I really need some help with speed :)

kingpheeel · #1 10-09-2001, 08:43 PM

Ok, I've been playing around 6 years now and I've noticed that my speed is really really bad. *I hve stuff in my head and I can't come close to playing it because of my lack of speed. I know most people say that seed shouldn't matter and to concentrate on tne etc, but I'm really stuck in a rut now because of this I am willing to admit I'm terrible at sweeping and tapping but my biggest concern now is speed.

If you guys could give me ANY help I will be forever grateful.

Thanks in advance

- Phill

Jay Satriani · #2 10-09-2001, 08:46 PM

It is all in putting some time into it. Buy John petruccis Rock Dicipline, and put at least 1 hour/day to practicing speed, and it will come to you fast...

kingpheeel · #3 10-09-2001, 09:05 PM

what sort of exercises does it have i there??

(thanks for the advice)

Jay Satriani · #4 10-09-2001, 09:13 PM

It covers all teqniques involved in being fast.
It much builds on three notes per string scale fragments.
Practice those fragments in different aproaches and so on(metronom, jogging-sprinting etc...).
For example
a major scale

------------------------------------3-5-6-
-----------------------------3-5-6--------
----------------------2-3-5---------------
---------------2-3-5----------------------
--------1-3-5-----------------------------
-1-3-5------------------------------------

practice each of this forms (1-3-5, 1-2-4, 1-3-4)
in different ways..

Gr8 Legato, sweep picking and fast picking tips there... this video never ends to be inspiring because JP is just crazy when it comes to teqniques... *

sixstringphoenix · #5 10-09-2001, 09:22 PM

It definitely takes a lot of dedication to your instrument. By this I don't mean lock yourself in your bedroom and woodshed for 12 hours a day - certainly not - but you do have to keep at it. Don't focus too hard though; you'll burn out.

"Speed" is a very vague term. What specifically is your problem? Alternate picking? Finger strength? Finger independence? Synchronization? All these contribute to chops. If you can pinpoint the problem, all the better in your search for speed.

Try to make it fun. Many others will disagree with me here, but I say, don't bother woodshedding to build up your speed. If you make it boring (I tend to associate woodshedding with that), you may end up avoiding practicing. I built up my speed up by learning a couple Steve Vai songs. "For the Love of God" and "Tender Surrender" are the songs that have had the most significant impacts on my technique.

I've been playing for 5 1/2 years and the one major factor in building up my speed, I think, is my perfectionist attitude. When I was working on my chops, I didn't feel like I was "working," per se; it was just that I didn't stop working on a part until it sounded as close as POSSIBLE to the record (whoever it may be- Vai, Satriani...).

Take this extra piece of "advice" with a grain of salt, as many would oppose this position... but one time I practiced a Paul Gilbert exercise nonstop for an hour and a half to a metronome. Granted, it got my speed up, but I thought, "Oh my gosh, if THIS is what woodshedding is really like, I'll never survive. Damn the metronome!" Both before and since, I have never practiced with a metronome.

Good luck. Speed is far from an overnight thing...
-Justin

Jay Satriani · #6 10-09-2001, 09:28 PM

Can somone explain to me what the hell wodshedding means... it sound so wacko when dudes say it....

Hey im from sweden...

sixstringphoenix · #7 10-09-2001, 09:32 PM

hehe.

it's OK. Woodshedding is basically slang for a following an (usually strict) outlined practice regimen of some sort. A more succinct definition is... simply, "mechanical practicing." I would say running through JP's Rock Discipline is woodshedding (if you do it daily of course).

-Justin

Jay Satriani · #8 10-09-2001, 09:38 PM

Ahh ok... * When i practice the JP stuff i rarely do it with a metronome either. I use to spread out small 5min speed stuff in my mormal practice sessions... *I dont woodshed very much really hehehehehe

kingpheeel · #9 10-09-2001, 09:42 PM

Again thanks for the advice, I think really it is a mixture of problems - but mainly finger independance and if I'm being really honest, the abilty to think in high speeds like that. I've been trying to learn Tender Surrender for about a year and a half now, and more recently For the love of God, and I agree they really helped me so far, but I'm just not capable of playing the really fast stuff in either of them. In tender surrender I get lost after the second set of sweeps. @2:37 and I'm not really that accurate with the stuff befor that.
I too have an extreme perfectionist attitude with the guitar. I have spent hours a day every day for 6 years (ignoring my college work etc) and I sold everything I own and took out a loan to get a DNA!! Unfortunately my amp doesn't do the guitar any justice but I can cope with that for now

- Phill

sixstringphoenix · #10 10-09-2001, 09:42 PM

I hope none of the serious woodshedders (Balducci, etc.) see our posts - I'll be flamed from one end of this Forum to the other!

-Justin

Jay Satriani · #11 10-09-2001, 09:44 PM

mormal... lol... sounds like a slang to... Gah... ZZZzz

sixstringphoenix · #12 10-09-2001, 09:47 PM

Well, Phill, I think my best advice for this is just start out slow - as boring as it may be (I hate it!) - but really, it works. When I first started learning Zappa's "Black Page #1" there were some parts I just couldn't handle head-on. With a bit of lower-speed practice, I was able to tackle it without spending forever on it!

Same goes for a section of Racer X's "Y.R.O." (actually a Paganini quote) that I had a little trouble with (mostly finger independence problems between 3 and 4). A little slow practice made quick (well, relatively quick

) work of it.

-Justin

As odd as it may sound, however, I learned For the Love of God and Tender Surrender perfectly, but as often as I practiced it, I never practiced it slow or to a metronome. Weird eh?

Jay Satriani · #13 10-09-2001, 09:48 PM

i dont think they would flame you.. *Every body has their own way of getting from A to B. and it is how you do that that makes you unique.... *

sixstringphoenix · #14 10-09-2001, 09:50 PM

I've never heard it quite put like that!

Thank you for making me feel not-so-bad for not woodshedding and ignoring all methods of "strict practice." :laugh:

-Justin

Jay Satriani · #15 10-09-2001, 09:56 PM

Well i think it came out quite well myself. I dont wanna brag here but hey... *