wrist or arm? / alternate picking

Use the wrist. As you noted, using your arm will tire you out.

Way back when I started to learn tremolo picking, I found the same thing you have - your faster with the arm. When you use your whole arm, your biceps are getting involved, and those are usually a lot more developed than the small muscles of the forearm and hand that are needed for picking from the wrist... but you'll tire awfully quickly.

If you keep at it with the wrist, speed will come.

noteboat is exactly right, you are wasting to much energy, and you will be able to play alot faster once you get use to useing your wrist.

i just need any tips on picking inside strings. I've asked too many times to remember, and I always get some kind of answer, but it's just not coming to me.I don't know why i can pick outside so easily but not inside. it doesn't make any sense.

slow down and concentrate, sounds like you are getting frustrated. are you taking lessons?
this is where a good teacher comes in, i think your problem is you are using your arm instead of your wrist, concentrate on not moving your arm, you will be slow at first, but once you start getting the feel for it you will be alot faster, i guaranty it, speed comes with good technique and practice.

I had a teacher once who swore that you caould pick faster by "locking" the wrist and moving the arm. And he DID pick faster that way, but I think it was because he always used that technique when he played fast.

Me? I pick by moving the wrist. I always felt more comfortable to me.

i just feel like I have to curve my picking motion or wrist or something to pick inside. I don't always do that, but it feels like i should. I usually don't move my arm, but i just can't figure out why i can't do it. And no i'm not taking lessons from a teacher at the moment. Through the 8 months I've been playing, i've learned quite well on my own, and it's probably better that way/ Besides, teachers will let you progress slow so that you keep coming back for lessons, therefore making them more money.

nova,

what happens when you develop alot of bad habbits? without a good, and i mean good teacher to correct you, how are you break those habits, or worse adding to them?

well most teachers are pretty expensive, and It will be a lot more fulfilling if i look back and say, i taught mysekf that. I guess i just have to either give up guitar since I'm stuck or just keep practicing this technique like i have for the last month or so, and get nowhere. A month, and no progress. That's obviously a sign that it's not gonna happen. This is depressing :(

dude, don't give up, lessons are expensive, you already paid for a guitar and amp, so there is definatley desire there, there are different routes you can take, check out your local paper for people giving lessons, they are alot cheaper than finding one in a music store, or go to guitar shops and talk to people, you might hit it off with someone that just wants to share
what they have learned with someone else, there are ways , but not if you quit :(

yea i doubt I'll quit, as much money as I've put into this so far (around $1000 total). I guess i should keep practicing. I have, however, found that when i try to inside alternate pick, say i do an upstroke, I don't take the pick high enough to play the downstroke, so I'm trying to do it a little to quickly. My pick just needs to hit at a different angle. I'll try that strategy now.

keep practicing, you will get it :wink:

did you guys ever hit a point like this? Not necessarily this technique, but one that you practiced for a month or more and made hardly any progress on, and you started worrying that you would never get it? If so, what technique was it? Maybe hearing others problems would help me :( I've just been working on this for what seems like forever and i haven't made much improvement and things look hopeless as far as shredding goes for me. Without inside picking, you can't shred much interesting stuff unless you change two notes to HO's or PO's or vice versa.

A few things. Concentrate on using your wrist it will be alot faster and easier to sustain on long runs. Secondly, do not avoid lessons cause you will get more satisfaction out of teaching yourself. There is plenty more satisfaction when you learn to play well and you avoid frustrations that are cause by bad habits. On the other hand if lessons are too expensive(and yes they are very pricey but worth it if you find a good teacher) you have to have more discipline then you would need if you had a teacher. Also, frustration with alternate picking is pretty normal I think picking is something that the best players in the world can always improve.

Wrist definitly, just practice a simple palm muted run like this..

p.m...........................................
e--------------22-------------------44---|
B--------------00-------------------22---|
G----------22------------------44--------|
D----------00------------------22--------|
A---22--------------------44-------------|
E---00--------------------22-------------|

Down-Up picking pattern for each chord. then once you get use to it Down Up Down Up Down. Work slowly though.


Then repeat this with open strumming. Do this back and fourth. Then take the same chord shape and run it up and down the neck. It will help you figure out alternate picking, palm muting, and power chords at the same time. And with introduce you to the chromatic scale! So bam. Your golden!

I had trouble with this as well. And this is what helped me figure out alot. Try it and I hope the tab comes out right.