# Shoulder gets really tired... should I work through it?



## Slavocracy (Apr 10, 2012)

It all started when I was trying to learn Back Burner by August Burns Red, it was clearly above my playing ability but I stupidly played it at full speed anyway and then I started to notice my picking arm's shoulder would get extremely tired really fast. I was working out at the time too, which might've done something. 

Anyway, it's been a year almost since then, and it still gets incredibly tired really fast. Like I mean within 10 seconds I have to stop playing because it gets so tired. I can play "through the burn" and maybe overcome it that way, but I always thought that with guitar playing that was a horrible thing to do. My posture is also very bad, I can't seem to play guitar in the same positions everyone else does... I dunno, I just can't do it, the guitar falls out of place, no matter what I do I am putting ALL the weight on one part of my body (legs, arms, fingers) and kind of alternating between them because there is no position I am capable of sitting in that balances the weight of the guitar. I also have difficulty standing up playing, as the guitar "curves" outwards (bottom out) from my body making me have to play at weird angles and I really can't do anything to change it.


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## Ulvhedin (Apr 10, 2012)

How long have you been playing? Sounds like wrong tecnique.


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## Konfyouzd (Apr 10, 2012)

Do you use your whole arm to pick? Good indication that--as you said--the song was above your current skill level. Doesn't mean you can't play it and it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to play it up to speed. But I think that playing it to speed should be punctuated by periods of playing it much slower. It really helps solidfy what you're playing so you can commit it to muscle memory at which point you get faster much more quickly than you'd imagine.


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## Slavocracy (Apr 10, 2012)

Konfyouzd said:


> Do you use your whole arm to pick? Good indication that--as you said--the song was above your current skill level. Doesn't mean you can't play it and it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to play it up to speed. But I think that playing it to speed should be punctuated by periods of playing it much slower. It really helps solidfy what you're playing so you can commit it to muscle memory at which point you get faster much more quickly than you'd imagine.



For the most part I am using my wrist to pick. but my arm moves just a tiny bit. The real problem I do notice though, is that my arm feels much more comfortable when it is closer to my side. But when it is that close to my side, I can't even reach the strings properly with my hand so I have to bring it out more, which feels better on my hand but worse on my shoulder. Just seems like if I get one thing to feel good, something else doesn't lol

edit: and I have been playing for 3 years now. I wouldn't doubt I have improper technique, as I know for sure I have improper posture.


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## Konfyouzd (Apr 10, 2012)

Is this the case all the time or only when playing fast?


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## djpharoah (Apr 10, 2012)

Chest rock - no need to have the guitar rock below your belt and still try and shred down there.


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## Konfyouzd (Apr 10, 2012)

^Or that. Chest rockin feels more similar to playing seated. Kind of...


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## speedy thrash (Apr 10, 2012)

I used to have the same problem, try to make your picking tighter (unless it already is), and find a way to balance the guitar. If you're standing then bring the guitar to a comfortable height, and you may have to weight the body if it's neck heavy, I use a leather strap so it sticks to my shirt and therefore won't slip, I don't know what brand it is, but you would know if you found one like this. Also, don't use a ton of pick attack unless the song needs it, the attack sounds heavier, but it makes it harder to play. When you're sitting do you hold the guitar between your legs like a classical guitar? I find this position more comfortable than on the right leg, and prop up the neck sides leg up a bit (usually left).


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## Splinterhead (Apr 10, 2012)

Also make sure you aren't tensing up. A lot of time when we try to play something challenging/fast we tense up our arms, shoulders, and hands. Take notice while you are going through the piece and see if any parts of your upper body are tense. If so try to relax those muscles while maintaining your picking. If you need to pick slower to get used to relaxing the problem areas while picking.


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## bluffalo (Apr 10, 2012)

relax
play slower
what guitar is it? might be too heavy/weirdly shaped
how high is your strap?
what about when sitting down?


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## Davey (Apr 11, 2012)

Naturally you're going to tire if you're playing something faster than you're used to, you wouldn't lift a weight that was way beyond your strength would you? When you pick faster than you can handle comfortably you're more likely to tense your arm/shoulder to get that extra speed which will obviously make it tire. 

I would slow it down to a metronome and work on playing it with a relaxed arm, gradually increasing the speed but only when you're totally fine playing it relaxed at the current tempo.


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## Lagtastic (Apr 11, 2012)

Some good points here. 

I want to add one thing, take care of your body. Eat some fruit and vegetables or take a multi-vitamin. Your body needs nutrients to repair and build the tendons and muscles you use heavily when playing the guitar. Also follow these two videos before every practice session.


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## Konfyouzd (Apr 11, 2012)

I can't watch that Petrucci video anymore without thinking about the Psycho Exercises videos. 

Good advice though. I watched that whole video (the real one) when I was first getting into shredding. It's FULL of awesome advice for learning to play faster. "Rock Discipline" it is named...


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## Deadnightshade (Apr 11, 2012)

My two cents:


If you're going for wrist motion:

The strings are the bitches of the whorehouse standing in line

Your arm is the pimp's gorilla mainman

The pimp is your wrist,and he is kinda short.He wants to bitchslap his bitches cause they don't give him all the money they should.

So

The gorilla lifts the pimp shortie,and moves him from bitch to bitch.The only thing that the pimp does is wave his hand around,slapping the bitch's face that's in front of him.

This way,the movement of the gorilla ( arm) is isolated from the movement of the pimp (wrist ).

If you perfect this isolation of movement,your arm won't get tense anymore due to mixing arm picking with wrist picking.

Also try not to tense to much by applying way too much force to the body of the guitar with your right arm just to keep it in place.Same goes for the left hand getting tired of supporting the neck.


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## Slavocracy (Apr 11, 2012)

Deadnightshade said:


> My two cents:
> 
> 
> If you're going for wrist motion:
> ...


^I lol'd.

Thanks everyone, I'll take all that into consideration. I'll try playing slower for a bit and let you know how it goes for the next bit. I have been doing lazy-stretches before I play guitar, and by that I mean I do a little stretch but nothing too methodical lol perhaps I should stretch a bit longer.


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## Najka (Apr 15, 2012)

Try wearing the guitar higher, or adjusting to a more comfortable height. Do some pushups!


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## JStraitiff (Apr 15, 2012)

You mentioned the guitar hangs at a weird angle when standing. Since you cant fix it with strap length, it probably is due to strap button positioning.

It really sounds like improper technique to me. When you play faster you really start to notice as the motions you already execute are being repeated twice as many times or so. You'll hear many professional musicians talking about how they spent time focusing on improving their technique as the complexity of their playing increased. I believe it was chris broderick who said he consciously practiced picking with his wrist and eliminating his arm in his picking motion or something like that.

Technique is personal preference so you should sit down and observe the motions you make when playing, especially the songs that tire you out. Figure out which muscles are contracting and with what motions and what your body is doing at certain points. Figure out how to change your motions so its not as taxing on your body and then practice playing that way.


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