Picking from the wrist and picking from the elbow

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

I pick from wrist and STRUM from elbow only.
I was taught that the wrist allows 110% more accuracy whereas moving the elbow negates this.
Basically it is all about "body memory"/"anchoring".
If you play with the hand in the same position all the time then it remembers the postion and then hitting the strings accurately is easier. This works whatever the speed you want.
However, for ferocious strumming (like thrash power chords) then an elbow action is very effective.
Again, it basically comes down to accuracy needed and anchoring.
I watched Slash other evening and he mostly anchors and uses his wrist till he starts playing some power melody stuff then he uses his elbow.
Takes all styles and none is right/wrong but I do think that taking the same position every time is beneficial and improves technique, i.e. anchoring pinky lets say and using wrist (or if hardtail can always rest palm on bridge).

Very interesting stuff.
i´m gonna post a video about that.

[Ratrod]

I use both techniques. It depends on what goes best with the song.

[Dakine]

With Full,
not absolutely sure what you mean.
My teacher actually did not teach me to do this, although he advocates it.
When I played bass I anchored my thumb. This allowed my fingers (admittedly have long fingers) to trill,pick,pluck whatever and know EXACTLY where the strings were every time.
The same principal applies to guitar.
Although (if using) a pick is basically "one finger" as it where, you know where every string is every time by keeping a standard anchor point.
I use my fingers to play at times as well as a pick and also use my elbow when I strum chords at times. But mostly I anchor my pinky to a certain point on the guitar.
On my Axis it is on the body by the bridge pup (it has a trem so anchoring on the bridge is a no no). I used to rest my palm on the bridge of my Les Paul but now, to keep my hand used to the same position every time, I anchor my pinky again on the bridge pup surround.
It just makes sense to me and allows me to concentrate more on my left hand as my right knows exactly where the strings are every single time.

Hope this makes sense. Sorry could'nt understand your question fully :)

Nick

[b0ng0]

If i'm playing something really fast then usually from the elbow. If I tried to play War Ensemble for example using only my wrist then it would probably sound like a snail on vallium...   :?

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

no problem man, i apologize too for my english.
I´m gonna show a video.
Q:p

[Dakine]

OK cool.
If you mean thumb/two fingers gripping the pick? then it's same thing.
A certain anchor point which you use every time will only make "memory" for the picking hand easier and therefore smoother/faster IMO

[Shag101]

I use the thumb 2 finger with elbow method for a heavy sound that does not use palm muting.
For palm muting and all other stuff i use the thumb and index finger and wrist.

for song with solo's or a lot of single notes i place my pinky on the top of the bridge pickup and leave it there so i have better control and know where to go easier with the pick.  doing this with my warpig bridge has made the camo color come off of the corner where my pinky rests.  the corner is bare nickel now.  I have toxic sweat i guess...lol...

this is what works best for me....i think everyone has their own little thing that is different....that is why each person sounds different when playing the same guitar...

[lepersmeesa]

I know the picking technique you are talking about WFD, the other guitarist in my band uses that and he can get up to some ridiculous speeds.

The cleanest picking i know is John Petrucci's who picks completely from the wrist. The main reason i want to try to pick from my wrist at higher speeds is for string skipping.

WFD, if you can get your video up i would be very interested.

Thank you for so many people replying, i found this very interesting.

[genocidal tendencies]

I can get over 200bpm picking from my elbow, but I realised a few months ago that the lack of control I had was just ridiculous. It was fine for sleyer-esque -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- 'riffs', but if I wanted to involve my left hand it just went to hell, so I decided to concentrate on my wrist. I'm getting the speed back, I can reach about 180 now and it's a lot more controlled. I'd much rather play well and slow than badly and fast. I also use the thumb and 2 fingers for practically everything. Not because it's more comfortable, but because it's more flexible (index finger tapping and tapped harmonics are a lot easier for me), and I don't want to try and learn 2 ways of holding the thing when I still have difficulty keeping one consistent.

For anchoring, I rest my palm on the bridge usually, or on the bass strings when I'm not using them, to keep them silent. I do sometimes do the pinky on pickup thing, but not too much because I tend to accidentally strike the high e with it when I try to move it.

[indysmith]

WHEN I started playing guitar, i played with the elbow moistly.

Ewwwwwwwwwwww - i think i use my wrist on each individual string, and the elbow when going from string to string. I'm not sure tho - i'l check it out

[sambo]

haha moistly... thats a good one

[froglord]

Until recently I used to play almost exclusively with fingers - thumb, forefinger, middle and ring finger. It's a really underrated way of playing. I feel I've got so much more control and I'm much more in contact with the guitar this way, and, hey, if it's good enough for Jeff Beck...

However, I've been trying to train myself to use a pick - doing okay with rhythm playing, but lead is so difficult!

What I'm a bit worried about is RSI. There's a school of thought that reckons picking from the elbow can put unnecessary strain on your arm muscles, but I'm not sure anyone's ever proved this. Given that I've got quite a lot of right arm shoulder pain at the moment (more from laptop use, I think, than guitar playing), I'd be interested in anyone else's experience...

[froglord]

Until recently I used to play almost exclusively with fingers - thumb, forefinger, middle and ring finger. It's a really underrated way of playing. I feel I've got so much more control and I'm much more in contact with the guitar this way, and, hey, if it's good enough for Jeff Beck...

However, I've been trying to train myself to use a pick - doing okay with rhythm playing, but lead is so difficult!

What I'm a bit worried about is RSI. There's a school of thought that reckons picking from the elbow can put unnecessary strain on your arm muscles, but I'm not sure anyone's ever proved this. Given that I've got quite a lot of right arm shoulder pain at the moment (more from laptop use, I think, than guitar playing), I'd be interested in anyone else's experience...

[sambo]

froglord- thats interesting what you said about lead work with a pic being difficult- i find the exact same thing but for finger-picking- i can do basic stuff with my fingers but i dont see how your supposed to do a medium/fast solo using them....

[Dakine]

Use the Force Sambo, Don't fight it, concentrate  :lol:

Just takes practice.
If you ever took "Spanish" guitar or maybe "Classical" lessons, or played the Bass (not with pick of course) it would come much easier.