# A secret for playing a scale faster?



## lingo1357 (2 mo ago)

Hello,

Is there any secret for playing a scale faster for a newbie?

thanks,

Saeed


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Nope. It’s practice, in time, with proper technique (to do it right).


----------



## HeavyMetalDan (Oct 5, 2016)

Budda said:


> Nope. It’s practice, in time, with proper technique (to do it right).


Video display Budda, lol


----------



## Derek_T (10 mo ago)

If you are new to guitar, the most important things is the technique (picking and fretting hand).
You want to be relaxed in both hands when practicing, if you tense up slow down and breathe, and limit unnecessary motion (economy of movement)
There are a lot of video online.

After that it’s repeat, with metronome…
But remember, repetitions make permanent not perfect. Right technique from the start is key to avoid problem latter.

Good luck !


----------



## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

I'm not sure of how to put this clearly into a message, but: in country and rockabilly licks, they like to slide into a note from one fret below.

So in a pentatonic run going up, instead of playings notes 1 - 2 - 3, play it as 1 - 3flat - 3. But pick the 3flat then slide into the 3.


----------



## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

The only shortcut to playing faster is playing slowly with a metronome, paying close attention to your technique. Speed up the metronome incrementally when you can play it perfectly every time.


----------



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Learn to pick without moving the finger and thumb holding the pick. Use your wrist to get the picking motion. However don't tense up the fingers, keep them relaxed with the amount of pressure needed to hold the pick. 

The pick should be angled to the strings.


----------



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I find smaller, stiff and pointy picks faster, using just the tip on the strings.


----------



## dgreen (Sep 3, 2016)

lingo1357 said:


> Is there any secret for playing a scale faster for a newbie?


Here is one of my lesson video's on scale playing. Slow and steady leads you to play at whatever speed you choose down the road.


----------



## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

In addition to what's been said, I do think that you can work on exercises to develop your string crossing. This can be in tandem with your (metronome) scale practice.





This may seem counterintuitive, but the better developed your fretting hand is, the easier your picking becomes. Good legato technique smooths things over, so even if you don't hit a note with your pick, you can still complete a phrase.


----------



## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

If you know where you're going, you can decide how fast to get there. Much like in human speech, speed is motivated by context and meaning. We might say a particularly difficult word faster (ex. "Worcestershire"), but we almost never want to hear a bombardment of lightning-fast sentences because something will get lost in translation. Speed requires a certain rhythm and rhyme to make sense, and not everything can or should be played fast. Everyone has their own taste when it comes to these things. That's something you just can't shake. 

Playing with a clean tone as well as playing unplugged could help get into the inertia/ergonomics of speed.
Playing all over the neck too is important to get a tactile sense of each fret. 
Playing the same guitar will get the mechanics ingrained faster. I think that it stands to reason you will play best on the instrument you've spent the most amount of time with (provided it's in playing condition to begin)
Frequent resting is good as well if you find you're getting burnt out on practice, but important to return to the task just as frequently to really make progress; it seems that walking away and coming back is a natural way to push forward.


----------

