Sorry if this does not deserve a thread. Just close it if it doesn't, but I have a problem.

I've been working on my wrist speed for a long time, but I'm barely making progress. The fastest I can go(doing the 1234 from E to e) is quarter notes at 138 BPM, and that's only for about fifteen or so seconds.

I have REALLY skinny wrists(ehh... I'm 5'6"), but I've been pushing them to the limit with exercises. I'm slowly making progress while playing for a few hours a day(on saturday, sometimes five hours). I can only remember one day out of three-and-something-years playing that I didn't pick up a guitar and play it.

Give it time? Eat a whole lot to build up fat? Or are there any tips people can give me about how to organize my exercise time? I usually keep a scale going for a few minutes at the most, maybe I should keep going for a full ten minutes. I would just like advice, just little tips about what you guys do.

maybe my wrists just can't take it!

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Man try flamenco picking, just one note at a time and pick as fast as you can, and you will have to keep your wrist lose dont tight it as you go fast, try on all the strings, I am doing it for a week and I am lot faster than before.

Hope it helps

Take a day off. Strength comes through recovery.

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Both of those are good suggestions. I think when I do practice, I need to just work harder on one thing, and keep it going. My left hand has become incredible, and that's the only way I'm able to play. Any other ideas would be of great help.

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so you can only pick on each beat of 138? or you can pick 16th notes on 138 up the neck 1234?

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can you pick a single note faster than that?
if not, then your doing something wrong with your right wrist.
start again from scratch, and pick the way that feels most natural. you should be able to tremelo pick one note over 200bmp 16th notes.

if you can, then its all about coordination, and you should do the exersise at slightly slower than the speed you are comfortable doing it, but get it perfect. after a while, you will be able to do it faster with the same ease.

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i had the same problem. i thought it was because i was skinny.im like 97lbs or somthing. but yesterday i figured somthing out that really works. when ur picking
put ur middle finger over ur index finger and push down a little bit sort of acting like a weight, i noticed that becker, petrucci do this some too. like in beckers version of the fith caprice

Okay, sorry. I can play FOUR notes per beat. I guess I don't know my theory very well. I'll be keeping all this in mind. I have to go to school now......

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Not downpicked right?

I'm assuming this is alternate picking....wow...that's not very fast for alternate picking.

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Yeah, I know. I can sure solo well by flying all over the fretboard, but just in terms of pure speed i SUCK. I've got to find a way to improve it. Did speed just come naturally for your picking wrist?

Oh, and I was kinda wrong before:

Warmed up, I can alternate pick high e at around 160ish and do the 1234 thing around 148ish, but not for too long.

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both of my hands can go pretty fast by them selves, but putting them together is a different story. thats the trick if you can put them together than you are officially good.

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Since you spend a lot of time practicing the problem is probably technique wise. try holding the pick differently... hrm... youd probably have better luck asking a friend in real life to help you out.

Thats what helped me

Hows that Funeral Inception comin man?

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its going alright, it gets pretty tricky in some parts but hopefully ill have it down in a few days

Sweeping gets your left hand really good. Downpicking not strong, but like a flick/spasm of the wrist very lightly, gets your right hand fast.

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