[distressed_romeo]

^What he said.

[HotRodded7321]

Asesino...it makes no fucking sense what he's playing, but it will give you popeye forearms like a bitch! lol

[Gilbucci]

Originally Posted by distressed_romeo

Not totally true. There are guys who use their elbow a lot in their picking motion, and sound great, with no physical damage. The problem is when the elbow comes in due to your arm tensing up. Provided you keep your arm relaxed, any combination of wrist and elbow can work just fine.

I forgot to mention the tension part. Thanks tom.

[Jongpil Yun]

If I had to choose people to pick like, it'd be Shawn Lane, Buckethead, PG, and Rusty Cooley.

I read that article but frankly I have no idea what the hell it is I just read. Also, I'd rather trust a kinesiologist than Tuck Andress, AKA Random McJazz player.

Speaking of which, I wonder if there have been any major studies on picking technique?

[DDDorian]

You can get away with plenty of elbow, as long as you recognise which sensations are caused by stress on the tendons and which are simply muscle fatigue. I've found that the angle my arm is tilted and the distance my elbow is flexed are vitally important in avoiding tendon injury. Basically, the more outstretched my arm is (sich as when picking with a fairly low-hanging guitar while standing) the more elbow I can get away with. Either way, a combination of wrist and elbow is what I recommend. That and the first Annihilator record, heh.

[Cancer]

I just thought of this, but emulating those who are where you want to be helps to. Like when I started I played death metal, so emulating what other death metal players really helped.

[Aghorasilat]

SLOW work with Alternate & Economypicking & metronome pick 3 note sequences, 4 notes, 5 notes, 6 notes etc.

play 16 notes subdivisions at 60 bpm, then switch to 16 note triplet at 60 bpms, then switch to 32note subdivisions at 60 bpm...

then amp up the metronome up to 65 and work your way up to 100bpms with those subdivisions.

Practice with RELAXED muscles let the hands "Melt"

Use the wrist and 1st thumb joint to develop the picking.

Watch Gilbert, Gambale, Maclaughlin & Vai pick....I hold my pick like them I don't care for anchoring or using Elbow.



Peace

Santiago Dobles
Official Aghora Website

[Gilbucci]

You would practice Economy picking and alternate picking? Why is that? I always thought it was one or the other.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by HumanFuseBen

hey kiddos
i feel like i'm pretty proficient with most guitar techniques, but my super fast speed picking is lacking. i have no problem doing really fast alternate picked scalar runs in solos, it's just death metal-y trem picked stuff that gets me. my speed is only decent, and i have low endurance. i usually always pick from the wrist when i'm doing anything else, but with speed picking, i usually lock my wrist and let the elbow do the work. should i be using my wrist for speed picking???
any tips would be great. i listen to bands like Nile who speed pick constantly, and i have to wonder how they can play entire sets like that without their hands falling off. thanks!

FWIW, I also find it easier to tremolo from the elbow as opposed to the wrist.

Answer to Nile question: They simply are inhuman.

Edit: I must disagree with the "never any elbow" views expressed above. IMO, tremolo picking is best accomplished from a loose elbow, while keeping the wrist relatively straight. For strumming or regular alternate picking I use a wrist motion but to try and sweep or change strings the elbow has got to move.

[Cancer]

Originally Posted by Gilbucci

You would practice Economy picking and alternate picking? Why is that? I always thought it was one or the other.

One helps reinforce the other.