Wrist tensing up

Jim Kaznosky

I've been playing for a few years now and feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the technique, in practice. However, once I play live and the tempos increase, I tense up and can barely execute the simplest of wrists. Any tips to break out of this pattern?

Jazzaferri

Step 1

Working with a metronome play at a comfortable pace the phrase chord sequence or whatever with all your focus on how your wrist feels naturally . Rate the looseness from 1-10 ... 1 being wet spagetti limp 10 being locked.

Try playing at a 10.... stop and reflect on how your wrist feels...... then try playing a 1....... stop reflect..... then play it again focusing on the music and at the end stop and reflect on where your wrist is.
Step 2

Practice S L O W LY whatever you are working on playing without thinking at all ....and when you stop notice where your wrist is tension wise. Play it again with your wrist at 1. Once you can play it slowly withyour wrist completely relaxed speed it up 10 bpm and note where your wrist is. Repeat until you can play that one thing at full speed completely relaxed. Start on the next and repeat until the problem goes away.

It sounds simple ... and it is ...but to do this correctly is NOT EASY.

Jim Kaznosky

I'll give this a shot. Everything I try with solos falls apart at gig speed for me, so an advice is good advice.

Jazzaferri

Every time you play something in a way you don't intend you are practicing playing it wrong.

Its a hard lesson, particularly for the young and impatient...but learn it right and stop the moment you are playing it wrong....takes time to uild up speed.

I know this well as I still catch myself and have to dial down the metronome.

Many years ago I was told by an awesome swing guitar player....if you want to play fast...practice slow.....being me I have always struggled to follow that advice, but when I do, it pays huge dividends.

Jim Kaznosky

I agree with what you are saying. I think my issue is that I primarily practicing slow.

Lango-Django

My advice to you would be to forget about "gig speed" and just play at tempi that are comfortable for you.

if I went to hear you play, I'd much rather hear you improvising some cool stuff on the spot at 150 bpm rather than bringing out a bunch of stereotypical regurgitated licks, trying frantically to keep up at 250 bpm... No offence meant, John, I'm just describing the way I myself play at 250.

however, I am all too cognizant that somebody else in the band often gets to choose the tempo, so if that is the case here, Id try to practise some stuff to keep in my back pocket to use at "gig speed"...

Here are a few things that work for me, bear in mind that I play with just a sax and bass, so there's nobody to keep the rhythm going for me as soon I play lead, therefore I usually play only half choruses instead of full choruses

- octaves
- chord solos
- simple licks
- using "comping" chords between simple licks

And, finally:

- play banjo, because with that I can keep the $&@! rhythm going all by myself!

Good luck! And I hope (for both of us!) that after a few more years of playing at slow to medium tempi, we'll eventually develop the kind of chops that will allow us to improvise with Django-like brilliance at high speeds... with or without a rhythm guitar!

Will

anthon_74

Hey man,

I hear you ! My wrist and arm tense up a lot when I play live, specifically at higher tempos.

I agree with Will that you may want to talk to your band and request that they keep the tempos a little lower. Faster tempos tend to obliterate the swing anyhow, and really appeal more to other Django-philes then they do to typical audiences.

One of my problems is that I hold my breath sometimes when I'm soloing, which leads to a physical and mental breakdown. Check to make sure you're breathing AND relaxing. You may also need to stick to phrases that aren't as breakneck in speed except for on occasion. speedy lines are a great spice, but can be easily overdone.

AND don't be afraid to take a "rest" here and there. When I listen to Django, he doesn't fill every second of the music with notes. pace yourself and bring out the big hot lines near the end of the solo.

Anthony

Jim Kaznosky

Thanks, Will. I definitely have a some tricks ready to go for most situations and can certainly play a coherent chorus or two if called to do that. I know the tunes well enough that I can do well enough if I'm called to take a chorus or two. I think I'm putting pressure on myself to be able to go toe to toe with the big dogs in the band and really just to be able to push myself as hard as I can. I understand that this causes me to tense up with solos. With regards to playing rhythm, I'm totally fine, as long as we're not going into a jazz odyssey.

Jim

Jim Kaznosky

Thanks Anthony.

I'm not a featured soloist so my solos are bonus time. Plus the listeners are there for the vibe, so the band not super shreddy by design. We play up about 30-40% of the time...it's not like it is all uptempo. I provide rhythm at where the band wants it and I'm not going to ask the band who can do what they want at any tempo to bring it down for lil old me. I'd prefer to get myself to the point where I am up there in a solo.
I've mentioned that I primarily learn solos slow as my path and gradually bring them to tempo. As it's been pointed out its a matter of me moving up in tempo too quickly without being totally loose. I also have been taking stock at what at this gig makes me tense. I have some bad posture at times and note that this is either where I get tired or tense. So when I tense, I go super simple and try to eliminate the fast stuff. It sure would be nice to get some headturning stuff in there. Ego, man. That's the toughest thing to break in me. Anyway, I'm trying out staying at a tempo when I'm playing a learned solo until I am spaghetti loose. We'll see how that works out.

Lango-Django

uh oh, John... Did I just read the fatal words "learned solo"...

man I don't know about you, but trying to play a memorized Django solo at top speed is REAL tough for me... Yes I can finally get it just right, assuming I'm at home with an endless number of chances to repeat it, but ---- OUT IN PUBLIC? AT A GIG? The mind reels!

So my advice to you would be would be to stop doing that immediately!

Yes, by all means, learn great solos and benefit from what you learn from them... But when it gets right down to it, go out there and play YOUR solo...

And not just because its being a "copycat"...

The thing is when you play somebody else's music, once you make the slightest mistake, YOU ARE TOAST!

(I think the other guys would tell you the same thing...?)

will

Jim Kaznosky

It's Jim, Will.

I use the solos as etudes, like many others before me. I don't play them at gigs...maybe at a jam if the tempo is right and if I'm feeling saucy.

Funny story...some of the guys I play with don't know GJ all that well. They can just play and they do it well. One late night, the other guitar player and I were hanging around late and I played the Minor Swing 1939 solo in its entirety. The sax player calls me up the next morning and tells me that I need to play like that all of the time. Heh.