How Physical Is Fast Picking ? |
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How Physical Is Fast Picking ? |
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Feb 20 2012, 06:23 PM |
I'm really interested in how picking fast feels for everyone. We're always told to relax and not play with tension, which I agree with. A relaxed muscle moves easier and faster. However, in order to demand more performance we still have to make our muscles work right ? I pick from the wrist but when I start speeding up and playing over my comfort zone, I can feel the muscles engaging somewhere above my elbow. It feels like it's either the tricep or behind the tricep. I'm not consciously 'tensing up' the arm but I'm very conscious of the muscle working. It doesn't hurt and I've not suffered any aches or pains because of it. I've managed to increase the speed and stamina of my picking lately and the speeds which previously felt more 'physical' are now a bit less 'physical'. To all you fast pickers out there, can you describe how it feels when you pick fast ? I think it would help people who are confused about how relaxed they should be and are afraid of pushing their speed boundaries because they see muscle fatigue as tension so they avoid it and stay in a certain range. Interesting Topic! When you play in a relaxed state you tend to use your brachioradialis(Popeye's muscle ) muscle, which moves your wrist, but as you speed up and get more tence your deltoid/shouldermuscle starts to do some of the work(And it is almost impossible to avoid this from happening, since your deltoid muscle has a big purpose, and gets engaged in almost every activity you do.) This is why it is important to stretch this part of the body before playing at high speeds, it makes that muscle loose and easier to work with. It is very well explained here from Petruccis DVD Rock Discipline at 0:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XsLRQFV7rY (though 10 seconds is not enough as he claims , a stretch should always be done in between 17 and 25 seconds and be done more than once. I've heard alot of diffrent theories on how you should be picking fast, that you should only use small muscles or big muscles to escape from long term injuries. But I think that you should listen to your body, if it feels ok, its ok. I get the exact feeling your describing, but I just try to make the best out of it and have a good stretch before a practice session to keep my form and my picking relaxed. The relaxation graduately becomes better in due time, the body is something you can adjust and modify, it just does not happen over night. PS: Try to give thoose muscles which you use a massage as well to get an exact idea on how they feel and work. When picking, that your left hand and squeeze them abit, get a good idea on what they´re doing. This might raise your consciousness about them when picking, and sort of controll it abit better. (Just taken from my own experience, not a fact.) PS: While picking you can try and feel thoose muscles with your left hand, get a feel of how they work and what they´re doing. This might raise your consciousness/awareness about them, and help control them a little bit (My own experience, not a fact!" Muscles! <- LINK This post has been edited by Marcus Desaiha: Feb 20 2012, 06:38 PM |
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Feb 20 2012, 07:08 PM |
Interesting Topic! When you play in a relaxed state you tend to use your brachioradialis(Popeye's muscle ) muscle, which moves your wrist, but as you speed up and get more tence your deltoid/shouldermuscle starts to do some of the work(And it is almost impossible to avoid this from happening, since your deltoid muscle has a big purpose, and gets engaged in almost every activity you do.) This is why it is important to stretch this part of the body before playing at high speeds, it makes that muscle loose and easier to work with. It is very well explained here from Petruccis DVD Rock Discipline at 0:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XsLRQFV7rY (though 10 seconds is not enough as he claims , a stretch should always be done in between 17 and 25 seconds and be done more than once. I've heard alot of diffrent theories on how you should be picking fast, that you should only use small muscles or big muscles to escape from long term injuries. But I think that you should listen to your body, if it feels ok, its ok. I get the exact feeling your describing, but I just try to make the best out of it and have a good stretch before a practice session to keep my form and my picking relaxed. The relaxation graduately becomes better in due time, the body is something you can adjust and modify, it just does not happen over night. PS: Try to give thoose muscles which you use a massage as well to get an exact idea on how they feel and work. When picking, that your left hand and squeeze them abit, get a good idea on what they´re doing. This might raise your consciousness about them when picking, and sort of controll it abit better. (Just taken from my own experience, not a fact.) PS: While picking you can try and feel thoose muscles with your left hand, get a feel of how they work and what they´re doing. This might raise your consciousness/awareness about them, and help control them a little bit (My own experience, not a fact!" Muscles! <- LINK Brilliant input Marcus, thanks ! The way I look at it is: A fast picking motion doesn't just happen by magic.. there's no little fairies sprinkling magic dust and making tendons go faster somehow. In order for a body part to move, a msucle has to be engaged by the brain. I think people who are still learning picking etc take the advice to completely relax and avoid tension so literally that at the first sign of muscular input they stop because they think they're doing something wrong. I think it's like learning or developing any new skill that involves physicality. At first, you're acutely aware of being tense and using strength and stamina etc but after a while the effort needed to perform the task is less noticeable because the muscles and tendons improve their capability to cope with the demand but to improve in anything takes effort. Effort is at the heart of improving at anything. |
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