Picking hand endurance/stamina

Playing Technique
#1

Hi!

This may sound like a weird question but Im wondering how endurance or stamina in the picking hand works. For example, I can play 16th notes at 180 bpm. However, after 8 beats or so I get tired in my picking hand and in order to keep up the tempo I tend to tense up. I dont consider this to be a big deal as long as it doesn’t`t hurt, but how come If I lower the tempo I can play for longer? Also, I can increase the stamina by simply pushing myself to play at faster tempos.

For me this seems analogous to working out, i.e. that you can`t lift heavier weights for as many repetitions as lighter weights. However, many people on this forum seem to not want to equate playing guitar to athletics. If this is the case, how come I can play 16th notes at 160 bpm for longer than I can at 180 bpm?

Thanks!

1 Like
#2

It’s probable that for faster tempos you are tensing up, changing a bit your technique therefore using excessive energy which isn’t actually necessary for the motion itself. As an example, I’m used to perform live 1h sets for a melodeath band which uses fast tremolo runs (200bpm) for nearly 4 -5 min straight at some songs. At first I couldn’t do it, but I tried to relax and let the picking hand find its way to learn a correct motion. It’s not about athletics, its more about efficiency and relaxation (e.g. Would you say writing by pen is an athletic exercise?)

#3

Thanks for your reply! I understand what youre saying but I find the pen analogy somewhat misleading. When writing by pen youre not likely to write “fast” or “slow” - you`re writing at a comfortable pace. I, too, can play guitar relaxed in a comfortable pace, like 16th notes at 140 bpm.

Also, the same concept applies to the left hand in my case. Doing trills between two fingers becomes fatiguing at higher tempos, whereas it feels easy at lower speeds.

#4

Because its more about tension and fatigue because of and how efficient/inefficient the motion is. Strength is not the factor. I bet you have more than enough strength to hit string hard enough to snap, yet can’t play as long as you want to. Adding more strength is not going to solve it.

#5

If you want to see it in weight lifting analogy, getting more endurance on guitar is like a) improving your form and b)taking off weights! Lol

#6

How did you approach building speed and endurance? Were you trying to match the tempo of those songs with or without a metronome? Did you stop at any moment at which you started feeling excessive tension in your muscles or did you try to last as long as you could despite the tension?