Using too much finger muscle....

[Tremonti]

I have recently been on a quest to realize that I don't have to choke the fretboard to death to sound a note. It is incredible how hard I was squeezing it. Better stamina and less fatigue now. Simple thing, but I feel most of us don't follow this. Watching Kiko from Megadeth talk about this, was the source of inspiration. Prior I actually had NEVER thought about this.

 

[lindcoo]

I have recently been on a quest to realize that I don't have to choke the fretboard to death to sound a note. It is incredible how hard I was squeezing it. Better stamina and less fatigue now. Simple thing, but I feel most of us don't follow this. Watching Kiko from Megadeth talk about this, was the source of inspiration. Prior I actually had NEVER thought about this.

My story is the same.... stumbled upon this while playing a month ago. But its very hard for me change my routine.

 

[Chromatizm]

Same goes for the right hand. No need to go Tyson on strings even for heavy metal sounds.
The acoustic playing is a different beast though..

 

[Dpoirier]

Ok, I'll bite: what's the magic recipe or trick or exercise to learn to stop the death-grip? I'm a real pro at this wrong way of doing it (death-grip ninja?) and would love to learn how to stop it

 

[Will Schut]

Ok, I'll bite: what's the magic recipe or trick or exercise to learn to stop the death-grip? I'm a real pro at tgis wrong way of doing it (death-grip ninja?) and would love to learn how to stop it

Yep, there is a trick I teach my students.

Just play something (anything) on a one string with just the pinky of your fretting hand and the other fingers of your fretting hand suspended in the air. Now only your thumb and pinky are touching the neck, so there can't be any "death-grip" going on. Focus on your forearm. Feel how loose that is? No add one inger but keep on focussing on your forearm. Feel the relaxation? That's what you should be aiming for...

Not a magic recipe, but it just might work for you or steer you in the right direction...

 

[Joshua_L]

Ok, I'll bite: what's the magic recipe or trick or exercise to learn to stop the death-grip? I'm a real pro at tgis wrong way of doing it (death-grip ninja?) and would love to learn how to stop it

First thing to do :

Put your index finger on a string with low pressure just to mute it
Now give some light pick stroke
Gently push you index finger on the note, really slow and see how light you can be to make the note ring.
Repeat with all fingers.

Another thing to do is to play without your thumb behind your neck.
The pressure we can put here is absolutely phenomenal.

I’m one of those nervous guy that really put too much pressure on my hand also.

Another trick is also to play with higher gauges strings.
I play 11-49 in standard E and it’s really my go to gauge.
I just can « feel » what I play with 9-42. Feels like I’m tuned 3 steps lower.

 

[lindcoo]

Thank you for all these ideas , I will try these....sometimes its really good to be connected in a forum

 

[revegeta]

I have recently been on a quest to realize that I don't have to choke the fretboard to death to sound a note. It is incredible how hard I was squeezing it. Better stamina and less fatigue now. Simple thing, but I feel most of us don't follow this. Watching Kiko from Megadeth talk about this, was the source of inspiration. Prior I actually had NEVER thought about this.

I used to do the same thing. When I realised how much tension I started to clean up my technique and saw serious improvements in all or almost all aspects of my playing, in a matter of 2-3 months. Nowadays almost every time I grab the guitar, the first thing I do is one of Kiko's exercises for 2-3 minutes. The one where he doesn't press the notes and when he picks it just makes a muted harmonic. I feel this helps "calibrate" your hand for the rest of the session, letting you know just how little force is necessary for the note to ring clean. This works with scales, chords, power chords, arpeggios, you name it.

 

[Tremonti]

Ok, I'll bite: what's the magic recipe or trick or exercise to learn to stop the death-grip? I'm a real pro at this wrong way of doing it (death-grip ninja?) and would love to learn how to stop it

Quite simply just trying to grip less. Be aware of over use.

 

[revegeta]

There is also an exercise by Paul Gilbert I think, that is very useful for correcting this issue. You just alternate pick a pattern of 4 notes at a comfortable tempo (let's say frets 5-6-8 on the D string, fret 5 on the G string).

You then change the dynamics in your right hand, making sure the level of tension in tge left hand stays minimal. Play softly for a few seconds, then increase progressively the force with which you pick. Keep focusing on the left hand staying relaxed and barely fretting the notes, while you bang the strings with your right hand.

Also play softly, and accent random notes. Some of them ridiculously hard. Still always focusing on minimal effort on the left hand.

This exercise helps build independence between the 2 hands. Because if you pay attention, sometimes when you get into it and pick really hard, your left hand will mimic the right one and also fret unnecessarily hard.

3 minutes a day for this exercise and 3 for the kiko one should yield noticeable results in a short time

 

[mr_fender]

I've been working on this too. I had a terrible death grip for years. It significantly increases fret wear. That gets expensive quick. Using overly heavy strings is partly to blame for me. The added tension invites the death grip and really aggressive technique.

One thing that can help is set up a practice guitar with super light gauge strings like 7's. If you fret too hard there, you'll pull the note noticeably sharp. It basically forces you to control your pressure to stay in tune.

 

[Tonedeaf]

I learned to play on a $25 Montgomery Ward Airline acoustic with 1/4" action, so I have a death grip. EVH is said to have been a heavy fretter, so I'm not changing.

 

[HerrSquid]

Reminds me that a while back Paul Gilbert was grouching about all the proggy shred players getting too "dainty" with their technique. For whatever reason I found that hilarious.

 

[lindcoo]

Thats me ( I guess ) showing a perfect death grip but as I´m getting older....