The tendency to choose one joint motion as a default starting point for all phrases is one of the most fundamental characteristics of picking technique.

With nearly infinite possibilities for generating complex joint motion, how does the motor system tackle the challenge of matching motions to tasks? Not only that, but how does it accomplish this feat in real time, during rapid activities like playing a musical instrument? In this section we’ll take a look at the fascinating tendency we call primary motion, how and why it develops, and which forms it can take.