# Efficient and relaxing ways to play tight and precise technical death metal?



## Metalus (Apr 23, 2012)

Every time I see tech death guitar players playing a lick of some sort, they play it so relaxed and calm that they make it look easy, yet whenever I try to play tech death riffs, leads and/or solos, I cannot seem to achieve that efficiency that some of these players do. 

Any advice on how to do this? Ive contemplated taking the Paul Gilbert approach to angling the pick and alternate picking everything because it seems to feel the most relaxed. The only problem with this method is that I cant seem to play effectively clean. Achieving a balance would be the best thing that could happen to my playing. Any tips and/or suggestions are welcome 

P.S. This is such a wonderful example right now. The lead guitar plays with such finesse, yet tight and under control. I want that!


----------



## Solodini (Apr 23, 2012)

For relaxation, slow down and speed up bit by bit only when you're comfortable and relaxed at that slow speed. Slowing down also allows you time to analyse the motions you make and make them as small as possible to achieve the same result, leading to efficiency.


----------



## Metalus (Apr 23, 2012)

Is it something that you just feel when its time to switch to a faster tempo? I practice slow with a metronome a bunch of times but I get bored real quick and It doesnt seem to do anything to my playing. Is there something im doing wrong?


----------



## brutalslam (Apr 23, 2012)

If you aren't already, work on playing from your wrist and not tensing your shoulder and elbow.


----------



## Solodini (Apr 24, 2012)

Yeah, you're not giving your muscles enough time to develop for fast playing. You need to spend as much time as possible at each speed and increase incrementally. It takes a while to develop muscle memory of the most efficient technique, as with anything. If you're speeding up too early then you'll likely lose the technique you were using slowly, will be playing too fast to likely notice and may make using the correct method more difficult as your muscle memory will be used to the wrong way and you'll need to work to undo that. It's a longer road if you do it wrongly so you may as well do it right from the beginning.


----------



## toiletstand (Apr 24, 2012)

part of the benefit of playing slow is that helps you identify when your hands and wrists start tensing up. so yeah it helps you get the lick down. but it also lets you identify how your body is reacting to your playing (not breathing, bad posture, tension).


----------



## Stealthdjentstic (Apr 24, 2012)

Im no techdeth master 1337 rapist but what I find helped me a lot is using my wrist instead of my elbow...as well as relaxing the shoulders.

I went from not being able to even trem pick fast enough for the into to dead and grotesque to being able to handle most of the song.


----------



## Metalus (Apr 24, 2012)

The thing that perplexes me is that ive been playing from my wrist for awhile now (I played from the elbow for a few years so undoing it has been a nightmare) and I just dont understand how to play fast with such little movement. Is it a strength thing? Will it happen when my wrist gets stronger? Whenever i start to play faster I find myself tensing up because I wont be able to go any faster If I dont


----------



## Metalus (Apr 24, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Im no techdeth master 1337 rapist but what I find helped me a lot is using my wrist instead of my elbow...as well as relaxing the shoulders.
> 
> I went from not being able to even trem pick fast enough for the into to dead and grotesque to being able to handle most of the song.



Im gonna give the shoulders thing a shot. Do you play in classical position or on your side?


----------



## Solodini (Apr 25, 2012)

Trust me and just slow down. If you're tensing up then your muscles aren't ready and they're not relaxed at what they're doing. Get used to the motion at a slow speed, so you can see and control every part of the motion then speed up when you you can consistently do it at that speed without pain or tension.


----------



## Stealthdjentstic (Apr 25, 2012)

Metalus said:


> Im gonna give the shoulders thing a shot. Do you play in classical position or on your side?



Classical position, your shoulders will never hurt when playing in classsical position. Just watch that elbow and make SURE you pick from your wrist. What I found helped me use my wrist only was anchoring my pinky very lightly, not a major anchor though. 

Some people also consider anchoring bad technique, there are loads of good guitarists who anchor and loads who don't so its up to you although I think its best to copy Shawn Lane and he (iirc) didnt anchor.


----------



## MrPepperoniNipples (Apr 25, 2012)

as far as technical riffs go, it is ALL about muscle memory
you should have played/practiced the riff or lick so much that it's second nature to play it


and the best way to develop muscle memory is to play slow!
if you're tensing up, it means you don't have that muscle memory just yet


as far as playing fast with little movement, that will develop itself over time if you practice slow and increase the speeds over time


----------



## Metalus (Apr 26, 2012)

Thanks for the advice guys. Been playing with the metronome lately and trying a few of these things and Im starting to see and feel results


----------

