Tremolo test speed improving

Playing Technique
#1

Hello everyone, i play bowled back mandolin. I’m watching lot of material and studying in some way to obtain one basic target: to have a smooth tremolo on one string, easy to mantain, capable of acceleration (from 0 speed to tremolo). May be it’s a lot of year i’m stuck on this problem. Yes i can have a tremolo, but i can’t be satisfied of what i have now.
Finally i understood that for this motion (i use RDT medium-low supination), i need to push on speed, and understand how i react to this limit condition.
And it is what i done. I noticed that with some adjustments on keeping the pick, helped me, but this was not definitely a solver. I use medium hard picks for now (0.7-1 mm), and i leave to finger pick taking, flexibillity management, that is correct.
After pushed for some tests (anyway it is some days i’m pushing on speed, not months), i wanted to try to analize my test speed on desk, without instrument, again. I try to reach speed keeping hand on table, with pick in hand, with metronome, and try to be relaxed where i have to be.
With surprise i discovered that i can keep 180 bpm 16eens, that would be enough speed i need, with control, but after some time i get tired, in particular on external forearm muscles, and so i lose position, lose control.
And so i thought that may be i need to train as an athlete, to improve simply muscle tone and coordination. Or keeping in relax some antagonists muscles, that i’m not capable to be aware of. Just now i’m thinking on my motion doing it, and notice how tremolo picking, expecially if with narrow motion, have not time and space to obtain an “alternate” relaxation. Muscles are almost everytime in tension.

I don’t want to waste too much time again, and so i wanted to ask to you all, if you are experienced on this, and can give me a hint. As example how much time medially speaking i need to train, before to think to have a result.
I have to practice motion on desk, large movements? At lower speed, until i’m tired? What’s the correct way to train?
I’m delighted on how some top mandolin player can express their music with a nice tremolo, and for me reach this target is the best gift i can do to myself.

Thank you in advance
Luigi

#2

In my personal experience, I’ve never gained much speed or endurance through repetitive practice, or slow practice. I think those kinds of practice are good for building accuracy and consistency, but not for building speed and endurance.

Speed - all of my big improvements in picking speed have come from experimentation. For example - Dart Thrower Tremolo picking. I experimented off and on for a few weeks, just to figure out the basic motion. Once I had the motion figured out, I could go really fast right away. And since then, I don’t think my raw speed has changed much at all.

I think it’s more about experimenting and changing things (like grip, supination/pronation, wrist position, muscles, etc.) - not about muscle training. I stopped playing guitar for years, and when I came back, I could still Tremolo pick super fast. And I’m not a muscular guy at all. It’s the technique.

Basically, IMHO it’s more about finding the fast technique, not building the fast technique.

Endurance - I try to focus on what muscles are being activated, and try to relax them if they aren’t necessary. For example - I used to flex my pectoral muscle when Tremolo picking from my elbow, even though it’s totally unnecessary. I learned to relax it.

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