent rock tutor to help me with the mechanical side of things, and a jazz man to help me brush up on theory and improv..

RandomRussianDude · Post by **RandomRussianDude** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:34 am

Pfl?yd wrote:
RandomRussianDude wrote:my worst habbit and curse is falling asleep when i play. i can't explain it. one minute i'm wide awake but the moment i start strumming those strings i'm dozing off. standing up and putting cigs out on my arm doesn't help

i'm kidding about the cigs
Sounds Pavlovian.

yeah, but where the hell did it come from? this never happened when i was younger. i could play for 6 hours straight and feel nothing but adrenaline afterwards, now its 5 minutes and i'm ready for bed

whitemike · Post by **whitemike** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:58 am

One bad habit I do have which I know of is sometimes I'll use the bridge of my floyd rose to create vibrato more so than from my finger movements, by a simple wiggle of my picking hand on top of the bridge.

I'm getting out of it though, glad I filmed a show of my playing... man I did it a lot. It just accentuates the vibrato a little to much.

Apart from that I amn't sure of any major ones apart from the usual just being shit at guitar.

gay_hayride · Post by **gay_hayride** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:16 pm

i stick guitar strings up my urethra..and speed pick with the tip of my cock

skiscem · Post by **skiscem** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:15 pm

too many harmonies on my bass lines

drummer_goat · Post by **drummer_goat** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:09 am

count-ins to song!
I always try to hum the melody in my head first, but on stage I can't always rember the melody quick enough, so I just have to count off. When that happens its often a little fast, so the first transition I have to adjust.

Pfl?yd · Post by **Pfl?yd** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:01 am

drummer_goat wrote:count-ins to song!
I always try to hum the melody in my head first, but on stage I can't always rember the melody quick enough, so I just have to count off. When that happens its often a little fast, so the first transition I have to adjust.

I sometimes have to hum a melody for the new drummer in the one band I play with for just that reason. He always blanks out and I'm like "da-da-da da-da duh!" I'm sure it looks fucking stupid on stage.

Hunter/Killer · Post by **Hunter/Killer** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:55 pm

My bad habit is that i don't practice enough

Wrona · Post by **Wrona** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:16 pm

Wayne wrote:My bad habit is that i don't practice enough

Same as i was going to post.

long4theblur · Post by **long4theblur** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:02 am

Sometimes I jack off all over my guitar

Gor-Gor · Post by **Gor-Gor** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:34 am

i dont practice enough. especially since im playing in a gigging band. i know it should, and i get the urge to play, but with action of walking to the stack and picking up the guitar makes me lose all urge. i dont know what it is. and if it get as far as actually playing its only for about 10 or 15 min then i get bored with what im playing so i stop. it sucks ass

Lord of This World · Post by **Lord of This World** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:41 pm

I use my thumb to fret all the time. It's done wonders for my playing. But I don't find myself having the thumb hang over when I don't need it. Guess I'm just beast like that.

I don't really have any bad mechanical habits that I'm aware of. I'm just not as good as I want to be. I guess my main complaint is that I wish I was more technically skilled at lead guitar, but whenever I'm playing lead I always end up only caring about phrasing, melodic ideas, and cool fretboard shapes/patterns to nerd out on instead of practicing my speed and picking skills.

I might get out my exercise books and start a daily routine to practice with a metronome. I did this for a few years when I first started but now whenever I pick up a guitar I immediately start playing something I've written, improvising, or playing a song I like. Once that starts, I don't even think about practicing scales and shit.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:30 pm

Pressing my thumb against the back of the fretboard too strongly. I'm not a very good player, that's for sure, but the damn cheap bass isn't making things easier

hippy · Post by **hippy** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:36 pm

Maelstrom wrote:Pressing my thumb against the back of the fretboard too strongly. I'm not a very good player, that's for sure, but the damn cheap bass isn't making things easier

practice without using your thumb at all. this will help with that and improve your finger strength

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:03 am

hippy wrote:
Maelstrom wrote:Pressing my thumb against the back of the fretboard too strongly. I'm not a very good player, that's for sure, but the damn cheap bass isn't making things easier
practice without using your thumb at all. this will help with that and improve your finger strength

Well I tried a bass in a music store and it was SO MUCH EASIER TO PLAY, I swear

(summary: my bass sucks)