The Pain-Free Method For FAST Tremolo Picking

When a guitarist like you is pursuing speed, you'll inevitably have to learn tremolo picking. This technique allows you to pick notes in the fastest way possible. Unfortunately, pain becomes a roadblock for many of us who are trying to pull off this technique. Contrary to what many might think, this soreness isn’t something you have to just get used to. Unlike the pain we face when developing calluses on our fingertips, a sore arm from tremolo picking can be avoided from the start. In this lesson, I’m gonna show you the pain-free method for tremolo picking.

Problems With Using Your Entire Arm

Using the whole arm for tremolo picking creates excessive tension in more muscles than necessary. You don't need to flex every muscle to avoid energy leaks because the task of tremolo picking doesn't require maximum strength. If you keep maximum tension throughout your arm, you'll quickly find your arm to be tired and sore. High tension throughout your entire arm is not sustainable for playing guitar for any moderate amount of time.

Using the whole arm would be best used for performing a moderate feat of strength. Since our focus is on speed and endurance, we don’t need to waste all that energy and fatigue the arm just to pick a piece of string.

Some tension is required for high-speed tremolo picking, but we need to localize the tension in a manageable way. We need to preserve our energy for accuracy, speed, and endurance. To use the minimum effective dose of force, we localize the tension by moving the pick with our fingers.

Reducing Tension

If you're having a hard time relaxing the muscles in your upper arm, try using an ancient technique called progressive muscle relaxation.  Before you pick up your guitar, breathe in as you flex every muscle in your arms from your shoulders down to your fists.  Hold that tension for a few seconds, then exhale as you relax and release the tension.  Repeat the process at least a few more times.  You'll find that it's easier to relax a muscle after flexing it.  Bonus:  worried about stage fright?  You can use progressive muscle relaxation to calm yourself down if you're ever feeling anxious.  

The type of pick can help you reduce tension as well. If your goal is to achieve the highest picking speed possible, using a thin pick would be a big mistake. If you're trying to produce force against a string, a flimsy pick is gonna make you compensate by flexing your arm too much.

Use a thicker pick to carry that tension for you. Anything equal to or greater than a thickness of 1 mm will do fine. I prefer the Dunlop Nylon Jazz III picks which are 1.14 mm thick.

The Pain-Free Tremolo Picking Technique

First, establish a proper grip on your pick by holding it between your thumb and index finger.  It is important to consider the angle you hold your pick when driving it through your guitar strings.  An efficient angle can be accomplished in one of two ways: 1) you can angle the top of the pick toward the headstock or 2) toward the bridge. It’s all personal preference at that point. For me, turning the top of the pick toward the headstock is more comfortable. If the pick is centered at a flat, parallel angle, your pick is gonna meet more resistance against the string.  This flat angle will slow you down and make it harder for your pick to cut through the strings.

Make sure the very tip of the pick is all that is cutting through the guitar strings. By doing so, you get less resistance from the string, which requires less force and tension from your body.  The deeper your pick goes down toward the surface of your guitar or its pickguard, the harder it will be to comfortably reach maximum speed.

A lot of people say to pick by moving the wrist. That’s not bad advice, but I'd say you can produce a finer picking movement with the fingers. When crossing the threshold of maximum speed, there comes a point where muscles from your hand, wrist, and forearm activate with mild tension.  This type of tension is manageable for longer periods of time.  Even at the highest speed, there is absolutely no need for any tension from the elbow to the shoulder.

Conclusion

As we discussed, there is no need to flex your entire arm to make your pick fly at the speed of light. When you reduce the tension in your arm and focus it closer to the pick, you can play fast comfortably. Give yourself time to get used to putting these nuances into practice. It may feel unnatural before it becomes second nature. Stay consistent and you'll be shredding those strings before you know it.

Watch the full lesson here: The Pain-Free Method For FAST Tremolo Picking