# Speed and Touch - Help



## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I've been playing for 15 years or so and have had a lot of success with rhythm playing but am having difficulty speeding up my lead playing. I've developed the habit (good or but but probably bad) of crushing the strings when I fret something. This obviously slows down any lead work I try to do. I think I developed this approach because I do not have "spider" fingers and therefore have to reach in order to finger certain chord shapes - I have to squeeze in order to hold certain shapes (Hendrix type chords - thumb over the top)

In any event, I've been practicing pentatonic boxes using alternate picking and this has helped a bit but I am still not at the point where I can play lead licks with any speed at all.

Any tips or tricks? Thanks


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm in the same boat as you so clearly no expert on the subject but I think speed has as much to do with the picking hand as with the fretting hand in combination with skilled hammers and pulls, none of which I've been able to master either. In other words, I think my problem is that I don't know when not to pick but to substitute with hammers and pulls. Sorry, I presume none of this helps your cause and I'm also awaiting some input for others but its a great subject for a thread.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

The biggest help is talking about the problem. Lol. 

All kidding aside, I run into the same issue. So thanks for the input. Hopefully someone will offer up some tips!


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I am also in a similar situation; I used to be a lot faster 10 years ago but have really slowed down with not as much practice time. 

I've started doing warm ups before playing and I find it helps. Co0rdinating both hands to work together and strenghen both picking skill as well as fret hand is a good start. I usually start easy 1-2-3-4 chromatic type patterns ascending and descending with a hamer-on/pull-of. So first off its 1-2-1 then 1-3-1 then 1-4-1. I do this from the first fret on the low E decending to the first fret on the high E. When you finish off on the 1-4-1 on the high E move the first finger to the 2nd fret and ascend till you get to the low E then move the first finger to the 3rd fret. Continue till your first finger is on the 12th fret. Play along with a metronome to keep yourself on time. boring and doesnt sound great but it helps.

Sorry for the crude explanation, so much harder to put into words than to tab or notation.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

For me the key to being able to play fast is to start by playing slow. Take a scale or lick and play it with a metronome very slowly. Pay close attention to each movement, keeping movement to a minimum as you move from note to note. Once you are satisfied with playing it slowly you can turn your metronome up a notch and try it again. Usually you will find that you can speed it up a fair bit at first and then you will hit a plateau. Back up the metronome a notch or two and repeat the process.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2015)

Moosehead said:


> I used to be a lot faster 10 years ago but have really slowed down with not as much practice time.


me too. plus I have arthritis affecting my left hand. it's getting harder just to hold a standard C chord.



Swervin55 said:


> .. I think speed has as much to do with the picking hand ..


I came across this vid which talks strictly about that.

[video=youtube;ZU7soF_iZUY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU7soF_iZUY[/video]


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

While I'm sure there a zillion little things that in and of themselves increase speed a tiny bit (alternate picking, slant angles, hammer ons, pull-offs, lighter touch, neck profiles, fretboard material/condition...yadda yadda yadda...) mostly it's just a case of repetition. Just like when you were learning faster changes between chords that eventually got to the point when you didn't really have to think about them, the same applies for licks. A solo is effectively a bunch of licks strung together. Every player has licks they fall back on out of familiarity. It's only a matter of expanding your personal library and ways of stringing them together. THEN you get into the really tricky part...voicing them, picking the right notes to hold, where to bend, when to play fast, when to play slow. It's a process...there's no magic formula. Just LISTEN a lot and practice a lot.

I'm by no means a superstar at this...in fact quite the opposite. But it IS something I'm actively working on all the time. The skills can be applied so many ways, whether it's in a solo, just a little (hopefully tasteful) fill, little bass runs between chords in a progression or maybe even just a simple riff repeated within a song.

Oh, and never forget...sometimes less is more...sometimes it not what you put in, it's what you leave out...


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

Saw this vid after I watched the picking vid laristotle posted which touched on what i was talking about a bit (around 3 min mark, hes doing trills instead of a single hamer-on/pull-off) plus has some other good tidbits. 
Something I haven't noticed in any video lessons lately is try playing scales/exercises picking lighter and quieter than you normally do but at the same speed you are comfortable with.

[video=youtube;3TGDIOT6c0A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TGDIOT6c0A#t=378[/video]

Also I should mention I recenlty switched picks from the green dunlop tortex to Jazz XL. Not sure of the thickness but I use the red ones (easier to find when you drop em). Try not to use too much of the pick; I used to have a good amount of pick attacking the string. Since taking notice of this I try to limit the point of the pick sticking out to 2 or 3mm. 

Here's a good video from satch. He's taught so many pro's I thought I'd throw it in here for good measure.

[video=youtube;c-f_xrx_1k8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-f_xrx_1k8[/video]


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## Judas68fr (Feb 5, 2013)

I've been teaching the guitar for a few years, and what you need is to basically soften your touch. If you have a guitar with rather tall frets, you could string it with a very light set of strings (8s). You should be able to play it without having sharp notes, otherwise, your grasp is too strong.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

That will take some getting used. I make 11s go sharp! Lol. Good tip though. I will have to give that a try. . Thanks


Judas68fr said:


> I've been teaching the guitar for a few years, and what you need is to basically soften your touch. If you have a guitar with rather tall frets, you could string it with a very light set of strings (8s). You should be able to play it without having sharp notes, otherwise, your grasp is too strong.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Moosehead said:


> Try not to use too much of the pick; I used to have a good amount of pick attacking the string. Since taking notice of this I try to limit the point of the pick sticking out to 2 or 3mm.


I've just started doing this in the last week or so. It's really helped in more precise playing and the pick stays in place much better. That is excellent advice.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I've been doing that for a few months now with either Jazz III picks and Dunlop Big Stubby's. It's helped a lot. My picking hand isn't a huge problem it's my fretting that's the issue for me.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I've got a stubby that sits on the top of my amp for this kinda stuff. It's definitely good advice.

If you're interested, I can post a video of two exercises that I made up that help me move quicker. I think the main difference between what I do and what is being taught is that if you speed up with mine, it sounds cooler and is more fun to play. Keep in mind that I still bite.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Bring it on. I'll try just about anything.



adcandour said:


> I've got a stubby that sits on the top of my amp for this kinda stuff. It's definitely good advice.
> 
> If you're interested, I can post a video of two exercises that I made up that help me move quicker. I think the main difference between what I do and what is being taught is that if you speed up with mine, it sounds cooler and is more fun to play. Keep in mind that I still bite.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Stratin2traynor said:


> Bring it on. I'll try just about anything.


I just realized that all I have to play on is my shitty Ibanez, since I sold all my respectable guitars. I honestly stink at guitar when I'm not playing something comfortable. I will get to it though. I can try to explain at least one:

Start slowly using alternate picking and gradually get faster.

6th string: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th frets
5th string: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
4th string: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
3rd string: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
2nd string: 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
1st string: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
2nd string: 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
3rd string: 8th, 9th, 10, 11th
4th string: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
5th string: 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th
6th string: 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th

and then backwards.

Another thing to note (since I just found out while trying to play my ibanez), is that super low action helps.


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## Waterloo (Dec 25, 2012)

laristotle said:


> me too. plus I have arthritis affecting my left hand. it's getting harder just to hold a standard C chord.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, Lar; had a look at the video and definitely a couple of suggestions I want to try (45 degree angle, extend the thumb well beyond the pick).


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## Megalon (Jan 18, 2015)

I'd suggest using lighter strings, maybe 9-42.


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