Misconceptions Of Practicing For Speed

It is a fact that the majority of lead guitarists want to increase the speed of their playing. Having virtuoso playing ability is a wonderful way to add a new tool to your arsenal as a musician. However this tool is also one of the most difficult to attain. There have been many articles written on the topic and the most common advice that is often heard is “practice slowly and use a metronome.” Of course this is very good advice that should definitely be followed. However, there are a great number of struggling guitarists out there who use a metronome daily and practice a lot, yet are still frustrated with their lack of progress. Some of them decide that they don't have talent to attain such high level of ability and give up, while others continue in hopes that one day their work will pay off. From my experience, I feel that there is one very common misconception about practicing for speed development and I will do my best to clear it up with this article.

The part where most people go wrong is in their thinking. Most guitarists assume that speed is something that can be attained directly as in: “I'm going to practice this lick for 20 minutes and try to play it faster than I could before.” Even those players who practice slowly and then try to increase their speed using a metronome find that a lot of times this approach fails to bring the results that they are looking for.

The root of the problem is in the fact that players focus all of their energy on the end result (being able to play fast) and this is making them miss everything they need to see in order to achieve it. I will explain what I mean.

The problem is in the believing that speed comes directly as a result of practicing. A much more effective way of thinking about it would be to say that practicing should involve becoming very focused on the physical aspects required to play a certain phrase, and speed will naturally develop as a result. Stop! Go back and re-read the last sentence several times and think about it! After the motions become smooth and well ingrained in the muscle memory, they become so easy to execute then you don't even have to think about playing fast, the fingers just “do it themselves”. A lot of players struggle with speed because their movements are often imprecise and full of tension. Tension is a body's natural reaction to something it is not familiar with. When I had a consultation on virtuoso picking technique with Ney Mello he told me that “simply trying to play fast is pointless, because if you don't know the motions, you are telling your hands to speed up something that they have never even learned!”, You may be wondering: what specifically should I be focusing on? You can start by thinking about the left hand fingering, the picking pattern, the motions of the right hand, and monitoring levels of tension throughout the body. This very well may require you to practice even slower than you probably ever have before with a metronome. After you work these things out for the lick that you are having trouble with, then you can pull out the metronome and pay attention to keeping your technique the same as you did when you were working out the correct physical motions of playing it.

I can see some students saying that using this approach would require too much “unnecessary” focus and concentration on something as “superficial” as technique. Well unfortunately, there is no way around this. If you want to become a great player, you have to put forth a lot of mental energy into mastering the instrument on a physical level. Having great technique will enable you to express your musical ideas exactly the way you hear them. So concentration and mental focus is a price well worth paying to acquire this ability. Also this approach to practicing should be utilized anytime you are having trouble playing something and not only to improve speed.

After you feel like you really have a handle on the motions of playing a lick at a super slow tempo you can pull out your metronome and begin a slow work up through the tempos. If at any point you feel that you've hit a plateau (you can't move up past a certain BPM marking for example), go back to the super slow practice without the metronome and reinforce the correct movements into the muscle memory.

This is a very different mindset than simply trying over and over again to push through the plateau in ability. The point is to get you to think about what you are doing

What I learned from experience was that speed was really a byproduct of accuracy and consistency in learning the motions. After you practice in this way for awhile you will notice that the passage is becoming easier to play and you are able to play it faster than before. Why did this happen? Because the motions are now so well ingrained in your muscles and also because you took the time to really pay attention to playing accurately using the most efficient technique. Once again this a very different mindset than sitting down and mindlessly playing the lick over and over to the metronome. This approach may bring you limited results in the beginning, but it will not bring you virtuoso levels of technique.

So the main point that I want you to take away from this article is that when you sit down to practice something to the metronome, make sure that you think about what you are doing. Pay attention to the fingering and picking that you use. Depending on the phrase you may want to use different mindsets with the right hand that you would for other things. This is important to notice and it is important to practice something slow very accurately with attention to the exact details if you are going to play it fast. This is what I mean when I say that speed is a by product of accuracy and consistency. This seems very obvious but a lot of players use different techniques when the practice a lick at a slow speed and then try to play it fast using different motions that their body hasn't learned yet! No wonder that the rate of progress has diminished.

And by the way, this applies to not only picking through scales, but also to techniques such as sweep picking and legato (and essentially any other musical technique)

So I hope that you understand now that speed should not be a direct goal of your practice, it will develop by itself if you take the time to learn the motions that you use when you play guitar. Remember: focusing on speed as a primary objective will make you miss everything you need to achieve it. Good luck with your practicing and playing!

Mike Philippov is a solo guitarist, music composer and instructor. He has published his instructional articles on many guitar websites that are read by thousands of guitar students worldwide. His music was performed at recitals held at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Mike has also taught at several guitar clinics including one that was held at Oak Brook Academy of Music and Art in Chicago IL. Mike is also a co-author of several instructional books: “The Ultimate Sweep Picker’s Guide”, and “Serious Improvement for the Developing Guitarist.”

Currently Mike is busy working on several projects including composing and recording a solo CD featuring music in the neo-classical and progressive rock styles as well as more instructional products that are in the works at this time. Please visit Mikephilippov.com and sign up for a free newsletter which is sent out periodically and contains helpful tips and advice for guitar players.

Comments

[Xeus]

i like it, think i might have a go at it now.

[markieee]

Great!
100% the truth, at least for me...

[Alijonroth]

great article!
really makes you consider stuff regarding practice
keep 'em comin!

[ooder the cow]

yep, seems as though i have made all of those errors, but this other practise plan it details seems very good.

[dann_blood]

Good article, something useful.

[xsr1000]

So true, I've never focused on my speed playing (got too bored early). Instead I focus on my technique's and lately I surprised myself with ultra-speed while I was improvising and thinking *let's add a simple fast lick here*.

So fun

[haplo68]

Good article. I was trying to play a song by Hendrix today and just can´t do one fast part, but I will try your way and see.

[walidb123]

Wise words my friend. Good article, everyone should know this but I don't want them too so I'm better than everyone.

[amanbh]

Awesome. Back to practice!

[ElBarto2811]

The truth. Practicing only to obtain speed is the most boring thing I know. 10/10

[Macua]

very good article,l like playing fast but is better focusing on music,not speed.

[bluetree]

The most important thing you mention here is about releasing tension. People, in general hold a LOT of tension in their body. You have to be self aware and watch what is going on, not just in your hands but in your back, neck and shoulders. Tension in any of these areas will make your playing sound forced and will slow you down considerably. When I taught guitar many students were trying to strangle the neck at first. They would grab the neck like a baseball bat as if they were fighting with it. Then they would wonder why the guitar was so difficult. Their posture was tense all over! Don't fight it. Relax into it.

Have you ever watched a really great player and noticed how effortless and fluid they are? They don't seem to be struggling and they make it looks easy. That is the magic bullet right there! The muscles in your hands that make it all work are actually pretty small. They don't need the extra effort from the rest of your body. It only interferes.

Check out the book "Effortless Mastery" for more ideas on this principle. You'll be amazed at how far it can take you!!

One more thing, pay attention to your breath when you are playing. If you are holding your breath or breathing unevenly it will create tension and again, slow you down.

These things were taught to me early on and they work so I am passing them on to you

All the best!
Rich

[Azwethinkwedo]

finally, a good guide to improving speed
thanks

peace

[BodaciousBob]

That was really good, explained thing a lot clearer. I gotta get me a metronome now =(

[Chad11491]

that was an awesome article, and it's really true, i'm glad someone finally said it

[Scourge441]

Great article. A lot of musicians really need to learn this stuff.

[FlamingYouth]

"speed [is] really a byproduct of accuracy and consistency in learning the motions"

absolutely correct

[mrbiscuits315]

I really try to relax when i practice guitar and play through songs. I like what you said about speed picking too.

[AthenasGhost]

I think playing fast is overrated, I mean some fast licks thrown in are tasty, but chromatic scales up and down and up and down just get boring.

I learned at Jazz Camp, take time with your solos, breaks are good, and if you can't sing or repeat what you just played, then it means you don't understand it and most likely the audience doesn't either. Play what you can sing or can repeat and your solo will make more sense and communicate with more people.

[Reages]

good job

AthenasGhost wrote:

I think playing fast is overrated, I mean some fast licks thrown in are tasty, but chromatic scales up and down and up and down just get boring.

Er... Playing fast isn't just about playing chromatic scales up and down.

anyway, checked.

[chrisofeihenjar]

good article...howhever it is something i picked up on my own,rather from here,it should be helpfull to others

[nick83]

good article.
very inspiring.
im gonna go play guitar now haha

[Gab_Chris]

this is 100% right, If this guy didn't post this article I would have certainly post it. (here its all about conditioning your body (hands))

[God's Guitarist]

liked it. patience/disciple is such a virtue when it comes to building speed.

[spiff88]

gives me a new concept at playing i'll try it

[J.A.M]

Thats a great article. I've read it before on shredaholic.com, but I understand it better now.

[Jondy]

sweet article, rock on.

[Boxiii]

Good stuff,worth the read

[the boogieman]

nice article

[guitarist41]

Excellent. I agree. I've been thinking this way for a while.

Probably one of the most best articles, IMO.

[Reiatsu]

This sounds EXACTLY like what I need to be doing. I've been trying to build up speed for a while now, but I just can't seem to get beyond where I'm at right now. Hopefully with this advice I'll be able to get it right and FINALLY get the solo to Master of Puppets down XD

[bitter.sweet]

When I play, I try to relax. That's because you have to remember, you're having fun. I try not to take it too seriously. I've found that relaxation is very good, but you also need a lot of motivation and focus.

Very good article by the way. Very very good.

[Garci]

Fantastic article, it was very helpful.

[kenneth49]

thank you

[Phantron]

Awesome. It works.

[matalliam]

thanks very much. has helped me 100%

[nomad911]

great article, u read it and ur like, thas simple why didn i think of it

[which ones pink]

That was one of the best articles I've read on here in a long time, I take my e-hat off to you sir.

I seem to have hit the "plateau" you speak of, and frankly, it's pissing me off. Especially when I watch my friend who hasn't been playing as long as me play Scarified, and quite well I might add. Your article has given me new hope. Thank you!

[Otisbum]

10/10

I think I'm gonna go practice right now. :o

[TroyMaclure]

good article, it is the least natural thing to be relaxed when playing hell on 4 wheels shred til you drop loud aggressive rock music. i try to practise going as fast as i can to see how loose i can do it. Also i try to practise breathing in time say every 4 beats..this really helps-in for 4 out for 4

[bignuts20]

10/10 man
The most helpful article I've come across in a great while.

[zackcantillon]

i agree. but when i first started sweeping slowly i could do it very easily on 5 stringes and started alot faster in like an hour. i guess it just came to me... idk

and i have practiced playing a lot faster with riffs and tremolo and shit, and i haven't had a problem. i create tremolo licks for pieces in my songs for my band and it comes out fine.
i've only been playing for about a year and a half, but things just came to me really fast, not to brag. but my first song was iron man, then my 2nd was beast and the harlot w/half the solo, then my 3rd song was... i think some august burns red song.
but don't get me wrong there are still a lot of things i cant do. thats why i read these articles to learn more.

WOW, I BET A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GUNNA REPLY TO THIS AND CALL ME A DOUCHE BAG CUZ OF WHAT I SAID AND BRAGGING AND SHIT...
...W/E... FUCK OFF!

btw; good article!
=]

[operation ktulu]

i kinda already did this but it is great advice

[Sirlancelot42]

Thanks man this actually made me think about how I play and now I know why some scales weren't as easy to improv with then the ones I've played for a lot longer, thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

[guitartilldeath]

Wow I don't say this often, but this is a seriouslygood article.

[strings2bend]

it would've been nice to have the internet along with a good site like this one when i was young. nice to see solid advice getting to the kids.....good article

[james4]

like the others you've written; great article.

[mhylands]

Awesome article.

[oha]

this article is so true!
you did a great job!

[rlp11]

oha wrote:

this article is so true!
you did a great job!

you did a PERFECT job!

[hellbound_jonny]

Perhaps one of the most useful articles on UG.

Nice one, mate!

[craZelz]

awesome ^_^

[slash2005]

i just tried to play what i know fast and after about 20 mins of warm up and messing around and with practice once you are warmed up you can achieve alot higher speed and accuracy, then you just have to do it again and again and the warm up period will last for less time and eventually become seamless.
thats the way my mind works anyway

[MegaShadowZX]

Dude, that's exactly what I do! I've never had problems learning songs after I used this approach; finally someone decides to tell people about it. Great job!

[CBA28]

this is what my gutiar teacher and i do, he shows the the major scale and the arpegio and we do it slow quarters at like 60 then start doing it on eighth note and everytime i get it we incease the metronoe by four, when you get it its awsome, but when you cant get it after like a week of practice it really pisses youi off what you said is exactly right

[the_random_hero]

CBA28 wrote:

this is what my gutiar teacher and i do, he shows the the major scale and the arpegio and we do it slow quarters at like 60 then start doing it on eighth note and everytime i get it we incease the metronoe by four, when you get it its awsome, but when you cant get it after like a week of practice it really pisses youi off what you said is exactly right

Go even slower than that. It's much harder and the end results will pay off.
Awesome article too.

[Metallicaxp]

Very helpful, thanx alot dude...

[JohnnyAppleseed]

I like this article a lot.
It does prove a point.
Some people do tend to think that they just practice for ten minutes they can just speed up.
10/10

[Boof14]

This article is great advice.
For those who are really into it you could try Steve Vai's 10hr workout. (I get bored after about an hour.) But hey, anyone who has the time and patience to do a 10hr workout deserves to be good!

[RG_FANMAN]

excellant article! makes me feel better about not being super fast and fluid after only a few months of guitar.

[wiggo17]

so true!
best lesson ever

[riziger]

wow, thats mind-opening for me. very good article.

[1337void]

This article was nothing less than revolutionary for my playing. For a year i just tried to play stuff as fast as i could in order to advance in speed, and that caused sloppy and out of time playing and wasnt very effective for building speed either. This "very slow" playing approach however seems to work way better. I CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT DO THIS EARLIER. That wouldve helped my playing tremendously, but nevertheless good i learned it now!

[JoshUrban]

Nice article! Keep up the great work.
I'll certainly give this a try in my next practice routine.

[I,Voyager]

Really great article. A lot of the time, I practice scales and exercises while watching tv or something, so I'm not paying an ounce of attention to my guitar. Guess I can't do that anymore...

Checkeroo

[Metalology]

There have been many articles written on the topic and the most common advice that is often heard is “practice slowly and use a metronome.” Of course this is very good advice that should definitely be followed.

True and good article!

[Metalology]

Metalology wrote:

There have been many articles written on the topic and the most common advice that is often heard is “practice slowly and use a metronome.” Of course this is very good advice that should definitely be followed.


True and good article!

I forgot to add that there is much more than just though, which was brought out in the article.

Again, good article!

[nido]

I still focus on getting speedy man,its My main goal.I do agree with you that technique comes first in order to do this.but I was well aware of that as well.when I started sweep picking It took me like a whole day just to get my technique perfect.from holding the plectrum in a correct way to most minimal movements of doin the roll with the left hand.I got to sweep pick on the first day, it wasnt perfect !!! Today I think I can do it okay , but Im still looking for ways to perfect my technique.this strat I use on all of my techniques speed picking, etc etc.....if thers a better and faster way someone please pm me!!!

[nido]

strat = strategy not a fender

[chocobo rally]

sorry guys but everyone is focusingtoo much on tecniques whilst forgetting to learn theory i decided to start slow and i have made impecable progress since i decided to learn my stuff before playing it

im guessing a lot of people here have watched a vidoe lesson by the like of malmsteen or mustaine and listened to what they say and gone: wtf is he talking about that was my motive and now i can learn a lot quicker and easier than ever before.
dont think im nagging but learn your theory!

[chocobo rally]

by the way good article you adress a very common problem and offer basic yet effective solutions for all players struggling with speed =)

[Raizer Sabre]

hmm, interesting. i don't play guitar, but i'm sure pretty much all instruments can apply these techniques if you wanna get speed on them. i know i'll be trying something like this on my keyboard

[JRock589]

Great article, wonderful idea.

The whole process seems rather hard..but I suppose the best things in life are difficult to attain eh? Haha.

[Mobu]

cool article! I carefully played Sweet Child o Mine for about 2 hrs, and the next day, i could play it better than Slash himself (yeah, bragging!)

[Metallica_Man55]

great for beginners, a bit long, but very informative. it looks like you really thought this out. great job, man.

[mnhockey99]

This guy needs an accurate map to playing fast, then he wouldn't need to write long articles. Tom Hess where are you when we REALLY need you?

[ExSane364]

I like how you said, "You can start by thinking about the left hand fingering, the picking pattern, the motions of the right hand, and monitoring levels of tension throughout the body." but that doesnt leave much for the finish eh?

[N031]

The problem for me is getting is syncronizing the picking, but anyway, this is what worked for me, i don't know if you all wanna try it. What I always did is KILL myself tring to play something faster than i could play it naturall without a metronome,. Not too much faster, but considerably. It'll be very messy but after a long time you'll eventually catch up to what you're trying to play, THEN what i do, when i've finally played it at an unreasonable speed for me, I slow i down just, a smidge, and play it to a metronome. So basically, i get the speed down THEN i go back and get the coordination, but i NEVER forget to get the coordination down. I always go back and do that. It works pretty well for me. The "starting slow and moving on up" thing never wroked for me, but the other worked just fine.

[ismith]

I'm fast. Not to brag, but this is pretty good advice. I don't agree with the metronome part, but if you want to get fast, you have to focus on your physical ability. Also focus on your picking hand, it's the most important part of playing. It's very smart to practice fast instead of practicing slow and working it up faster.

[trueguitarhero]

w00t, i'm gonna have to give this a try. I might finally break that wall I've hit in my playing.

[ontherun]

The faster you play the shittier it sounds. Whether you hit the right notes or not!

Someone please put an end to this "virtuoso" shit. It's smelling up the music pool.

Jimi Hendrix was a virtuoso. That's about it.

[darb0114]

this is a great article. Another way to think of it is when you absolutely can't play a part any better, so then you go on to something else. When you come back to that part at a latter time, you can play it no problem. Your technique is more developed, so the speed just comes naturally.

[metalguy001]

if only i had the energy to read all of this

[naedman]

sweet

[shwilly]

This is pretty sad, but the reason I was drawn to the article was that sweet picture of a blue guitar with golden tune-o-matic bridge, otherwise I might've never read this. Very cool article!

[ontherun]

Dumb ass, obviously your brain and sense of logic fell out of your ass a long time ago.

Haha. That was a good one.

But seriously, just like your guitar playing (which I can only assume is as brilliant and well-practiced as your knowledge of human anatomy), you should really take some time out and work on more effective and original insults. My ****ing dad used to tell me that when I was about nine years old. Wait - are you nine?

Parents, please do the musical world a favor: wait until your kids finish grade school before buying them a guitar. Let them fiddle with a trumpet or a violin or even themselves a while until they know why they should play music at all. Please.

[kyrreca]

Good article.
And you're a brilliant player too.

[TheCama]

i don't give a shit about playing fast.
i can play really fast but that's not the point.

it's about music, not about who's the fastest.

fast solo's are mostly gay sounding and most of you are fake poser guitarists who can't even play or sing.
haha losers.

[Silverwolf]

TheCama wrote:

i don't give a shit about playing fast.
i can play really fast but that's not the point.

it's about music, not about who's the fastest.

fast solo's are mostly gay sounding and most of you are fake poser guitarists who can't even play or sing.
haha losers.

Fast solos are amazing. If speed is used correctly and its not just endless wanking then its good.

That is why John Petrucci > God.

[Silverwolf]

ontherun wrote:

The faster you play the shittier it sounds. Whether you hit the right notes or not!

Someone please put an end to this "virtuoso" shit. It's smelling up the music pool.

Jimi Hendrix was a virtuoso. That's about it.

Jimi was far from a virtuoso. He was/is quite possibly the most influential guitarist ever. However, techinally he pales in comparison to Petrucci, Romeo, Vai, etc.

Fast solos willa always be amazing and awe inpspiring if done correctly. Same reason why Nirvana's solo's are complete are not. Because Kurt couldn't play worth shit. (Again highly influential, but technically awful)

[notaninja]

strangely enough, my guitar teacher (who has played for about 20 years) taught me the "go through it 934534 times and youll get faster" technique. it was my concert band teacher that told me to leave it all to muscle memory, so i thank him... even if he was always pissy :P

[ChoPxSueY]

Wow good advice, never thought of it that way, spread the word! 10/10 from me :P

[gimme_fuel_89]

This is probably the most helpful article I've read on this damn site. 10/10

[last_biscuit]

ontherun wrote:

The faster you play the shittier it sounds. Whether you hit the right notes or not!

Someone please put an end to this "virtuoso" shit. It's smelling up the music pool.

Jimi Hendrix was a virtuoso. That's about it.

'Cos that's open-minded...

Anyway, a very good article. I think it does a good job at clearing up WHAT you should be using a metronome for, and WHEN you should be using it.

[Coldcurly]

Thanks a lot.A helpful article.Fortunately,I haven't metronome

[BlisteringDDj]

This article was very helpful, and I have actually never thought this way. Thank you Mike!

Checked.

[njc3190]

Wow! this is actually the most truthful and accurate piece of advice i've ever heard about guitar playing.
Thanx Mike

[mmtroop321]

hey thank you, you have no idea how much this helped me....i have always thought to myself to do this but i guess i just blew it of but not anymore....thanks

[Raizer Sabre]

TheCama wrote:

i don't give a shit about playing fast.
i can play really fast but that's not the point.

it's about music, not about who's the fastest.

fast solo's are mostly gay sounding and most of you are fake poser guitarists who can't even play or sing.
haha losers.

ok, try showing us a thing or two and play us an amazing solo while singing, then try having a go at some real guitarists

[sid77]

great point just like you mentioned i always focused on playing faster maybe its time for a change

[my_epi_SG]

common sense if you think about it. good article.

[Silky Smooth]

Great article

Pinpointing mistakes in your playing going through all the motions slowly can REALLY help. It's 100% true that you can't play smooth and fast without first getting the proper technique under your belt.

[wasp2020]

Nice article. Too many people think having a metronome is some sort of stairway to heaven - all they need to do is grit their teeth, abandon any thought, and play to beat their last bpm. And that's just so wrong for so many reasons.

[Guitar Sushi]

People misunderstand what a metronome is for. It's simply for making sure you're notes hit the beat correctly. Playing to a very high bpm is kind of stupid because it defeats the purpose of trying to get in time with a band.

That's the other reason why people think metronomes are so useless. Because they have never played in a band and when they change tempo slightly, it isn't that noticeable. A metronome helps your notes get precise an perfectly in place. I love them ;.

[veckd]

thank you soo much. It seemed this article was aimed 100% at me. I owe you a lot.

zCheckedz.

[daniel c b]

Thank you for taking the time to post this

[IvanGroznij]

wow, what a great artticle! Thanks Mike, i always enjoy your columns. Your free bonus article on your website was awesome too!