question about speed plateau

[bjamin86]

i was just wondering if any of you reached a speed plateau like me? how long of a plateau are you stuck in? a month? 2 months? 3 or more? ive seriously been stuck in a speed plateau for about a year. i dont do anything but play guitar since i have depression and i dont go out too much. i never took a break and maybe its time that i take a long break from guitar. how long of a break you think i can take to get that Itchy feeling to play again? how long is too long until i start to lose skills you think?

[OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S]

Hey man! locking yourself away from the world is not the very best thing for you to do! been there done that!!! you need to go out and enjoy life, so that you can get inspiration to make and play music!!! if you just sit around at home you will get to a point where you will even hate the guitar.
So try to go out to concerts of different music styles to broaden your musical scope and have fun. I would also suggest to try to get together with someone to jam regardless of your level of abilty. Playing with other people can improve your own playing tremendously! Finally if you want to get faster
I suggest you practice scalar runs with a metronome believe me that is the only way to acquire clean and precise chops!

Hope that helps!

[Dee]

Oliver is right. Been there, done that myself too, took the pills, bought the T-shirt, etc., and I'm still not recovered. It's hard to dig yourself out of that hole, but you'll get there, just gotta have a little determination. As Olie said, get yourself playing with others. There's no better way to improve.

[eelblack2]

If you are in a rut with whatever your are practicing for speed i.e. diatonics, pentatonics, arpeggios etc., move your practice routine to something different. Your mind has built some sort of self-governor that thinks it cannot go any faster, when in reality, it can.

I suggest diving into pentatonics if you have been beating on diatonic scales and/or arps. If you have been working on pentatonics, then try octave displacement, string skipping, or any other wide intervallic leaps. The point is, distract your "governor" with something that is completely different. Once you have mastered, or at least gotten relatively good at that "different" then try going back to your previous practive regimen. Often you will find that your mind dropped whatever was limiting it.

Also explore your picking/right hand technique. You may very well be setting some sort of physical limitation with your right hand. Explore anchoring vs not anchoring, circular picking, alternate/sweep picking, even hybrid picking/finger picking. Often your right hand will be very natural at something you didnt even know it could do.

Hope this helps, and by all means go outside an enjoy the world around you.