Here Is What To Do When You Can't Play Guitar Fast Enough

It sucks when you feel like you can’t play guitar fast enough. This is very frustrating for most guitarists, but you don’t have to continue to feel frustrated for long.

Why?

Playing guitar faster doesn’t have to take a really long time.

Playing with more speed is often easier to do than you think when you change the way you think about “playing fast”.

Plus:

Most mistakes that hold you back from playing fast are pretty easy to correct.

This means that faster guitar speed is right around the corner for you.

Apply these ideas into your guitar playing now to not only get faster in less time, but become a much better and more complete guitarist in the process…

Use Your Current Speed As A Tool For Artistic Expression By:

Playing In Short runs

You don’t need to play entire scales or lengthy arpeggio licks every time you want to play fast.

In fact:

Playing just a few notes at fast speeds often creates the intensity you need.

Here are a couple ways to use whatever speed you have now to solo more creatively:

Focus on creating a good melody first. Make it short, like 4-5 notes.

1.   Then, practice playing tons of variations of this melody by using different note rhythms adding a note here and there, using various techniques, etc. While doing this, use faster notes to connect the first and last note of the melody. This uses speed as tool to build and release musical tension.

2.   Create a very short, repeating melody. For example, a melody that simply uses the notes A-B-C. Create as many variations of this by playing notes using various techniques and different speeds. Playing with just a few notes makes it easier to play fast and concentrate on making your speed sound melodic.

Using Tremolo

Speed picking or tremolo picking is a great tool that helps you add intensity into licks using speed without playing complicated patterns.

Here are some great ways to use it while soloing:

·         Play tremolo picked notes to build tension towards end of lick

·         Use both muted and unmuted tremolo picked notes

·         Use tremolo to create variety whenever a lick is repeated without having to change any of the original pitches.

Play In Short Bursts Of Speed

Playing short licks in bursts of speed not only helps you find and fix mistakes more easily (without slowing down), but it sounds awesome too.

Check out this video to see how to use “burst of speed” training to get faster and play killer licks at the same time:

Focus On Efficient Movement Vs. Fast Movement

Moving your hands faster does not equal faster playing speed
(although many guitarists still use this mistaken approach for limited
results).

Making your fretting hand and picking hand movement as
efficient as possible enables you to play guitar with fast speed that feels
smooth and easy.

Here is what to look for to make the movement in both hands efficient:

Picking Hand:

·         Always use the shortest path to picking the next note

·         Use as little overall movement as possible

·         Pick with power to cut through strings instantly to keep the pick from temporarily dragging across the string (wasting motion in the process)

Fretting Hand:

·         Focus on keeping your fingers close to the fretboard and ready to play the next note (without actually fretting in preparation). For example: After playing a note, keep your fingers around 2 inches or less away from the strings.

·         Use fingerings that allow you to move efficiently from one fret to the next

·         Use only as much pressure as needed to fret a note – and no more

Set Specific Speed Goals For Each Guitar Technique

The more clearly you set goals for your guitar playing, the more likely you are to achieve them and get the speed you want.

Simply wanting to “play faster” is fine, but often not specific enough to get a person to take action.

What is the best and most effective way to set specific goals?

Simple.

Working together with a great guitar teacher who has already helped others achieve the same things you want in your playing.

Get started setting and achieving your guitar playing goals now in order to become faster, cleaner and more musically expressive by taking online guitar lessons.