Help improving speed and accuracy

[Cliff]

Hey Anders - I very much appreciate you trying to help. And I'm glad that you're getting something out of it too. I've always hoped there'd be more than just me getting something from this thread, and I'm glad someone else is posting their progress too.

I'm also interested in pushing my speed of course, but I'm wary of doing it at the expense of clarity. Here's an example of some Stetina exercise I recorded nearly two years ago. At the time, I thought it was pretty good, but listening back now I can here just how bad it is. From now on, I want to be sure everything is sounding just right before I go any faster:

I just re-watched this Malmsteen vid:

I see what you mean about his 4th finger. But I think what I see is that he moves it out of the way when he's not using it. Lots of his playing high up the neck seems to use just the first three fingers like a rock/blues guitarist. But when he gets to the fast scalar runs lower down the neck, his 4th finger seems to be in tight to the fretboard and not moving much at all. Anyway, you're right: plenty of great players can play fast without a classical-style finger technique.

[RR2772]

What I hear in that video of you is that your left hand is having trouble in doing the movements it takes to do it fluently along with your right hand.

I kind of realized this when I began to learn Far beyond the sun besides I knew perfectly well that I had never had SM 1-5 down to anything at all! Then off course ad the metronome to it.

I got a slightly used Boss DB60 last friday and though it is not loud enough for my Tama Granstar drum kit through my stereo it is good enough for guitar.

I am currently at SM 9-14 to keep the legato thing challenging enough. With some time I can play them cleanly enough at higher bpm and move forward.

How is it going with you Cliff? Another video comming soon?

[Cliff]

I was hoping to record something today, but didn't get around to it. Hopefully at the weekend. I agree with you about the left-hand in that previous vid.

Cool you got a metronome. I have the DB30, but it's very battery-hungry.

Sounds like you're making good progress, which is cool. My left-hand feels better, and I seem to be able to trill faster than before (except with my pinky!), but no overall improvement in playing scales or even single string licks (which I've been practicing a lot since Ginsambo's advice).

[RR2772]

The progress is going really good indeed.

I keep going through 1-14 at least 1-2 times pr day but keep focus on where the weak spots are. Ex. 4 and 13 I can't rush to much so I build up the bpm instead. Otherwise the general bpm is around 160 so it is getting there and since I am getting comfortable I can bring up the bpm or get the next ex under my fingers.

But congratz on your progress! You still got a lot of work ahead of you to get these legato exercises down at a good + bpm but you can feel your left hand improving and that is the key thing here. Stick with going through 1-5 until you can play them comfortable enough to bring up the bpm. Don't worry of you picking anything yet. That moment has to arrive first! When you reach the higher bpm you will notice the picking getting more fluid to do. Otherwise it is like your video where it hangs.

For myself I go with SM only for the moment and take the time to get it down for once in my life. If I got the mechanics down then I can learn and play whatever I want to do.

I look forward to the next video from you Cliff!

[Cliff]

Well, here it is. I don't normally try exercises 1-5 at this speed, and it's definitely shown up some weaknesses. I now realize I need to build a lot more strength in my fourth finger to bring it up with the rest of 'em. I ended by playing exercise 33. It's one of my favourites, and I keep coming back to it. Here I can see that I always struggle with the position shift between 8th and 5th fret - it always throws out the rest of my fingers after the shift. I have a recording of this slightly faster that I posted in this thread a year or more ago. I still can't better that speed and play it cleanly, but at least now it feels comfortable (aside from that damned position shift).

I hope you can find the time to post a vid of your progress too.

[RR2772]

Thank you for posting your progress Cliff.

If your left hand shows weakness and the fourth finger especially then you know where to put in the time.

As always practise is key but the right thing to practise comes with it. No doubt in my mind that exercise 1-5 would benefit you and make you move forward. You just got to push yourself to do it towards your goal. You do have one right?

My goal is to a better player and get SM under my belt is what could benefit the most of all the books I got which is plenty.

Now the good thing and that is that Ex 33 is the best I have ever heard you play it so far! Your left hand is improving.

I will try and get the next video up soon. It will be shorter and just ex 1-5 with metronome.

[outlawten5]

Can someone post the addy for these excercises. I went back thru 10 pages and could'nt find them. Thanks

[RR2772]

Speed mechanics by Troy Stetina is a book with cd or cassette depending on the year it was printed. You can get it from Troys website or amazon if you aint got it but it is a must have to study and apply as a serious lead guitar player.

[outlawten5]

thanks

[Cliff]

Hey Anders - thanks for the kind words. I was pretty convinced my problem was picking, but I think you were right all along: left hand work and lots of it for me.

[RR2772]

Same here! Even with my left hand getting better I stil need time to built up the acurracy and cleaning the tone when hitting the strings. I am on ex 13 and 15-17 in building up the bpm. It is progressing nicely.

Anyway with 2 years for this thread it can't be the picking can it? Your picking seems pretty solid and in tempo in your videos so how can that be the problem?

I find my picking to reach a certain level but without the legato work forget it.

[RR2772]

I just had a look at the first 7 pages of this thread.

The main question would be: how to apply Speed Mechanics? In what order?

I got my cassette version back around 1993 and like my other tab books I just went for what seemed to be the coolest but never practised to get to Troys level which is highly advanced.

What I have found in my playing is that SM is a book that must be followed from start to finish in the order it is given!

I see ex 25 being played but the point is to a 132 bpm steady as you have the ex that follows to help support your picking. The kicker here is that if the early 1-24 legato is not practised enough you will struggle with every ex after 25!

[Cliff]

That's true. He actually makes a point of telling us not to go on to picking across strings until exercise 25 is beyond a certain speed. This is to be sure you're picking is economical. But there isn't a similar warning about moving on to picking before the left-hand is up to speed.

[RR2772]

What we can draw as some sort of conclusion on this long thread is that the main object is not achieved yet. Which I believe do prove that yes no warning for starting with ex 25 and then move forward is given. Unless your left hand is somewhat developed including your fourth finger the pinkie.

That is part of what make SM the book it is. Troy is right on it.

In order to expand your skills all the mechanics must be applied in the order given.

When you are starting to develop then at some point you can ad whatever scales, modes etc. you want.

Another sample from my collection of books is the Joe Satriani Guitar Secrets which is 41 private lessons that was feautured in Guitar for the practising musician magazine.

http://www.akordi-online.com/files/T...20Satriani.pdf

I like Satch to a degree and the book has many great lessons to ad to the ex of SM. You can watch every shread style youtube video you want but this about expanding your skills and find your own voice besides once SM is down you can shread anyway.

I found this lesson on modes which I will try to apply slowly besides SM. From the Satch book it would be oktober and november 1989.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE0qLKHnflo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2h5hgBgCM

Anyway as for practise I am doing a lot more and I am close to do the next video.

How is it going with you Cliff? And how is going with any other players out there?

[RR2772]

Double post