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Guitar Lessons, Wrist Vs. Forearm Picking - Which Is Better?
by Chris Thomas
When playing the guitar, picking from the wrist vs. picking from the elbow or forearm is something that is very important to think about, especially as a beginner.
When I first started playing, I gravitated towards playing from the forearm when picking as opposed to the wrist. As a result, I found it difficult to play a lot of alternate picking exercises and it also made certain types of rhythm playing much harder then they needed to be. I continued this way for a number of years, and it wasn't until a couple years ago that I tried to break myself of this habit. It was actually Al DiMeola who suggested in his REH instructional video to focus on playing from the wrist. And while I was watching how flawless his technique was, it really hit home with me. While I still at times get the forearm involved, I think I pretty much play from the wrist for the most part now, but only after practicing exercises very slowly and speeding them up, all while concentrating on picking from the wrist. It helped to look in the mirror and make sure that I was.
The habits you form early on will be tough to change as you play more and more. I won’t say that you should do one or the other because ultimately its up to you. And there are certainly plenty of players out there who pick from the forearm. But I would still like to recommend now that you try to focus on picking from the wrist whenever possible. The reasons for this are as follows: 1) You have much more control with using only the wrist.
2) Picking from the wrist minimizes overall movement which makes it easier to play complex passages.
3) Most rhythm playing (especially on acoustic) can be done more easily and sounds less mechanical by using the wrist.
4) Its easier to play muted passages using the wrist.
Again, it’s a matter of personal preference, and there are some players who pick primarily from the elbow (Michael Angelo and Vinnie Moore) and do it very well. But the vast majority of players pick primarily from the wrist.
Experiment with both and see which feels more comfortable for you. But keep in mind once you get used to one, its tough to break the habit.
About The Author: Chris Thomas writes articles and does reviews of the top online guitar lessons at http://www.guitarlessoncomparisons.com
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The information provided in this article is the express opinion of the author. Exchangenet is not responsible for the content!
When playing the guitar, picking from the wrist vs. picking from the elbow or forearm is something that is very important to think about, especially as a beginner.
When I first started playing, I gravitated towards playing from the forearm when picking as opposed to the wrist. As a result, I found it difficult to play a lot of alternate picking exercises and it also made certain types of rhythm playing much harder then they needed to be. I continued this way for a number of years, and it wasn't until a couple years ago that I tried to break myself of this habit. It was actually Al DiMeola who suggested in his REH instructional video to focus on playing from the wrist. And while I was watching how flawless his technique was, it really hit home with me. While I still at times get the forearm involved, I think I pretty much play from the wrist for the most part now, but only after practicing exercises very slowly and speeding them up, all while concentrating on picking from the wrist. It helped to look in the mirror and make sure that I was.
The habits you form early on will be tough to change as you play more and more. I won’t say that you should do one or the other because ultimately its up to you. And there are certainly plenty of players out there who pick from the forearm. But I would still like to recommend now that you try to focus on picking from the wrist whenever possible. The reasons for this are as follows: 1) You have much more control with using only the wrist.
2) Picking from the wrist minimizes overall movement which makes it easier to play complex passages.
3) Most rhythm playing (especially on acoustic) can be done more easily and sounds less mechanical by using the wrist.
4) Its easier to play muted passages using the wrist.
Again, it’s a matter of personal preference, and there are some players who pick primarily from the elbow (Michael Angelo and Vinnie Moore) and do it very well. But the vast majority of players pick primarily from the wrist.
Experiment with both and see which feels more comfortable for you. But keep in mind once you get used to one, its tough to break the habit.
About The Author: Chris Thomas writes articles and does reviews of the top online guitar lessons at http://www.guitarlessoncomparisons.com
These articles on lifestyle and more
Reprint this article free of charge as long as you keep the author's resource box or bio intact and the links active. A copy of the ezine or URL of the page where the article was reprinted emailed to the author would be very much appreciated. guitar lessons
Return to the selection of guitar lessons
You may want to try these articles on guitar lessons
Guitar Lessons, Guitar Lessons And You: Finding A System That Works by IPRWire Staff Writer Approximately 483 Words
Guitar Lessons, How Do Different Types Of Guitar Strings Effect Your Sound? by Chris Thomas Approximately 437 Words
Guitar Lessons, Good Guitar Technique Will Allow You To Play Anything! by Chris Thomas Approximately 331 Words
Guitar Lessons, I Finally Took Guitar Lessons by Denton Krypps Approximately 478 Words
Guitar Lessons, Guitar Lessons: Guitar Playing Must Be A Passion by Bill McRea Approximately 340 Words
Guitar Lessons, Guitar Lessons €“ String Bending by Bill McRea Approximately 376 Words
Guitar Lessons, Guitar Lessons €“ Playing Harmonics by Bill McRea Approximately 431 Words
You may want to try these websites for additional information
http://www.supersonic.net/guitar/
http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/guitar_lessons_jazz.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Lessons/
The information provided in this article is the express opinion of the author. Exchangenet is not responsible for the content!