Bad Habits

This is a 2.97 minute video response from DJ Phillips on Sep 15th, 2009

Question:

"Hi, Let me start by saying that I'm so glad I found this website. It has reunited me with my guitar and I have had a lot of fun learning from all of you. My question is regarding bad habits. I am an originally self-taught guitarist who had absolutely no direction form a mentor and because of this I picked up a slue of bad habits and bad technique. It has been extremely difficult to get away from some (ex. I will anchor my pinky on the high E string while playing lead and if any of you saw my left hand technique you will cringe), while some have had uses (ex. I play barre chords with the ring and pinky inverted which allows for some cool tension-building chords when I move my pinky up a fret, etc). There are many many others, but throughout the years I learned a lot of cool songs and learned them with bad technique. I don't want to sit and relearn how to fret and pick all over again because I will get bored. At the same time if I keep playing the songs I learned with bad technique I will keep reverting to my old bad habits every time I play. Any advice on how to overcome this? Thanks! -- Vase"