[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!

[JBroll]

Practice and experience - assuming your technique is fine, it just takes a long time of playing stuff that kills you. Check out DNR by Testament and all of the Nile stuff for exercises, bring it up to speed as well as you can and work to get it consistent, and if you can pull it off try taking them 20bpm or so above the recorded tempo just to be safe. They've been doing it a long time, that's really all it comes down to, so pull out the metronome and keep at it.

EDIT: Misread the elbow part... wouldn't recommend elbow picking at all, as it requires a lot more strain than you need and limits your versatility. Don't change your picking technique as speed increases, it'll only lead to trouble. END EDIT.

Jeff

[Gilbucci]

Speed picking with the elbow can lead to SERIOUS problems. The wrist is the only thing you should be using. You can play alot longer with your wrist, and alot more fluid. It'll take time before you're off and picking like a maniac, dont get discouraged, man, it'll come. Good luck!

[Ancestor]

The tightening of everything like that is bad. I know, because I do it all the time. Just keep practicing and watching videos. You'll get it. Even when I used to do almost all my picking with the arm, eventually it loosened up (believe it or not). It's just a matter of doing it all the time. If you just spend five minutes every day, by the end of the year you'll see a big difference.

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by Gilbucci

Speed picking with the elbow can lead to SERIOUS problems. The wrist is the only thing you should be using. You can play alot longer with your wrist, and alot more fluid. It'll take time before you're off and picking like a maniac, dont get discouraged, man, it'll come. Good luck!

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.

[lordofthesewers]

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, and combination of wrist and elbow can work just fine.

that is exactly what steve smyth told me last lesson. Also for speed picking do not anchor, that is another thing he told me about speed picking

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by lordofthesewers

that is exactly what steve smyth told me last lesson. Also for speed picking do not anchor, that is another thing he told me about speed picking

Again, only partially true. Yngwie, Michael Angelo, John Petrucci, and Steve Morse all anchor one or all of their spare fingers on the guitar body...

I've always anchored my pinky on the guitar and never had a problem with speed picking either. I literally can't pick any other way to be honest, although I don't think it's really held me back, so I'm not too bothered.

Having said that, Steve Smyth is way more accomplished than me (massive understatement), so you should probably take his advice before mine...

[Cancer]

Possibly the best synopsis of picking techniques on the web.

It's funny that you mentioned Nile, as Karl and Dallas has totally different picking styles (Karl using circle picking, and Dallas using Standard style variation 2), yet achieve the same velocity, albeit with wildly different efficiencies (Dallas's picking hand is a blur, Karl's hand barely moves).

Picking, like tone, is a very personal thing, what works (or is taught) by one may not necessary work with another, so it really does pay to experiment, as your body will definitely give you clues as to what works and what doesn't.

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by psyphre

Possibly the best synopsis of picking techniques on the web.

It's funny that you mentioned Nile, as Karl and Dallas has totally different picking styles (Karl using circle picking, and Dallas using Standard style variation 2), yet achieve the same velocity, albeit with wildly different efficiencies (Dallas's picking hand is a blur, Karl's hand barely moves).

That article's amazing. It made me rethink a lot of aspects of my picking when I first saw it a couple of years ago. Tuck should really publish a book at some point...

[Cancer]

Originally Posted by distressed_romeo

Again, only partially true. Yngwie, Michael Angelo, John Petrucci, and Steve Morse all anchor one or all of their spare fingers on the guitar body...

Having said that, Steve Smyth is way more accomplished than me (massive understatement), so you should probably take his advice before mine...

...or at least understand the context, as Yngwie and Batio have a completely different picking style (a circular, Gambale variant) from Petrucci or Morse (strict, from the wrist, alternate).

It's been mentioned already, but videos are your best friend here.

* Cancer wishes Troy Grady would release his film on picking already, as he believes it will serve to be film equivalent of the Tuck Andress site.