I have no problem with picking notes at high speed but fingering scales and the like is a nightmare. So my rhythm ability far outstrips my lead. No matter what practice I do, I don't seem to be able to get above 4 notes per beat at 130bpm if each note has to be separately fretted. My left hand can't keep up with my right. What exercises do people use to build up left hand speed, skill, and stamina?
Exercises for building left-hand speed?
- Thread starter TheDarkProject
- Start date
Indiooo
Member
Your left hand can't keep up with your right hand? That's a new one for me. When you say you have no problem picking notes at high speed you mean complex runs with string changing? Or single notes tremelo picked?
try practice your left hand only without picking,same phrasing as fast you can go.Practice on and on and on...May be your hand position.Maybe you lose focus and youre trying to go too fast.Made the sound of the note in your head before striking it.I am not a pro,i learn all by myself so i may be wrong.
Indiooo
Member
It's not productive to play as fast as you can. It gets sloppy. It's a cliché, but what the hell... Start slow and build your way up. Works for me.
youre right indiooo,everything gotta be done progressively.Respect your skills and depending on your amount of practice,it will come naturaly.Stay relax and focus,then go as fast as you can.
xOrdinary_Storyx
shredder
also practics all 1 2 3 4 patterns like 1243 1434 1214 u get the picture jus do it all over the neck on all strings and throw a lil string skipin in there will help u 
Indiooo
Member
I never liked the idea of practicing chromatics, because you're practicing something you will rarely use (if ever). I think scalar patterns are more productive (besides fun, chromatic exercises bore me to death).
xOrdinary_Storyx
shredder
Indiooo said:
yeah, but they help alot with speed because they strengthen the fingers really well...but alas...they are boring as hell
Evil Ernie
Ungodly freak, defiler
Maybe you should look at your left hand position. Finding the right posture should be the very first step in developing your skills.
Indiooo
Member
Yep, get that thumb behind the guitar's neck.
Storyx they strenghten the fingers but you're developing "muscle memory" to do something that is not usually musical, if that makes any sense. Playing scales also strenghtens the fingers and gets you used to playing something that is actually useful. I mean, let's face it, you'll probably never play a chromatic 4 note per string run unless you're in a fusion band of some sort.
Storyx they strenghten the fingers but you're developing "muscle memory" to do something that is not usually musical, if that makes any sense. Playing scales also strenghtens the fingers and gets you used to playing something that is actually useful. I mean, let's face it, you'll probably never play a chromatic 4 note per string run unless you're in a fusion band of some sort.
Mazah
Metal Monk
Do you use GuitarPro? If you do, i can send you some really useful excercises to get strenght, speed, coordination and stamina to your left hand.
When I say I have no problem picking notes at high speed I mean lines that have a lot of notes but plenty of repetition, such as the rhythm parts in At The Gates songs. Or the lead bit at the start of Maiden's 'Wasted Years'. Sort of trem-picking technique in the context of a slightly more complex riff.
I don't play as fast as I can... I play with the metronome and work my way up. But I've hit this 4 @ 130bpm barrier and I can't play faster than that without making mistakes.
Thumb is behind the neck at all times.
I think it's mainly my coordination. Beyond a certain speed I go from 0% mistakes to about 20% mistakes with seemingly no middle ground. And I've been practicing for a long time. I just wondered if there was something specific I could try.
Guitar Pro or Power Tab stuff is fine, if anyone's offering.
I don't play as fast as I can... I play with the metronome and work my way up. But I've hit this 4 @ 130bpm barrier and I can't play faster than that without making mistakes.
Thumb is behind the neck at all times.
I think it's mainly my coordination. Beyond a certain speed I go from 0% mistakes to about 20% mistakes with seemingly no middle ground. And I've been practicing for a long time. I just wondered if there was something specific I could try.
Guitar Pro or Power Tab stuff is fine, if anyone's offering.
Indiooo
Member
If you're practicing in the "right" way with a metronome, all I can tell you is stop doing it for some days. Practice something else, then try again. Sometimes I get stuck and can't get over a certain bmp value playing a lick. I forget about it for some time, practice something else, then when I try again, most of the times I play it without any problems (there are exceptions though).
xenophobe
Active Member
on frets 1-4... using your four fingers... index being 1, pinky being 4 run these:
1-2-1-3-1-4-1-3-1-2-1 alternate pick...
Run up in progression against standard chromatic anywhere on the neck.
then practice the alternate....
1-4-2-4-3-4-3-4-2-4-1-4....
That will help you break your finger independence of wanting to only do runs of 1-2-3-4... etc...
If that makes any sense to you
It's always been a nice warm-up excercise for me.
1-2-1-3-1-4-1-3-1-2-1 alternate pick...
Run up in progression against standard chromatic anywhere on the neck.
then practice the alternate....
1-4-2-4-3-4-3-4-2-4-1-4....
That will help you break your finger independence of wanting to only do runs of 1-2-3-4... etc...
If that makes any sense to you
It's always been a nice warm-up excercise for me.
Ravenous Enemy
hell alive
I have exactly the same problem - I can play 14 notes a second with my right hand but get stuck at less than half that with my left. I know its sounds really bad like 'a bad workman blames his tools' but having a high action, round fret board and small frets didn't help at all.. so maybe 130 bpm is all your guitar will let you play..? however, I reckon loads of practice, especially never letting your right hand go faster than your left, helps a lot. It ould also be something to do with I'm left handed but play right handed... I don't know.
Indiooo
Member
I think you guys are getting a little confused here (or maybe I am). The fact that you can tremelo pick on one string really fast doesn't mean you're a great speed picker. Alternate picking is the most used technique in every style, and normally you have to change strings all the time. Now can you play 14 notes per second using all six strings? Probably not. What I'm trying to say is that in a normal situation your left hand would in theory be faster than your right.
In my case I can play a lot of fast stuff on 2 or 3 strings, just not if the left hand has to do something different for each note. It's mainly based on practicing melodic death metal riffs. Often the left hand works at about half the speed of the right as there's a muted pedal note or two between changes in the melody.
Im not much of a metal guitar player I mainly play classical music on electric guitar, but what helped me to play with more accuracy and speed is to hold the guitar classical style with the guitar between your legs. I know it might be 'un-cool' for some people but it works for me. I never play standing but thats just me.
