Miguel de Maria -> RE: picados and strength (Jun. 13 2006 16:42:40)
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Okay, thanks for the clarifications. So we actually have _limiting_ factors for picado. 1. strength - the ability to get the finger through the string without the finger collapsing (and perhaps, without throwing the hand out of alignment) 2. stamina - how many times this can be accomplished without significant performance degradation 3. reflex speed - the ability to recharge and reset the mechanism So it would seem that to increase picado efficiency (ease), you would want strength, stamina, and reflex speed. Stamina could be increased by increasing the duration of scales that are practiced, I would assume. Reflex speed, perhaps, by stacatto practice and speed bursts (that's the theory at least, right?). Strength, perhaps by practicing closer to the bridge, or on guitars strung with higher tension than the one you play on? It seems that Jon's definition of power is strength + reflex speed? Kind of an athletic definition, because if you're as strong as an ox, but only move at it's pace, that's not going to help speed. (by the way, John, the strength test for the NFL is to see how many times you can bench press 225 lbs. The guy from the Dallas Cowboys always wins it, I think with around 44 times. Anyways, stamina is in there somewhere I think. Myself, I could only do it once!) So, if we can bring this discussion back to my original framework, would increasing effective strength, stamina, and power in the picado mechanism eliminate some of the telltale signs of breaking down such as tension habits, and thus lead to greater ease (and speed). Part of me believes that we are all built with a certain level of speed in our muscles, and our job is to arrange things so that it can be released. After all, you can't turn a normal person into a sprinter or a jumper.
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