What will I learn in this lesson?

In this lesson we'll discuss the root causes of unnecessary tension and some basic tests for diagnosing where tension is building up in the picking hand. For those of you trying to undo years of bad habits, this is a great place to start. For those of you who are new to the guitar, the concepts and tests in this lesson can help ensure that you develop good picking hand technique and mechanics right from the start.

How is this different from other lessons on reducing right hand tension?

Most teachers will not get this far into the inner workings of your muscles, choosing instead to focus on various kinds of exercises (what to play) instead of helping you learn how to train your muscles (how to play). If you've been having problems with your right hand, this is the place to start. In many cases I find that high levels of tension have become "what it feels like to play" for many of my students. Challenging the assumption of what it feels like to play can jumpstart your technical improvement all by itself... and it all starts in this lesson.

OK... I watched the video, what should I do now?

First, start on the homework described in the lesson. Then watch part two of this series of videos... Eliminating Picking (Right) Hand Tension and Inaccuracy (Part 2).