If you’re looking to take your guitar skills to the next level, improving your speed is essential. This aspect of playing is the one that you won’t want to ignore.
Playing the guitar fast and accurately requires a lot of practice and patience. But with the right speed exercises, you can develop techniques. Which can ultimately help you to master the instrument.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing some of the most effective speed exercises for the guitar. With these exercises, you will be able to play faster, smoother, and with greater precision.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
How to Play Fast on Guitar?
Playing guitar is a highly rewarding experience that requires patience, practice, and perseverance.
But how to play guitar easily, especially when playing faster guitar?
One of the issues that many people face is developing speed and dexterity in their playing. If you’re a beginner player, improving your speed can take your playing to the next level.
These can help you if you want to know how to increase guitar speed.
Practice with a metronome
Practicing with a metronome is one of the most effective ways to improve your speed and timing. A metronome is a device that produces a steady beat. And using one will help you develop a consistent rhythm and improve your timing.
Start by selecting a slow tempo. Gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable. Practice fast guitar playing different patterns and exercises with the metronome to build your speed and dexterity.
This will help you develop a sense of timing and improve your ability to play at different tempos.
Use proper technique
Using a proper technique is crucial for playing guitar faster. The proper technique ensures that you are using your fingers and hands efficiently, which will help you play faster without straining your muscles or causing injury.
Make sure your fingers are arched and your wrist is relaxed when playing. Use your fingertips to press down on the strings and avoid using too much pressure. Use your thumb to support the neck of the guitar and position your hand so that your fingers are perpendicular to the strings.
By using the proper technique, you’ll be able to play faster with less effort and reduce the risk of injury.
Practice alternate picking
Alternate picking is a technique where you alternate between picking up and down with your picking hand. This technique is crucial for playing fast and accurately. Practice alternate picking exercises, such as scales or arpeggios, to improve your speed and accuracy.
Start at a slower tempo and gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable. Alternate picking will help you develop more control and precision over your picking hand, making it easier to play faster and with more accuracy.
Break down difficult passages
If you’re struggling with a difficult passage, try breaking it down into smaller parts. Practice each part slowly and gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable.
Once you have mastered each part, put them together and practice playing the passage as a whole. Breaking down difficult passages can help you improve your accuracy and speed, and make it easier to play complex pieces.
Practice regularly
Regular practice is essential for improving your speed and dexterity. Practice for at least 30 minutes a day, and try to incorporate speed exercises into your practice routine.
Consistent practice will help you build muscle memory and improve your overall technique. Make sure to take breaks and stretch your hands and fingers to prevent injury.
Practice regularly, use proper technique, and break down difficult passages into smaller parts. Practice with a metronome and incorporate alternate picking exercises into your routine. With these detailed tips, you’ll be well on your way to playing guitar faster and more accurately.
How to Play Guitar Faster – Speed Guitar Exercises
If you wanna learn to play guitar faster then this section is full of knowledge for you. Here we’ll explain seven different exercises that you can follow to build guitar speed and increase guitar speed, eventually.
So, let’s take a look at these speed exercises for guitar:
Exercise – 01: Chromatic Exercise for Finger Dexterity
When it comes to playing the guitar faster, building finger dexterity is key. The first exercise we’ll cover is a simple yet effective chromatic exercise that can help improve your finger speed and coordination.
To start, place your index finger on the 3rd fret of the thickest string (E string). Then, place your middle finger on the 4th fret, your ring finger on the 5th fret, and your pinky on the 6th fret.
Next, move up one fret and repeat the pattern with your fingers on the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th frets. Continue this pattern up the neck until you reach the 12th fret with your pinky.
Once you reach the 12th fret, reverse the pattern and work your way back down the neck. This exercise can be repeated as many times as you’d like, but it’s important to start slow and gradually build up your speed.
Remember, the key to this exercise is accuracy and control. Make sure each note is played cleanly and evenly, without any buzzing or unwanted noise. Use a metronome to help you stay on time and gradually increase the tempo as you improve.
Incorporating this simple chromatic exercise into your daily practice routine can help build your finger dexterity and pave the way for faster and more fluid playing.
Exercise – 02: Four-Finger Workout
The next exercise we’ll cover is a great way to improve the coordination between your fingers and build strength in your hand muscles.
This exercise challenges you to play every possible finger combination, from index to pinky, and back down again.
To start, place your index finger on the 5th fret of the thickest string (E string). Then, place your middle finger on the 6th fret, your ring finger on the 7th fret, and your pinky on the 8th fret.
Next, lift your pinky off the fretboard and place it back down on the 9th fret, then lift your ring finger and place it back down on the 8th fret. Continue this pattern with every possible finger combination, moving up and down the neck.
There are two ways to play this exercise: picking every note or using hammer-ons and pull-offs. Using hammer-ons and pull-offs can help build finger strength and control while picking every note can help improve your picking accuracy and speed.
As with the other exercises, it’s important to start slow and gradually build up your speed. Focus on playing each note cleanly and evenly, without any unwanted noise or buzzing.
Incorporating this four-finger workout into your daily practice routine can help discipline your finger movements and build the strength and coordination needed for faster playing.
Make sure to follow everything properly to get a fast way to learn guitar.
Check out this detailed handbook on guitar speed and coordination exercises.
Exercise – 03: Spider Walk
The exercise that we’ll cover in this section is known as the “Spider Walk,” and it’s a challenging but highly effective way to improve your finger coordination and dexterity.
To start, place your index finger on the 6th fret of the thickest string (E string). Then, place your middle finger on the 7th fret, your ring finger on the 8th fret, and your pinky on the 9th fret.
Next, lift your pinky off the fretboard and place it on the 10th fret, then lift your ring finger and place it on the 9th fret. Then, lift your middle finger and place it on the 8th fret, and finally, lift your index finger and place it on the 7th fret.
Repeat this pattern, moving up and down the neck, and then switch to the next string and repeat the same pattern. This exercise challenges the muscle movement between all the fingers and also challenges your chromatic playing.
While this exercise may be challenging, it’s important to remember to start slow and gradually build up your speed. It’s better to play slowly and accurately than to rush through and sacrifice accuracy.
Incorporating the Spider Walk into your daily practice routine can help improve your finger coordination and dexterity, and it’s also a great way to warm up before playing more complex pieces.
Exercise – 04: 3-Note-Per-String Scale Runs
Our final exercise is specifically designed to improve your 3-note-per-string playing, which is commonly used in many guitar scales. This exercise can help you build speed and accuracy when playing scales and can be particularly useful for guitarists who play lead or solo parts.
To start, choose a scale that uses 3 notes per string, such as the major scale or the minor pentatonic scale. Then, start with your index finger on the root note of the scale (for example, the 5th fret on the thickest string for an A minor pentatonic scale).
Next, play the first three notes of the scale, using your index, middle, and ring fingers. Then, shift your hand up to the next string and play the next three notes, again using your index, middle, and ring fingers.
Continue this pattern up and down the scale, using alternate picking or economy picking to keep the notes flowing smoothly. The goal is to play the scale as quickly and accurately as possible, without sacrificing technique.
The majority of scales that you will use in guitar have either 2 or 3 notes-per-string, so mastering this exercise is crucial for any guitarist who wants to improve their scale playing.
Check out these Neoclassical speed strategies for playing guitar.
By building up your speed and accuracy with this exercise, you’ll be able to play scales with greater fluidity and precision, and ultimately, improve your overall guitar-playing ability.
Incorporating this 3-note-per-string scale run into your daily practice routine can help you make significant progress in your guitar playing.
Exercise – 05: Chord Changes
Our final exercise is focused on improving your chord changes, which are an essential aspect of guitar playing. To start, choose two chords that you’re comfortable playing, such as the G and D chords.
Next, strum each chord four times, making sure to let the notes ring out and play each note clearly. Once you’ve strummed the first chord four times, switch to the second chord and repeat the process.
The key to this exercise is to focus on making smooth, quick transitions between the two chords. Try to minimize the amount of time it takes you to switch between the chords and work on building up your muscle memory so that you can switch between them without thinking.
Here’s a three-in-one guitar speed exercises handbook.
Once you feel comfortable with the first two chords, try adding in a third chord, such as the C chord. Practice switching between all three chords, making sure to let the notes ring out, and playing each note clearly.
This exercise is designed to improve your playing when forming chords, which is a crucial skill for any guitarist.
By focusing on making smooth, quick transitions between chords, you’ll be able to play songs and chord progressions with greater ease and fluidity.
Incorporating this chord change exercise into your daily practice routine can help you make significant progress in your guitar playing
Exercise – 06: Adding Legato
When it comes to playing fast on the guitar, there are different styles that you can use, and not all of them involve picking every single note. Many guitarists like to incorporate legato techniques during fast parts instead of using fast picking.
Legato is any technique that allows you to play a note without picking it, such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and tapping.
Incorporating legato into your playing can add a new dimension to your sound and help you play faster and more smoothly.
Exercise – 07: Tapping
In addition to using hammer-ons and pull-offs, another form of legato playing is tapping. Tapping involves using the fingers of your fretting hand to “tap” the frets on the fretboard, producing a note without using the picking hand.
This exercise incorporates tapping into your speed exercises. It’s important to remember that tapping can be a bit more difficult to play cleanly than traditional picking or legato playing, so take your time and be patient with yourself as you practice.
When tapping, you can use any finger on your fretting hand, but most guitarists prefer to use their index or middle finger. Experiment with different fingers and find what works best for you.
To execute this exercise, tap the notes on the higher frets with your fretting hand while plucking the lower notes with your picking hand. Be sure to mute any other strings with your picking hand so that they don’t ring out and interfere with the notes you’re trying to play.
As with all of these exercises, start slow and work your way up in tempo as you feel comfortable. Tapping can be a great addition to your playing and can help you achieve faster speeds with less effort.
How long does it take to increase guitar speed?
If you’re wondering how long it takes to increase your guitar speed, then we’ve got you covered. The answer can vary from person to person. It depends on a variety of factors, such as:
- Your current skill level
- Your dedication to practice
- The techniques you use
For example, a guitarist mentioned that it took them about a week of solid practice to get consistent. But it took them about 4 months to build it up to speed.
To get even faster, they had to change a few things about their picking technique. This took another 6 months. This means that it took them almost a year to increase their guitar speed.
That is actually a long time. But improving speed needs consistency and focused practice for a long period of time.
You can’t expect to see significant improvements overnight or even in a few weeks. It takes patience and dedication to see real progress.
If you want to increase your guitar speed, it’s important to practice and use the proper technique. Start by practicing basic exercises and scales slowly. And gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable.
Focus on accuracy and timing first, and then work on increasing your speed.
Also to practice regularly, you may also want to consider working with a guitar teacher. Or taking online guitar lessons. A teacher can help you identify areas where you need improvement. And provide personalized feedback to help you progress faster.
Conclusion:
In short, playing guitar requires dedicated practice and patience. By using the seven exercises and tips outlined in this post, you can get better. Eventually, you can start to develop your speed and accuracy on the guitar.
Make sure to start slow, and increase your speed slowly, focusing on the proper techniques. Also, you can also work with a guitar teacher to get feedback and guidance. You can also check out the resources mentioned in this post for invaluable advice.
So, this was all about playing guitar faster and speed exercises for the guitar. We hope that you enjoyed reading this post. Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions or queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it take to increase guitar speed quickly?
It can vary from person to person. This depends on factors such as skill level, practice dedication, and techniques used. One guitarist mentioned that it took them almost a year to increase their guitar speed.
What can I do to increase my guitar speed?
To increase your guitar speed, it’s important to practice regularly. Also, use proper technique, and focus on accuracy and timing. Start with basic exercises and scales. And gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable.
How often should I practice to increase my guitar speed?
Consistent practice is key to increasing your guitar speed. Aim to practice for at least 30 minutes to an hour each day, or as much as your schedule allows.
Can I increase my guitar speed quickly?
Developing speed on the guitar takes time and consistent practice. While some may see more progress, it’s important to focus on gradual improvement. rather than quick fixes.
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