Why aren't you supposed to use your arm when you alternate pick?


Poontang_clan
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Poontang_clan
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11/27/2006 10:59 pm
I hear you are supposed to alternate pick by not moving your arm at all. But why? I can pick so much faster if i do a combination of both my arm and wrist.
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# 1
alucard0941
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alucard0941
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11/27/2006 11:55 pm
Because its bad for your elbow in the long run, ie. tendonitis.

At first, using your arm is really easy cause is simple, but using your wrist to alternate pick will help you with acuraccy aswell as economy pickings. If you ever plan to do high speed string skipping runs, your arm will be to slow and cumbersome to move those couple inches between strings.

Many people tend to use their arm cause you automatically can tremolo pick, and tend to not use the wrist cause its harder. If you practice using your wrist, you will eventually get faster than you ever have with your entire arm. Then again, dont think about stationing your arm too much cause even when you move your wrist independently, your arm does naturally move - thats ok. What you dont want is your elbow to tense up to where you can see that tendon from your tricep bulging our of your arm - thats bad. It also cause fatigue and you will only be able to speed pick for a certain amount of time before you get tired.
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# 2
Poontang_clan
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Poontang_clan
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11/28/2006 12:38 am
Originally Posted by: alucard0941Because its bad for your elbow in the long run, ie. tendonitis.

At first, using your arm is really easy cause is simple, but using your wrist to alternate pick will help you with acuraccy aswell as economy pickings. If you ever plan to do high speed string skipping runs, your arm will be to slow and cumbersome to move those couple inches between strings.

Many people tend to use their arm cause you automatically can tremolo pick, and tend to not use the wrist cause its harder. If you practice using your wrist, you will eventually get faster than you ever have with your entire arm. Then again, dont think about stationing your arm too much cause even when you move your wrist independently, your arm does naturally move - thats ok. What you dont want is your elbow to tense up to where you can see that tendon from your tricep bulging our of your arm - thats bad. It also cause fatigue and you will only be able to speed pick for a certain amount of time before you get tired.

Well, actually im not too far behind but sometimes i fear im doing it wrong but so if i can play for a long time and i dont get tired or sore in my elbow im probably doing it right..right? i've been picking with my wrist for a while now but just started wondering why not use my arm now i know why and thanks.
"We forgot to call Dylan" "Who the F*ck is Dylan?" "oh, I mean xDylanx" " oh yea we forgot to call him"
# 3
alucard0941
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alucard0941
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11/28/2006 3:58 am
Well, if you have no problem, then just go for it! All the great players never follow the rules, you shouldnt either. Micheal Angelo Batio is left handed, yet he playes a right handed guitar, and he also anchors is fingers when alternate picking (which is very bad in most shredder's opinions). But if your totally comfortable and confident, dont listen to what anyone tells you whats right and wrong.

Hell, Marty Friedman donesn't even mute his strings when he shreds - hench his unique monkey claw.
Glen Tipton of Judas Preist hold the pick with his middle finger and thumb to alternate pick.
And countless shredders dont even use their pinky finger... :rolleyes:
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My Music

whoooo hoooo !!!!
# 4
Superhuman
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Superhuman
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11/28/2006 11:22 am
I suppose there is no wrong way to do anything once you can do it well. For me, there is no way I could alternate pick as fast with my arm as opposed to my wrist - it's a combination of body mechanics and time spent practicing a set technique at the end of the day.

Try the following exercise to see which really is best for you: use your current technique on one string unfretted tp pick as fast as possible up and down rhythmically (123,123,123) with the accent on the 1 of each set of triplets. Then try the same up down stroke at max speed using your wrist only. Try a number of variants until you establish which give you the fastest pikcing with the most accurate rhythm. Whichever works best then stick with it and work from there. Everyone is built differently and quite often people start off with an 'incorrect' technique but because they practice it so much it works amazingly for them. Once you get to a certain stage it becames almost impossible to change your technique. For example, anyone who has been playing for a coupe of years who tries to pick like Michael Angelo will quickly find themselves sounding like a beginner again.

Picking speed is not something you pick up over night, it takes years to get to your top speed, the big trick is to punctuate the rhythm with accents - this helps you to feel the rhythm and establish a groove (important if you are chopping the same note for 32 picks for example). Hope that helps.
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jrvipond
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jrvipond
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11/30/2006 10:10 pm
I think the only real rule is to not damage yourself through bad technique. A good teacher can help you on the right course with this.
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Poontang_clan
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Poontang_clan
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12/02/2006 6:51 am
Thanks for all the good advice i think im on the right track now i can pick at 250BPM with 16th notes on a good daybut only on one string just picking with my wrist but im keepnig at it and yea i tried to pick like MAB and it sounded begginner
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aschleman
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aschleman
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12/02/2006 7:57 am
With my engineering background I always relate things to engineering mechancis.... And your body and the guitar are basically to mechanisms that work together to create something.... Basically if you just use your wrist you're simplifying the mechanism... Less moving parts, less energy equals improved efficiency ( in engineering that basically means the amount of energy used versus the amount of "work" put out). So you're basically using less energy... shortening the stroke of your arm and making the "system" more efficient............ Basically what everyone else said... just in a slightly different way.
# 8
dvenetian
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dvenetian
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12/03/2006 8:04 am
Many players use both arm and wrist movement in some combination with their picking techniques. It depends on the style of music you're playing. I believe the wrist allows faster alt. picking and better control, others may disagree. Regardless, the most important thing to me when it comes to alt. picking is if I can use "inside picking" vs. "outside picking" to achieve the smoothest transition. I have'nt seen the term posted yet, but the technique does wonders. I'll post a thread on the subject.
# 9
40ftsmurf
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40ftsmurf
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12/04/2006 2:31 am
If you'll watch Doc Watson, one of the best flat pickers of all times, his arm is stiff with hardly any wrist movement. He's been doing it for more than 60 years now. I'm not going to be the one to tell hin he's doing it wrong. This is probably not good advice, I know a lot will disagree with me. But I go with the "Do what feels best" theory. ( and that's almost all I know about theory)
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# 10

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