Any suggested drills for fast picking?
- Thread starter Omar08
- Start date
mewsician2
New member
Check out Justin Guitar on you tube, YouTube - Fast Rock Licks For Beginners (Guitar Lesson RO-003)
Free guitar lessons, and the guy can play!
Free guitar lessons, and the guy can play!
Milnoque
Resident Curmudgeon
I found this. Maybe it will be helpful.
http://www.bluesblast.com/speedw.html
http://www.bluesblast.com/speedw.html
Jon Chorba
New member
Fireman Sam
New member
@arcadeko PML !
Hilarious.
Serious note... Metronome, Metronome, Metronome... I think my geetar teacher only had one word in his vocabulary at times... but now teaching my son his scales... Easiest way to get speed up is to work to a metronome to 'internalise' the timing and motion in one. I used to have to do at least 5 minutes at one speed... I mean ridiuclously slow, 60 - 70BPM when doing new scales. Then next 5 minutes, go up by 2BPM... and so on and so on... believe me it works ! Especially when going from 8th to 16th and triplets etc !
Hilarious.
Serious note... Metronome, Metronome, Metronome... I think my geetar teacher only had one word in his vocabulary at times... but now teaching my son his scales... Easiest way to get speed up is to work to a metronome to 'internalise' the timing and motion in one. I used to have to do at least 5 minutes at one speed... I mean ridiuclously slow, 60 - 70BPM when doing new scales. Then next 5 minutes, go up by 2BPM... and so on and so on... believe me it works ! Especially when going from 8th to 16th and triplets etc !
arcadeko
Illuminatius Overlordious
My guitar teacher also recommended the gradually increased BPM metronome - I forgot about it cause I never actually followed through with his advice
I am happy with my picking ability so ya know - why mess with perfection
Last edited:
Anfontan
Banned by eurt
Jon Chorba
New member
LOL!!
I think you're right!
fuzzsniffvoyage
Well-known member
Practice picking fast????
DrewPeterson7
Sage of the Order
Well, what are you practicing now, and what are you having trouble with?
The basic alternate picking drill would be a 4-note-per-string chromatic run:
|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|
|---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
Walk that up and down the neck, starting slow and building speed. Definitely use a metronome, or a drum track, or SOMETHING to force you to stay rhythmically even.
Lately, I've never been happy with my picking across strings, so I've been practicing variations of this:
Bmadd9
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|----------------------7-7-7----------------|
|-------------11-11-11-------11-11-11-------|
|-------9-9-9-------------------------9-9-9-|
|-7-7-7-------------------------------------|
Dadd9
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------11-11-11-------------------|
|-------------------14-14-14----------14-14-14----------|
|----------12-12-12----------------------------12-12-12-|
|-10-10-10----------------------------------------------|
....and just kind of move it around to other chords in key. I.e, Bmadd9-Aadd9-Gadd9-Dadd9-Bmadd9 or whatever. Do it as one note a string, two notes a string, three notes a string (as written), four, etc. It'll sound and feel a bit different, and the mechanics of changing strings with an even number of pickstrokes per string vs an odd number are totally different (i.e - on this example, you change from the E string to the A string on an upstroke, the A to the D on a downstroke, etc, while with 2 notes per string you're changing with a downstroke every time).
Sit down, think about where you're technique is holding you back, and really think about how you can design drills to challenge those weaknesses. Then, practice.
The basic alternate picking drill would be a 4-note-per-string chromatic run:
|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|
|---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
Walk that up and down the neck, starting slow and building speed. Definitely use a metronome, or a drum track, or SOMETHING to force you to stay rhythmically even.
Lately, I've never been happy with my picking across strings, so I've been practicing variations of this:
Bmadd9
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|----------------------7-7-7----------------|
|-------------11-11-11-------11-11-11-------|
|-------9-9-9-------------------------9-9-9-|
|-7-7-7-------------------------------------|
Dadd9
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------11-11-11-------------------|
|-------------------14-14-14----------14-14-14----------|
|----------12-12-12----------------------------12-12-12-|
|-10-10-10----------------------------------------------|
....and just kind of move it around to other chords in key. I.e, Bmadd9-Aadd9-Gadd9-Dadd9-Bmadd9 or whatever. Do it as one note a string, two notes a string, three notes a string (as written), four, etc. It'll sound and feel a bit different, and the mechanics of changing strings with an even number of pickstrokes per string vs an odd number are totally different (i.e - on this example, you change from the E string to the A string on an upstroke, the A to the D on a downstroke, etc, while with 2 notes per string you're changing with a downstroke every time).
Sit down, think about where you're technique is holding you back, and really think about how you can design drills to challenge those weaknesses. Then, practice.
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
Well, what are you practicing now, and what are you having trouble with?
The basic alternate picking drill would be a 4-note-per-string chromatic run:
|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|
|---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
Walk that up and down the neck, starting slow and building speed. Definitely use a metronome, or a drum track, or SOMETHING to force you to stay rhythmically even.
Lately, I've never been happy with my picking across strings, so I've been practicing variations of this:
Bmadd9
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|----------------------7-7-7----------------|
|-------------11-11-11-------11-11-11-------|
|-------9-9-9-------------------------9-9-9-|
|-7-7-7-------------------------------------|
Dadd9
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------11-11-11-------------------|
|-------------------14-14-14----------14-14-14----------|
|----------12-12-12----------------------------12-12-12-|
|-10-10-10----------------------------------------------|
....and just kind of move it around to other chords in key. I.e, Bmadd9-Aadd9-Gadd9-Dadd9-Bmadd9 or whatever. Do it as one note a string, two notes a string, three notes a string (as written), four, etc. It'll sound and feel a bit different, and the mechanics of changing strings with an even number of pickstrokes per string vs an odd number are totally different (i.e - on this example, you change from the E string to the A string on an upstroke, the A to the D on a downstroke, etc, while with 2 notes per string you're changing with a downstroke every time).
Sit down, think about where you're technique is holding you back, and really think about how you can design drills to challenge those weaknesses. Then, practice.
Great advice from a great player--pay heed.
Good to see you again Drew!
DrewPeterson7
Sage of the Order
Thanks man! My job pretty much owns my soul these days, I'm lucky enough to get lunch in, much less an hour or two to surf the forums, but I haven't forgotten you guys!
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
I hear ya! My time here has been thin as of late as well. It's just good to see a familiar face. (Though I'm not seeing your face at all.) How's the new job going?
DrewPeterson7
Sage of the Order
Absolutely nuts. My boss transitioned/was forced out to a new group about three months after I started, so for the past three months I've basically been co-running the division with our line of business head. It's stressful as hell - I'm 30 years old, and I'm flying all over the country doing client meetings and sales calls on systems I haven't had the time to fully learn the limitations of yet.
It's a pretty awesome experience, and I'm learning a ton, but that's because there's just so much to learn that I need to know more or less immediately.
On top of that, I'm still trying to finish a CD.
It's a pretty awesome experience, and I'm learning a ton, but that's because there's just so much to learn that I need to know more or less immediately.
On top of that, I'm still trying to finish a CD.
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
Crazy as it sounds, it also sound good! Ride the wave and have fun with it--you know it's gonna pay off!