How to practice for moderate increase in speed

[shinksma]

Not sure exactly what you're talking about with this technique... do you have any examples?

See this video.

 

[Mike J.]

Trying to build up some speed on guitar is one of my many obstacles. I think some (not all) of the problem is that I started on bass. Played nothing but bass full time from 1972 through 1982 and half of the time I used a pick. More distance in between the strings so more hand/wrist movement was involved and that seems to have carried over onto guitar. I've stood in front of the mirror with my guitar and have noticed the huge movement when picking from string to string (alternate picking) and no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to minimize that movement. I can do it if I practice super, super slow but when when I try to increase the speed the movement increases. When I try to practice 16th notes, the more I increase the speed the tighter my wrist gets. So when folks talk about the "economy of movement" it makes perfect sense and I could couldn't agree more. I just can't seem to do it.

I do various hand stretches/warm ups before I start playing and it does help me to some degree.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Trying to build up some speed on guitar is one of my many obstacles. I think some (not all) of the problem is that I started on bass. Played nothing but bass full time from 1972 through 1982 and half of the time I used a pick. More distance in between the strings so more hand/wrist movement was involved and that seems to have carried over onto guitar. I've stood in front of the mirror with my guitar and have noticed the huge movement when picking from string to string (alternate picking) and no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to minimize that movement. I can do it if I practice super, super slow but when when I try to increase the speed the movement increases. When I try to practice 16th notes, the more I increase the speed the tighter my wrist gets. So when folks talk about the "economy of movement" it makes perfect sense and I could couldn't agree more. I just can't seem to do it.

I do various hand stretches/warm ups before I start playing and it does help me to some degree.

Practice tremolo picking one string. Work on it and just see how fast you can go. I believe we all have a "speed limit" that is governed by our own internal coordination clock. Just the way some people are quicker than others, some can run faster, etc. Your coordination level will have an effect on this. That said, just start with one string/one note and tremolo pick as fast as you can. Work on it. Keep working on it. You can't have big swinging movements and get any speed here. You'll have to shorten your pick stroke. You'll have to experiment with how and where you anchor your picking hand and with pick angles.

I was going to perhaps do a little video for Lola but she's taking a break. Maybe we can just do some phone videos or something and post them. Show me how you do it now and how fast you can go. I'll see what I can suggest to help.

 

[Mike J.]

Practice tremolo picking one string. Work on it and just see how fast you can go. I believe we all have a "speed limit" that is governed by our own internal coordination clock. Just the way some people are quicker than others, some can run faster, etc. Your coordination level will have an effect on this. That said, just start with one string/one note and tremolo pick as fast as you can. Work on it. Keep working on it. You can't have big swinging movements and get any speed here. You'll have to shorten your pick stroke. You'll have to experiment with how and where you anchor your picking hand and with pick angles.

I was going to perhaps do a little video for Lola but she's taking a break. Maybe we can just do some phone videos or something and post them. Show me how you do it now and how fast you can go. I'll see what I can suggest to help.

Thanks very much! Very kind of you. Tell you what...I just picked up the guitar about 5 minutes ago. Was about to find some jam tracks on YouTube and thought I'd stop here first. I'm going to play for a good couple of hours to get these old hands of mine going, then I'll try that tremolo picking exercise you mentioned. I'll go at it for a while later on and will let you know how I'm doing.....or failing!!!!!!!!! Thanks again!

 

[Draconomics]

Trying to build up some speed on guitar is one of my many obstacles. I think some (not all) of the problem is that I started on bass. Played nothing but bass full time from 1972 through 1982 and half of the time I used a pick. More distance in between the strings so more hand/wrist movement was involved and that seems to have carried over onto guitar. I've stood in front of the mirror with my guitar and have noticed the huge movement when picking from string to string (alternate picking) and no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to minimize that movement. I can do it if I practice super, super slow but when when I try to increase the speed the movement increases. When I try to practice 16th notes, the more I increase the speed the tighter my wrist gets. So when folks talk about the "economy of movement" it makes perfect sense and I could couldn't agree more. I just can't seem to do it.

I do various hand stretches/warm ups before I start playing and it does help me to some degree.

I agree with DTR. When you practice quicker picking, do it on one string. Don't worry about moving around the fretboard, it's more about relaxing muscles and coordinating your hands, nothing else. Picking movement economy is HARD to master, these are not really natural motions for your hands to do. We are basically trying to make our hands move like they were machines.

The idea that we all have a limit on how fast we can go is probably true. Anybody can learn fast picking, but how fast we can go is determined by a bunch of little things and sometimes stuff you wouldn't think would affect your playing. An example is George Lynch. Back in the 80s, he was a monster player and as fast as anyone. I think sometime in the early 90s he got into body building, and when he started focusing more on guitar again, well... he's never quite hit the speeds he used to.

As you practice your muscles will begin to lose the tension and stiffness. It just takes time, but you can do it!

 

[alantig]

Maybe we can just do some phone videos or something and post them. Show me how you do it now and how fast you can go.

That's on my OnlyFans page.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

That's on my OnlyFans page.

Fool me once....

 

[Lola]

I was going to perhaps do a little video for Lola but she's taking a break. Maybe we can just do some phone videos or something and post them. Show me how you do it now and how fast you can go. I'll see what I can suggest to help.

Thank you! You are so kind in sharing your knowledge. I am a little emotional. If I asked for some help on my old forum should me of the ppl would of laughed in my face or chided me. You are very gracious. The guys in my band are also wonderful. I pick their brains on a weekly basis.

Break is over. I am back and I am ready to play.

 

[Draconomics]

Thank you! You are so kind in sharing your knowledge. I am a little emotional. If I asked for some help on my old forum should me of the ppl would of laughed in my face or chided me. You are very gracious. The guys in my band are also wonderful. I pick their brains on a weekly basis.

Break is over. I am back and I am ready to play.

Sorta reminds me of my younger days of guitar. I had questions about technique and speed, but forums back then seemed really unhelpful (looking at you UltimateGuitar), so I never asked and learned the hard way. I think you'll find the vast majority of us on this forum are totally ready to help and don't judge.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Thank you! You are so kind in sharing your knowledge. I am a little emotional. If I asked for some help on my old forum should me of the ppl would of laughed in my face or chided me. You are very gracious. The guys in my band are also wonderful. I pick their brains on a weekly basis.

Break is over. I am back and I am ready to play.

Anyone who laughs in your face or chides you when you ask for help, is an idiot. And I the internet lets people who aren’t really that good pretend to be the second coming of Jimi and Eddie. Anyone who thinks they are above helping others is not worth asking for help anyway. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better, so that whole attitude is lame.

I only linked my song to provide some credence to my picking advice. On the internet, you can give advice about things no matter what your actual knowledge or skill level. I just linked this example of picking so you’d have some reference when I made comments about all the aspects of picking speed. You can then judge whether or not my ‘advice’ has credence or not and how much weight you want to put in it.

 

[Lola]

Anyone who laughs in your face or chides you when you ask for help, is an idiot. And I the internet lets people who aren’t really that good pretend to be the second coming of Jimi and Eddie. Anyone who thinks they are above helping others is not worth asking for help anyway. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better, so that whole attitude is lame.

I only linked my song to provide some credence to my picking advice. On the internet, you can give advice about things no matter what your actual knowledge or skill level. I just linked this example of picking so you’d have some reference when I made comments about all the aspects of picking speed. You can then judge whether or not my ‘advice’ has credence or not and how much weight you want to put in it.

You have proven yourself every time with your advice that you have offered. I glad to have you on my support team if I can call it that. You are so generous and very kind and I can’t thank you enough.

Like I said before it was the “old boys club” attitude that I constantly had to put up with on my other forum. Two of the guys would constantly go out of their way to belittle me and berate me in any way they could. But why? I didn’t say or do anything to them!! There’s so many reasons why they did this but I can’t waste my time trying to figure out those bastards. They were so mean. Karma.

Maybe I was someone who they wished they could be. Idk

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Best forum ever!

Lola, you just keep coming back here.

This is such a unique place. The wealth of information available is unreal.

And the generosity is off the charts!!

 

[shinksma]

No matter how good you are, there is always someone better

And with the right attitude, even you really are the best, the someone better could be you, tomorrow.

Am I comfortable with how well I can play? Sure, I can pick up a jam/new song fairly easily, and invent a lead break that fits a song naturally on the fly, most times. Can I do better? Oh yeah!

 

[Draconomics]

And with the right attitude, even you really are the best, the someone better could be you, tomorrow.

Am I comfortable with how well I can play? Sure, I can pick up a jam/new song fairly easily, and invent a lead break that fits a song naturally on the fly, most times. Can I do better? Oh yeah!

One of the best things I ever learned in my guitar odyssey is just to be the best at what you like to do. We all play differently and have our idiosyncrasies, and in time we can hone those into signatures of our respective styles.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Thanks very much! Very kind of you. Tell you what...I just picked up the guitar about 5 minutes ago. Was about to find some jam tracks on YouTube and thought I'd stop here first. I'm going to play for a good couple of hours to get these old hands of mine going, then I'll try that tremolo picking exercise you mentioned. I'll go at it for a while later on and will let you know how I'm doing.....or failing!!!!!!!!! Thanks again!

Checking in to see how you’re doing.

 

[dmatthews]

One of the best things I ever learned in my guitar odyssey is just to be the best at what you like to do. We all play differently and have our idiosyncrasies, and in time we can hone those into signatures of our respective styles.

I'm a self taught rhythm guitarist that plays like a drummer. I am also a self taught drummer.
I'm a lead singer as well, which helps me fit in my band, allowing for a lead guitarist.
I'm super happy/comfortable with my role/abilities and don't see much changing until I can no longer play live. No idea when that will be at 65 y/o right now.
Perhaps then I will concentrate on recording.
Being able to create music in any shape/form is a blessing. As long as it makes/keeps you happy that's all that matters.
Rock TF on!

 

[Mike J.]

Checking in to see how you’re doing.

Hey bro! Thanks for checking in. Didn't see this yesterday because I was knee deep in going over the songs for church today. I guess my practicing (especially improvising) is starting to paying off. I hope this doesn't come across as being big headed or full of myself, but I played a very rare guitar solo in the last song of our two service set. To my amazement, at the end of the solo the congregation (for both services) gave me a big round of applause! I was flabbergasted! People even came up to me afterwards and told me how much they loved it. I was like "wow" but very, very humbled at the same time. Trust me, I know why I play at church and it sure isn't about me. But it is up to me to try and do the best I can for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But it also told me to keep practicing. It's a big world out there and I know I will never come close to what some guitar players can do. But I'll do the best I can to move forward.

Oh, I worked like mad on that solo. I am getting a bit better at playing on the fly but I'm not totally confident to get up there and play something like that on the spot. I did multiple takes, recorded myself over and over because I wanted to try the best I could to say something and not just noodle. It was a lot of work but I'm glad I had the discipline to do it.

There was nothing "blazing" about the solo at all. I keep trying to increase my picking speed bit by bit and I'll admit it's a struggle because of problems with my hands. Seems like I just can't get beyond 105 bpm when playing 16th notes. But I've noticed that even though I struggle with that it has helped to make other things easier.

But the main emphasis with my practicing is on improvising. As a result, I'm starting to have a much easier time finding my way around with most of what we do. But I have miles and miles to go and that's okay. It's the joy of discovery and the joy of trying to find the music within this instrument and within me.