When I started out, I played by holding the pick between my thumb and middle fingers. That kind screwed me up for awhile, very hard to unlearn.

I taught myself, and acquired a few bad habits - but never got round to unlearning them. At least, not consciously. I either worked around them, made them work for me, or eventually lost them over time. I don't play as well now (not as fast anyway) as I might if I'd been taught properly - but I try not to care! :-)

(IOW, technical bad habits slow you down. But they don't make you a worse musician.)

Anyway, the trick is not to pick them up in the first place.
This means, when you find some technique strangely awkward, when you could (you're sure) do it a simpler way - don't! Look up as much advice as you can on the subject to check how universal that technique is, or what its purpose is. And if it seems important, if everyone talks about it - stick with it. Don't be tempted to go for the (apparently) easy option. It may be easy now, but (if it becomes a habit) it will hold you back later.

However, there are a lot of grey areas here. "Bad habits" in one kind of music are no problem in others. Many great players have what would be considered technical "bad habits" - although if pros do it, it's called "unorthodox technique", of course! :-)

This is why I say to check up with as many sources as possible about anything you're finding difficult. It may be that the easier way is fine - unorthodox possibly, but no drawback.

But the worst habit when teaching yourself is avoiding challenges. You work away practising the things you already find easiest - and you end up digging yourself into a narrow rut. Digging yourself out again is hard.
So you need to discipline yourself to make sure your practice is as broad and varied as you can make it. Always try to include something new - and don't give up when it's difficult. At the same time, don't punish yourself. :-)

I'd advise listening to the radio or TV, always trying to play along to whatever music happens to come out. Tune into stations you normally avoid; instead of wincing at that dreadful stuff, listen critically, analytically. Every kind of music has something to offer, something to teach you.

Time for my favourite Duke Ellington quote, again: "There's only two kinds of music: good and bad. I like both kinds."

JonR

I don't believe Ellington said he liked both kinds.

When I started I was always holding the pick with my thumb + first and middle finger. It didn't take too long for me to get out of but it was holding me back the whole time I was doing it and didn't even know it.

I also neglected to use my pinky finger. Don't not use your pinky finger! hehe.

Oh, and downstrokes with the pick... To me for the first year an upstroke wasn't even heard of! All downstrokes. Yeah, I was playing Slayer that way. hehehe. No wonder my arm always felt like rubber.

Don't buy a Fender if you're going to be using alot of distortion! Nobody likes to hear your amp squeallllllllllllllllll!!!!!! Best to stay away from the cheap crap they put on those. At least put a humbucker on it if you have to use one of those.

I am trying to unlearn the habit of being a really sucky guitarist

Umm, how about tensing up? Most of the time people do that unconsciously but it can affect your playing for sure. Paying attention to you neck, arm, shoulder, etc. Basically, try to be conscious of your whole body and what it's doing. Especially when first learning a song/chord sequence/whatever. Ideally, you want to make what you're practicing appear effortless. Better speed, fluidity, and smoother playing will result. Greater chance of avoiding injury, slso.

George

Good idea here Kris
Proper thumb placement on neck(not over the top)
Proper pick position(thumb and bent index finger)
No anchor for right hand(no pinky on top or heel)
not using your pinky enough(leading to paralyzed)
start SLOWLY the speed will come
Concentrate on good tone not speed
thats "good enough" is not good enough
play it right not close to right
Chet

Well, I used to learn without altenrate picking, but then it's really hard to unlearn that. and after I thought I knew the song, I had to learn it with alternate picking and that was really hard for me.

-Mikey Coons