Question Home

Position:Home>Performing Arts> What is a good way to build speed as a guitarist?


Question: What is a good way to build speed as a guitarist!?
There's a couple songs I'm currently trying to learn the lead for, I've got them without a problem at a slowed pace but when I try to play the songs at the proper tempo I can't possibly come close to matching the speed!. Normally I play the acoustic guitar and only just now, attempting to play lead on electric am I truly stumped, any advice or testimonies on how you got your chops would be very appreciated, thanks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You can't play anything fast, or are we talking just about these particular songs!?

If you have a general problem with speed, then maybe you should start taking classes!. No video tutorial, no website can replace a good teacher!.

If you only have problems with these songs, then try this: find on the metronome your current comfort-tempo!. Play 2-3 times with metronome at this tempo, then up the speed just a notch (2, max 4 bpm), and play the song again a few times at the new tempo - you should have some minor problems at first, but don't stop every time you miss a note, just keep going!. Once you can play the song good enough at the new tempo, up the speed (again, just a notch!)!. Repeat the process until you get to actual tempo!.

Best luckWww@QuestionHome@Com

The only way to build speed is to practice, practice, practice!. Sorry, there is no easy way around it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Speed only comes with practice, more practice, and then practice after that, etc!.!.!.!.!.
If you are just now starting to do electric leads, then you are trying too much , too quickly!.
Don't expect to become Yngwie Malmstein overnight!.

Some guitarists are built for speed, some aren't!.
Speed is not everything for guitar solos!. Speed for speed's sake is just lame, and just serves to hide deficiencies in the musical ability of the guitarist!.
It doesn't take a musical genius to run up and down the penatatonic scale as fast as you can go, add a few hammer ons and dive bomb the tremolo!.
How many "fast" leads have you heard Eric Clapton play!? None!.
That's because he doesn't need to!. His ability to improvise a solo with impeccable phrasing and emotion is worth more than any amount of speed!.

Don't worry so much about speed and develop melodic sense for your solos!.
Speed, if you are cut out for it, will come with practice and familiarity with your instrument!.
I never thought about speed when I was playing professionally or forming bands!. But we'd be listening to recordings of our practice sessions, and every once in a while I was shocked at how fast a riff I'd done came out!. I'd think, "damn, did I do that!?!" And the other guys are going "whoa!"

I don't consider myself to be a fast guitarist!. I'll never be able to do all those sweep picking, shredding leads like a lot of today's metal guitarists!. Some of them are truly impressive with finger dexterity, that I was just not born with!.

So just practice and if it comes to you, great, if not, remember there's more to guitar playing than "shredding"

Good luck and have fun

EDIT:
As far as how to practice!. Learn your solo scales!. Know where all your root notes are on every place on the fretboard!.
be able to run up and down the fretboard, linking all the notes in your scale!. Learn the different spots you can play the same lick with the same notes on different strings!.
Learn a a fast solo you like and keep playing it over and over and over until it becomes second nature to your fingers to play!. play it until you get it right!. don't stop until you do!.
it takes YEARS to be able to play like those guys do!. Don't be impatientWww@QuestionHome@Com