Perfect Picking™ is the ONLY System Proven to Help All Players Improve Speed and Accuracy
While Reducing Tension and Pain (Regardless of Skill or Experience Level)
Perfect Picking™ isn’t just another “play faster” technique...
It’s a method rooted in science, built from the ground up to break through the limits that leave most guitarists stuck or struggling with pain and tension.
It works by combining the scientific research from the realms of neuroscience, physiology, attentional focus, and time-tested classical pedagogy into one easy to execute method that any guitar player can use to improve the efficiency, speed and accuracy of their picking.
Instead of forcing yourself to “just relax”, “try harder”, or play endless (and useless) “magic exercises”... Perfect Picking leverages how every brain naturally learns to help you lock in the optimal picking motion, making fast, clean picking feel second nature.
And because it leverages these principles… It works for every single player. Whether they already play faster than me or have been playing literally 30 years longer than me. :-)
A limited number of Beta Seats are available with the code "PP49".
- Matt
CURRICULUM
“It is not the quantity of knowledge that matters, but the quality. Some knowledge can change people’s lives, while more information can overwhelm and confuse.”
— Socrates
MODULE 1 - FOUNDATIONS
Module 1 will reveal the mechanisms that make Perfect Picking work as well as explain the specifics of the optimal picking motion.
Knowing these principles will motivate you because you'll learn why you've been stuck for so long, how the brain forms motion patterns, and most importantly, how we can "interrupt" that process to get the picking hands to do exactly what we want it to do.
Module 1 also covers prerequisites to make sure all students are on the exact same page about picks, pick grip, and the position of the guitar.
13 videos
1 hour and 38 minutes
MODULE 2 - CORE EXERCISES
Module 2 is a highly interactive module where you'll play along with me through the Perfect Picking Core Warmups. These exercises will help you quickly overhaul your picking technique, unlock your wrist, and build speed.
The Core Warmups closes with a method that will rewire your brain to stop your body from activating muscles that aren't essential to your picking motion and optimize the activation level of ones that are. That means you can play faster, longer, and without pain
After that, there are a series of "Swiss Army Knife" exercises you can use to troubleshoot specific problems with your picking motion.
This module also introduces the "Plateau Breaker" exercises you can use to break speed barriers with songs.
8 videos
1 hour and 3 minutes
MODULE 3 - MULTI-STRING FOCUS
Module 3 explains how to expand your Perfect Picking motion to multiple strings as well as introduces a number of new exercises that will help you troubleshoot all 8 possible kinds of string changes. Mastery of these individual elements will enable you to play almost anything imaginable.
Module 3 also explains the final stages of building your speed to as high as it can go.
9 videos
46 minutes
Module 4 - Speed Practice Strategies
While other modules are focused on building speed, Module 4 is focused on building speed and accuracy in the context of music. Instead of exercises, Speed Practice Strategies reveals approaches you can apply to any music.
These insights will completely solve the "slow practice vs. fast practice" debate and reveal what's going on inside your brain that locks you into slow playing... And how to avoid it.
2 videos
15 minutes
MODULE 4 - OTHER LESSONS
Module 4 includes instruction on fast, repeated downpicking, a bonus interview from neuroscientist Dr. Chris Lee analyzing guitar player's movements, a scientific reference, an informative video about starting age and brain development, as well as a master index of other lessons.
This is where I put all of the bonus goodies that I feel you need to know, but aren't necessarily specific to speed and picking motion.
What People Have to Say
"I just wanted to give you some feedback on your Perfect Picking course, as I have now been practicing it for around 6 weeks and feel my experience is now enough to form some useful comment with.
I have been learning to play the guitar for around 15 months, with no prior music experience, and I believe that Perfect Picking is one of the most important things I've undertaken in my journey with this instrument thus far.
After 6 weeks my progress is as follows:
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Eliminated rotational movement (where inappropriate) from my picking (this was, I think, the main issue I was facing)
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Vastly reduced the size of my picking motion (this was a big issue for me).
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Notable increase in the speed and ease of outside picking (I was very slow and clumsy with this).
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Large decrease in unnecessary tension and a greater feeling of relaxation while playing, especially when pushing towards my limits.
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Massively more accurate picking with much greater ease than before.
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Elimination of choppy/swung sounding 16th notes at higher tempos.
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General feeling of comfort with picking, which always felt slightly awkward (hence my seeking out this course).
- Although I have never used arm picking (and can't even force myself to do it), doing the 3-4s speed bursts rather than traditional bursts has made me very comfortable with playing fast triplets.
These improvements have translated to:
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Single string 16th note comfortable speed before Perfect Picking: 120 bpm
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Single string 16th note comfortable speed today: 155 bpm (2.33 NPS / 29.13% increase)
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Single string 16th note "Try hard" speed before Perfect Picking: 150 bpm
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Single string 16th note "Try hard" speed today: 180 bpm (2 NPS / 20% increase)
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Multi string scale/lick playing all 16th notes comfortable speed before Perfect Picking: 50 BPM
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Multi string scale/lick playing all 16tth notes comfortable speed now: 65 BPM (1 NPS / 30% increase)
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Multi String scale/lick playing all 16th notes "Try hard" speed before Perfect Picking: 60 BPM
- Multi String scale/lick playing all 16th notes "Try hard" speed now: 80 BPM (1.33 NPS / 33.25% increase)
As you can see, the improvements made in just this short time, having only practiced the core exercises in module 2 so far, are significant to say the least.
I'm still seeing marked improvement every day and, after assessment of my wrist movement speed without a guitar, believe I can eventually hit the 200-210 BPM area on a single string with just these efficiency improvements, before ever doing any raw speed work. I also believe I would be nowhere near this rate of improvement without your guidance.
With regard to the structure of the course and the content presented, I've found it to be extremely clear, concise, and easy to understand. I deeply appreciate your explanation of the reasoning behind all your exercises and the "assume nothing" approach; I haven't been left thinking "what?" at any point due to this.
As much as I would like to provide some constructive criticism, I cannot find anything I've seen so far from the course to level it at. It's unusual to find something that suits you 100%, but I think Perfect Picking is as close to perfect for me as possible. I'm looking forward to getting into the next modules and the multi-string focused portion.
Many thanks for creating the course!"
P. C.
"I’ve been playing guitar for 16 years and attended Berklee… Matt pointed out that I had been holding some unnecessary tension and showed me how to resolve it immediately.
The last few months I've been trying to rebuild my technique after a serious accident last year, and my usual methods weren't working as well as they used it.
I highly recommend Perfect Picking to anyone who wants to take their technique, specifically speed and accuracy to the next level."
Zach Seif
Berklee Grad, Ever After Band
"Matt has given more thought to picking in 5 years on the guitar than I’ve given it in 25 years.”
Chris Zoupa
Teramaze
"Turns out an old dog can learn new tricks! Even though I’ve been playing guitar 3x longer than Matt, Perfect Picking made the licks and runs I’ve been playing for decades faster, cleaner, and more efficient in basically 10 days of working on it… And I’m not even having to “think” about “doing it right”. It just happens automatically.”
Jared L
Veteran guitarist
"Matt has not only discovered the extremely nuanced way of optimizing your picking technique for speed, articulation, tension-release, and string skipping applications but he’s amazing at honing in on all the little faults and areas of inefficiency that are keeping you from mastering this process and shredding like the beast you’ve always wanted to be!
I can’t recommend his program and teaching enough. When you realize the correct way to play at these blazing speeds, you’ll kick yourself for not getting there sooner!”
Matt L.
Karmacode band
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I play (INSERT GENRE HERE). Will I benefit from this course?
Yes. The approach taught inside of Perfect Picking™ is universal.
Second, the approach taught inside of Perfect Picking™ is not meant to be used in every music situation all of the time. That would be the same as trying to use a hammer to try to turn a nut.
Perfect Picking solely and specifically addresses fast, constant, alternate picking.
Is there be a community?
Yes. For now, we are using Facebook. You will need a Facebook account to access the group. There, you can post videos and get help from me.
What if I have REALLY bad habits?
Yes. This will still work for you.
Because Perfect Picking™ is based on neuroscience, it will help you immediately know and correct when you are not performing the technique correctly. This is why most students see a dramatic change in their picking form within about 2 weeks.
Depending on where you are starting it may take a little longer, but with consistent practice, anything is possible!
I believe in you.
How long do I have access to the course for
You have access to the material forever!
And, if I ever decide to take the course offline for some reason, all paid-up members will be offered a direct download of the course.*
*Direct downloads of the course are not otherwise offered and are strictly forbidden.
More info can be found in our Terms of Use.
Do I need anything else? (Materials)
Yes, but it's not much.
1. You need a guitar (obviously).
2. And you need a capo.
3. A kitchen timer is highly recommended.
4. A small, freestanding hand mirror is also recommended, but a selfie cam on a phone works too.
5. A journal is also highly recommended so you can keep track of your progress and write down your own breakthroughs.
6. Guitar Pro is helpful for practicing music, but is not required at all for the course.
If you only got one thing off the list, get a capo.
FOCUS is paramount and the phone is generally a distraction which is why I recommend standalone tools.
How long is the course?
The entirety of the course material is under 3 hours long.
Most course videos are interactive, easy to absorb videos that run ~5-10 minutes.
The first part of the course is a 1-hour intro to the concepts that power Perfect Picking, split up into a few different sections.
The Core Warmups video is 20-minutes long and it's a play-along video.
You will not be left staring at your computer like a bored zombie absorbing technical information...
Instead, you'll be watching, and then playing along with me while I guide you through each exercise.
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Contrary to popular belief, more is NOT better. Teaching that is effective and well-thought-out should be concise. The student receives no benefits from me blathering on for X hours.
How long does it take to see results?
Most students see significant changes in their EFFICIENCY within 2 weeks of practice, for 20-minutes per day, 4-5 days per week.
You will see significant gains in your SPEED within 2-3 months of focused effort.
Efficiency = how you move
Speed = how fast you move
Together = Your full picking potential
20-minutes per day is sufficient to get the "easy wins" out of your picking technique.
After mastering the movement, I recommend expanding the practice routine to ~60 minutes to reach what I call your "breaking point" as often as you can.
How is this different than Troy Grady / Cracking the Code?
Troy has made a tremendous and positive impact to the guitar community and I certainly borrow some of his concepts in my teaching.
However, Troy encourages students to "do what's natural" and offers multiple learning paths to the student. This is a bad idea.
First — It necessarily assumes that whatever the student does naturally is the technique they have the most potential with. This is false. Imagine if we dropped a breaststroke swimmer in the water with the freestyle swimmers. The freestyle swimmers will win every race because they have a superior technique.
Second — It assumes that the student knows what's wrong and is able to troubleshoot their technique. However, by offering multiple learning paths, the student is left confused and overwhelmed.
Perfect Picking™ relies on teaching one, highly specific method that is built from the ground up to be as efficient as possible.
That means that there is a static reference point from which to compare your technique.
This enables the student to troubleshoot effectively on their own.
Is there a guarantee? / What if I want a refund?
For subscriptions or payment plans, no refunds are given for the first month. If you’re billed for a second month and wish to cancel, you have 3 days to request a refund. No refunds are provided for forgetting to cancel. Otherwise, see the policy for full-payment purchases.
For full-payment purchases, we offer a conditional refund. Email me with your problem. I will give you a free session and if we find something that isn't covered in the course, we will add it to the course for all to benefit. If I can't solve your problem, then we will offer a refund.
EU and UK users can request a refund within 14 days, according to local laws. All other users follow the general policy above.
Contact info, the Facebook group, and an obvious link to the Self-Billing portal are provided on the "Home" page of the course.
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