Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Speed and accuracy


daveinspain

Recommended Posts

nothing but practice, practice, practice! your fingers have to develop that memory connection w/ your brain! thats what working on scales does! when your fingers know where to go without thinking about it thats what your after! eveybody wants to speed but you have to learn to drive first! start slow and work up!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I practice, I hardly ever use my amp, I just play it acoustically. That way I can hear more precisely what I'm doing. You can always do the same thing with your amp just on clean, but, I don't have the greatest amp, so I just play without it.

 

As for speed and accuracy, just play some slow riffs over and over again and make sure you get them down perfectly (not by note) and then eventually build up speed. Then start doing scales and arpeggios the same way. You can use a metronome so you know you're not making your intervals of speeding up too large, but I personally don't think that using a metronome is necessary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Work your form and technique. Start slow and build... you will find your speed/accuracy will increase as these 2 improve. Also, work your hammer-ons and pull-offs and alternate picking (if you don't already). I also try to work my scales and such at the end of a practice session.... it can wear your hand out and it's nice to be able to relax after a good workout =P~ !

 

 

But here are my real secrets to speed and accuracy:

 

1. Pick up a Bass guitar. Playing on the larger scale really improved my accuracy on the guitar.

2. Buy a Les Paul.... I've had mine less than a month and amaze myself with the speed I can achieve now... (I say it is all the guitar O:) )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was taught something simple but true...

 

"Get good before you try and get fast"

 

Take it slow at a comfy pace. Then start speeding it up note by note.

My weak spot has always been my pinky. I just have to concentrate and feel the music

in my head.

 

I was a teen in the late 70's early 80's. Thats when the shredders surfaced ( Thanks Eddie )

I tried to keep up, but although I was no slouch it became pointless to me. How fast can you be?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'Accuracy before speed'

 

Thats what I have always lived by, and it works wonders.

As other people have said, play on the clean channel.

Perhaps play along to a metronome, start at a low bpm and gradually work your way up.

Pay some chromatic exercises and some more tricky ones too.

Paul Gilbert has some good alternate picking exercises, which is very useful when playing fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speed comes from muscle memory, which someone above referred to - left and right hands have to get "programmed" for the movements and synchronization. You have to practice slow enough to where you are making no mistakes and work speed up from there. If you can't play it ten times at a certain tempo with no mistakes, you're not ready to speed up.

 

If you practice at a speed where you're only getting it clean some of the time, *your muscle memory is learning the mistake*! I totally agree with using a metronome or playing with a backing track.

 

Good luck! I've always thought that speed is something to have in your toolbox and not an end unto itself, but not everyone would agree with that. I'd rather have a good vibrato on top of a bend than be able to play fast, if I had to choose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends on what you want to play. If you're an aspiring shredder, follow the sound advice given. There's never any harm in trying to improve on where you are, but there's more to phrasing and playing than speed. You can't deny or dismiss the sheer talent and technical skills of the Zakk Wilde's & Joe Satriani's of the world.

 

IMHO if the choice ever comes down to playing with a pick vs playing with your heart, your heart should win every time. Play with conviction, whatever your level of ability, or don't bother. Take a listen to Jimi (Hendrix or Page if you wish) & you often hear small mistakes which don't mean a thing to us because of the way their music/playing inspired us to pick up a guitar.

 

To be able to say with one note what many try to say with 50 - that's not just skill, it's musicianship. Take a close listen to guys like Billy Gibbons (Blue Jean Blues), Dave Gilmour (Comfortably Numb), BB King (The Thrill is Gone) - hell, the lis is near endless. A very wise & talented pro once told me the hardest thing wasn't knowing when to play, it's knowing when NOT to play.

 

At the end of the day, play what sets your heart on fire & just enjoy working at doing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...