Right Hand Technique, Part 1 (Guitar Lesson)
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Right Hand Technique, Part 1
A good foundation on the guitar has a lot to do with your right hand, or picking hand, technique. Will starts here with the basics: How to hold a pick and how to place your hand.
Taught by Will Ripley in Rock Guitar for Beginners seriesLength: 9:22Difficulty: 1.0 of 5
It is now time to get that right hand technique in shape!
Scene 1: The Pick-(03:54)In this scene, Will discusses important aspects about the pick, including which type of pick to choose and how to hold it. Will suggests using a pick with medium thickness. These picks allow you to dig in a little harder as opposed to light picks, which can be a little flimsy when it comes to playing leads or single note lines. Start out using a 0.73 to 1.14 mm pick, and see which works best for you.
Once you got the right pick, the next thing is to know how to hold it. Make sure you have a firm grasp on the pick with your thumb and index finger. You want to leave a little bit of the pick poking out from your fingertips, as Will demonstrates in the video. This will allow you to hit the strings clearly and with definition, while keeping the pick from falling out of your grip or moving around too much.
Lastly, you are going to curl your index finger around the pick. This will allow the optimal amount of fluidity and motion when you play any kind of musical passage or riff.
Here is a little summary of the steps for proper pick holding technique:
1.Hold the pick on your index finger, with the point sticking out just a little, as if it’s an extension of your fingernail.
2.Put your thumb on it.
3.Curl your index finger around the pick.
Next, you will be introduced to alternate picking, also known as down/up picking. Will starts out by showing you the beginning of a classic riff by guitarist Dick Dale. All that is needed is your open low E string, and your medium thick pick.
In order to develop any speed with this technique, you are going to need to rest your palm on the bridge of the guitar. This will give you proper stability for your picking hand.
Lastly, you are going to strike the string with the side of the pick, as opposed to landing on the string with your pick flat. Will demonstrates the difference in sound when you try alternate picking with the pick laid flat as opposed to striking it on the side. You will hear the clarity and finesse of the notes when the side of the pick is used.
That’s about it for this introduction to alternate picking. Let’s get a little deeper now with the next lesson.
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Rock Guitar for Beginners
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsLearn to play the electric guitar like a pro! Will Ripley is a veteran teacher that will show you quick and easy ways to start playing actual music on the guitar! Start learning original classic rock style riffs right away, all the while learning solid foundations to your guitar playing. Get ready to Rip it up!!
Lesson 1
Series Introduction
Join Will Ripley as he gives us all the details of his series, "Rock Guitar for Beginners". You'll be playing cool rock riffs from the very first lesson!
Length: 5:25 Difficulty: 0.0 FREELesson 2
First Easy Riff, Part 1
Will wastes no time getting you playing actual music! Check out this cool riff in the style of Black Sabbath. You'll be rockin' in no time!
Length: 7:13 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
First Easy Riff, Part 2
Will continues in this lesson by showing you how to read basic tablature for his Black Sabbath style riff.
Length: 9:31 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Chromatic Exercise
In this lesson, Will takes a break from riffs to show you a great tool for increasing your dexterity on the instrument: the chromatic exercise.
Length: 6:37 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Right Hand Technique, Part 1
A good foundation on the guitar has a lot to do with your right hand, or picking hand, technique. Will starts here with the basics: How to hold a pick and how to place your hand.
Length: 9:22 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Right Hand Technique, Part 2
So far, Will has had you focus on playing on one string. Now he gives you the tools to play across multiple strings.
Length: 8:40 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Riff in the Style of Deep Purple/Queen
Now that you have some right hand technique under your belt, Will hits you with another classic sounding riff in the style of Deep Purple or Queen. This is an easy, yet great sounding single note riff...
Length: 9:43 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Riff in the Style of Bon Jovi
Will is back with another classic sounding riff! This riff is a great exercise that gets you using your fingers on more than one strings, and improves on your chromatic movement.
Length: 5:44 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Riff in the Style of Journey/Foster the People
Will uses this catchy riff to teach you how to mute open strings and fretted notes, and how to add some rhythmic depth to your playing.
Length: 5:43 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Riff in the Style of RATM/Led Zeppelin
Here's another catch, classic sounding riff from Will. This one will get you up and running with your alternate picking. A must have picking technique moving forward!
Length: 7:04 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Chromatic Graduation Riff
Remember the chromatic scale we learned earlier in this series? Well, Will steps it up a notch by adding a cool funky riff to help you earn your chromatic diploma!
Length: 10:21 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
E Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic is one of the core scales of rock guitar. In this lesson, Will shows you a super simple fingering for this essential scale!
Length: 8:21 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Em Pentatonic Riff In the Style of the Beatles
Now, take the minor pentatonic scale, add some rhythm, and you've got a super cool rock riff!
Length: 4:47 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Intro to Power Chords
Power chords are essential to any rock guitar playing. In this lesson, Will shows you the basics. Learn open string power chords and other classic power chord shapes!
Length: 11:09 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Power Chord Riff In the Style of Tom Petty/ACDC
Will's back with another classic sounding riff in the style of Tom Petty or ACDC. This riff builds off of what you learned in the previous lesson on power chords. Use both your open string power chord...
Length: 11:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Palm Muting
Getting a great rock sound has lots of different elements to it, and one of those is the palm muting technique. Will shows you a super easy way to get rolling on this great right hand technique!
Length: 6:39 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Power Chord Riff in the Style of Black Sabbath
Now Will takes a riff he taught earlier in the series and adds the power chord element to it. This makes the riff extra heavy sounding and extra cool!
Length: 10:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Power Chord Riff with a Fifth in the Bass
Believe it or not, Ripley can show you a way to make your power chords even more powerful sounding! It's a simple fingering shift, but will add a lot of thickness to your power chords.
Length: 12:31 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Power Chord Riff in the Style of Audioslave/RHCP
Get ready to learn a super pro-sounding riff in the style of Audioslave or Red Hot Chili Peppers! Hidden in this riff are some more foundational guitar techniques that will increase your facility on the...
Length: 12:41 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Other Two Note Shapes
We've learned the interval of the power chord, now Will shows us some other intervals in the form of two note shapes that are easy, and add tremendous color to our playing.
Length: 10:15 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Octave Shapes
Will's back with an important and useful technique: Octave shapes. Learn not only the shape, but how to apply muting to get it sounding very professional!
Length: 8:46 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Muting Techniques
Proper muting can add a lot of passion to your playing. In this lesson, Will shows us how to play single notes without compromising any of the energy or intensity.
Length: 8:27 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Minor Pentatonic Scale - Second Position
Will showed us the first position of the minor pentatonic scale in an earlier lesson. Now it's time to move on to the second position. It's a must know scale and technique!
Length: 5:22 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Reading Chord Charts
Up to now we've learned a lot of single note riffs and power chords. Now it's time to inject some chord playing into our technique. In this lesson, Will starts us off by showing us how to read a chord...
Length: 9:13 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Spanish Flavored Chord Song
Continuing with chords, Will introduces us to some new chord shapes with this Spanish themed chord song.
Length: 6:06 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Sus and Slash Chords
Sus and slash chords are very important when it comes to making you sound like a pro. Will walks us through a few of the most common ones, and how to implement them in our playing!
Length: 6:30 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
The G Major Chord
The G major chord is one of the most common chords used in popular music. In this lesson, Will shows some of the more popular and useful variations of the chord.
Length: 5:26 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
The Secret to Changing Chords
One of the biggest issues for beginning guitarists is changing chords. It can be a source of great frustration. Join Will as he shows us his secret to changing chords that will revolutionize your playing!
Length: 11:42 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Rhythmic Subdivisions
By now you've learned what an important role rhythm plays in the process of learning guitar. Will gets more specific here by showing us some basic rhythms and how to count them.
Length: 14:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Acoustic Pop Chord Song
Ever wonder how certain songs get really pro sounding chord progressions and strumming? Here's a peek behind the curtain as Will shows us a chord progression that is simultaneously easy and great sounding!
Length: 16:04 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Three Must Know Strum Patterns
Strumming and rhythm is something that frankly gets taken for granted when learning guitar. But, it's just as important as the notes you play on the fret board! Will gets you started on the right foot...
Length: 11:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
All Major and Minor Chords
It's time to get deeper into chords! In this lesson, Will shows us all the major and minor chords.
Length: 12:30 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
12 Bar Blues Song - Part 1
The 12 bar blues is a fundamental rock and blues song form. Will shows you the 12 bar blues, but puts a little twist on it to make it sound extra rockin'!
Length: 7:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
12 Bar Blues Song - Part 2
In part 2 of the 12 Bar Blues Song, Will gets into the meat of the 12 bar blues form.
Length: 11:25 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Chord Techniques in the Style of Neil Young/Guns and Roses
Will brings together several chord playing techniques in this lesson that will challenge you and keep you on the road to sounding more like a pro!
Length: 15:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Scale - Third Position
Will now brings us the 3rd position of the minor pentatonic scale. This is one of the great rock guitar scales, and Will is building towards having you cover the entire fret board with this scale!
Length: 4:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Chop Builders
Here's a couple of exercises that will help build your "chops", otherwise known as your strength and dexterity on the guitar!
Length: 11:29 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Major Scale and Basic Theory
Don't let the phrase "music theory" scare you off! It's merely an aid to help you understand what you've been learning and playing so far. Will uses this lesson to show you a very important scale that...
Length: 10:59 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Scale - Fourth Position
On to the fourth position of the minor pentatonic scale! As usual, Will shows us the scale, then shows us a way to connect all of the positions so far.
Length: 4:16 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Find Every Note on the Fret Board
Believe it or not, finding and knowing every note on the fret board is not as hard as it may seem. In this lesson, Will demystifies the fret board taking away that overwhelming feeling when you look down...
Length: 13:39 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Precursor to Barre Chords
Leading up to learning your barre chords, Will shares this lesson with us that gets us familiar with some of the basic shapes we'll need to know. Plus, you get to learn some super cool sounding chords!
Length: 9:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Four Shapes of Barre Chords
The "dreaded" barre chords are anything but dreaded here. Will gets you going on the four basic shapes, with some tips and tricks to make them frankly, quite easy!
Length: 15:27 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Barre Chord Song
Now Will gives you the chance to put those barre chords into practice! Here's a super simple little song to help you get more familiar with the shapes we learned in the last lesson.
Length: 8:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Scale - Fifth Position
The Grand Finale of your minor pentatonics: The Fifth Position. Now that you have all 5 positions, Will shows you some cool ways to practice these, and consequently, the ability to begin using them in...
Length: 9:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
About Will Ripley View Full Biography
Will Ripley is a passionate guitarist who performs, teaches, and manages a successful music business. His wild stage presence and undeniable guitar skills transcend vibe and waveforms of the highest levels of energy.. His talents however, are directly related to years of staying “on the grind” and “paying his dues”. He has played with many bands, produced, composed and collaborated both solo and with top level musicians. He is a sought-after studio musician and works creatively with other musicians.
Coming from a blues and classic rock background, Ripley discovered 90?s rock in his late teens. Ripley’s style is unique. He’s been described as combining the blues guitar playing of Albert King and Jimi Hendrix with big riffs that are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Rage Against the Machine with the booty shaking rhythms of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and N.E.R.D. Ripley also has a soft place in his heart for pop music ranging from The Beatles to Stone Temple Pilots to Kelly Clarkson.
In addition to creation and production of music, Ripley teaches guitar using a method he developed through his education and over countless sessions with learners of all ages and levels. This led to the development of a successful series of recorded lessons called Guitar Goals available from his website. As the founder of the Will Ripley Guitar School he has begun expanding as a franchise into other cities which has 1 location currently – the Vancouver Guitar School. Students the world over can learn guitar using this effective, rewarding, and enjoyable style at their own pace – with epic results!
Ripley seeks participation in authentic, professional-level music, with like-minded, enthusiastic, high-achieving musicians. With dreams of creating legendary songs, Ripley is open to new band mates, songwriting partners, and recording opportunities.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.The pick advice changed everything for me. Such a small thing made a big difference.
All the years that I've been playing around on acoustic guitar with a flat pick, I have NEVER played on the edge of the pick. Fantastic advice! It's one of those tips where you go "Why didn't I think of that?" ;)
All I can say is after watchng this and adjusting how I hold the pick, it has seemed to make a difference. Yeah, I have to practice to get it down pat, but it does seem easier to alternate pick holding the pick the way you described as opposed to how I was holding it. (Too much pick exposed) Need a heavier pick as well. Going to move up to a heavy from a .70 medium
In my opinion you should not be so absolute with the things you 're teaching. Not every fast player holds the pick the way you said. And personally (although not a fast player) I play faster when not curling my finger, it's more comfortable for me. Other than that nice lessons, you explain well what you know. Cheers!
I haven't paid too much attention to how I've been holding a pick,this lesson confirmed I've been doing it right,awesome.Time for some squealies,just kidding.
Will you are doing a great job...easy to understand and follow, thank you....I think I can finally get the pick! I've played off and on for many years all self taught and I already feel I'm filling in the holes of my basic skills and will soon become a much better playing...practise practise! Thank you Will
Will you are doing a great job...easy to understand and follow, thank you....I think I can finally get the pick! I've played off and on for many years all self taught and I already feel I'm filling in the holes of my basic skills and will soon become a much better playing...practise practise! Thank you Will
Will you are doing a great job...easy to understand and follow, thank you....I think I can finally get the pick! I've played off and on for many years all self taught and I already feel I'm filling in the holes of my basic skills and will soon become a much better playing...practise practise! Thank you Will
Good description verbally and on the video....again it got out of sync and with your explaination I was able to follow it. It is distracting somewhat.....maybe technical can work on that for yours and some other instructors lessons. Thanks again.
I posted this in your other comments as well. If you continue to have trouble with the below information, send us an e-mail to [email protected] and we can further help you there. If that happens, try reducing your video quality using the "HD" button in the lower right hand corner of the video window. The symptom you are experiencing is usually attributed to not having enough system resources to receive the stream and decode it in real time. Going to a lower quality and thus smaller file makes it easier for your computer to handle that.
agree with the other comments, but sure wish you would have shown a close up...
I love the confirmation about curling the index finger around the tip of the pick, I have seen so many tips about having that first finger pointing at the point of the pick, which I really find uncomfortable.
Finally, an explanation I can understand on how to use the right hand! What a difference! Thank Will! PLEASE make more vids for Intermediate & Advanced playing...I love your style!!
Thanks for the tip on holding the pick and using the edge, and not playing with the pick flat on. How much angle do you need (or what is optimal) on the pick compared to the strings?
Hey Will, this is the best explanation I've every heard about the importance of how you hold the pick. Your Dick Dale example is spot on!
Hey Will, this is the best explanation I've every heard about the importance of how you hold the pick. Your Dick Dale example is spot on!
Awesome tips!
Awesome explanation!