GUITARHABITS

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9 Effective Ways to Increase Your Guitar Picking Speed

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Working on increasing your picking speed is not just for the hell fire speed wannabe’s.

Once your speed increases your whole style of playing loosens up. Your fingers will feel light and flexible and you’ll gain much more freedom in your playing.

Your fingers will float easily across the strings without trying so hard. It’s an important skill to work on and to maintain.

Increasing your picking speed comes with obstacles, victories, ups and downs, lots of patience and hard work. It’s all about practicing and equally important “the right way of practicing”. Just practicing a lot of hours doesn’t necessarily increase your picking speed if you don’t do it the right way.

Every individual has it’s own specific hurdles to overcome, but if you focus on these tips you are already off to a great start.

You can do it too!
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6 Basic Major Scale Sequences / Melodic Patterns

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Photo by Gideon

When I first learned to play sequences I didn’t know what all the fuzz was about. Why was it so important to learn all these “sequences” or as some prefer to call them “melodic patterns”?

Anyhow, I did enjoy playing them because after a while I got into this flow and it sounded kinda cool.

Once I really got the hang of it I came to learn the benefits of mastering sequences

Sequences will improve your technique and ability to improvise and create melody on the spot.

Your playing becomes more flexible, creative and it’ll keep you from sounding like someone who is playing scales all the time. :-)

In other words… Want to improve your technique or want to improve your improvising skills?

Go ahead and work hard on these assignments.

Enjoy!

Assignment #1: Memorize the G Major scale and play it using alternate picking.

Assignment #2: Memorize the 6 sequences below (ascending and descending) and play them through the cycle of fourths. (in the key G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G)

Assignment #3: Incorporate bits and pieces of each sequence into your improvisation.

Assignment #4: Try to make melodies from the patterns, play with the notes, experiment with timing and rhythm, turn things around, extend or shorten the duration/length of some of the notes, create pauses, etc.

These assignments will keep you busy for a while. Be patient and take your time!


G MAJOR SCALE
e:-----------------------------2-3------|
B:-------------------------3-5----------|
G:------------------2-4-5---------------|
D:-----------2-4-5----------------------|
A:-----2-3-5----------------------------|
E:-3-5----------------------------------|

 

G MAJOR SCALE descending
e:--3-2---------------------------------|
B:-------5-3----------------------------|
G:------------5-4-2---------------------|
D:-------------------5-4-2--------------|
A:--------------------------5-3-2-------|
E:---------------------------------5-3--|

 

SEQUENCE #1 ascending
e:----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
B:----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
G:----------------|-----------------|---------------2---|
D:----------------|-------2-----2-4-|---2-4-5-2-4-5-----|
A:-----2-3--2-3-5-|-2-3-5---3-5-----|-5-----------------|
E:-3-5-----5------|-----------------|-------------------|
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22 2-String Alternate Speed Picking Exercises

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Photo by Jason Rogers
A lot of the cool licks that are used in solos are played on just 2 strings. Usually on the high E and B string.

Although they are most common in shredding, you can find them in all genres of music.

The best way to learn these licks fast, clear and fluently is to practice them with alternate picking and the use of a metronome.

Alternate picking means you hold the pick between your thumb and index finger with the pointed end facing toward the strings. You strictly use alternating down and up strokes. The first note you play is downstroke, the second an upstroke, the third one a downstroke, the fourth one an upstroke and so on.

Start out slowly and gradually increase speed. Use the licks as a warm up exercise in your daily practice workout.

Beside the metronome you can also learn to play the licks along with a backing track.

As you do this make sure you focus on correct tempo and timing.

Notes:-All of the exercises below are licks, except for exercise 20 and 21.

-Repetitive licks are shown by the 2 dots next to the bar line. Repeat what ever is written between those two dots. Repetitive licks are repeated at least 2 times or more.

These 22 exercises will really improve your alternate picking speed if you follow the instructions I just mentioned. You’ll have some nice chops to work with.

Have a great work out!



EXERCISE #1 (in key of D major or B minor)
e:---------7--------|------------------------------------|
B:--7-8-10---10-8---|------------------------------------|
G:*----------------*|------------------------------------|
D:*----------------*|------------------------------------|
A:------------------|------------------------------------|
E:------------------|------------------------------------|
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The Ultimate Motivational Guitar Practice Workout

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Photo by Robert Bejil
Practicing is the whole key to becoming a good guitar player, but a good practice workout is not just about playing songs, riffs and solos.

It consists of some important elements.

Of course like a lot of guitar players I also started out practicing songs, riffs and licks of my favorite guitar heros, it’s why I started learning guitar in the first place.

But to let your skills and creativity reach it’s full potential there is a lot more to learn.

It doesn’t matter whether you play rock, country, jazz, blues or classical guitar, practicing all the aspects below on a regular basis will motivate you and make you grow into a good skilled guitar player.

Be sure the include every aspect into your overall workout. You don’t necessarily need to put everything in one workout, but spread out over a day or week.

You’ll benefit for the rest of your guitar playing life!Continue Reading