Super speed picking

Luigi_Pati2

Rhoads555 said:

Hi guys, i thought this would be the greatest place to ask, i have been for some time trying to get faster and better with picking but I feel limited sometimes with the slanting. it has done me great but I was a bit in doubt when i see other players who are even faster than people like Michael Angelo Batio who don’t seem to use it. I am frustrated because i am trying to learn songs that when speed hold me back.

I am learning all songs from the ‘Heavy Balance’ record by guitarist Tramaine who in his videos does not seem to use this technique and plays very very fast. even up to 220 bpm, and it is hard when even after weeks of no progress, am i doing something wrong? I hope people will be able to help, thank you and I hope my english is ok!

The sad reality is that speed is greatly, greatly overrated. Getting faster has NEVER made me a better musician. And while I wasted my time getting faster, I missed out on the things that I later did, that made all the difference for me. My speed matches Rhoads's speed, and that's all the speed I will ever need. I remember a very old interview to Vinnie Moore, that I constantly kept in mind: 'don't worry about this or that guitarist. Do your own thing'. It never failed me.

And this slanting stuff is just.....unnecessary It's one of these things I really never noticed because they never made a difference whatsoever. It's more like running, and worrying about the dust that is lifting behind you. It's just a waste of time. The picking stuff IS important, but it has all been explained well before. Actually it's one of these things that you want to learn as quickly as possible, so that you can move onto a lot more interesting things. I don't know about Tramaine, but yes, some guys seem to be insanely fast. But why should I care? Speed is one of these things where adding more of it, doesn't add much at all. In fact, it can actually detract. Just my opinion. Good luck

Luigi_Pati2

Bennyboy-UK said:

I really like Ben Higgins - I'm getting good results from his videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E__a61lfceU&t=215s 

I could not agree more about Higgins. He's a top notch player.  I like his playing a lot, myself. He just uses good, old, tried and tested techniques like alternate picking and slurs (what many erroneously refer to as 'legato', which is NOT)

Interestingly, Higgins is an excellent example of what I was saying before about speed: I don't think he's a top notch player because of his speed, but because of his general, and musical, skill. When I hear him play, I hear MUSIC. I am not thinking: 'Mmmh, yes, but guitarist X is faster'. That might be true, but Higgings would probably still be the better player.

My point is simply this: fast enough is good enough, when one plays WELL.

roberty

Luigi_Pati2 said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

I really like Ben Higgins - I'm getting good results from his videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E__a61lfceU&t=215s 

I could not agree more about Higgins. He's a top notch player.  I like his playing a lot, myself. He just uses good, old, tried and tested techniques like alternate picking and slurs (what many erroneously refer to as 'legato', which is NOT)

Interestingly, Higgins is an excellent example of what I was saying before about speed: I don't think he's a top notch player because of his speed, but because of his general, and musical, skill. When I hear him play, I hear MUSIC. I am not thinking: 'Mmmh, yes, but guitarist X is faster'. That might be true, but Higgings would probably still be the better player.

My point is simply this: fast enough is good enough, when one plays WELL.

^^^ the method in that video really does work. Good how he explains isolating trouble spots too, not everyone realises this

Anderz

I still have Speed Mechanics book by Troy Stetina and it works. I got it new in 1993. 

If your legato is not up to speed then your right hand is not going to be in sync.

As long as you pick to a metronome who cares if its slant or something. 

theguitarclinic

Hey man, this video might be of some help to you:

hollywoodrox

Going to check this all out and read it later. I seem to see conflicting opinions on practicing slow and practicing on the edge of your ability . It does feel totally different picking faster than slower so I tend to agree with the practice near the edge of your ability as like they say you can’t practice sprinting by walking , you move in a whole different way. I rate Ben Higgins and Ben Eller for advice . Speed bursts seem a good idea . I will read this thread more thoroughly later as I am so slow and like you say some rock covers require a burst of speed for some solos 

DLM

hollywoodrox said:

I seem to see conflicting opinions on practicing slow and practicing on the edge of your ability .

I think that's 'cos one has to do both!

finest1

hi i'd thought i'd add my 2 cents worth:

there is a lot of ideas out there in internet land suggesting one idea is better than this one, this one is old, use this one. but one thing remains: the basics. the basics for me, and what helped get my speed up is:

practice
metronome
proper technique

beware! the metronome does not lie ! I thought I was good, until I couldn't even do 16th notes alternate picking at 80bpm!! that's de-motivating. however, it will make you better.

I would find john Petrucci's rock discipline video and watch the increasing speed section. he explains how to use a metronome correctly. also learning scale patterns on the metronome. you will increase your speed very quickly AND play through scale patterns through scale positions in no time.

after that can you then start analysing your picking hand, and get it efficient, which there are many video and articles to help. you cannot play 200bpm guitar, sloppy! every element has to be synchronised.

it can happen, faster than you think!

hollywoodrox

Vibetronic said:

jonnyscaramanga said:

Vibetronic said:

Are you still playing with Kee Marcello?

No, I left the band last year. He was one of the players I had in mind though.

thought I recognised the name  Yes, he's a great player; those super-quick pentatonic picked lines are ace. 

I remember him from Europe , awesome. Think he had an reh or starlicks video too

hollywoodrox

finest1 said:

hi i'd thought i'd add my 2 cents worth:

there is a lot of ideas out there in internet land suggesting one idea is better than this one, this one is old, use this one. but one thing remains: the basics. the basics for me, and what helped get my speed up is:

practice
metronome
proper technique

beware! the metronome does not lie ! I thought I was good, until I couldn't even do 16th notes alternate picking at 80bpm!! that's de-motivating. however, it will make you better.

I would find john Petrucci's rock discipline video and watch the increasing speed section. he explains how to use a metronome correctly. also learning scale patterns on the metronome. you will increase your speed very quickly AND play through scale patterns through scale positions in no time.

after that can you then start analysing your picking hand, and get it efficient, which there are many video and articles to help. you cannot play 200bpm guitar, sloppy! every element has to be synchronised.

it can happen, faster than you think!

Thanks , great post