First post here. Really glad to be part of this group. I’ve been playing for 40 years. I’m pretty fast, but lots of legato/hybrid. I’ve decided to work through this course material to try to get to true alternate picking. This has led me to discover that my right and left hands are WAY out of sync. It’s terrible. The more I practice getting them in sync, its seems like they just get worse. Is this normal? Is it something that people normally break through eventually? Should I just slow way down and basically start over? Thanks for any advice.
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Welcome! I see that you are a MIM subscriber, so the best course of action would be to open a Technique critique directly on the platform!
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Thank you tommo. Just added a TC. Happy to add more video of specific things if requested. All the best.
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Hey there “Insideout”! I would suggest that your existing legato/hybrid stuff will be fine - it’s probably baked in and that aspect of your playing is fine. The actual picking stuff - well perhaps it’s a matter of becoming more aware of the shortcomings and limitations as one digs in? Something you maybe thought sounded fine before now you are paying much closer attention to detail and as well in the process hitting some challenges?
I don’t know - but for myself, even when I fail (which is a lot) there is a positive take away…
Anyways! Have a good one, can’t wait to hear what you do!
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Thanks for the input Scottulus. Much appreciated. I agree, my current playing is ok the way it is, but here’s some more information about my goal. Up until last year, I played completely by ear. I just mimic’d what I hear. Therefore, I have decades of really bad habits and techniques “baked in” as you said. Last year prior to attending Vai Academy, I decided to finally start learning theory and apply that to my playing. Now this year, I’m trying to clean up my technique. I feel like I’ve been cheating all this time, and want to improve while my fingers still move.
All the best and thanks again 
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Sweet! You got this!
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As I’m evaluating my picking, it’s becoming apparent that I default to a hopping or poking motion. Breaking this bad habit looks like it may trump quitting smoking on a scale of difficulty. 
Also, I’ve always (4 decades now) planted my picking pinky into the body. I know that’s not “bad” perse’ but as I practice, any changes I make intentionally make it so my string contact is just garbage. I know it took me 4 decades to develop this bad technique and can’t expect it to correct itself overnight. It will be very interesting to see if the coaches confirm or dismiss this in the TC I submitted.
I do the same thing with my pinky (on the higher 3) and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I actually like it. I’ve tried the free wrist picking and it doesn’t work for me, though I would like to develop it after seeing some vids from a dude that does it and he’s probably the best picker I’ve ever seen. I don’t know when I’d use it but for less than super fast, it seems like a good thing to have in the tool box.
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Im sort of in a similar, I can play somewhat fast and sound decent but the sound isnt what I want. I can do fast pentatonic runs but arpeggios,sweeps etc I need work on. Its fun but I get it when you arent liking how what you are playing sounds or its is too repetetive. Its like being stuck in a rut.
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I’ve been wondering if using your muscles constantly is like using your brain, as in if you keep hitting something, lets say a drug, your brain adjusts to that, excessive dopamine will cause a down regulation of dopamine receptors, and you won’t get as high, or move as well/ fast.
Over training can cause the same effect, doing something to much over time blunts the crispness of it.
I’ve noticed many times throughout my life, in physical stuff and mental stuff that you acually improve by doing nothing for extended periods of time. Doing movements in the gym, on the guitar, or graphic design, a true gap in that activity has let me come back better than before.
It’s not consciously changing technique, it’s losing articulation from overuse. I think…
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