#167 - Extreme Guitar Speed in 5 EASY Steps! (everybody can do this)
Added 2021-05-04 14:01:01 +0000 UTCI want to challenge you today! Since guitar speed is one of your favorite topics, I wanted to do my best to retrace my personal journey and how I started working on it.
This video is about pushing beyond your comfort zone and getting a feeling for your fast picking/fretting motions - instead of increasing the tempo by just a couple of BPM every day!
I want you to work with the Speed Trainer PackageI recorded for you: a full play-along workout, separate videos in different tempos, backing tracks, tabs, and Guitar Pro Files: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bnzbmjamclz4b1j/AADcjxFy4mzmKlWVs0ADhGDga?dl=0
It's perfectly OK to play sloppy at the beginning, I did that as well - but I explored faster tempos early on and that helped me with finding my picking motion! The daily exercise routine of working with 2 strings, short bursts, and tension/relaxation was definitely the most effective workout for me when I started out and I hope it will do the same for you :)
Comments
I guess I understand what do you mean by running, in fast tempo the picking motion looks like tremollo. But even with this efficient tremolo-like hand movement I can't play 80 bpm, the best I can now is sloppy 60 bpm. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Should I play the fastest what I can (let's say 70 BPM) even if it is sloppy as hell?
Valentine Smith
2022-11-13 20:25:31 +0000 UTCAwesome congrats!! :)
Bernd Brodträger
2022-02-11 09:19:02 +0000 UTCYES! Finally I can play this at 120bpm! Its far from perfect but I am in control now Just need to clean it. At 110bpm it is nearly perfect. This exercise literally broke the speed barrier that made me lost interest and put down my guitar years ago... One and a half years ago I picked it up again and it was the same old straggle.. It was only 4 months ago since I found your Youtube channel that my journey as a guitarist really began! And it is here to stay this time! You have my gratitude!!
stg stg
2022-02-10 09:59:05 +0000 UTCI totally didn't realize you had to do the up motion when jumping to the b-string each time. Definitely makes it much harder but when you do it right it's more fluid for faster tempos.
Andy P. Scott
2022-01-04 03:42:24 +0000 UTCim glad im not the only one who couldnt start at 80 here lol
Easton Boggan
2021-12-29 22:44:22 +0000 UTCWould've saved DECADES if I had just realized this one thing. EVERYBODY taught to only play as fast as you can play perfectly...which is ridiculous now that I think about it lol.
Jackie
2021-12-15 22:27:37 +0000 UTCActually for me too, I was not getting the "speed playing feeling (with fast thinking I guess) when playing same with slower speed.. Thanks a lot for your valuable reply Bernth.. 🙏
Pulasthi Amarasinghe
2021-08-07 08:24:05 +0000 UTCThanks for asking about this! That's actually what this video was about, to me it is "play fast and adjust the cleanliness thereafter" - simply because I didn't get a feeling for the fast motion by always playing slow and perfect :) It was very important for me to push myself beyond that comfort zone (with very sloppy results). This is what the walking/running part of this video is about :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-08-07 05:16:59 +0000 UTCBernth, what is the best way to play faster and cleaner? Is it "play speed and adjust the cleanliness thereafter" or "play slow and clean, then increase speed gradually". Your response in this will be very valuable.. and thanks a lot for this challenging speed exercise.
Pulasthi Amarasinghe
2021-08-07 00:41:44 +0000 UTCAbsolutely! It depends on what technique suits your personal goals better, to me alternate picking always came with less limitations and more possibilities - but economy picking is great as well for many players :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-07-26 05:30:45 +0000 UTCBernth, can we practice this same exercise with economy picking/ Directional picking techniques too?
Pulasthi Amarasinghe
2021-07-25 02:18:27 +0000 UTCTo keep the constant down/up pattern of alternate picking going :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-07-05 06:45:30 +0000 UTCI am wondering why does the last note of each shape need to be a downstroke?
Zuriel Flokstra
2021-07-04 04:14:06 +0000 UTCThere will always be tempos that are too slow or too fast. :) What I've done is to use the slow up/down feature of VLC when practicing along with videos. It will of course not be a perfect pitch but it holds up reasonably well for 10-20% changes. Hope it helps!
Robert Bjärmyr
2021-06-16 13:11:56 +0000 UTCThanks Bernth. I've progressed so much working with your lessons. I could only play this at 60bpm at first... worked my way up to 80bpm and now I'm close to playing it at 90bpm... a little sloppy, but as I push forward and then back it down and have seen amazing results. Just wanted to say thanks.
Aaron Hicks
2021-05-25 20:28:28 +0000 UTCHello, I am joining the ones saying the "slow" play-along at 80 BPM is too fast. A play-along at 60 BPM would be great.
Thierry Wozniak
2021-05-22 05:11:18 +0000 UTC@Minstrel - Something about your tip resonated with me and I just wanted to say thank you! Playing it a little slower with my eyes closed and specifically focusing on my finger tips holding the pick really helped me.
Jared Corbin
2021-05-19 01:21:54 +0000 UTCHi Paul, A few tips that has helped me with hand synchronization issues, perhaps you will find them useful as well: 1. Focus on the feeling in your fretting hand when you pick the notes. There's a certain sensation in the fingertip of your fretting hand. Closing your eyes might help. Deliberately play out of sync and feel the sensation on your fingertip. The difference is quite stark. Burn the sensation of the correct synchronization into your brain. 2. Play unplugged and pick the notes hard. 3. Double pick the notes. (5-5-7-7-8-8 instead of 5-7-8). 4. Play pedal point licks using an open string. (5-0-7-0-8-0-10-0-12-0). 5. Practice your fretting hand and your picking hand in isolation and make sure your hand can do the correct motion without depending on the other hand. Rotating between these exercises is a good way to make progress, in my experience. Choose a lick, and focus on #1 for two repetitions, then #2 etc. Hope this helps.
Minstrel the Menace
2021-05-09 08:02:16 +0000 UTCI use directional picking myself, it has always felt natural to me. But mileage may and do vary. Also, I'm not a shredder (at this point at least).
Minstrel the Menace
2021-05-08 18:23:22 +0000 UTCI saw a Youtube video from Troy Grady - Don't "Work Up" To Picking Speed — Start With It! which was discussing a similar concept of playing fast to learn the motion.
Michalis M
2021-05-07 19:16:45 +0000 UTCGiven I'm struggling with just the 80bpm part of these, I'm trying to determine why. I have the physical ability to move my right hand/wrist/arm fast enough, but syncing with the left that fast and having it sound clean is not even close to 80bpm yet so was out and about trying to learn why - I'll continue to look for hand synchro pointers, but sounds like it is more of a 10,000 hour thing than anything :) Thanks for the reply Bernth! :)
Paul Jenkins
2021-05-07 14:09:16 +0000 UTCThanks for sharing that, Paul! I prefer alternate picking but I'm sure different techniques bring different advantages/disadvantages (like economy picking or any other approaches) :)
Bernd Brodträger
2021-05-07 03:22:22 +0000 UTCI'm starting at 46BPM! :D but I'll get there... What ensuring that the string you stopped strumming remains silent?
Arcanist Bear
2021-05-06 18:56:21 +0000 UTCNot sure if Bernth reads these but if so, wondering what he (or others) think of this directional versus alternate picking concept - https://tomhess.net/Best-Guitar-Picking-Technique (hopefully ok to link to other pages hocking product here, I'm not affiliated with the guy just saw this on Youtube)...
Paul Jenkins
2021-05-06 17:01:58 +0000 UTCchunking you mean? ben eller had that and it does help. I'll try the triplets, but I think that is most of what he has in this right? 5 6 8 then 5 7 9 then 9 7 5 then 8 6 5 is a triplet approach? my daughter actually had a point last night that said sometimes you plateau physically but your getting better mentally and then the physical follows, wonder if that happens (or can happen) with guitar (she was talking about her art/drawing skills)
Paul Jenkins
2021-05-06 13:14:28 +0000 UTC5 easy steps, 1 billion repetitions :-p
Olivier Tahir
2021-05-06 12:18:29 +0000 UTCHave you tried picking n triplets? As in just count 1,2,3 fraction of a second pause 1,2,3 fraction of a second pause 1,2,3 fraction of a second pause and so on... if you just play continuous notes without a count there’s no structure to picking and synchronisation goes out of the window. As a result no speed. Your brain and thinking just go to mush. Try it then gradually build up speed. As you get faster you’ll find you can’t count 1,2,3 so what you do is just count 1on your first note.. ... 1... ... 1... ... and so on.
David
2021-05-06 07:33:21 +0000 UTCStill can't seem to increase speed regardless of how many exercises I do - slow/fast doesn't really matter as the alternate picking, hitting the right note clearly, doing the pattern right, etc., just keeps eluding me and I mess up so often. Going to keep plugging away with the approach here but man guitar can be frustrating!!
Paul Jenkins
2021-05-05 21:57:17 +0000 UTCGreat video and very good package. Thanks, perfect timing as well as next routine is going to be about trying to break some of the speed barriers. I'm stuck with my downpicking speed at the moment, so taking a break from that.
Lauri Laurila
2021-05-05 18:39:01 +0000 UTCI’m also
ikhsan
2021-05-05 15:28:18 +0000 UTCYou are not alone. I started at 60 bpm myself with the included guitar pro file. Once you have the fingering down you will be able to go to 80 bpm quite fast.
Alexander Carrapeiro
2021-05-05 12:56:23 +0000 UTC60bpm would have been a nice place to start. Great workout none the less. Will just have to practice before I get to even 80bpm
Dave farrell
2021-05-05 00:39:38 +0000 UTCAn amazing exercise! At first I checked the 120bpm play-along video and thought I will never be able to play that. I started to play the slowest tempo though and in the same night I reached the 120bpm! Thank you so much for this lesson!
Aleksi Tossavainen
2021-05-04 21:00:10 +0000 UTCBernth, even the 80bpm is way to fast for me...should I start even slower?
Michael
2021-05-04 20:57:24 +0000 UTCAwesome, the whole running verses walking analogy is such a great way to explain it and I had never thought about it that way before.
Jason Kropp
2021-05-04 19:06:43 +0000 UTCThank you so much Bernth, love the approach.
Vincent Boiteau
2021-05-04 17:36:08 +0000 UTCI love your videos more and more. Especially when you show us the frustrating experiences you've had with your teachers' pedagogically questionable taught content, I appreciate even more that you share your experience gained through hard practice with us, immediately pointing us in the right direction so we don't lose valuable time. Thank you so much for that!
Tanja Jerkovic
2021-05-04 15:21:52 +0000 UTCWith this video you show us that you are able to play in the wrong and in the correct way🤣🤣🤣🤣. Being serious, I fighting really hard to get out to my comfort zone that is, in speed, 140, but when there is good weather, I play scales or riffs at highest tempo, about 200 BMP, but i feel that is really not yet in my hand as I will.
Vincenzo
2021-05-04 15:13:07 +0000 UTCThinking back on this I discovered this "chunking" or note grouping and playing it above my speed level from you. Ben Eller is also one for chunking. Dr. Viossy put up a nice long video in March explaining how he practices speed and accuracy in detail. He also uses the analogy of walking and running. I am glad you stressed out this method again, because for about 18 month since starting to play again I used the method of practicing slow and bumping up the bpm by a notch or two. Which doesn't work well for me. This more modern approach works much better and the logic behind it is evident. Unfortunately the old school method is still widely taught and has followers that stick to it almost religously. Thanks for the lesson! Since using this modern approach for 6 months now my speed has improved more than in all the time before.
Arvid Richter
2021-05-04 14:25:26 +0000 UTCwoooow nice. This analogy about running vs walking. I realized it just a few weeks ago. Increasing BPMs sounds boring and it's way slower to increase. I started trying as you said. Fast and rest, fast and rest. I accomplished a fast tempo surprisingly fast for me.
Erick Wendel
2021-05-04 14:25:14 +0000 UTCThis is fantastic. These lessons are so well-designed. I love how the same core principles carry through everything and how Bernth is always a about two seconds ahead of my next question in every video. I would have killed for someone to have explained this "walk vs run" concept to me as a teenager - I've seen tons of progress since I start doing these burst-rest exercises. Thanks!
Will Malone
2021-05-04 14:23:14 +0000 UTCOoooo, i cant wait to do this one!!! After my day job of course🤘👽🤘
DarthWooPV
2021-05-04 14:08:07 +0000 UTC
