Marty Friedman on his picking style: “I’ve made my living from people asking me how my right hand works”
“the only thing that matters is note choice and interpretation.”
Image: Rick Beato on YouTube
Ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman has addressed his unconventional picking style in a new interview with producer and YouTuber Rick Beato.
The guitarist has caused much discussion over the years with his picking style, which sees his right hand held at an angle, which he has previously explained as being “almost upside down”.
In a new interview with Rick Beato, who he previously spent a lot of time around during his time in Megadeth, the guitarist further explained why an unconventional picking method shouldn’t matter, as long as it works for the person playing.
“The true answer is it doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is note choice and interpretation, and what happened before and after, and what’s going under and over – that’s all that matters.
“How it [the sound of your guitar] gets out there, [and] however you get it out there isn’t anybody’s business. But I’ve made my living from people asking me how my right hand works,” He laughed.
“And I honestly don’t know ‘cause it’s been that way forever, but what I can say is I don’t like the sound of muted notes, so if you have your right hand like say I do… [he plays a lick] it’s all clear, you know? It’s different.”
Friedman continued, “You interpret the notes, and by keeping my hand this way I’m letting the string ring to its fullest, and then you get to hear more of the pitch, more of the intended note and everything.”
You can watch the full interview below:
Friedman has just wrapped up a stint of shows that ran through March to Mid April. You can keep your eye on his website for future announcements at MartyFriedman.com.