Zsolt,
Your Modal Madness lessons are a great way to challenge AP skills while building fretboard knowledge of the modes at the same time. I've been working with these for quite a few months now as a part of my warmup and workout routines. One thing that I noticed is that because of the length of these constant speed runs, my right hand, even though it can start out very relaxed, ends up getting kind of tight towards the end of the run.

My question to you is should I stop playing when it starts to tense up, or is it ok to allow some tension in the right hand due to the length of the run. I'm wondering how you approach speed building with these scales. Should I focus first on relaxation, or is it better to play it through to the end focusing on maintaining accuracy even if under tension? If I allow myself to play under tension, I'm thinking I could be doing one of two things 1) developing strength and stamina, or 2) reinforceing bad habits. If I focus on relaxation, I'm thinking that I may not be pushing my limits enough.

Thoughts?

Hey James!

Thank you for this question.

First it is very important to know your limits. Some people are more vulnerable to injuries than other. If you feel that your joints are a bit weaker you should definitely stop further practicing.

I however have very strong joints and I always push my limits further a bit. Eventually I get use to the tension and my hands are getting relaxed more and more. The more I practice, the more relaxed my hands are.

But this is the way I practice, you should experiment with it yourself and come up the best possible way for yourself.

Cheers