ToddK -> More discoveries= Picado (Apr. 9 2010 18:49:03)
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Your muscles are designed to work in pairs ( a simplification but still useful), flexors (picado) and extensors(rasgueado). In order for you to flex efficiently and quickly your extensors have to be relaxing otherwise the muscles are pulling in opposite directions at the same time. This is what causes tension, pretty much you need to learn to let one set of muscles relax fully so that the others can work unimpeded. This is why sometimes I practice with a slow metronome and only play every second or fourth beat, so that I can get into the cracks and feel whether or not my hand is tensing. Ive noticed lately that focusing on not allowing the extensors to flex after a rest stroke (in picado runs) has helped with speed and stamina. I naturally have a tendency (and im sure many of us do) to want to pick each finger up with the extensor after a picado stroke. Index wants to "exchange" with middle, and vice versa. As GB says, this does cause un-needed tension. Even around 16ths at 165bpm, i find you dont need the help of the extensors to return the fingers back to the "ready to play" position between strokes. Or actually, to be more exact, you dont need to "concisously" flex the extensor. Just the naturaly existing tension in the extensor is enough to return it in time. If you're fuzzy on what im talking about, try this. Simply play 2 notes quickly. Play a note with I, quickly followed by M, and see if I finger jumps out as M finger comes down. If it does, focus on not letting that happen. Of course, the fingers have to return to the string they need to play next, but i think its good to practice not letting them return at all, just to expirience what it feels like. I had an especially bad habit with this. My fingers want to jump way up after every stroke. So im trying to change that by going drastically the other direction. Of course, practicing super short staccato picado helps this, but im trying to go further with it. Mostlly, just trying to relax in between every stroke as much as possible. Its working REALLY well. TK
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