5 Amazing Tricks For Playing Guitar Fast And Clean Like A Pro
Nothing feels better than playing fast guitar licks that impress your friends, sound badass and add a hint of virtuosity to the music you play. Good news: This is achievable right now with just a little bit of practice.
Fast Guitar Playing Trick #1: Break Down Guitar Licks Into Note Pairs And Practice Them In Bursts Of Speed For Awesome Results
One of the biggest reasons why guitarists fail to increase their speed is they become overwhelmed during practice. This happens when it seems like you have so many mistakes to correct that it feels like it’ll take forever to fix them all.
An amazingly effective way to prevent this feeling of
overwhelm and make tons of progress fast is to break down any given guitar
exercise into small chunks. This is especially helpful and fun when you do it
with fast guitar licks.
Here’s what to do:
1.
Think of any guitar lick you want to play fast
and clean.
2.
Play the first two notes of the lick as fast as
you can. Rest for a moment. Then play them again. Repeat this process 10 times.
3.
Play the third and fourth notes of the lick as
fast as you can. Rest for a moment. Then play them again. Repeat this process
10 times.
4.
Play all four of the first four notes using this
same approach.
5.
Take a moment to review what you just played for
mistakes. If there were mistakes, repeat the previous 3 steps while adjusting
to correct them.
6. Continue playing through the lick in note pairs using this same process until you’ve played through the entire lick.
This exercise does not take long to complete and can be finished as a warm-up before practice or as a practice item itself. Use it for just 1 week to see big results in your ability to play any guitar lick faster and cleaner.
Fast Guitar Playing Trick #2: Clean Up
Your Playing By Perfecting Thumb Muting Technique
Think palm muting is the best technique for playing clean and getting rid of sloppy string noises? Think again. Palm muting (to get rid of sloppy noise) forces you to pick in a way that brings your hand away from the strings. This makes your technique less efficient and gives string noise a small window to creep into your playing…
Better Solution For Clean Guitar Playing At Fast Speeds: Thumb Muting Technique
Thumb muting means you use the side of your picking hand
thumb to mute any strings below (in pitch) the one you are currently playing
on.
Using thumb muting technique allows you to:
1.
Continue picking without breaking the momentum
of your pick attack
2. Consistently keep unplayed strings muted without lifting your hand away or moving it too much (creating unwanted scratching sounds)
Practice using thumb muting while playing fast guitar licks for just a few minutes per day to get used to it. This helps you seamlessly transition into using this technique so you gradually begin playing guitar cleaner at fast speeds.
Fast Guitar Playing Trick #3: Gain
Consistency In Your Speed Using A Variety Of Picking Techniques
Don’t limit yourself to just one or two picking techniques
(for example: sweep picking or alternate picking).
Having the ability to pick in different ways helps you adjust to any playing situation. This helps you become a much better overall guitarist and makes fast guitar playing easier.
You probably have a few favorite guitar licks you like to play whenever you pick up your instrument. You’ve also probably programmed yourself to pick these licks using the exact same picking approach (without knowing it).
Take the time to practice these licks by using entirely
different picking approaches.
This feels very challenging when you first do it. Over time it becomes easier and your speed picking technique reaches a much higher level. Apply this concept to anything you play to constantly challenge yourself and improve your ability to play guitar fast and clean in any situation.
Note: It’s also extremely beneficial to look for ways to
make your picking technique as efficient as possible.
It’s amazing how much better your playing speed gets when you are able to play with efficient picking technique AND know how to challenge yourself by using a variety of picking strategies.
Fast Guitar Playing Trick #4: Play Notes
More Clearly With Zero Effort By Using A Heavy Pick
Using a thin pick is a killer for fast guitar playing! This is because thin picks stay in contact with the string longer compared to a heavy pick. This means they cannot strike the string as much within a given period of time
Translation = You play slower and playing fast requires more effort.
For fast guitar playing (and rock playing in general), use “heavy” picks.
Using a heavy pick instantly cuts through the string during
your pick attack. This helps you to create a smaller picking motion so you are
able to strike the string more times.
Another benefit to this is it helps you articulate notes
more clearly, giving your playing a better overall tone.
Fast Guitar Playing Trick #5: Get Better Results From Practice With Shorter Sessions
Getting excellent results from your guitar practice happens when you know specifically what you want to achieve and focus on achieving it in the moment while practicing. The longer your practice sessions get, the harder it becomes to practice with the intense focus needed to get results.
Break down longer practice sessions into short 20-minute sessions. This helps you stay focused the entire time, so you get the most benefit from your practice. For even better results, work on skills that improve your playing in as many areas as possible. This makes your practice both efficient and effective.