Loose wrists and how it is turning me into the guitarist I don’t want to be

[Dan Shipway]

I have recently started playing guitar with my wrist being very loose after a period of playing very tight ( I am starting to forget what was normal so I am going through waves of finding getting it back) and this has caused me to be able to play faster and with 0 pain but I dislike it quite a lot as although I can play riffs I couldn’t before, for me, the emotion is gone , I can’t seem to dig the pick in when playing and put power into my playing and it is someting that is necessary when playing for me as I take lots of inspiration from breakdowns and Rammstein. I am glad I don’t tense up but I feel I need to at points and it just isnt happening. Any advice.
I have gone back to using thicker picks which I have done for a while but they dont really have a grip to them so would it be worth getting a pick with grip to be able to dig in also?

 

[Jak Angelescu]

I can relate to this 100%! I went through the same exact thing. Don’t worry, though lack of attack comes from you trying to focus on relaxing your wrist. Eventually the attack will come back up. I had the same problem for a very long time, a few months actually. But it came back. Just keep working through it. Your muscles will start to separate and you’ll realize where the attack comes from and where the relaxation comes from. Attack comes from confidence, not tension. Remember that

 

[Dan Shipway]

Thanks Jak! I started to really struggle with the transitions between the relaxed state of alternate picked riffs and soloing and the Downpicking and pretty fast paced riffs which I think was the main reason I developed such a relaxed state with soft pick strokes. I guess I just need to watch Richard and Paul giving it everything they have to build the aggression because I usually have the “smelled shit” face all the time because of how raw and primal the riffs are. I may post a video of a Rammstein cover to demonstrate progress but those tips really helped!

 

[idssdi]

For me it all depends on what I’m playing. When I’m strumming I have a really loose wrist (is kind of a habit that came from doing la pompe a lot) when i’m doing tight downstroke type rhythm I play with a tight wrist and leads entirely depends on what I’m going for(like am I going for jazz leads or blues leads) for jazz leads it tends to be a bit More loose for aggressive blues stuff I tend to be a bit more tight. I also alternate it a lot of the time because it adds some dynamics to your playing.

 

[Brian Haner Sr.]

Interesting stuff. There is definitely (at least for me) a different feel in my wrist for different styles. It’s important to be able to do both. The problem is in the transition. As with everything – it comes down to practicing. Practice a loose-wristed sweep that culminates in a long high bend – and then follow it with a couple of long notes with vibrato where you can “dig in”. It’s all about feeling comfortable with the transition.

 

[Dan Shipway]

Thanks guys this has been really useful!

 

[Ed Seith]

Yeah, Papa said what I would have said – you don’t need to keep the wrist loose ALL the time – more techniques add to your trick bag – you don’t need to swap one for the other.

 

[Dan Shipway]

I actually discovered tunings are a huge influence in this as I tend to play in drop c or d standard all the time ( Im a chugging riff sort of guy so It provides more body). I don’t put on thicker strings which means there isnt much tension so I can play fast shred style leads (This is due to the fact I can only use 9 gauge due to neck bowing) When I am in standard or Drop D I struggle a bit more but I can get the emotional style leads.
I am moving fully onto composition because (and although I do enjoy playing covers) I just love creating huge riffs with shreddy solos so I guess it isn’t a huge problem. However, that being said I will definetly have to practice bending on lower tensions. To add to the sweeping and fast runs.

 

[Guest]

I find my picking technique changes for various styles. For example, if I pick with a loose wrist, I find I have more speed but less accuracy and cant feel much rhythm. This is fine for some stuff but not all. On the other hand, Ive been adopting a picking technique that requires alot of work from my thumb and finger thats holding the pick. The idea is that most of the movement comes from my thumb and finger, however, im not as fast, but a little more tense, more accurate and a little more feel. This has more bite for me, but I cant have one technique to use across the board. Unfortunately, it naturally changes depending on the style, the lick, the speed, the rhythm and the feel. I’d recommend possibly playing through various genres and techniques and taking note your technique per idea.

 

[Dan Shipway]

I tend to also not do anything with my three remaining fingers, I actually quite like it, whether it is anchoring my fingers, spreading or having them curled but I find that just letting them do what feels natural is a lot better.

 

[Dan Shipway]

Hey guys, I have been watching syn and other players play and I noticed a lot of them almost always have their picking hand as a fist and I definitely wanted to try it as it appeals to me but my fingers tend to loosen and spread or get in the way. Any tips? (I know this contradicts my earlier post but I tried out the loose method and it didn’t work very well)

 

[Guest]

Definitely give it a go mate! Might work for you. Just remember if you are changing your technique slightly, then different muscles are activated and muscle memory will be slightly weaker, so make sure you give it good time and good practice. You might find a tightened hand for alternate picking will be great, but you may naturally adopt a more relaxed approach when playing blues and funk and so on. It changes.
Tips? Just practice exercises slowly, and see if you can make it work.