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  #1  
Old 10-13-2009, 08:04 AM
Homebake Homebake is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Canberra, Australia
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muscle aches...


so for a while now, since i've got into the more intensive, shred side of guitar, i've become more and more interested in how your arms, hands, muscles and tendons work; all those intense, small movements and how they take a toll on your body.

i've been practicing my alternate picking a ****load recently (up to like 6 hours a day sometimes of just pure picking). i know it's a lot and i could be doing other things, but hey, i'm getting amazing at picking right?

as a result, the muscles on the top of my right forearm are sore and tender, but not when i'm playing. the only reason i know this is from randomly pressing/feeling around that area, no pain at all when playing.

the only other time my hands have hurt in 4 years of guitar playing is when i first got into legato and the whole "thumb-on-the-back-of-the-neck" type of shred playing, then my left wrist hurt for about a week.

how am i supposed to fix this picking hand problem? i know not playing for a while and not stressing it will fix it, but if i stop and let it heal, will my muscles be stronger and be able to withstand more activity?

i realised the other day it's like this; using your right hand intensively is kind of like learning to play guitar again with your left hand. you constantly use your left hand so it doesn't always hurt, but your right arm doesn't do as much work as the left, so when you do use it, it's like learning to play again, only on your right hand.

so yeah, any tips?
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  #2  
Old 10-13-2009, 09:08 AM
Sickbean Sickbean is offline
 
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Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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Re: muscle aches...


I'm always slightly weary of giving advice in these situations, however the pain you are describing sounds like simple overuse fatigue, which as you say is just a natural part of the body adapting to a new increased stress.

Ibuprofen should be your new best friend in this situation.

If you find that the tenderness isn't going away, I'd recommend a couple of 'deload' practice days - maybe just do a couple of hours of alt picking and then either put the guitar down or focus on legato for a while.

There's no shortcut for the body adapting that I know of unfortunately.
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  #3  
Old 10-13-2009, 11:07 AM
Homebake Homebake is offline
 
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Re: muscle aches...


Quote:
Originally Posted by Sickbean View Post
I'm always slightly weary of giving advice in these situations, however the pain you are describing sounds like simple overuse fatigue, which as you say is just a natural part of the body adapting to a new increased stress.

Ibuprofen should be your new best friend in this situation.

If you find that the tenderness isn't going away, I'd recommend a couple of 'deload' practice days - maybe just do a couple of hours of alt picking and then either put the guitar down or focus on legato for a while.

There's no shortcut for the body adapting that I know of unfortunately.
yeah truth.

i was wondering, does petrucci ever get sore arms? he's the most monstrous picker in the universe and i'm guessing his forearm muscles are like tree trunks.
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  #4  
Old 10-13-2009, 11:26 AM
Sickbean Sickbean is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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Re: muscle aches...


Quote:
Originally Posted by Homebake View Post
yeah truth.

i was wondering, does petrucci ever get sore arms? he's the most monstrous picker in the universe and i'm guessing his forearm muscles are like tree trunks.

I'd be sure he does, just like Usain Bolt probably still gets tired legs.
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