Guitar Playing & Muscle Problems!

[TheSecondBite]

Hello my friends.

After stopping for playing guitar for 5-6 months, now I feel pretty weak and I can't play fast riffs.
I mean, I had this problem in the past, but it wasn't such big.
That kept me back in learning for ever, and it's time to correct it.

Do you have any tips, or exercises that I should do?

 

[DominikJW]

Keep practicing dude. Start at slower tempos and slowly build up the speedz. There is no shortcut unfortunatly.

 

[Scott Horner]

Keep practicing dude. Start at slower tempos and slowly build up the speedz. There is no shortcut unfortunatly.

Truth. Practice makes perfect. Unless, of course, you're practicing to suck; in which case practice makes suck.

 

[AdamG94]

Keep practicing dude. Start at slower tempos and slowly build up the speedz. There is no shortcut unfortunatly.

+1

But know your limits, push some muscles too hard and it'll become A LOT harder to improve and it'll probably become pretty uncomfortable to play. Maybe doing various different exercises (alt. picking, down picking, sweeps ect.) for 20 minutes every day and gradually increase the tempo, imo this is the best way to avoid muscle injuries

 

[The Unavoidable]

playplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplayplay!

Then rest.

 

[TheSecondBite]

Playing never really helped to the muscle weakness.

I'll start going to the gym for arm training.
I could be pretty better on guitar If my arms were stronger.
That's one of the reasons I stopped playing.

 

[BrettT]

You'll get it back as long as you stick to it. Muscle memory is an amazing thing.

 

[TheSecondBite]

You'll get it back as long as you stick to it. Muscle memory is an amazing thing.

that sounds pretty awesome.

 

[The Unavoidable]

that sounds pretty awesome.

Don't act like a bitch just becuse you suck at playing guitar. If you think anything other than actually PRACTICING is going to make your guitar playing better, then you're a retard. And a lazy one at that.

 

[TheSecondBite]

Don't act like a bitch just becuse you suck at playing guitar. If you think anything other than actually PRACTICING is going to make your guitar playing better, then you're a retard. And a lazy one at that.

what?

I was obviously joking, because what he said was pretty cool.
NEVER tried to be a bitch.

 

[Line666]

The smilie is usually used to construe sarcasm or facetiousness...

 

[TheSecondBite]

The smilie is usually used to construe sarcasm or facetiousness...

no sarcasm at all.

 

[CubanDude]

Dont see what muscles really have to do with your guitar playing. I hardly doubt that you're too weak to play the guitar properly, cause there isn't much power involved (if you do it right)

 

[TheSecondBite]

Dont see what muscles really have to do with your guitar playing. I hardly doubt that you're too weak to play the guitar properly, cause there isn't much power involved (if you do it right)

When I'm playing "Hetfield like riffs" you know, down-down-down,
my arm soon gets tired and I'm starting to play pretty sloppy.

Do I do something wrong?

 

[CubanDude]

Yeah, you do. It isnt that James has the most powerful arms in the world, his downstroke technique is just frickin awesome. You should always pay attention to not flex your muscles, no matter what youre playing. Work on your technique, not your muscles.

 

[egan.]

Yeah, you do. It isnt that James has the most powerful arms in the world, his downstroke technique is just frickin awesome. You should always pay attention to not flex your muscles, no matter what youre playing. Work on your technique, not your muscles.

This is semantics though. I agree the gym won't help you play guitar but playing an instrument certainly involves hundreds of muscles that gain strength and speed the more you play (to a limit). And you can definitely lose that if you don't play for extended periods of time just like any other physical endeavor. Having perfect technique can provide more endurance for sure but practicing will further it tons.

 

[CubanDude]

Well, I highly tend to disagree. If you're not a total pussy with no muscles at all, you won't "gain" any muscles from playing the guitar, cause there are so many other things which already provided you with all the muscles you need. Ofc you need muscles to move your hand and stuff, but this "muscle effort" is so minimal, you just need to use the right muscles and don't flex any unnecessary ones. Efficiency is the key. Many really good guitar players even claim to play with their nervous system.

 

[Cryo114]

Well, I highly tend to disagree. If you're not a total pussy with no muscles at all, you won't "gain" any muscles from playing the guitar

Nobody said anything about gaining muscles, though basic subtle muscle training has a great deal to do with endurance levels.

 

[CubanDude]

Fact is, if your "overuse" a muscle due to bad technique, your endurance will suffer 100 times more than if your muscles is not top notch trained.

 

[Firaxis]

hey man the nsd powerball is really good for relaxing or working out the muscles you use in guitar playing depending how you use it, there are a couple of guys out there who really recommend it.