Wrist rotation
Producing the picking motion by rotating the forearm and wrist rather than moving the whole arm.
Wrist rotation is the most economical picking motion and the one most players settle on for speed, because the hand pivots around the wrist instead of travelling. The pick moves in an arc rather than a straight line, which combines well with a slightly slanted pick angle. Players who pick from the elbow or shoulder tire quickly and cannot reach the same tempos, so establishing a relaxed wrist early saves years of retraining. Watch for tension in the forearm, which is the usual sign that the motion is coming from the wrong place.
Example: A player whose hand barely moves while the pick flies up and down in a fast sixteenth-note passage is picking from wrist rotation.
See also
Related
- PageTremolo picking
- PageCircular picking
- PagePicking hand
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley