[r1p32]

sometimes when i play my pick hand gets cramped up around the thumb area and it really hurts. a friend of mine says its cuz i hold the pick too hard. it usually happens with stuff with individual picking and its annoying cuz i cant finish my song! idk but i find it that if i hold the pick hard i can pick faster which is why i think he may be right. but usually with rest it goes away but it's really annoying..wat do you guys think?

[allthumbs]

Relax your hands and your whole body for that matter. Play with the pick and find out how loose you can hold it before you lose control. Speed shouldn't be determined by how hard you are holding the pick. It sounds like when you play fast,your digging in more which makes you need to hold the pick harder. Try catching less string with the pick.Tension and speed don't work well in the long term. Imagine how you would feel after playing a 3 hour gig with the kind of tension yo have in your hand. I am sure Nelsonite can give you excercises to help you out.

[r1p32]

wow great advice thx a lot!!!!

[nagukush]

Great Advice Allthumbs !!! Its true, when we give extra pressure to our hands, or any body-part for that matter, its gonna get exhausted very soon. And i feel its a great advantage to eliminate these tensions at the beginning stage, as these may become involuntary in advanced stages. I'm still struggling to leave these so called "Bad-Habits"

[bone1205]

Originally Posted by r1p32

sometimes when i play my pick hand gets cramped up around the thumb area and it really hurts. a friend of mine says its cuz i hold the pick too hard. it usually happens with stuff with individual picking and its annoying cuz i cant finish my song! idk but i find it that if i hold the pick hard i can pick faster which is why i think he may be right. but usually with rest it goes away but it's really annoying..wat do you guys think?

relax.... relax and more relax...

[Neilsonite]

Hi, everyone is giving you great advice, it's all about removing tension....

One useful way to visualize this is to think about the similarities between playing guitar and playing a sport you know well. Living in New Jersey, maybe hockey? If not, any sport will work... Imagine doing a good wrist-shot - notice how your whole body is relaxed, and you can generate plenty of speed without shooting hard. If you tense your whole body, notice how you lose speed and accuracy? Same with tennis, baseball, running, swimming, snooker, anything you can think of.

With guitar this is even more important, because the movements are so small and accurate. I would simply practice whatever you are picking, but focusing on being smooth, relaxed, and efficient. Remember to breathe, and let the pick do the work, you don't need to (or want to) hit the strings hard.

Hope this helps,
James

[r1p32]

that really helps thx a lot