Guitar Gimmicks - PYKMAX - Improve Your Picking Technique 

HEY YOU! Thanks for watching!

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on 2006 and since then, I've been slowly losing all. the feeling and motor control in my right hand. This has meant endless dropped picks due to the fact I simply can't tell where I'm holding it, how my hand is moving and if I'm actually in the right place to play what I want. Having something fixed like this could be an absolute blessing for me, so thanks Ola for demoing this. I'm definitely going to be getting one!

Anyone notice how different it sounds him holding the pick the 'right' way to how he usually sounds. The classic Ola chug sound goes away when he uses the pykmax

It’s a strap on for your picking hand

I don’t know.... If you look at Troy Grady’s research on picking, there seems to be many “right” ways to pick. I think a standardization of technique actually will kill what innovation the guitar has left as an instrument. Gave you a like anyway...lol. If a person wants to change their technique, fine. Your picking may hold you back in some ways, but it may contribute to your tone, say. As long as your technique is physically healthy, I say go for it. Instruments like violin have physical constraints that limit proper technique to a standard. One of the reasons the guitar is so flexible is that you can play it in a variety of ways.

I think it also could help guitar players with some kind of disabillity

That's a super-cool Fender. I always love seeing you play it.

As someone who is entirely self taught, as long as you can tremolo pick and cross pick who cares what your technique is. For example Marty Friedman, dude has the weirdest picking technique but is an absolute world class guitarist.

Thanks Ola! Literally just what I needed right now. Am a newer guitar player, and biggest thing I've been struggling with is figuring out how I like to hold the pick haha, hopefully this helps

Heaviest strat tone EVER! I always hear that dimebag influence when you're riffing. Love it

Ola: "i have a wierd picking technique" Me: picks exactly the same way

This is a really great review. My index finger was amputated and I’ve been thinking trying one of these to try helping my technique out, definitely have to check one out!

The way you pick sounds amazing for upstrokes it is a huge part of your sound imo

Actually, since it holds the pick, it would definitely help with dropping the pick on stage.

I have nerve issues with my right arm due to a failed disc, and I got one of those a while ago. It's fantastic. I don't use it all the time, but when I have flare ups and a couple of my fingers go numb I can use that to keep my alignment and also reset it when I find myself dragging my thumb across the strings. It helped a ton when I had lessons and my instructor has some weird technique with what appears to be a hyperextended/double-jointed thumb tip, and I couldn't figure out if I was even holding the pick right. A lot of videos with lifelong guitar players seem to surface where the players with close-ups of the playing have similar backward thumb extension. So, this helps. :-)

Love that Strat! Great video and playing, Ola!

Great vid, Ola! Cool tool, seems pretty beneficial - may have to get one!

I'm happy that you got Fender strat you wanted. It looks and sounds awesome!

This is the best tone i heard from any of guitars you played so far.

Ola, I absolutely love that strat of yours!

For years I used to pick, gripping with my middle finger . Until Fast Eddie Clarke from Motorhead moved in next door to my mums house and eventually showed me the way 😎 Couldn't believe it!

I’m a believer in the idea that a person’s tone goes beyond just gear and also has to do with their fingers and how they pick or pluck the strings. I think this is a nice tool for any who would want to use it or are struggling, but on the other side I think too many people sound the same already. Lol. Variety is the spice of life. 🤘

Definitely a cool little tool to add to practice. Also the strat sounds massive. Love it.

Marty Friedman laughs hysterically at this. Edit If you want to learn his technique you'll need a hammer and a crowbar.

Stora mästarehälsningar från Brasilien. The haunted with you are amazing. Keep Exit Wounds alive. And Str...numbers is killer

Nice little thing. I started taking lessons again after over a decade, and my instructor did also tell me my picking technique isn’t “correct,” but I found the standard way to hold it so foreign and I almost couldn’t keep up. I recently discovered though that it’s the same way Herman Li from Dragonforce and even Tosin Abasi hold their picks, how the thumb isn’t straight but bent in a bit. So my way has been validated. But this thing help me fine tune it a bit. Excellent share!

I’ve been using the pykmax when I play electric guitar for a few years now. It gets rid of the discomfort I experience in my index finger. I’m glad I discovered it.

I have tendinitis in my right wrist. When it is really bothering me, I use this to help relive the pressure. Esp for acoustic gigs when it is really acting up. So glad you have that strat, what a beauty.

Hello Ola! I have a weird obsession of writing in swedish, but maybe with London accent. Just discribed to Your channel...been stalking for years, so now I thought...what a heck. You have to pay Your house and kids hobbies also, so it's a little what I can do. I have on Solar, ordered the A2.6 TBR, and now I have 3 Solars at my basket! What the hell! And I do play RR-style guitars in my bands...but still. Maybe one for my son. But keep on going, and taking my money with new cool looks of Solars. Hälsningar från så kära granne Finland!

I was just thinking about how my self taught picking has slowed my process for years. It’s like learning all over again.

These picks are amazing for bass when u use one of these on the bass you can pick, finger, tap, and slap your way outta anything

Marty Friedman has a weird right hand technique but sounds like nobody else

I never noticed my own picking style until you mentioned this once before.I don't angle my pick like you but I hit the strings at an angle sometimes rather than 90 degree strum it gives slightly less resistance to play faster. There are some rhythms that I actually use lighter pick for , for some reason when I play TheTrooper I always shatter tip of pick lol. I like .5 pick mostly or cool pick when I go lighter cause I like that grip feature it has

Wow I pick exactly the same as you ola and have come across the same issues especially with fast alternate picking and sweeping clarity. This actually may be a useful product.

Thanks Ola Happy new year

And congratulations on that Strat. Sounds incredible.

Cool gear vid' as always 🤘 There's a slight volume/mid tone boost with the Pykmax, most likely the additional mass imho.

I have hand issues and this product has worked pretty well so far to allow me to have a better grip on the pick

I grew up playing backward-slant as well as my natural pick position. I've never been big on sweep picking short of "circular", 3-note/string crossing technique. I've had to go back and learn to angle the pick forward for certain licks/phrasing. Will I ever be Michael Angelo-forward pick-shred fast? Nope. I just use what works. I may check this thing out for my boys as players starting out. Thanks for the vid Ola and all the best from the Bay Area. MK

Hey Ola! A little anecdote from my side: I started exactly the same way as you. I was holding the pick backwards, because it felt like I could play faster. And I was right at some point but other techniques suffered from it. I didn't had a teacher at that time so I checked tutorials/videos etc. on how to hold it correctly. How I fixed it? Well, I was on a busines trip and at that time I took my guitar everywhere with me, if I was away from home for more than a few days. And after work, I locked myself in the hotelroom and played "dry" for hours non-stop, just to make the new unnatural feeling a natural thing. The PYKMAX might have helped me at that time but I got it with patience and endurance. I also have a question for your FAQs (or Q&As? :P): I struggle a little bit with the main riff of "Cowboys from Hell". I play it the original way with the A5 powercord (E - G - E - G, A5 - G - A5 - G) and not the popular single note version around the 3rd and 5th fret. I lack some speed on my fretting hand and I feel getting tired pretty fast. Beside keep on practicing: are there excercieses or other things you would recommend for tackling such problems? Anyways, great videos/content. I enjoy your uploads a lot!

The strat sounds absolutely killer... That surprised me, considering the type of tones Ola is tweaking!

I hold the pick the same way. I think it's makes your original and your tone sounds Great,doing that Awesome videos.

I've really struggled with my picking, the product might help me. Thanks Ola

That strat is your best bro. In my opinion. Class and tone for miles. Nooooiiiiccccee

That strat looks and sounds so awesome. Also I’m already used to the new office! So it through me off for a second.

So it looks like Ola ended up buying that strat he was trying out in his birthday guitar shopping video!!

Ola is the man! He inspires me to up my game in my own playing and RU-vid channel, thank you so much! I used to have a weird technique too and actually changed it to standard over time.

I actually hold it upright when standing up and down when sitting down. I thought I would be holding it "normal" later on but never changed so I just stayed with that form, haven't noticed yours lmao, nice to know it isn't actually "wrong"

That back angle on ola’s picking technique is probably the reason his sound is so metallic

I pick the same way as you Ola. For me i think it was a shortcut to get faster downpicking and galloping chops. Angled pick gives less resistance and i find the alternate picking a huge hassle. I will test one of those and see if it can conquer muscle memory. A good evening to you all.

Nice strat ! Killer tone !

You literally have the exact same picking technique I had for the first 9 or 10 years of my playing I think! So i know what you mean with the alternate picking, I forced myself to hold it the "proper" way in the end just so I could improve my alternate picking.

that’s so cool! i’d love to try one

Not a Fender Strat sound fan. But i can't believe how great that bridge pickup sounds! Love it! Nice purchase!

Troy Grady has shown us that great picking can be achieved in a multitude of configurations. I can’t say this will be the solution for everyone but, the best thing I’ve found to help me play a passage the way I want to, is to close my eyes and feel my way through the picking motion and forcing my hands to make corrections on their own instead of my eyes helping guide them. I worry less about every detail on the mechanics of the technique and let my hands figure it out. I just try and stay focused on eliminating tension , and trying to be as economical with the movements as possible, making sure I’m connected to the pulse and no matter if it’s a lead or riff section, learning to groove it all the same. We always hear “practice slow” but more or less the phrase might work better if we think of it as “practice in slow motion”, as if someone took a clip of you playing it and slowed it down . You only need to fret hard enough to make the string make contact with the fret. You’re fingers will tell you when they are ready to go faster, give them the chance to. Lastly learn to think faster than what you are playing, and listen to the music you are learning at faster and slower tempos, it’ll give you a more detailed picture of what you are learning.

Very interesting to discover as a future physiotherapist for musicians

Ola, you’re my long lost little brother! I have the exact pick pick attack as you. When I started in the 80’s, I didn’t have the resources the kids have today. I had a few people tell me that I was holding the pick wrong. But like you, I said “fuck you” this works for me! I put the guitar down for almost 30 years. Just picked it back up. I still use the reverse attack. It gives you the best chugs ever! You can’t replicate that chug with a “standard” attack. But like you, I’ve run into obstacles. Solo alternate runs, sweeping, etc. I’ve been trying to make it work. But I also favor upstrokes as a result of my reverse attack. And considering 99% of guitarists have a “standard” attack, that means everything is backwards for me. So it takes me twice as long to figure out a picking pattern as a result. Not very efficient. You are right. This device will look absolutely silly to most guitar players. But for guys like us, it could be a very useful tool. I am trying like hell to adopt a standard pick grip and attack. But relearning everything you know is a daunting task. I’ve even committed to using only a standard pick attack for weeks at a time. But then I start missing my “chugs”. So my hope is to become proficient at both. Reverse attack on the EAD strings and moving into a standard attack as I move towards the floor GBE strings. This may just compound my problem. But my stubborn Germanic attitude once again says “fuck you” , sometimes too a fault. I want to thank you for this video. I know it doesn’t speak to everyone. But it certainly spoke to me. 🤘🏻

I angle my pick backward as well. I chose it early on because it achieved greater string grind, making riffs heavier without needing more gain. I do switch to forward tilt when playing higher strings, though.

i have the tosin abasi style, 90 degree, hitch hiker's thumb. i've always held my pick "mirrored" in a way kind of similar to the way ola is holding his normally. with the textbook pick holding posture, i also notice some things are easier, and harder. i suggest to all players to try all angles, even a parallel pick-to-string angle, when learning techniques or just jamming around. this goes for anything though, not just picking. fretting also has a lot of stigma around "proper" technique, and there's many ways to get many different tones using different strengths or angles of engagement. play around with all aspects of playing, and you'll find "your way". the best part is that you can always adapt "your way" in the future. you have no reason to stick with it, just as you have no reason to change it. art is a wonderful thing.

pretty crazy how much of a tone difference there is between the 2 ways Ola holds the pick.

That tone sounds amazing

Love that fender!!

Hey Ola that guitar sounds excellent. I love that guitar.

hey Ola, what is the bridge pickup in your fender? that guitar seems to play great, is this guitar inspire you to play differently than your solar? i always enjoy your faq, keep up the good work!

Dude,your metaphors crack me up!!!

Good timing on this video. I hold my pick almost perpendicular to the strings that's worked for years but now I'm improving my playing I'm finding it to be kinda troublesome and makes a lot of unnecessary pick scrape noise when alternate chugging. I might give this shot after I write this. PRaiSe tO OLA

I was blown away by how much better the tone sounds with the “correct” technique

I have really sweaty fuckin' hands and I drop my picks all the time when I'm strumming really hard or trem picking. This could be a game changer for me! Thanks Ola!

Cool! I tested the early version and the one thing it was missing was that you could add your pick in it. It only had the default pick and it couldn't be switched.

It makes me happy whenever I see medal gods shredding on an HSS strat :)

There are pros and cons for how you play vs the conventional way. I had a friend that played like you...it gives you really good percussive definition, thanks to a large arc of pick attack to the string. Whereas, the conventional way is easier to control for intricate maneuvering. Do both!

this guitar is so sick! it sounds so great

Nice video Ola! I agree that a tool like this is not for everyone but it can help many people if you think that guitar is the 2nd most played instrument in the world! Check out the Performaxe, it's a leg rest for electric guitar made by one friend of mine and can be helpful to solve some posture problems on certain people!

Can you imagine Yngwie using these, having 50 of them clipped up and down his mic stand and kicking them at the audience 100 times a show?

As a corrective tool, if someone wants to use the "correct" form of right hand technique, this will work wonders. But yeah like Ola said, it is not for everyone, only for some.

Hey Ola, absolutely killer tone! what setup are you playing through? Cheers from Australia

Hey Ola, thanks for the review of this. I recently picked up guitar again since playing on and off for 13 years. I pick just like you do and always have playing mostly fast rhythm death metal and thrash. Since starting again I really want to start learning neoclassical shred which uses a lot of downward pick slanting like Troy Grady teaches. So I’m at a crossroads, should I learn to change my technique with something like this for all my picking? If i even try to do triplets or fast chugging (with downward pickslanting) on the low E, my pick constantly catches and slows me down but if i try and combine both I lose picking control switching from my normal technique to downward pickslanting.

I'm no pro, but messing around with pick technique at the moment. I just bought Dunlop Jazz III picks, because they're smaller and force you to hold it closer. I found that "correct hold" makes me faster and tighter in chugs, as well as it anchors more accurately. Added bonus is that the jazz III are carbon fibre and bite the strings aggressively. Of course, for me it's easier to relearn a technique than it is for a pro. I have a day job and don't rely on nailing things to eat 😂

This is actually really cool! I find the majority of my students take 1 to 2 weeks to get used to a good posture without this tool, but there’s still a small percentage that still go back to old habits. I feel Pykmax would force them in a good way!

JImmy Hendrix Picked that way, and me when i started playing used to play like that aswell, but i couldn't do pinch harmonics, so basicaly that was the reason to change the way i hold the guitar pick :D

Love your work. Could you please do a best of review for BEST wireless set up?? Please 🤘☠️🤘

I think I am the perfect candidate for this little thing. Been playing for over 25 years and I 've broken my right wrist twice and my forth finger on the same hand once. I' ve lost pretty much all sense of my three fingertips. I need really good warmup to start having total control of my pick, I tend to squeeze the shit out of it when I am cold. This could be helpful....

every sound this man is producing on his guitar is very badass and awesome

Man that Strat sound damn good... what pickup do you have in the bridge position?

Saw video, 2 minutes later check out on amazon. Thank you

We have the same technique and hurdles lol I knew what you were gonna say before you did 😂

Ola! This morning you say your grip technique is odd, when I looked down at my right hand I discovered that I also have a backwards slant😃 neat! Ha! Anyways. Thanks for brightening up my morning mister, you're the bee's knees 😎

Oh shit, i never noticed that! Hahaha i pick the same way as you Ola and I'm also kinda stubborn about it. I have tried to correct it many times but always go back to my original picking style just because it's more comfortable and it's just the way i learned

If you listen the treble in the attack of the pick angle at the beginning of the video is greater angled forwaed rather than backwards. But MEH I hold my pick with thumb index and middle finger. Greater control especially when using all down fast muting.

I didn't realize I was doing it wrong....I roll my pick backwards like you Ola, always have, just how I learned....own my own of course lol.

Your video proves that whatever the guitar you use you can play Metal, for as long as it has an humbucker close to the bridge and the right amount of distortion.

Seems like a good thing for people who drop the pick all the time. Or maybe to help with easing muscle strain in the hand and wrist.

Great video!

I just bought this due to my thumb nail getting in the way of the pick, leading to a ton of joint pain and high probability of me dropping the pick. This will force me out of my old picking technique into one compatible with nails.

Someone give this to Willie Adler from Lamb of God.

I hold the pick like you Ola, and never had problems in fast downpicking. I believe downpicking is easier when I hold my pick like that.

It will help if you struggle too keep holding the pick without dropping it, keep it facing the right way without it rotating and maybe help if you are often gripping the pick too tightly...

Don't be a robot my friend! The way you hold your pick is how your tone is yours. It's your way. Own it. And give me an autographed poster of you. Much love man

I NEED ONE OF THOSE!!!

I must say, the Strat is looking killer!!