Guitar Speed - Developing Speed & Accuracy Part. I

Guitar Speed - Developing Speed & Accuracy Part. I

Do you want to become a guitar shredder like John Petrucci or Paul Gilbert? Here's how.

First, make sure that you already know about altenate picking. If you don't, click here. Now, let's assuming that already learn alternate picking. There's still one requirement for you to fulfill. You'll need a metronome. Don't know what metronome is or how to use it? Here a good article about metronome. You don't have to buy metronome from your local music store. Just download YMetronome or GuiTools. Or you can use an online metronome at http://www.metronomeonline.com.

Be sure to warm up before you start this lessons. Click here for warm up lesson.

Ok, shall we begin? Set you're metronome at 40 bpm. We're gonna do it slowly at first. Why? 'Cause you have to pick it right. D-U-D-U continously not D-D-U-U or U-U-D-D. And to make sure that the note you hit have good sounding and clean. Don't pick or touch the note you shouldn't hit or pick.

Now try this exercise.

U = Upstroke
D = Downstroke

Exercise #1

D U D U
|-0--0--0--0--1--1--1--1--2--2--2--2--3--3--3--3-|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
*Repeat till 12

Repeat it until you feel comfortable and increase your metronome speed by 10 bpm. Until your metronome speed reach 180 bpm or until it reach your target speed. If you feel uncomfortable at some speed, let say you made it on 140 bpm but you feel pain when you play at 150 bpm. Just decrease the speed to previous speed and play it again until you feel more comfortable and than increase your speed. Apply this method to all guitar speed exercises.

Exercise #2a

D U D U
|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|
|---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
*Once you reach the 1st string, play it reverse. So,
play it 4-3-2-1 instead of 1-2-3-4 andplay it for 1st
string to 6th string.

Exercise #2b

D U D U
|-----------------------------------------1-3-2-4-|
|---------------------------------1-3-2-4---------|
|-------------------------1-3-2-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-3-2-4-------------------------|
|---------1-3-2-4---------------------------------|
|-1-3-2-4-----------------------------------------|
*To give it more variation, you can play 1-3-2-4 and
then change it to 1-4-2-3 or 1-4-3-2. Use your imagination.
You don't have to always start at the 1st fret but try to
start at 5th fret like 5-6-7-8 or 5-7-6-8. Even you can
start at 12th fret like 12-13-14-15, etc.

Exercise #2c

D U D U
|-------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|--------------------------------4-3-2-1----------|
|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------4-3-2-1--|
|-1-3-2-4-----------------------------------------|
*This is just another variation for your practice. You can
use string skipping and also you can develop your own
variation. Use the method I've mention after exercise
#2b for guidance.

Don't forget to gradually increase the metronome until you reach your target speed (180 or 200 bpm is enough; 240 bpm is great).

You didn't feel bored, did you? This is actually a boring exercise but really useful. All the exercises here will make your both hands able to play a fast solo. Try to learn & play song from Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) or Yngwie Malmsteen after you mastering this lesson. So, practice all the exercises everyday. At least 30 minutes a day. Even if you get bored!

Here another Exercise.

Exercise #3a

D  U  D  U  D etc.
|-------------------------------1-2-3-|
|-------------------------1-2-3-------|
|-------------------1-2-3-------------|
|-------------1-2-3-------------------|
|-------1-2-3-------------------------|
|-1-2-3-------------------------------|

|-4-3-2----------------------------------||
|-------4-3-2----------------------------||
|-------------4-3-2----------------------||
|-------------------4-3-2----------------||
|-------------------------4-3-2----------||
|-------------------------------4-3-2-etc||
*Play it 'till 12

Exercise #3b

D  U  D  U  D etc.
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------12-13-14-12-13-14-|
|----------11-12-13-11-12-13-------------------|
|-10-11-12-------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------15-16-17-||
|-------------------14-15-16-14-15-16----------||
|-13-14-15-13-14-15----------------------------||
|----------------------------------------------||
|----------------------------------------------||
|----------------------------------------------||

Exercise #3c
\ = Slide Down
/ = Slide Up

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------5-7-8-|
|-------------------4-5-7-------|
|-------------4-5-7-------------|
|-------3-5-7-------------------|
|-3-5-7-------------------------|

|5-7-5--------------------------------||
|------8-7----------------------------||
|----------9-7-5\4--------------------||
|------------------7-5----------------||
|----------------------9-7-5\3--------||
|------------------------------7-5-3--||

Well, sometimes you maybe frustrated 'cause this practice takes a lot times. It takes months or years. But hey, you can't be a master shredder in just one night or weeks. Steve Vai said that he practice 12 hours a day. And it takes a life time for him to be what he is now. So, don't give up.

Note: If feel that your hands are tired or hurt. Just take a rest until you don't feel any pain on your hands. Don't force it or get yourself hurt!

Okay, this is the end of part I. There's still more exercises and techniques to develop your speed & accuracy. I will cover it on part II later. But if want it right now, just watch John Petrucci : Rock Discipline. This is really a great video. You will learn a lot from this video. Not just how to develop speed & accuracy but you will learn about scale fragment, arpeggios, sweep picking, legato, chordal techniques, etc.

All the lessons are clearly defined and easy to understand. Click here to get it Now!

Guitar Speed - Developing Speed & Accuracy Part. I