Which guitarists strike the strings with a light touch?

Kuras

I've noticed that guitarists Brian Setzer, Angus Young, Tony Iommi, Robben Ford, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Billy Gibbons seem to have a lighter touch in their picking hand and don't hammer their strings as much.

Who else should I be paying attention to in this regard? It's fascinating (and challenging!) to try unlearning my dodgy technique by letting go of the tension in my shoulders and picking hand.

Any tips or thoughts on how to develop a lighter touch would be appreciated! I'm not trying to shred here, so it's not about scalloped necks. I use medium plectrums and 9s or 10s, and I'm interested in lightening my touch for cowboy chords as much as lead playing

stickyfiddle

Brian May. 8 gauge strings on a 24” scale and with a floating trem. There’s no way to make that work unless you’re incredible gentle with the right hand 

LionAquaLooper

Allan Holdsworth.
Don't just take it from me. Satriani, Beato and Vai said it.  Watch 34:35 onwards where they talk about it.

Winny_Pooh

Do you play unplugged electrical alot? Plug in? 

You can also lessen tension with posture, dropping tense shoulders and lifting your guitar higher up on the strap.

Kuras

Winny_Pooh said:

Do you play unplugged electrical alot? Plug in? 

You can also lessen tension with posture, dropping tense shoulders and lifting your guitar higher up on the strap.

Mostly unplugged. Could this be the problem? As I’m playing harder to project and for volume?

GuyBoden

As part of your practice routine for a few weeks, play using your fretting hand only, no picking.

Feel/find the least amount of pressure needed to fret each note, no picking.

DNH

I think playing unplugged can encourage you to pick harder than normal. I suggest plugging in and turning your amp to where it is slightly uncomfortably loud - then see if you can adjust your picking to compensate. Also good for learning to play with dynamics. (I am guilty of this too TBH, so should practice what I preach!)

CaseOfAce

I wonder how much of that lighter touch those guys have developed is in some way related to the insane stage volumes they play at. 

When you are in that environment it makes sense to use light and shade touch to accent dynamics.

Barney

Might sound daft but have you tried using a heavy pick ..it can actually do the opposite to what you would think .......other alternative is play when TV is on and your wife or partner is watching it ..they will soon teach you how to pick lighter

GuyBoden

GuyBoden said:

As part of your practice routine for a few weeks, play using your fretting hand only, no picking.

Feel/find the least amount of pressure needed to fret each note, no picking.

After a few weeks fretting notes only and finding the least amount of pressure needed.

Spend a few weeks of your practice time picking open strings with the least amount of attack needed. (No fretting notes)

sweepy

I see a lot of players who fret way too heavily, picking, however is a volume control and only chokes out when over-picked.  Once you get your fretting hand sorted a great exercise is to pick a note from virtual inaudibility to the point it flattens out and compresses 

Danny1969

You can send a string sharp by picking it too hard, especially the lower strings. One trick I picke up from watching EVH is pick nearer the bridge for a lighter touch on low strings 

Hoof

Most metal players have a very light touch (usually using quite heavy picks) to avoid using insanely heavy strings for dropped tunings. It's probably the most important thing to master when trying to improve speed and accuracy. Think of the technique required to play Meshuggah's Bleed as an example.

theatreanchor

Josh Homme. 

Lestratcaster

I should probably try to pick a bit lighter, I play very aggressively and can sometimes make strings go sharp because of it (sometimes breaking strings lol).

Lewy

Kuras said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Do you play unplugged electrical alot? Plug in? 

You can also lessen tension with posture, dropping tense shoulders and lifting your guitar higher up on the strap.

Mostly unplugged. Could this be the problem? As I’m playing harder to project and for volume?

Yes, definitely. Plug in and practice with the amount of gain you actually intend to play with. You’ll be amazed at how much you can lighten up compared to playing unplugged.

allen

The advice to turn your amp up loud seems good to me. 

It helps with other things too (but only my personal theory). 

I have spent many years playing electric guitars unplugged and I think it’s one of the things that has held me back. 

It always seemed to me that Michael Caswell had a very light touch. 

RocknRollDave

All the good ones.

Yorkie

Anyone playing a lighter gauge will probably use a softer touch in order to avoid buzz.
Angus, Gibbons, Knopfler... those all use 8s or 9s as far as I know. 

carlos

Creed_Clicks

I suppose a lighter touch with light gauge strings leads to no string breaks. I play lightly most of the time, even on bass.