Picking hand wrist

[Misanthrope189]

Hey, a quick question - do any of you ever get a pain in your picking hand wrist after lengthy playing? Maybe it was just abuse from playing fast picking and not taking a break. But you know, the amps cranked, the tone's driving you, and you're going through Megadeth, and Maiden, Iced Earth, a few of your own songs, some Testament and some solos, Dream Theater, toying around just jamming, and I guess your picking wrist would eventually get tired of the abuse. The pain is right in the middle of my wrist, on the top...I play left handed, and I kinda have a hooked playing style, almost how lefty's usually write. So maybe it's a little awkward...*shrugs*.

Cheers,
Nick

[Bigfknbang]

Re: Picking hand wrist

Hey dude, try some wrist yoga. hold your hand strait out in from of you fingers strait out. take your other hand and slowly bend your fingers back towards your self, keeping your wrist strait. hold for ten seconds then turn your hand over and do it again. that usualy works for me. im not a lefty but i get wrist pain once in a while, usualy while using my mouse [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Misanthrope189]

Re: Picking hand wrist

Yeah, I know I definitely grip my pick tight. See, though, it's like, if I'm playing Iron Maiden's Transylvania, when I'm picking like that, it's easy for the pick to get shifted between my fingers, and then the tip isn't where I want it to be to play right. So unless I grip the pick tight, it'll shift, and screw me up.

I do leave my other three fingers loose, and usually like to have at least the pinky on the guitar for stability.

Cheers,
Nick

[jgcable]

Re: Picking hand wrist

The pain is coming from you gripping the pick to tight. Let it flutter around between your fingers. This actually increased my pick speed.

[jgcable]

Re: Picking hand wrist

You are gripping your pick to tight. If you grip the pick with your thumb and pointer finger than make sure that your other 3 fingers are almost straight out or pointing up (unless you are fingerpicking of course). If you want an example of what it looks like than just take a look at any of Warren Demartini's or George Lynch's solos. Also, if you are speed picking try picking in tight circles instead of just up and down (ala Paul Gilbert). Variety in pick attack and technique will relax your wrist. [img]graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[DeathIsMyJustice]

Re: Picking hand wrist

always warm up [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

RaR!

[jjw]

Re: Picking hand wrist

You realy shouldn't get any pains/tension in either arms when playing for a few hours.
Longer time frames,yeahh it could tense up slightly and of the course stress of not Fu(king up that amazing solo in your live act could make you paralized from the neck down [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I agree with the dude about not holding the pick too tightly as that can easily tense your hand

Warmups..lol..each too their own..shouldnt take to long to blow the cobwebs off with normal playing

If you still get problems take a long hard look at the way you pick and isolate any areas you feel may give you problems..then fix them

[Alexi7]

Re: Picking hand wrist

After i play for a lengthy time my hand starts shaking when i try to hold something, guess its just the muscles copping a workout. I used to hold my pick too tight ages ago, now my thumb bone is sticking out more on my right hand, but i've never had any wrist pains, go to a gp and get it checked out.
Cheers

[1trussell]

Re: Picking hand wrist

Might I suggest some wrist exercises designed specifically for endurance. If you need illustrations, just check out the photos of Jenna on the Jackson site. I guarentee after working on it religiously for a few hours a day, you wrist will cease to hurt from holding your pick too tight. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[VitaminG]

Re: Picking hand wrist

and how do pictures of Jenna help his endurance?

[1trussell]

Re: Picking hand wrist

Think of it this way: in a couple of hours you could either run a marathon or do a whole bunch of sprints. Either way, your gettng a good workout. The wrist works the same way. Train the way you play, multiple short bursts vs. long continuous stroking. Sport specificity people! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]