Guitar players, do you pick from the wrist or the elbow?

[Ice Man]

Seems like a trivial question, but from my observation, there seems to be a big difference in technique. So, which is it for you, folks? I personally pick from the elbow and I hate the lack of economy for fast passages. I chill with a plenty of other guitar players, and most of them pick from only the wrist. They seem to play so easily and peachy. Has anyone else had similar woes? I mean, sure, you can fly with either method, but doesn't it piss you off to be an elbow player and have your whole arm gyrate while your buddy is sitting over there blankly while only his hand is moving. Discuss!

 

[Radd]

Picking from the elbow? That's just plain craziness.

 

[Ice Man]

Picking from the elbow? That's just plain craziness.

I know! And it sucks. I mean, after 7 years of playing, how difficult do you think it'd be to teach your brain to do it completely different and use different muscles? I mean, with as all-powerful as the brain is, you think it'd see the reason in playing better, christ. Stubborness totally isn't metal.

 

[cobhc]

I know! And it sucks. I mean, after 7 years of playing, how difficult do you think it'd be to teach your brain to do it completely different and use different muscles? I mean, with as all-powerful as the brain is, you think it'd see the reason in playing better, christ. Stubborness totally isn't metal.

This is why it pays dividends to learn the proper picking technique from the beginning.

 

[MrLee]

Jeff Hanneman picks with his elbow I think and Kerry King with his wrist. Seams to me they play equaly good!!
I've heard you have less stamina and could get hurt more easly when using your elbow? but I've also heard that that is bullshit and that picking technique is individualy. Whatever works for you kinda.. Personaly I use my wrist..

 

[cobhc]

Jeff Hanneman picks with his elbow I think and Kerry King with his wrist. Seams to me they play equaly good!!
I've heard you have less stamina and could get hurt more easly when using your elbow? but I've also heard that that is bullshit and that picking technique is individualy. Whatever works for you kinda.. Personaly I use my wrist..

I suppose that's right, but it always seems picking from the wrist in general makes it easier to play quicker. Can someone show me exactly what they mean by picking from your elbow?

 

[billcraftmetal15]

wrist all the way, you'll just get cramp in your upper arm if you play with your elbow and trying to do anykind of fast picking or tremolo stuff will just end up in your arm aching for a week. not to mention you'll probably end up breaking a load of strings.
but again, thats my opinion.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

You'll end up hurting yourself using your elbow. The guy from Living Colour picks like that too, so some good guitar players do it, but it's still not a good idea.

 

[VH100R]

wrist.

 

[Remy_5150]

I'm pretty sure whatever technique has you picking with the least amount of extraneous motion is the best technique for you...if you look at yourself in a mirror when you are playing, you want your picking motion to be so small that it looks like your hand isn't even moving...if that means using your elbow a little bit, or just your wrist, as long as the motion is as small as possible, you're good to go

thats what I always thought, at least

 

[Remy_5150]

also I pretty much realized there is no absolutely right picking technique when I learned how Eddie Van Halen holds his pick!

(he holds it with his thumb and middle finger, and uses his index finger to tap)

 

[MrLee]

I suppose that's right, but it always seems picking from the wrist in general makes it easier to play quicker. Can someone show me exactly what they mean by picking from your elbow?

if you try locking your wrist, dont move it at all, just move your elbow up and down to pick. your pick hits the strings kinda the same way as normal. A friend of mine calls it "cramp" technique

 

[AudioPhile777]

I suppose that's right, but it always seems picking from the wrist in general makes it easier to play quicker. Can someone show me exactly what they mean by picking from your elbow?

instead of the motion coming from moving your wrist, your hand stays stationary and all the movement comes from moving at your elbow...

This guy does both... elbow and wrist in this video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=T0lrs9iP7hU

 

[Remy_5150]

AudioPhile, I am pretty sure that video is fake (a.k.a. sped up)....just listen to the audio, its way too high pitched....

 

[greyskull]

also I pretty much realized there is no absolutely right picking technique when I learned how Eddie Van Halen holds his pick!

(he holds it with his thumb and middle finger, and uses his index finger to tap)

yep so do i!
oh and from the wrist if its fast.
and from the elbow if im strumming

 

[AudioPhile777]

AudioPhile, I am pretty sure that video is fake (a.k.a. sped up)....just listen to the audio, its way too high pitched....

It doesnt really matter if it was fake or not, it was meant to show the two different techniques... could care less if he was able to play that fast or whatnot...

 

[Ice Man]

This is why it pays dividends to learn the proper picking technique from the beginning.

Oh, I agree completely. The only thing was, I'm self-taught and after so many years, I'm dissecting my technique and it blows. I'm trying to find a way to "make the switch," if you will. The only hard part is that the muscle memory has it all fucked. I know how people play from the wrist, I just can't do it. Say if I wanted to pick without any pivot from the elbow, natural muscle movement for me is twisting my wrist back and forth rather than rocking up and down.

 

[Ice Man]

I'm pretty sure whatever technique has you picking with the least amount of extraneous motion is the best technique for you...if you look at yourself in a mirror when you are playing, you want your picking motion to be so small that it looks like your hand isn't even moving...if that means using your elbow a little bit, or just your wrist, as long as the motion is as small as possible, you're good to go

thats what I always thought, at least

I agree completely. Like I said, the economy in my picking is horrendous. Only unfortunate part is that it's all I've known from the beginning and my body is pretty adamant on keeping muscle memory. I'm trying to find a way to alter my technique save for taping my arm to my side to make sure my elbow doesn't move.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

LMAO !!! http://youtube.com/watch?v=28abpbNwZlU

 

[cobhc]

I agree completely. Like I said, the economy in my picking is horrendous. Only unfortunate part is that it's all I've known from the beginning and my body is pretty adamant on keeping muscle memory. I'm trying to find a way to alter my technique save for taping my arm to my side to make sure my elbow doesn't move.

As silly as that sounds, maybe taping your elbow to your side is the physical block your body needs to change your muscle memory.