Creating A Forum Critique

You can also get feedback on your playing from community members on the forum, in the “Technique Critique” section.

If you don’t have a membership, or would simply like to share clips of your playing for discussion with other players aside from Cracking the Code instructors, the Technique Critique section of our forum has you covered. By creating a thread with a link to a publicly viewable YouTube or Instagram video, you can get constructive feedback from other members of the Cracking the Code community, and everyone can collectively get better at demystifying our own playing.

First Steps

The Technique Critique process works best after you’ve gone through the introductory steps in the Pickslanting Primer, including the table tap tests, tremolo tests, and the process for identifying your joint motion and escape. This will give you the basic terminology you need to ask really clear questions using language everyone will understand.

Please be as specific as possible. If you just ask us to “analyze” your playing, it’s hard to know what kind of feedback you want. Instead, show us a short video of something you are already working on, and include specific questions about the help you need.

Filming Your Video

Including a short video of your playing in your forum post is really the only way to know what is going on. Once you’ve got your camera ready to go, here are the most important guidelines to follow:

  • Keep your video short — 20 to 40 seconds is a good ballpark
  • If possible, please include regular speed and slow motion, not just one or the other
  • Try to film from two angles: a “down the strings” angle, so the pick/string contact is visible, and a front-facing “audience perspective” angle
  • Use plenty of light, and avoid shadows, so we can see what’s going on
  • Don’t narrate the video; instead, include questions and comments in the forum post itself, to make it easier for readers to respond in writing to each point

For more details and photos of good camera setup, see the following help page for pointers on filming technique critique videos:

Filming Your Playing

Tips for getting a good look at your technique

 

Linking To Your Video

To share your video on the forum, upload the video to YouTube or another video sharing site. Make sure the video is public or unlisted — private videos won’t load on the forum.

When you create your post, please do NOT use the ‘link’ button in the forum editor. Instead, just paste the link to the video on its own line, with a blank line before and after it, like this:

That’s it! Forum members and even Cracking the Code instructors may stop by and offer guidance. For guaranteed feedback from instructors, and to create a more organized case history that you can use to track your progress, consider creating a platform Technique Critique.