Play fast.

By Morten Gjermundsen (trollstjerne@yahoo.no)

When you practice take it slow at first so your hands have a chance to get warmed up.If you play mistakes then you probably are playing to fast,again slow down.Donīt use distortion when you practice fast stuff.Itīs much easier for you to hear what you play if you use a clean sound.Another important thing is the metronome.Use a metronome everytime you practice.The metronome will help you play in time 100% unless there is something wrong with it or the batteries.

To play something properly each hand must be capable of playing their part without any help from the other hand.One hand can help the other through a difficult part if itīs necessary,but try to practice each part seperated.We will start with the left hand.But before we do i must say,some of these midi examples is played really fast and you must promise never to play these exercises faster than you are capable of,donīt even listen to these midiīs before you are pretty sure you can handle it.If you donīt care click here or your hands will be sorry.If you take your time with these exercises and promise yourself never to play them faster than you are capable of please continue.

Left hand exercises.


These left hand exercises should be played without any help from the right hand except when you are changing strings.You are going to practice with the use of hammer onīs and pull offīs here.If you donīt know what hammer onīs or pull offīs is hereīs a quick explanation: Hammer on.A hammer on is a note produced by hammering you finger down on the fret note you want to play.In the example below the first note (5th fret) is played with a pick and the second note (7th fret) is hammerīed on(no picking).
Hammer on.
|------------| |------------| |------------| |--5h---7----| |------------| |------------|
Pull off.pull off is the opposite.In the example below place your 1th finger on the 5th fret and your 3rd finger on the 7th fret.Sound the note on the 7th fret with a pick then pull off your 3rd finger while holding down the your 1th finger on the 5th fret.
Pull off.
|------------| |------------| |--7h---5----| |------------| |------------| |------------|
Allmost every example can be heard slow (80 bpm),moderatly fast (120 bpm) fast (160 bpm) and really fast (200 bpm).The first exercise should be well known for most people.Itīs used in allmost every leadguitar teaching book out there and why shouldnīt it? It works.The first three midi examples is played with a pick and since i did that you can do that too.But remember your goal at this moment should be accuracy and control in your left hand so donīt forget to practice them with the use of hammer onīs and pull offīs.

Listen to the first example here

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast

|----------------------------------|----------5-6-7-8-| |----------------------------------|--5-6-7-8---------| |--------------------------5-6-7-8-|------------------| |------------------5-6-7-8---------|------------------| |----------5-6-7-8-----------------|------------------| |--5-6-7-8-------------------------|------------------|
Here is the same thing going up again.

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast

|--8-7-6-5-------------------------|------------------|
|----------8-7-6-5-----------------|------------------|
|------------------8-7-6-5---------|------------------|
|--------------------------8-7-6-5-|------------------|
|----------------------------------|--8-7-6-5---------|
|----------------------------------|----------8-7-6-5-|

And finally going up and down.

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast

                                      
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|--------------------------5-6-7-8-|
|------------------5-6-7-8---------|
|----------5-6-7-8-----------------|
|--5-6-7-8-------------------------|



----------5-6-7-8-8-7-6-5---------|
--5-6-7-8-----------------8-7-6-5-|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|


                                    
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
--8-7-6-5-------------------------|
----------8-7-6-5-----------------|
------------------8-7-6-5---------|
--------------------------8-7-6-5-|

 
The key to speed is variation so hereīs a few variations.If you have any problems with any of these exercises skip them and come back to them later.And again i have to say slow down.You can play allmost anything if you play it slowly enough.

Example 4

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast.

|----------------------------------|----------5h8p6h7h8p5h7p6---------|
|----------------------------------|--5h8p6h7-----------------8p5h7p6-|
|--------------------------5h8p6h7-|----------------------------------|
|------------------5h8p6h7---------|----------------------------------|
|----------5h8p6h7-----------------|----------------------------------|
|--5h8p6h7-------------------------|----------------------------------|


                                    
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
--8p5h7p6-------------------------|
----------8p5h7p6-----------------|
------------------8p5h7p6---------|
--------------------------8p5h7p6-|
                        
Example 5

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast.

                                       
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|--------------------------8p7p6p5-|
|------------------8p7p6p5---------|
|----------8p7p6p5-----------------|
|--8p7p6p5-------------------------|


                                   
----------8p7p6p5-5h6h7h8---------|
--8p7p6p5-----------------5h6h7h8-|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|


                                    
----------------------------------|
----------------------------------|
--5h6h7h8-------------------------|
----------5h6h7h8-----------------|
------------------5h6h7h8---------|
--------------------------5h6h7h8-|
I could write tons of these chromatic exercises for you but i think it would be best if you figure out some variations yourself.Now will show you the minor scale in the key of B (B minor) and few variations of this scale.

Example 6

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast.

 
|----------------------------------7---|
|---------------------------7-8-10-----|
|-----------------------7-9------------|
|----------------7-9-11----------------|
|---------7-9-10-----------------------|
|--7-9-10------------------------------|
Here is the same scale again,this time starting on the 2nd fret on the A string and then going up again using the scale pattern used above.

Example 7

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast.

|------------------------2-3-5-7-9-|--10-9-7------------------------------|-------|
|--------------------3-5-----------|---------10-8-7-----------------------|-------|
|--------------2-4-6---------------|----------------9-7-6-----------------|-------|
|--------2-4-5---------------------|----------------------9-7-------------|-------|
|--2-4-5---------------------------|--------------------------10-9-7------|-------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------------------10-9-|--7----|

Example 8

Slow, Moderately fast, Fast and really fast.


|--------------------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------------------|-------|
|----------------9-7-9-7---------------|-------|
|---------7-10-9---------10-7-9--------|-------|
|--7-10-9-----------------------10-7-9-|--7----|

Now i have showed you a few exercises to help you get started.But to think these exercises alone will help you speed up your finger would be wrong,yes they will help but not alone.So what should you to then?Well youīll have to create your own exercises,exercises you need to practice to become a fasterplayer.How to create them is covered next.

Finger exercises.

We all have our own weakness,therefore we need our own exercises so we can practice thing we want to improve instead of practicing pointless exercises without any meaning.If you "practice" something you allready know then you arenīt really practicing at all.In the lesson covered in this section there will be exercises for each finger.How can you expect them to work perfectly together if you havenīt trained them equaly?My guess is that you havenīt trained your 4th finger(pinky) as much as you have trained your 1th,2nd,3rd fingers.If this is right youīll have to practice stuff that force you to use you 4th finger alot more.Same with the other fingers if one of your fingers is trained less practice licks,scales,arpeggios that force you to use that finger more.When each finger has done their part and are practiced equal you can put it all together and everything will sound alot better.Some people think this is really boring so they doesnīt practice this way enough they ask"Why should i practice using my 4th finger when i can use my 3rd?"They get frustrated when they canīt use their fingers correctly so they avoid using theyīre 4th finger. Do not think like that!Instead create exercises that will help speeding up your less trained fingers.Now lets take a look at some examples on how these exercises can look like and how to create them.Letīs say you one of your fingers is moving too slow then maybe these two exercises can help you.

Finger exercise.

On this exercise you should only use one of your fingers.Pick the first note then use hammer onīs and pull offīs on the rest.When you have done this exercise with your first finger do it again with your second then again with your third and finally with your fourth finger.Listen to this example slow (80 bpm) and moderately fast (120 bpm).


                                          
|--0h2p0h3p0h2p0h5p0h7p0h5p0h8p0h7-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
Finger exercise 2 (E minor pentatonic)

Practice this one the same way.Listen to the slow version or the moderately fast version.

                                                                         
|--3p0h3p0h--------3p0h3p0h--------|----------------------------------|
|----------3p0h3p0h----------------|--3p0h3p0h------------------------|
|--------------------------2p0h2p0h|------------------2p0h2p0h--------|
|----------------------------------|----------2p0h2p0h----------------|
|----------------------------------|--------------------------2p0h2p0h|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


                            
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
--2p0h2p0h----------------|
--------------------------|
----------3p0h3p0---------|



In the next two exercises we are going to use two fingers.First practice the following exercises with you first and third finger, then practice them again with you second and fouth finger.

Two fingers exercise.

Here is the slow version and here is the moderately fast one.

                                                                           
|--5h7p5h7h------------------------|--------------------------5h7p5h7-|
|----------5h7p5h7h----------------|------------------5h7p5h7h--------|
|------------------4h6p4h6h--------|----------4h6p4h6h----------------|
|--------------------------4h6p4h6p|--4h6p4h6h------------------------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
Hereīs another two finger exercise.

Listen to the slow version here and the moderately fast one here.

                                     
|--1h3p1h3-2h4p2h4-3h5p3h5-2h4p2h4-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

Now lets practice using three fingers.We are going to practice these two exercises allmost the same way as before only this time with the use of three fingers.First practice using your 1th,2nd and 3rd fingers,then play the same thing using your 1th,3rd and 4th fingers.You should also try to practice this one with your 2nd,3rd and 4th finger.

Three finger exercise

Listen to the slow version here and the moderately fast one here.

                                          
|--5p0h7p0h8p0h7p0h5p0h7p0h8p0h7p0-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

Another three finger exercise.

Here you can listen to the slow version and here you can listen to the moderately fast one.

                                           
|--5h7h8p7p6h8h9p8p7h9h10p9p8h10h11p10-|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|

Now we are going to practice some four fingers exercises.letīs start with the first one.

4 fingers exercise.

On this one hammer your 4th finger on the 10th fret then pull off (open string) then hammer on your 3rd finger on the 8th fret then pull off(open string again)then hammer your 2nd finger on the 7th fret then pull off(open string)after pulling off your 2nd finger hammer your 1th finger on the 5th fret then pull off(open string)then go up again.

Here is the slow version and here is the moderately fast

                                                            
|--10p0h8p0h7p0h5p0h7p0h8p0h10p0h8p0h|--7p0h5p0h7p0h8p0-|
|------------------------------------|------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------|

Hereīs another exercise using four fingers.Play this exercise on all strings and then play it up and down on the neck.

Listen to the slow version here and the moderately fast here


|--8p5h8p5h7p5h7p5h6p5h6p5h7p5h7p5-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

Hereīs one more for you to practice.This one is written in 8th notes because itīs a killer and you need to take it slow!!Play this exercise on all string and the play it up and down on the neck.Donīt spend too long on this one you may hurt your fingers.

Listen to this exercise slow here and moderately fast here and fast.


|--8p-5h-8p-5h-7p-5h-7p-5h-|--8p-7h-8p-7h-8p-6h-8p-6h-|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|


                                                       
--7p-5h-7p-5h-7p-6h-7p-6h-|--7p-5h-7p-5hh-6p-5h-6p-5--|
--------------------------|---------------------------|
--------------------------|---------------------------|
--------------------------|---------------------------|
--------------------------|---------------------------|
--------------------------|---------------------------|

Now i have showed you some exercises to train up your finger so you can get the most out of your speed playing.But what if you still have problems? What if these exercises wasnīt right for you?What should you do?Well youīll have to create your own exercises.Create your own exercises examples is coveréd next.

Create your own exercises.

To create your own exercises youīll first have to find out what you are going to practice,youīll have to find the trouble spots in the music and practice that part.Then you must create variations of that lick.Do not play the solo from the beginning,begin your practicing where the trouble is.Itīs no point of practicing the parts you know how to play (because you know them!!). When learning a solo break the solo up in parts and learn each part separated and if you come to a point where you canīt make it without playing mistakes stop and practice that part again and again until you got it right.When practicing that part you should create variation and them play it all over the guitar.When showing you examples on this kind of practicing we are going to use a little solo phrase i just wrote.Listen to it here.

Here is the tablature for the leadguitar part.Listen and here is the slow version.

                                                                   
|--8-7-8-7-5-8-7---8-7-10-8-7---8-5-|--10-5-8-7---5-8-7-10-8-5-7-------5-|
|----------------5------------5-----|-----------5----------------8-7-5---|
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|

Maybe youīll have some trouble right away here.if using your 3rd and 4th finger at the beginning of this example is hard for you create exercises that helps you through this problem.

Exercise using 3rd and 4th finger.

                                       
|--8-7-8-7-------------------------|
|----------8-7-8-7---------8-7-8-7-|
|------------------8-7-8-7---------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

Hereīs another 3rd and 4th finger exercise.
                                       
|--5-6-----6-7-----7-8-----8-9-----|
|------5-6-----6-7-----7-8-----8-9-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
 
Maybe you have problems changing from on string to another? If you do youīll have to create exercises like this one.

Listen.

                                       
|--5---5---5---5---8---8---8---8---|
|----6---7---8---7---5---6---7---6-|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
Or what about this string skipping exercise.
                                       
|--5---5-------5-7-----------------|
|----------8-------3---5-------5---|
|----7-------7-------------------7-|
|--------7-----------5-------7-----|
|------------------------7---------|
|--------------------------5-------|

I could write a lot more examples but i think itīs best if you do so yourself. Maybe you have problems using you 1th and 4th finger,or itīs hard for you to use your 2nd and 4th then create your own exercises like i have showed you. There is exercises for every problem out there if you canīt find it create some exercises for yourself.No one knows better than you want you want to play faster and better..Relax and remember to take your time with it.But donīt spend to long on each exercises variation is really important.You canīt get fast in one night.you must practice alot.Do you remember how hard it was first time you tryīed to change from one chord to another?Ever the easiest thing seamed like a nightmare but with some practice you made it.Same here.Practice hard and you will get your reward.Allso remember these thing ; 1 use a metronome. 2 Practice small parts and create variations.In fasterpalying pt 2 you could read about the battery and the "tune your guitar a few steps higher" tips.This is something you should try if you have practiceīd for a long time and still havenīt improved your speedplaying.These two ideas is easy to follow on the battery tips just tape some small batteries on your fingers and play.After awhile change the small batteries to some heavier(but not to heavy..).On the "tune your guitar a few steps higher" tips you just tune your guitar higher,but not so much your strings or neck burst!!I hope people trying these two tips do it with caution or these things can get really expensive!If you do this right it wonīt be long before your fingers will fly all over the neck.Soon you can call yourself a real shredder.I think that i have covered everything from fasterplaying 1 & 2 now and allot more too.You should use some of my other pages to find thing to practice too like Scales and modes in the key of A.You can learn the modes in G major & C major by clicking here.

Right hand exercises

When practicing your right hand you should do the same thing as you did when practicing your left hand.First i will show you a few right hand exercises.When practicing these exercises make sure your right hand picking motion is correct and keep your pick close to the strings.In every exercises your pick should be going down,up,down,up etc.when youīre done do these exercises again but this time play them up,down,up,down etc.

Right hand exercise 1.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

                                                                                   
|--12-0-0-0----------12-0-0-0----------|--------------------------------------|
|-----------12-0-0-0-------------------|--12-0-0-0----------------------------|
|-----------------------------12-0-0-0-|--------------------12-0-0-0----------|
|--------------------------------------|-----------12-0-0-0-------------------|
|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------12-0-0-0-|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
Hereīs another right hand exercise.practice this one the same way.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

                                                                          
|--7-0-0-0-3-0-0-0-----------------|----------------------0-----------|
|----------------------------------|------3-5-3---------3---0---------|
|------------------7-0-0-0-4-0-0-0-|----4-------4-2-0-4-------4-------|
|----------------------------------|--5-------------------------5-----|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------7---|
|----------------------------------|--------------------------------0-|

Hereīs another one in A minor.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

|----------------------5---8-----5-|
|------------------5-----------5---|
|----------5---------5---5---------|
|----7---------7-------------7-----|
|--------7---7---------------------|
|--5---8---------5-----------------|
Here is one more exercise in the key of A minor.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

|----------------5-----------------|
|------------5-------5-------------|
|--------5-----5---5-----5---------|
|----7-----7-----------7-----7---7-|
|------7-------------------7-------|
|--5---------------------------5---|
Create your own exercises.

To create your own right hand exercises just do the same thing as you did when creating exercises for your left hand.Hereīs a few examples.

If you have a problem with skipping strings exercises like this can help.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

|----3---------------0-------------|
|--------3---------------0---------|
|------------4---------------0-----|
|----------5-----5---------0-----2-|
|------5-------5-------2-------2---|
|--3---------------0---------------|

If you find it hard to change stings with a down stroke this exercise can help you.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

|--8-5---------------------5-8-----|
|------8-5---------5-8-------------|
|----------7-5-----------------5-7-|
|--------------7-5-----5-7---------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
If you find it hard to change stings with a up stroke you should create exercises like this one.

Listen to the slow version here and moderately fast one here and the fast here.

|----------------------------------|
|--------5---------5-------------5-|
|------4---5-4-2-5---4-------------|
|----5-----------------5-------5---|
|--7---------------------7---7-----|
|--------------------------0-------|

Allright now weīre done!!If you follow these exercises and examples it wonīt be long before you can play really fast.Again i must say take your time with it.Thereīs allot of things to go through and you need to take it slow to get the most out of your speed practicing.Use a metronome if you donīt have one there is places around the web you can download one(im sorry but i donīt know where).If you want you can click here to hear a hi hat going around 80 bpm or here going around 120 bpm And here going around 160 bpm for about 1 minute each.You can use these to practice any exercise on my site.I hope this page has been helpful for you and that your speedguitar dream soon come true keep rockin and keep practicing. Thank you and Good Luck!

Morten Gjermundsen.


Check out some of my other pages.
Home.
Scales and modes in A.
the modes in G & C major.
arpeggios.
Speed licks.
Metal solos.
Tapping.