Fretting Hand Speed

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    • April 26, 2014 at 5:04 pm
    Neil
    Member

    Hi, I have been playing now for around 18 months with lessons on this site and also leaning some songs. My fretting hand is gradually getting quicker but still a bit off some of the quick lead playing and shredding i have seen. How long would it take to get that sort of dextrity and get more speed in my playing? All being well i get around 10 hours a week playing, fitting this around work and other life obsticles. Maybe a bit of a stupid question but should i be faster by now ?

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    • April 27, 2014 at 4:09 am
    Sean Conklin
    Sean Conklin
    Member

    Hi Neil,

    Never stupid questions! Well first off, you mentioned you’re gradually getting quicker….and if that’s still continuing I’d say you’re doing something right. It’s perfectly fine if it’s gradual improvement. If you plateu for a long while, then you may want to try a different approach, but as long as you’re getting faster over time that’s great. Kind of like muscle building, it can be slow, but as long as you’re growing over time it’s a good thing.

    What’s your general practice routine for those 10 hours per week?

    • April 27, 2014 at 1:52 pm
    Neil
    Member

    Hi Sean thanks for getting back to me, I guess I do kind of plateau a little then take a small step occasionally. The more I practice one set piece the quicker I become at the set piece. I try to get 2 hours five times a week, and I guess I’m not specifically working on fretting speed. I am normally working my way through the lesson on here or practicing a song. Is there anything you can suggest ?

    • April 28, 2014 at 5:32 pm
    Sean Conklin
    Sean Conklin
    Member

    Hi Neil,

    Do you practice any sequences with a metronome? While not necessary, it’s a great way to log your progress so you can tangibly know where you’re at at a given time. Even using basic patterns like the chromatic scale or other scales and sequences you know…try playing them to a metronome and logging the bpm once a week. Another thing to focus on is control in short bursts. For example, without stopping play a pattern slowly at 8th notes then a short burst of 16th notes then back to 8th etc., focusing on complete control. Going back and forth from slow to fast speeds is a great tool for training your hands to have better control all around.

    These are some SUPER old tutorials of mine, but they may give you a couple ideas depending on your current skill level:
    https://www.infiniteguitar.com/guitar-lessons.php?lessonid=600
    https://www.infiniteguitar.com/guitar-lessons.php?lessonid=739
    https://www.infiniteguitar.com/guitar-lessons.php?lessonid=844

    The last one is a string skipping etude, and string skipping is another great thing to focus on for developing dexterity.

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