# Right arm tensing, is it really that bad?



## thewildturkey (Mar 1, 2011)

Hi All,

I am going through a stage where I want to increase my picking speed (for rhythm playing not shredding).

I have noticed that with only wrist I cap out at around 165-170 BPM, but I can go a fair bit higher, and pick harder when I use my elbow/arm.

To get the really fast long sections, my wrist and arm tense right up, and I pick away like mad.

Basically, I have read that using your arm/elbow is really bad techinque and you can get muscle injurys ect, is this true? And obviously tensing is usually a bad thing also, but I dont feel any pain or soreness at all.

Also, what exercise's did you all use to increase your speed? I am just sitting with a metronome playing 2 bars of quarters, 2 bars eighths, 2 bars 16ths over and over.

Thanks for your advice!


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## CooleyJr (Mar 1, 2011)

I do the same thing when I do fast speed picking rhythms (death metal type shit) and usually when I do alternate picking licks at full speed. I've heard of the muscle injury and tendon damage it can cause but honestly, I've seen guitarists that have been doing the same thing for 10-20 years and they have no problems. I'd say it's not bad to do, but I really don't know yet. The only thing I'd suggest is, start working on playing with decreased tension until you can play just as fast without any tension at all. (mainly learning how to pick with your wrist just as fast as elbow picking) The exercise you do is a pretty damn good one. It's all just a learning experience man. Plenty of practice and hard work. I hope this information is useful to you man.


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## Aerospace274 (Mar 1, 2011)

Play however you want, as long as it's comfortable .Arm or wrist, it doesn't matter if it works for you. Now you'll never get your picking speed up by jumping up in tempo.You just need to play at a comfortable speed, for a long time. Just all down picking, play open chugging for like ten minutes at a comfortable but moderate speed. You'll improve a lot. If you alternate pick, still do it down picking. (Upstrokes are just hitting the string on the way back to a down stroke in theory so down strokes make more sense to work on.) Just play comfortably, don't worry about a metronome or anything. Just open chords at whatever's comfortable. You'll improve quickly, believe it or not! I think my max is down picking 8th notes at 190-200 bpm at the moment.
EDIT: And yes, if your picking arm is tense, it will fuck your shit up in the long term. Same goes with the fretting hand honestly.


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## stryker1800 (Mar 1, 2011)

I don't know anything about whether picking from the elbow would cause damage or not, but you should definitely work on your playing being relaxed at all times. 

@Aerospace, i disagree that alternate picking is just hitting the string on the way back to the next downstroke, alternate picking and downpicking are significantly different techniques with different tonal qualities. 

Upstrokes are just as important as downstrokes when alt picking and thus if you play mostly alt picking you should practice all exercises starting on a downstroke and upstroke


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## rug (Mar 1, 2011)

thewildturkey said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am going through a stage where I want to increase my picking speed (for rhythm playing not shredding).
> 
> ...




You should not have any tension when playing guitar, period. When you do that, you are TRAINING your body to put tension in your arm and wrist when playing, and ultimately training your body to be inefficient when playing. Does it look like John Petrucci has to really tense up to shred? That should be your answer.


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## Adam Of Angels (Mar 1, 2011)

^ Yep

But Petrucci doesn't have to tense up to do anything, since he's a demi-god.


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## rug (Mar 1, 2011)

He doesn't tense up because he's put in the time practicing things slowly and with control. The end.


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## SirMyghin (Mar 1, 2011)

stryker1800 said:


> @Aerospace, i disagree that alternate picking is just hitting the string on the way back to the next downstroke, alternate picking and downpicking are significantly different techniques with different tonal qualities.



Have to agree with Stryker here, the mechanics and motion are very different, and the whole hitting the string changes a lot. Downpicking is not a substitute for alt picking practice. Most people also find upstrokes harder. 

The best way to avoid tensing up (which should be avoided when practicing at least, if you need to tense up to rip something special live so be it). I like to do alternate nights of marathon playing (just play something constantly at X speed for 5 minutes) and playing the same thing at increasing speeds.


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## thewildturkey (Mar 1, 2011)

Thanks for all the info guys, really appreciated.

So as suspected, tensing is bad. Cool, wont do it.



But we seem to agree, picking from the elbow/arm, no problems?

Thanks again to all that contributed.


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## SirMyghin (Mar 1, 2011)

Elbow/arm picking may cause issues but generally RSI = less muscle involved, fine movements than more muscles involved. I think the big issue with picking from your arm/elbow is ACCURACY, the movement is much less controlled, and larger by nature. A slight movement of the elbow causes a much bigger movement of the hand respectively.

I was watching myself pick a lot today, and what is funny is my elbow appears to move but is dead stationary due to the extensor contracting with wrist movement, it amused me.


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## Adam Of Angels (Mar 1, 2011)

rug said:


> He doesn't tense up because he's put in the time practicing things slowly and with control. The end.




Well, although what you're saying is obviously true, I was just joking.. because he's not really a demi-god.


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## SirMyghin (Mar 1, 2011)

Adam Of Angels said:


> Well, although what you're saying is obviously true, I was just joking.. because he's not really a demi-god.



Don't spread your lies here!


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## stryker1800 (Mar 2, 2011)

If you really want to help improve your playing, I've been playing the chromatic scale, the one where you shift back a fret at each string change, as triplets and now sixteenth note triplets and what it did for me was help separate my sense of rhythm from what my hands were actually doing.


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## rug (Mar 2, 2011)

Adam Of Angels said:


> Well, although what you're saying is obviously true, I was just joking.. because he's not really a demi-god.



I know you were just kidding...but the OP might not have.


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## Tomo009 (Mar 2, 2011)

When just practicing I really try to not add any tension at all, but I seem to get sloppy about 200 BPM or so in 16ths, so if I am going to record something I will usually tense when playing fast, knowing it is bad. I'm currently working on it too, but it will be a really, really slow process.


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## Maniacal (Mar 2, 2011)

I would say the problem with tensing up is endurance. You will be able to play fast, but not for long. Playing tense is okay for playing runs etc, but not for playing riffs that involve a lot of high tempo alternate picking. You may be able to alternate pick a run at 240bpm, but try picking at 200bpm for 5 minutes.


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## Tomo009 (Mar 2, 2011)

Maniacal said:


> I would say the problem with tensing up is endurance. You will be able to play fast, but not for long. Playing tense is okay for playing runs etc, but not for playing riffs that involve a lot of high tempo alternate picking. You may be able to alternate pick a run at 240bpm, but try picking at 200bpm for 5 minutes.



Exactly, that was what initially forced me to relearn the proper technique. I could and still can get up to about 240, but i wouldn't last 5 seconds sustained. Back then I could barely maintain 160 BPM without tensing now I can get up to 180 effortlessly and 200 with a little concentration.


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## Maniacal (Mar 2, 2011)

Just build up slowly, the focus should be on control and endurance. 

Of course, the aim for some days should be speed.


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## Ryan-ZenGtr- (Mar 4, 2011)

thewildturkey, you'll get best results from picking with your wrist. Have a look a SAROD picking, if you want to try an alternative method. Youtube search it.

As you mentioned, if your aware of tension, you need to eliminate it ASAP! You must be as relaxed as possible. As Bruce Lee said, be like water!

Also try the Dave Mustaine spider fingers method, for quickly switching shapes cleanly with power chords.

I used to have big problem with tensing my arms and shoulders, but one evening jamming with friends in an altered state *having a drink, not too many!* I could really feel the tension I was creating in my body and could analyse the physical sensation I was so USED to in my sober playing, I eventually ironed it. Take that advice at your own risk!


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## freepower (Mar 9, 2011)

> But we seem to agree, picking from the elbow/arm, no problems?



Yeah, if you're genuinely relaxed, it won't cause problems.

Imho, it's much harder to stay relaxed picking from the elbow. Your results may vary. To be honest, it sounds like you haven't actually developed any real picking technique using the elbow anyway, spazz picking is totally different from controlled picking and ultimately useless.

I went through exactly the same process btw, and now have no elbow problems, pick faster, and pick much more accurately. And a helluva lot harder.


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