Do you guys ever think about the visual aesthetics of your technique?

Like am I just super shallow that I worry about how aesthetically pleasing my technique looks visually?

This is why I avoid elbow picking - just because I don’t like the way it looks aesthetically lol.

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It’s not shallow, but it is self limiting.

It’s definitely self limiting, I know in reality I should be following function over form which makes me think I’m just being shallow about it.

I would like to use my elbow more but I literally get self-conscious on the way it looks lmao, I’m so fucking lame.

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Nobody will care less about your elbow, but they will care a lot about your hair, tattoos, clothes, boots, and so forth.

Oh, strap length is critical, the lower the guitar, the better.

You’re right, but…

I’ve the sort of judgemental wanker to judge other players on the how good their technique LOOKS lol.

Like when I see Zakk Wylde pick with his ridiculous over the top sloppy elbow picking I feel smug and superior lmao.

You feel superior to Zakk? Interesting.

I like how you made it like I feel generally superior and omitting my specific reference to his elbow picking - also you not getting that I was largely joking. Lol pfft.

Zakk Wyld’s technique has objectively deteriorated from his earlier days with Ozzy Osbourne when he was more of a wrist/forearm rotation picker. I think he plays like shit now and I attribute this to his now sloppy elbow technique.

I think Zakk’s shoulder technique looks super cool just for how unique looking it is, I’m always fascinated by motions I can’t do yet and the rotator cuff motion seems to be one of the rarer motions among players :slight_smile:

It makes me wonder why there was a shift in his technique over time, is it just the raw speed available with shoulder technique? And I wonder how much he still uses his forearm motion these days?

There is still a real mix in this clip and a great shot of his forearm motion but this is from 15 years ago now:

And yeah I definitely am self conscious about how my technique looks, I think my forearm motion has a cool look to it but I never practice it anymore because I have been trying to get together my DT wrist motion for the past couple of years, which I don’t think looks as good but DT seems to have a natural inclination to DBX and be naturally more perpendicular to the strings which is great for attack (especially on acoustic), two things which I value more over aesthetics.

I also think finger motion looks really stylish and effortless :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

In that video you posted he actually looks and sounds better than I typically hear from him lately - he looks a bit younger in that video. The video that stands out as particular garbage is this one:

Imo he was much better when he was younger: