Rick Beato Believes Excessive Phone Scrolling May Affect "Downpicking Like James Hetfield"

Music producer, educator, and well-known YouTube personality Rick Beato recently shared an unexpected theory about why he can no longer perform aggressive downpicking the way James Hetfield from Metallica does.

According to Beato, the reason might be connected to a modern habit that almost everyone has — constantly scrolling on a smartphone.

He suggests that the repeated movement of the thumb used to swipe across phone screens may affect the basal joint of the thumb, which is also heavily involved when holding and controlling a guitar pick.

The Most Powerful Picking Hand in Metal

When discussing the most powerful and relentless picking hand in metal music, the name James Hetfield almost always comes up.

The Metallica frontman has built a legendary reputation for his intense downpicking technique, where every pick attack is executed with a downward motion.

Even in his sixties, James Hetfield continues to demonstrate remarkable precision and stamina during live performances.

Playing eighth-note downstrokes at 215 beats per minute for long sections of songs is something that very few guitarists can sustain. It becomes even more impressive when you consider that Metallica concerts often feature setlists lasting close to two hours.

Maintaining this technique requires not only excellent timing but also serious physical conditioning in the forearm muscles. Only strong and well-trained muscles can endure the constant stress created by relentless downpicking.

Rick Beato’s Surprising Explanation

During a recent interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Rick Beato spoke about his own experience and explained why his downpicking ability has declined compared to earlier years.

While watching James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett perform, he realized how demanding that playing style really is.

As Beato explained:

“James and Kirk — that downpicking… I used to be able to do that! But now I just cannot do it anymore. My thumb starts to hurt.”

He said he spent a long time trying to understand why the movement had suddenly become painful.

“I honestly thought about it a lot. I kept asking myself: why is it so painful, why is it so difficult now? And I started to think that it might actually come from swiping on phones with your thumb.”

According to Rick Beato, the constant thumb movement involved in smartphone use may be affecting the basal thumb joint, which plays an important role when controlling a guitar pick.

Could Smartphones Affect Guitar Technique?

Although the idea might sound unusual at first, Beato believes there could be some truth behind it.

“I’m completely serious,” he said. “I actually think there is something to that. I keep wondering why it hurts so much when I try to do all those downstrokes. There has to be some reason — and maybe it’s from constantly swiping on a phone.”

The theory has sparked interesting discussions among guitarists. Many players have noticed tension or discomfort in the thumb joint when performing fast thrash metal riffs, especially after extended playing sessions.

It raises an interesting question: have you ever experienced pain in your thumb joint when attempting aggressive downpicking? Perhaps endless scrolling through social media platforms like TikTok might also play a role.

Even Legends Find Some Songs Challenging

Despite his legendary status and technique, James Hetfield has admitted that certain Metallica songs can still be challenging to perform live.

Speaking earlier this year on the band’s official podcast The Metallica Report, he explained that every member of the band has specific songs that require extra effort.

“We all have certain songs that are a little more difficult,” said James Hetfield. “For example, Moth Into Flame and Master of Puppets. Sometimes you play them and think, ‘Wow, those are actually pretty tough.’ I’m sure Lars Ulrich has his own list as well.”

At the same time, the frontman emphasized that the members of Metallica always support each other on stage.

“But we push through it. We help each other and keep going.”