is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

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i've noticed recently that my picking is kind of weird. it looks the way that jason becker picks, with his entire forearm moving instead of just the wrist like most do. i'd like to know if there is anything wrong with it like that. lately i've been trying to just use my wrist and i'm getting pretty good at it, i can play sixteenth notes pretty clearly now but im still have a little bit of trouble.

the normal exercise i do is just this:

e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------2----2-4--2-4-5--
D------------------------------2----2-4--2-4-5-2-4-5--4-5----5--------
A-------2----2-3--2-3-5-2-3-5--3-5----5--------------------------------
E-2-3-5--3-5----5-------------------------------------------------------

e---------------------2----2-3--2-3-5-2-3-5-7-3-5-7-8-5-7-8-10--------
B-------3----3-5--3-5--3-5----5-----------------------------------------
G-2-4-5--4-5----5-------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

... and so forth just as a warm up.
and then after that, i'll either alternate pick some arpeggio in triplets or 16th notes like this C major arpeggio:

e------------------------------------------------12---12-15-12-15-20---
B----------------------------------------13---13---13-------------------
G--------------------------------12---12---12---------------------------
D------------------------14---14---14-----------------------------------
A------10---10-15-10-15---15-------------------------------------------
E-8-12---12-------------------------------------------------------------

and then backwards starting from 3rd octave.

and this as an excercise too to helpen my alternate picking:

e----------------8--5--------------------------
B----------8---7-----6---5---------------------
G----8---7---6--------7---6---5---------------
D---7---6---5----------8---7---6--------------
A--6---5---------------------8---7------------
E-5--------------------------------8-----------

and this as well:

e--------------------5--6-7-8------------------
B----------------5--6--7-8---------------------
G------------5--6--7--8------------------------
D--------5--6--7--8----------------------------
A-----5-6--7--8--------------------------------
E-5-6--7--8------------------------------------

and this:

e-----------------------------------------------
B---------------------4--6---------------------
G---------------4--6--------4--6---------------
D---------4--6--------------------4--6---------
A--4--6---------------------------------4--6---
E-5--7--5--7--5--7--5--7--5--7--5--7--5--7----

there are some more i do, but i'd like to know if you think these are good exercises.

 

[beandip]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

keep it up. I see alot of guys who first start out that use they're whole forearm, and it really screws w/ they're timing. But after 6 months or so, they get pretty good at it and learn not to use the forearm THAT much.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

I rarely even move my hand off the strings at all, it's always within a 1/2 inch. I used to use my forearm, but shied away from it because it affected my speed. Economy of movement, my friend.

 

[southadc]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

It means that you're picking like that monkey in your avatar :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[RG 2570]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

using the whole forearm to pick is what we shredders call the violin bow stroke,
and it works wonders for me, and guys like vinnie moore,al dimeola,george lynch and many others use this technique.
you can move the forearm much faster than just the wrist

 

[some_dude]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

I use the whole arm, ala Kurt Cobain or Billy Joe (Greenday). I've been playing that way for nine years.

I'm learning to root my hand on the bridge now as I'm attempting to branch out and become a better player.

 

[RG 2570]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

I use the whole arm, ala Kurt Cobain or Billy Joe (Greenday). I've been playing that way for nine years.

I'm learning to root my hand on the bridge now as I'm attempting to branch out and become a better player.

it is good to use both techniques, i use the whole forearm for all the 32nd and 64th note runs and the wrist for the rhythm and slower bluesy stuff

 

[kill your scene]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

It means that you're picking like that monkey in your avatar :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: That was the coolest response yet.

Personally, my movement comes from my wrist. I don't see how your movement coming from your forearm is a BAD thing, however. Just as people have already mentioned, there are many players who do it that way and if it works, it works.

There is no unimpeachably correct way to do anything... especially when it comes to music. I play root-fifth power chords with my index finger and pinky. Yeah, I'm a freak, right? I'm the only guy I've ever met who does that and it doesn't harm my playing at all.... it's just how I do it. I figure if it worked for Tony Iommi, then who are we to question it?

 

[3 cent hero]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

you need to quit picking the strings like your doing dirty magizine habits :fing25:


ok but seriously, try to get into the habit of anchoring your hand on the bridge. i used to be a foream picker as well (still do it on punkrock power chords lol.) it'll make you a worse player while trying to get used to it, but its worth it once you break the habit. it worked for me

once you can pick like that you don't need to achor anymore, but it'll seem to stick with you now as a NEW habit lol

 

[some_dude]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

ok but seriously, try to get into the habit of anchoring your hand on the bridge. i used to be a foream picker as well (still do it on punkrock power chords lol.) it'll make you a worse player while trying to get used to it, but its worth it once you break the habit. it worked for me

It's definatly made me a worse player for the time being. My rhythm and timing is out on both techniques now.

 

[rraawwrr]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

using the whole forearm to pick is what we shredders call the violin bow stroke,
and it works wonders for me, and guys like vinnie moore,al dimeola,george lynch and many others use this technique.
you can move the forearm much faster than just the wrist

I also find that I can play faster for longer periods of time using my forearm than my wrist. However I do use my wrist for doing slower runs, chords, and strictly alternate picking for jazz. Having been raised (in a sense) playing Al di Meola, I grew to use my forearm because it felt easiest for me, like it did for him.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

thanks for the replies!

i do u se both techniques, im trying to use my wrist more often when doing speed runs and the whole forearm when im doing a bend or something.

btw, how are these exercises? if there's anyhting else anyone would like to add, please do!

 

[TwofacePimp]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

This is kind of hard to explain without pictures, but I've generally seen (and learned about) two different ways to approach this. The first is to move your wrist at the joint between the forearm and the hand in a up-and-down motion. The second is to turn the forearm, keeping the hand and wrist steady, in order to move the pick up and down (it would be a motion like holding your arm out and going from palm-up to palm-down). People often think this is still using the wrist. Though I have seen both ways work, I generally prefer the second because you are using a larger muscle and the movement seems more natural. Both ways still involve using the whole arm to move the hand into the correct position to play the string, but the arm would not move if the whole run was only on one string. I am only talking about playing single note runs, by the way.

From these posts it seems like there is a third way that was talked about, and that is moving the forearm from the elbow or even the shoulder. Though this might be good for getting a good hard strum for rhythm playing, I can't see how this would be efficient enough for playing rapid single notes. Many people play rhythm this way, but then switch to a smaller movement (wrist or forearm) when playing single notes. Hope this helps . Sorry if it sounds complicated, it's really a lot easier to see in person.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: is there anything wrong with my picking hand?

thanks everyone!

btw, how are these exercises anywyas?