Whether you want to learn how to play the guitar so you can strum a few songs for your own enjoyment of rock out on stage, you are not likely to do either unless you practice. Lots of practice is the key to learning and to getting better. And getting better means getting faster. There are no magic potions or self-help books that will get you where you need to be. You will not get faster over night either. You are going to need to practice regularly and consistently. To that end, using some or all of these guitar speed exercises as your foundation would be a wise thing to do.
Start by getting a metronome. For those of you that are not even sure what one of those is, a metronome is a device used to keep you right on time. It ticks, back and forth, and provides a varying degree of beats per minute depending on how you have it set. It is a great way to keep track of your progress and one of the most valuable tools for practice you can own.
So to get started, set your metronome to a relatively slow speed that is appropriate for your skill level. Using the up and down picking method, play the top string in the first fret, then the second, then the third, and finally the fourth. Next move down one string and do it again. Do this until you reach the bottom E string and then progress back up. Increase your metronome by a few beats per minute and do it again. Do this until you are going as fast as you can. Then slow back down to finish the exercise. This helps to prevent the burn and promotes accuracy.
Use triplets for the next exercise. Choose your favorite scale and play it in triplets, repeating the second note of the previous triplet with each set of three notes. Do this up and down the scale, double-picking, slowly at first and then faster. Remember as you finish the exercise to slow the speed.
Next is finding that note! Pick any string and strum it anywhere. Then, find that same note on the same string either higher or lower. This will help with speed but will also develop strength. An added benefit is that you will become more familiar with where notes are on particular strings, and this is a good thing.
Picking speed is important too, so go back to the first exercise and, instead of using the up down technique, strum each string using the down stroke going down. Use the up stroke coming back up. Before long you will see an increased ability to pick faster.
Now, none of these exercises will do you any good if you don't use them, and you should use them every day. Professional guitarists have indicated that they continue to practice every day and a way to maintain their skill and accuracy, and so then should you.
So there are some exercises you can try and some advice you may find useful. The guitar is probably one of the world's most popular instruments, and it is not as hard to learn as you may think. Mastering it, however, requires some natural talent, hard work, a near spiritual devotion to practice and paying some serious attention to the guitar speed exercises that you determine work best for you.
Start by getting a metronome. For those of you that are not even sure what one of those is, a metronome is a device used to keep you right on time. It ticks, back and forth, and provides a varying degree of beats per minute depending on how you have it set. It is a great way to keep track of your progress and one of the most valuable tools for practice you can own.
So to get started, set your metronome to a relatively slow speed that is appropriate for your skill level. Using the up and down picking method, play the top string in the first fret, then the second, then the third, and finally the fourth. Next move down one string and do it again. Do this until you reach the bottom E string and then progress back up. Increase your metronome by a few beats per minute and do it again. Do this until you are going as fast as you can. Then slow back down to finish the exercise. This helps to prevent the burn and promotes accuracy.
Use triplets for the next exercise. Choose your favorite scale and play it in triplets, repeating the second note of the previous triplet with each set of three notes. Do this up and down the scale, double-picking, slowly at first and then faster. Remember as you finish the exercise to slow the speed.
Next is finding that note! Pick any string and strum it anywhere. Then, find that same note on the same string either higher or lower. This will help with speed but will also develop strength. An added benefit is that you will become more familiar with where notes are on particular strings, and this is a good thing.
Picking speed is important too, so go back to the first exercise and, instead of using the up down technique, strum each string using the down stroke going down. Use the up stroke coming back up. Before long you will see an increased ability to pick faster.
Now, none of these exercises will do you any good if you don't use them, and you should use them every day. Professional guitarists have indicated that they continue to practice every day and a way to maintain their skill and accuracy, and so then should you.
So there are some exercises you can try and some advice you may find useful. The guitar is probably one of the world's most popular instruments, and it is not as hard to learn as you may think. Mastering it, however, requires some natural talent, hard work, a near spiritual devotion to practice and paying some serious attention to the guitar speed exercises that you determine work best for you.
About the Author:
Check out www.eliteguitarlessons.com to get more information and guitar speed exercises. Most people discover that it is fairly easy to learn to play the guitar when you take advantage of great courses.
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