The Ultimate Guitar Speed Soloing Techniques & How To Master Each One

So, you want to become a badass shred guitar player?


No problem.


The first step is learning what the ultimate guitar speed soloing techniques are and what to practice to master each one.


With this knowledge you have what you need to create a practice schedule and take action to become a faster guitarists as quickly as possible.


Here is a list of the 4 ultimate guitar speed techniques to work on (in no particular order) to develop your skills so you can call yourself a certified shredder while soloing:

Guitar Speed Technique #1: Sweep Picking


Sweep picking is one of the most universally recognized techniques of shred guitar players. Nothing adds fire to a guitar solo like a blazing fast arpeggio or two.


Good news is, it’s much easier to master sweep picking than you think.


Here is what to work on right now to start mastering this technique.

Every note must sound individually


This means that the notes of different strings do not ring together at all as you play the arpeggio.

One of the best ways to prevent this is to learn rolling technique.


Here is how to master sweep picking rolling technique:

Momentum in your picking hand must not be broken


Focus on maintaining the momentum of your picking hand. Once this momentum is broken, it becomes impossible to sweep pick fast and clean. Common mistake: Picking each string with an individual pick stroke. Think of the entire picking motion like a big continuous strum.

 

Both hands must be in perfect sync


If one hand becomes out of sync with the other, everything falls apart. Good news is, this is easier to fix than most guitarists think.


Focus on mastering sweep picking arpeggios just a couple of notes at a time. Pick the notes at a fast speed while pausing after each repetition. Then add more notes as it becomes easier.

 

Guitar Speed Technique #2: Speed Picking


Speed picking (also known as tremolo picking) adds energy and intensity into your guitar licks with to give you the sound of a rapid-fire machine gun.


Sound good?


Thought so!


Here’s how to make your speed picking fast and consistent:


Forget about moving you picking hand “faster” and focus on moving it more efficiently, like in this video:

Develop consistency


See how long you can tremolo pick a single note before your timing is thrown off. Then try to match and beat that tomorrow. A good sign of consistent speed picking technique is being able to smoothly speed pick for 30 seconds (remember to take breaks!).

 

Pick with power


Speed picking with power is more difficult than picking lightly. It helps you articulate the notes and makes normal picking feel much easier too!

 

Guitar Speed Technique #3: Tapping


Want to play sweet tapping licks like EVH?


No problem.


Tapping technique is one of the shred guitar techniques that sounds much more impressive than it is compared to the technical skill required to perform it.


Here’s how to master basic tapping technique on guitar:

 

Have strong foundation of legato playing in fretting hand as shown in this video:

Develop callus in one or more tapping fingers


Like with your fretting hand fingers, you need to be able to press down on the fretboard without the note becoming muffled.

 

Learn to keep multiple strings from bleeding together while moving across them


You’ll need to use muting with your picking hand palm to mute while transferring from one string to the next during a tapping run. Break this down to just the two notes of the transition to make the process easier.

 

Guitar Speed Technique #4: String Skipping


String skipping technique gives you the ability to quickly move through a large range of notes in a short period of time.


This is done by playing patterns that involve playing notes on strings with one or more unplayed strings in between them.


There is one key thing to keep in mind while string skipping:

Jump over the string in middle while using a slight tilt in the pick. Tilting your pick helps you skip over the string without touching it and creating unwanted notes. For example: Try it out on this string skipping lick.

As with tapping, break down the lick into the notes of the string transition (on the G string and B string here). Then focus heavily on perfecting the skip itself first before integrating this into the entire lick.

 

Critical: Make Sure To Work On Integration And Phrasing While Mastering These Techniques


Make sure not to make the fundamental shredder mistake of only working on technique and not learning to apply what you learn in a musical manner.

Avoid this by integrating everything you learn together while practicing, while also working consistently on your phrasing and improvising.


Make sure your guitar practice stays effective using this guitar practice organizer.