6s the Yng-way - avoiding injury

Playing Technique
#1

@tommo, I’ve been working a lot with your Yngwie 6s etude, as you know. (And don’t try to dissuade me!:wink: One issue I’ve run into is that, especially since each lick begins on the left hand with finger #1 (1-4-3-1-3-4 and 1-4-2-1-2-4), playing the lick in isolation can lead to clamping finger 1 down for the entirety of the lick. If you’re running it over and over, it starts to feel pretty tense - seems like a good way to injure yourself.

Interestingly, when I run the whole etude at once, I tend not to leave finger 1 down. Strictly speaking you could - and doing so might even make for better, ‘economic’ movement. But like I say, it doesn’t feel good. And what’s more, I’m anyway getting away from thinking that the left hand has to move with minimalist precision - seeing some vids here (Shawn Lane?) and elsewhere on YT, I see guys high-stepping their fretting fingers without ill effect. Two pretty good players I follow actually said explicitly, don’t worry about the economy thing; it’s basically a red herring.

So I’m thinking about practicing those 6s licks with lifting of finger 1, just like fingers 2,3 and 4. Anyone see an issue with that?

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#2

Sone people keep the 1st finger down, sone lift it abd others (including me) sort of pulse their first finger - it lifts slightly so doesn’t fret the note, bit doesn’t leave it the string either.
I think its advantageous to do all 3 if I’m honest as there are times where each one can be utilised.

But to answer your question the context of injury, do what ever limits the risk. Also, take more regular breaks

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#3

Sounds good, I like this problem solving attitude aimed at avoiding injury :slight_smile:

Another suggestion is to sometimes ise 1-2-3 instead of 1-3-4, to avoid fatigue due to the 3-4 combination

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#4

This is theoretically the faster approach, too. I practice both because it’s not always feasible to fret it 1-2-3 but if the pattern allows this is definitely the way to go.

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#5

Do you guys ever feel your left hand cramp up when learning new patterns? Only asking as this could be useful to the OP. Also, I think I live for these moments now, level up time usually.

I’ve noticed this sequence of sensations:

Used to start with a cramp-like pain or burning sensation, like when you’re working out. When it would burn/pain I’d ease up on the left hand fretting pressure; the easing up slightly would relieve the pain/burn and have an odd cooling sensation, and also feel like the phrase just got easier to play without fretting out, I’ve learned since to not waste these critical learning milestones, I usually don’t let up until I finish an 18min non-stop work out.

Lately, these moments occur less often, and now they start with a mild numbing sensation accompanied by sometimes a very mild pins and needle sensation at the edge of my hand pinky side; again when I ease up just to that point of collapse I get this very satisfying cooling effect, and I can continue playing the current phrase cleanly, but more efficiently. These are usually the transition points when the phrase gets digested mechanically.

About injury, I know when to stop, I think! Fair warning: For me, it’s when in a “twitch”, the fretting hand loses power entirely often due to short-lived shooting pain. At this point I know I’m not going to touch the guitar for 48 hours at least. I usually come back stronger.

edit: Just want to also add that I’m almost always playing along to some section of a track in a loop, which I mean to say is also learning some thing in context constantly, and often moving the thing around to explore and bend the device, and avoid boredom. in this sense quick position shifts can introduce added tension, these kind of hurdles usually take me three days separated by two nights of sleep to overcome. Obviously some things are harder than others, but even that only means more fragmentation of the phrase, smaller chunks etc. I’m not sure if I’m alone with this thought process if that’s what it is :slight_smile:

#6

I don’t think it would be an issue. In fact, I remember seeing a video where Tom Quayle encourages this sort of movement because it keeps the index finger ready to go rather than having it down all the time.

I’m currently working on the sixes lick as well and I find that breaking up the exercise helps me with tension. I just do the left hand portion legato, as light as I can get, focusing on keeping tension down everywhere. I find that when I do that and then go back to playing with both hands that my hand sync is tighter and can pull it off with a lot less tension.

May or may not work for you, but wanted share.

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#7

Okay, those are good suggestions; thanks. I wouldn’t have thought to finger it 1-2-3; it’s actually not comfortable for me right now. But I’ll play around with it some.

I’ve also been isolating the left hand. Not everyone loves the hands-apart thing for developing single-escape, but I think it’s working out okay for me so far.

#8

I had the same issue around the 5th fret with the 1-2-3 fingering. I started practicing just the single, non moving pattern with that fingering around the 12th fret and move down towards the 5th as my hands stretch out.