Welcome to Jazz-School

I painstakingly developed my preferred picking technique when I was around 20 years old because I felt that my previous grip, between my index and middle fingers and the thumb, was limiting me. There's a pool of guitarists who hold the pick on their bent index finger for good reason: Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Joscho Stephan, Biréli Lagrène – the list goes on and on. In contrast, there are fantastic players like George Benson and Pat Metheny who hold the pick "upside down". It's impressive how these two (and they aren't the only ones) were able to reach their level of virtuosity without adhering to conventional wisdom. I believe they're not so virtuosic because of how they hold the pick, but rather they are virtuosic despite holding it that way. That's why I recommend the pick technique I demonstrate in the video. Give it a try!

Your advantages are:

• Effortless switching between single notes and strumming
• Better sound
• Enabling the technique of muting the unplayed bass strings with the left side of your thumb
• Better sound when palm muting

Disadvantage: Tedious relearning if you've been doing it differently.

In the video, my esteemed colleague Andreas Schulz also explains his playing style. If you were to ask Al Di Meola, he would probably only have one recommendation, as he is one of the world champions of picking technique.

A few thoughts on virtuosity: I used to be absolutely convinced that virtuosity was purely a matter of practice. Take the right technique, invest five hours a day in technical exercises for a few years, and then you'll get it.
Now, I've shared the stage with some of the most technically gifted players in the world. People like Joscho Stephan are incredibly talented when it comes to motor skills. I now believe that even with an enormous time commitment, it's simply impossible for the average person to achieve that level of virtuosity. Two weeks ago, I filmed a guest lesson with the Greek virtuoso Michael Paouris (look forward to the lesson and the interview!). He got a bouzouki at the age of eight, and by nine he could play sixteenth notes at 280 bpm. That's absurdly fast. My personal limit has always been 144 bpm when it comes to hitting every note. Believe me, I practiced, long and hard. My experience shows that virtuosity isn't given to everyone. It has to do with a special talent.
Fortunately, music isn't a sport, and I don't feel disadvantaged when I express myself with fewer notes. There are, after all, many equally important parameters: rhythm, phrasing, swing, feel, solo structure, harmonic variety, and so on. However, we live in the age of social media, where having circus-worthy technique is a definite advantage. Enough talk, I have to practice! 😀