Picking From The Wrist Down, (Not The Elbow up) Options

[Todd Simpson]

I"m always singing the praises of picking from the "Wrist down", or starting your picking motion at the wrist. It's almost impossible to not pick from the elbow at some poing in your journey towards GUITAR GOD/GODESS. Sometimes a little video can be worth a thousand words. Here are some quick tips for playing "At Speed"

1.)Stay Relaxed
-Don't let your body tense up, it will do this all by itself and it's not good.

2.)Pick from the Wrist Down
-Focus on picking using the wrist at speed and even finger motion when playing slower to allow for more 'flourish"

3.)Choke up on the pick
-Try holding the pick as near the tip as possible and still have it feel comfy.

4.)Don't Overcommit to the Pick Stroke
-Try to keep the from pulling to far away from the string at each stroke.

Here is a quick vid. Notice how little tension is happening on my picking hand. That's the big "secret" so to speak, keeping the hand loose enough to give it the ability to balance/move smoothly, but tight enough to maintain strike consistency. Give this approach a shot when you work on your alternate picking next practice!

[PosterBoy]

Thanks for that Todd.

I'm breaking down a lot of technique stuff to the simplest ideas at the moment to improve. Alt picking is one of them. Why try and Alt pick a scale or sequence @120 bpm when you can't alt pick the same note at that speed kind of idea.

It lets me focus on the motion and notice when the tension invariably raises it's ugly head, so i can consciously relax my arm or stop and have a 10 sec break.

[Cosmin Lupu]

Great advice from our AP maestro thanks for keeping our minds on the job man! No kidding

[Todd Simpson]

Thanks for that Todd.

I'm breaking down a lot of technique stuff to the simplest ideas at the moment to improve. Alt picking is one of them. Why try and Alt pick a scale or sequence @120 bpm when you can't alt pick the same note at that speed kind of idea.

It lets me focus on the motion and notice when the tension invariably raises it's ugly head, so i can consciously relax my arm or stop and have a 10 sec break.

It just takes time/practice and sounds like you are moving ahead with a good plan. Keep it up!

Great advice from our AP maestro thanks for keeping our minds on the job man! No kidding

Thanks man This sort of stuff is a stumbling block for many players including me back in the day! The good news is, it's very doable!