Ultimate frustration

[caponi14]

Hello, i am so frustrated i feel like just smashing my guitar!
I have played 4 years now and have become really fast. Semi-legato, the kind of way Slash plays fast. Not picking everything but not full on legato either. A mix of those. but i fear that the way i hold my pick is limiting me.
I wonna try play some things where i only use alternate picking (some real shredding) but are having a very hard time doing it. Im playing the licks out of timing and can't control my right hand and synch up with the left hand. Only if i do it all SUPER slow.
This is very frustrating to me now that i am so fast in my own kind of playing, and everyone is telling me how great i have become.... Any suggestions? This is killing me.... :(

[CSchlegel]

I wonna try play some things where i only use alternate picking (some real shredding) but are having a very hard time doing it. Im playing the licks out of timing and can't control my right hand and synch up with the left hand. Only if i do it all SUPER slow.
Sounds like you are going to have to build your alternate picking technique from the ground up. :)

The best way to do this is to slow down, get it absolutely right, then gradually increase speed with time. This is the only way to ensure accuracy & consistency.

These tutorials will show you how to do it. The focus is on alternate picking for accuracy & consistency in a rock-shred style.

Speedy Ideas Series 1: Building Speed
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=287

Speedy Ideas Series 2: Major Scale Patterns
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=928

Speedy Ideas Series 3: Minor Scale Patterns
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=929

Speedy Ideas Series 4 Advanced Minor Shredding
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=973

Speedy Ideas Series 5 Advanced Major Shredding
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=980

When you practice, do not go faster than you can accurately. This is frustrating, but will be worth it in the long run. :) Slowly build speed over the course of time. Be patient with yourself.

Remember that when you are playing songs or with your band you can just play your regular style. But in order to get good at alternate picking you must set aside specific practice time dedicated to building speed slowly and accurately. Otherwise, you are only short-changing yourself and will never get it completely right.

Best of success!

[caponi14]

Thank you :)
It's just that i get double the frustration with it now that im already so fast with my own style. i can play alot of those shred licks if i use legato.. (but not alternate picking) it's frustrating indeed... I don't know if i should just stick to my own style... Atleast thats what im most attracted to.
The way Slash plays as i have said many times, is the kinda road im going down at. He aint using too much alternate picking either and his solos are the S***!! They are what made me pick up the guitar to start with..
Will it even be worth it for me if i practice this shred stuff..?

[CSchlegel]

You are welcome. Sounds like you need to figure out what your goals are.

It's just that i get double the frustration with it now that im already so fast with my own style.
Fair enough, but if you want to learn something new you are going to have to go through the learning curve necessary to get there. We've all been there. I was an accomplished rock & blues player when I decided to learn solo jazz & classical. It was like going back to 1st grade! :p

It was very hard, sometimes frustrating, sometimes fun, but also worth it to me in the end. In your first post you said:

I wonna try play some things where i only use alternate picking (some real shredding) but are having a very hard time doing it.

So, you are thinking about doing it. But, of course, you don't have to do it. I am only saying if you want to do it, those tutorials & a lot of frustrating practice are what it takes to achieve that playing technique. :)

So when you ask:
Will it even be worth it for me if i practice this shred stuff..?
That is an excellent question. But, it is one that only you can answer for yourself. :)

Happy decision making!

[Chayakorn]

Hi there, if you are happy enough with what you can do right now, i would suggest that there is no point to be frustrated to learn more things as you are already being good at one technique.

But, if you feel like you don't satisfy in what you've had learned where you are starving to learn more, then i don't see a point why you should be afraid to learn more as they are not gonna harm you anyway instead of boosting you into another level of playing guitar.


\m/

[54Rigger]

I too struggle with but practice constantly alternate picking. I was originally a Bass player so everything I play seems to be an up stroke.

Best tip I ever got was to always pick in the direction of the next string, thank you Michael Eisner. That has helped me to work out my own alternate picking strategy, but so far as building up speed.... practice practice practice. They set t take 10,000 hours to become proficient at Anything, I'm convinced that 90% of those hours are to get your fingers to do what your mind has already worked out.

[gdengelbrecht]

Hello, i am so frustrated i feel like just smashing my guitar!
I have played 4 years now and have become really fast. Semi-legato, the kind of way Slash plays fast. Not picking everything but not full on legato either. A mix of those. but i fear that the way i hold my pick is limiting me.
I wonna try play some things where i only use alternate picking (some real shredding) but are having a very hard time doing it. Im playing the licks out of timing and can't control my right hand and synch up with the left hand. Only if i do it all SUPER slow.
This is very frustrating to me now that i am so fast in my own kind of playing, and everyone is telling me how great i have become.... Any suggestions? This is killing me.... :(
To sync up the hands one can play the same scale sequences or drills but 1) Do it with a clean setting and 2) Do it with double picking, picking each note twice. This is very challenging but it helped me a lot in the synchronization department :)