Could you please help me with my technique?

Technique Critique
#1

Hi there, I’m a former cracking the code subscriber and I’ve read lots of posts on this forum, so I think it’s time for me to invite you to investigate my technique ! Using UWPS I can play rather fast lines with a good sync when properly warmed up, but I experience troubles trying to play at slower tempos, say 140-160 BPM. This is why I’ve started learning DWPS which is really hard since i’m not used to anchor and I’ve spent so much time using the side of my thumb against the strings. Now I can generate some speed with DWPS too, but again it’s hard for me to slow down. My guess is that I use mostly elbow at higher tempos and a blend of forearm rotation and elbow while trying to slow down. Problem is I don’t know if I should try using only elbow or only wrist and how to isolate each ? I try to do a straight line but it doesn’t feels right no matter what, anchored or not, UWPS or DWPS. Sorry no slow mo vids but some clips of me trying to play clean at various speeds :

Thanks

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#2

H Bart! Thanks for posting.

In short, none of this is really “elbow”, at least not that I can see. It’s all wrist or wrist plus forearm. Your dwps form is wrist and forearm. Your uwps form is the Andy Wood-style “2:00” uwps motion we discuss in the crosspicking broadcast. There may be a bit of elbow creeping into that form when you try and speed up, but that’s common for wrist players, and Andy himself does this.

In general the motions don’t sound consistent yet. When you do these, do you feel like bits of other motions are creeping in? Is it hard to tell by feel exactly when that’s happening and not happening? If so, that’s common. That means you’re still ironing out your basic motions.

So I’d say that is your biggest issue. Smoothness, and awareness of when you are performing each motion and only that motion. We cover all these motions in the “Introduction to Picking Motion” broadcast and the crosspicking broadcast. Not sure if you got a change to watch these when you were signed up, but that’s our best material on that subject currently.

In short there’s nothing specifically wrong with either of these motions, and I personally use them both or have worked on them both. But not really having control over them, or knowing when you’re doing one or the other, can make it challenging to develop smoothness in each of them. And they are different motions, so that’s a bit like learning two languages at once.

Lots of short attempts, with video, comparing to a solid visual reference for what those motions should look like when done correctly, is how I address these problems. Indeed, one of the challenges of picking technique is that there are so many ways that actually work, it’s hard to get your hands to choose just one of them at any given moment. So I feel your challenge here!

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#3

I do feel some elbow but more wrist. I thought it was what it feels like to play elbow…

Yes especially when I slow down. No elbow anymore, but a combo of wrist plus forearm. Everything gets tense even if I try not to. Hard to play a straight line. Accents won’t really help.

No but I’m gonna subscribe again. I thought I wasn’t a wrist player.

Thanks for your time and patience Troy.

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#4

Elbow is one of those blessedly simple mechanics where just the elbow joint moves and pretty much nothing else. You can check out posts by @TheCount or @Bill_hall for some great examples of what elbow motion looks like in action. It’s not always trivial for everyone to learn to do if you have never tried to move only your elbow, but it is a simple joint that only really moves one way.

Re: your current motions, again, they’re not “wrong”, per se, and mixing elbow with other things isn’t wrong either. Sometimes, simply becoming aware of what you are currently doing can help you do it better and more consistently, even if you ultimately decide not to change it.

Lots of options.

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#5

I just made a little video explaining a little bit about how I use elbow mechanics in my playing. I thought it might give you some ideas. For me, when I am playing fast there is no wrist movement that I am aware of. There is wrist or rotational movements at slower and medium speeds and I just sort of slip in and out of them. The video is in my Elbow Mechanics post. I hope it helps!

#6

Thanks Bill ! I’m gonna check this out !

1 Like