Painful riffs

midlifecrisis

im talking physically painful to play, ie after playing message in a bottle my hand literally aches from stretching, bad technique probably. also just learning mr brightside, opening riff is a bit painful too. what other riffs do people find hurt them?

Gassage

Life in the Fast Lane
Scuttlebuttin'

octatonic

The interlude at 2:35 here:

paul_c2

Is it possible that the tab you're copying it from is giving a non-optimal fingering, and that there's a (possibly much) easier way to play it?

not_the_dj

We've tried to cover 'message in a bottle', but even rolling it as opposed to fretting the whole shape I can't get through the song comfortably....so we rejected that. Similar shape on 'Every Breath...' which we've had as a requests for a birthday gig in a couple of months...eek!

viz

MIAB is a stretch but the trick is to warm up beforehand, have a very loose hand, roll the chord - you don't have to still have your first finger on when you're playing the D string - and relax between the lines - just for a second while you're sliding up that semitone after the 4th arp. 

Also during the long section in the middle I break it up a bit by doing the odd normal chord. 

Also try tilting the guitar so the head is pointing more upwards than normal and getting your elbow dug into your side, not all the time but just to relieve any cramp. 

octatonic

paul_c2 said:

Is it possible that the tab you're copying it from is giving a non-optimal fingering, and that there's a (possibly much) easier way to play it?

Tab? 
TAB????

I'd be ashamed to use it.

paul_c2

octatonic said:

paul_c2 said:

Is it possible that the tab you're copying it from is giving a non-optimal fingering, and that there's a (possibly much) easier way to play it?

Tab? 
TAB????

I'd be ashamed to use it.

Others aren't though!

Maynehead

Try playing QOTSA No One Knows in standard tuning with proper right hand muting... Now that is painful. Can't play it more than once a night!

octatonic

paul_c2 said:

octatonic said:

paul_c2 said:

Is it possible that the tab you're copying it from is giving a non-optimal fingering, and that there's a (possibly much) easier way to play it?

Tab? 
TAB????

I'd be ashamed to use it.

Others aren't though!

Reminds me of the old joke- how do you get a guitarist to shut up?
Stick some sheet music in front of him.

paul_c2

Oh I love musician jokes!!!!

Q: What did the bass player get on his IQ test?
A: Drool.

midlifecrisis

MIAB i can get through ok but it hurts. At rehearsal i will only go through it once. I realise you can lift your first finger off but i dont think thats the problem. Yes tilting the guitar helps a bit. I can do every breath ok. I think it helps that i originally learned on a classical guitar, wider neck so when i went electric it seemed less strainful.

guitarfishbay

@viz is spot on with his tips for MIAB. You have to be relaxed and play light. It isn't about feeling the burn, you'll never last it through if you're approaching it as a strength exercise.

guitarfishbay

The stuff I struggle with is really fast palm mute downpicking. To an extent it's a use it or lose it skill, if you take time away from it you'll eventually lose some speed. Then it gets catastrophic because if you're playing outside your limits you'll cramp up then game over.

octatonic

guitarfishbay said:

The stuff I struggle with is really fast palm mute downpicking. To an extent it's a use it or lose it skill, if you take time away from it you'll eventually lose some speed. Then it gets catastrophic because if you're playing outside your limits you'll cramp up then game over.

Yup, the way to do it is to get your level up to be far in excess of the material that you need to play.
If you are only ever playing at 50-80% of your maximum athletic ability then you will never cramp up.
It is also why a lot of metal bands end up being a shadow of their former selves- it is fine to go out and do a 2 hour show when you are 25 and full of energy.
At 65 it gets much harder.
Look at some of the final Motorhead shows- Lemmy was barely playing at times.

viz

Sometimes giving certain of the strokes an accent helps with speed. Eg in a bar of 4:4 of semiquavers, that could be the 1st, 4th, 9th, 11th, 14th strokes for example. It gives you little targets to aim for. 

mike_l

My hand cramps when playing Hallowed be thy name.

It's getting better since practising picking and speed purely as techniques, but my hand still cramps.

andyoz

viz said:

MIAB is a stretch but the trick is to warm up beforehand, have a very loose hand, roll the chord - you don't have to still have your first finger on when you're playing the D string - and relax between the lines - just for a second while you're sliding up that semitone after the 4th arp. 

Also during the long section in the middle I break it up a bit by doing the odd normal chord. 

Also try tilting the guitar so the head is pointing more upwards than normal and getting your elbow dug into your side, not all the time but just to relieve any cramp. 

Love you bro...trying that now.

pintspiller

I always found my fingers got tied in knots. I don't know whether to blame it on clumsiness or what, considering my recent diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis maybe it has just been poor genes. 

I always liked the solo in All Right Now, but have never managed that faster bit after the slow start.

hassleham

Anyone tried power cosmic? IT BURNS.

bbill335

My right arm aches when doin Dick Dale tremolo picking if I haven't for a while. 

You guys struggling with reach need to try 24" scale.