Well I've been trying to be serious about getting better since ski season ended in April, practicing each night for an hour after the kid went to bed, picking up the mando for ten minutes when I had spare time, getting to a jam about once every two weeks.

In the last few days I just hit a wall.  I think I'm going to take about two weeks off.  I'm on vacation all next week any way.

I'll post some contributing factors in follow-ups.  

--Last edited by kvk on 2007-08-21 16:42:46 --

The thing that really discouraged me was I've been playing with the shoulder of a Fender med for a couple years.  Last Friday, I had a lot of free time and started practicing with a thicker pick, a Wegen M150.  I dramatically improved my tone and for the first time, had some nice measured tremelo.  

Problem is, after a few days, my fore arm really started to hurt.  Playing with a thick pick feels to be like bashing my thumb with a hammer every time I hit the strings.

Now I'm frustrated because I don't want to sacrifice tone by going back to the med pick but don't want to cripple myself.

So, two weeks off to let stuff get back to normal.  Then start up again and play real carefully.  Still not sure which pick to try.

If you are getting sore then you are tensed up and not relaxed (nothing like stating the obvious).

Over at www.guitarprinciples.com there are essays* on how to relax. I bought the book and have found improvement once I learned how to recognize tension and relax that area. When you learn  to do this in practice, it works equally as well in a jam session.  

*Excerpt;

Hold the guitar as comfortably as you can.

Allow your left arm to hang limp at your side.

Place your right hand fingers on the strings, keeping them very loose and relaxed. If you use a pick, float the pick in between two strings and keep it there.

Focus your attention on your shoulders, as you raise your left hand slowly. Raise it straight up without extending it, and place all your fingers on the sixth string, around the tenth fret. Keep them on the string so lightly, you don’t even press the string down. (Not easy at first)!

Do you feel anything in your right shoulder as you do this? Do you feel any tightness come in to the pick hand, perhaps you are gripping the pick tighter, or tensing your wrist? Be honest now.

Keeping your left hand fingers on the string lightly, begin to move your hand down toward the first fret. You must do this VERY SLOWLY. Notice what happens throughout your body. As I have had students do this, I have seen everything from tense ankles or belly, to practically falling off the chair!  

--Last edited by gnelson651 on 2007-09-22 13:26:40 --

Thanx for the tips.  I'll have to work on it.  

I actually went to a jam last night and had a good time.  Still, had a ton of tension.  It's all my right hand.  I don't have a problem with my left hand.  I decided not spent most of the evening in the slow room and the other rooms were just about at the top of my limit and when I try to play that fast, I really lock up.  I gotta work on at.