Shred

[Sinful Lies]

Hi. I'm wondering if anyone has any excercises on getting really fast. I listen to some of the shredder's on this site and they are blazingly fast. Compared to me at least.. I want to achieve that speed too and am working on practising a few shred licks I got off the web. Improvement is going slow though. If anyone has any good tips or exercises I would much appreciate it.

[Gulder]

Did you thought you can shred after you've played some exercises for a couple of months ? It's normal the progress goes slow. Play little licks like these and repeat them endlessly untill you can do them quiet fast. Try to use a metronome and play them all over the fretboard. They have(well, they still do) helped for me. The first thing you need to learn when you want to shred is to make sure you're fingers are fast enough and can handle any position.
(try to copy the licks in notepad or something with a descent font so they don't are crammed together)

The fingerings are written above it.

[1][3][4][3] [1][2][4][2] [1][2][4][2]
-7-9-10-9- -7-8-10-8- -7-9-11-9-

[1][3][4][1][4][3][1]
--------7-------
-7-9-10---10-9-7 etc. etc.

Try to find your own combinations and try to find combinations who YOU find difficult. Practise slow and slightly increase speed. Don't forget to alternate pick. When you can do 'em properly bind them together in long licks and then start to practice on them. Do the same with every type of exercise you want to to, sweeps, taps, fingerpicking, whatever. It helped me ALOT to break verything in several pieces. It doesn't only improves the thing you are pracrtising but it also helps you with other styles.

Be patient. It's a matter of years of long practise. I'm just telling you what I've learned and still am learning. I am far from a shredder, but I wouldn't wanna be one either. It isn't all about speed!

Latz, Gulder.

[Slasher]

What is everyones obsession with being really fast??? It's not that important, there's more to playin than speed. I'm not the fastest guy around by no means n it doesnt really bother me. I know it can be a useful tool, but I just don't see in contests of sein who's the fastest.

[lalimacefolle]

To be fast, be accurate, so play slow, and increase your metronome's speed regularly.

[trendkillah]

Originally posted by Slasher
What is everyones obsession with being really fast??? It's not that important, there's more to playin than speed.

okay, I know it is not important, but you obviously have no idea how much fun it can be to play fast. At least, if you're into it. :)

ps: in order to get fast, just perfect your slow playing, speed will come naturally

[Edited by trendkillah on 05-17-2002 at 02:28 AM]

[THE_HACK_PACK]

First,lets dispell the Myth that Speed Playing has to be clean to be exciting.The first true "shredder" was Alvin Lee of Ten Years After.This guy had blues chops out the Yang Ying,and made players like Hendrix stop in their path to admire.Check out Alvin Lee's ferocious fast blues playing in the Woodstock '69 film.Simply great for the time,and still is great,AND fast.Also in this fast blues category are Ted Nugent's fretwork in the 70's and Angus Young.Both deeply rooted in the blues,but fast chops nonetheless.

The 2nd style of fast came along in the early 80's,I'm talkin Kerry King from Slayer and Dave Mustaine.These 2 giants reinvented the wheel,and didnt worry abot diatonic scale positions.Anyone who says kirk Hammet WAS NOT influenced by Dave Mustaine hasn't done their homework.Players may contend King and Mustaine played a lot of Chromatic,eratic solos,but tell me those solos weren't exciting period.Plus,if you ask the average person who they think the fastest guitar player out there is,9 out of 10 say it's either King Or Mustaine.I'm talkin opinions of NON-players now.Take a poll sometime yourself.

The 3rd Style of Fast was obviously guys like Yngwie,Gilbert,MacAlpine and Moore.Speed based in pure technique and a myriad of scales,with an emphais on CLEAN,for some reason.The great advantage about this style is,you don't have to listen to the notes to practice achieving speed.I agree,play those diatonic, 3 note per string scales over and over,while your online,in the bathroom,while watching TV,take it to a party,out at the park,wherever.Just keep repeating those patterns over and over again,and it becomes a second language,you won't even think about it.But don't forget the emotional impact of the first 2 styles I mentioned.A great solo is a great solo,,,period.Listen to the 90's releases of Megadeth with Marty Friedman as the Other Axe player for example.You ever notice most of the exciting,intense solos on those albums were played by DAVE.Just a fact,emotion is the key.Jam on.

[lalimacefolle]

welcome the Hack Pack :D !! Great post, keep them coming dude! You sound old and wise, so it's good, tell those kids what they need to know ;)

[THE_HACK_PACK]

Been here since January,always stop by for a new look at chop building.I'm 32,playing since I was 8,so I got to see and live first hand the advanncement of the instrument through the years.I rarely post,as you can see in the left corner,but felt like Chiming in today.Good Luck To All!

[Sinful Lies]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I was being alittle impatient with myself and am gonna take it slowly now.

[TommyBoyFury]

hi, Dejan Sajinovic
I agree about that string skipping stuff, I like to do the arps that go some thing like this:-


E---------------------h12h15-t17p15p12-------------------
B--------------------------------------------------
G-----------h12-h14t17---------------t17p14p12----------
D--------------------------------------------------
A-h12-h15t19-------------------------------t19p15p12-
E--------------------------------------------------

Sorry if u cant read this tab but it gets crushed up when I post it, but basicly you go on to the next sting after you have played the first group of notes, not overlapped.

It takes loads of practice mute the other strings(but its not impossible as u probably know) You can play it any were on the neck also. Just start from a differnt note.

Dejan if u have any differnt string skipping licks, I would be really keen to lern it, if u could post it. Thanks.
And that guy who wants to play really fast, I think the key is to get your L/H timing REALLY acurrate, then when you play a lick fast it should sound clean, but u allso need to get your fingers moving really fast, and thats hard. My mate has done it(the git) he jsut says he did loads of these finger exerecises, but he wont tell me what.

[TommyBoyFury]

guys I wonder if you can help advise me, I have done something to my thumb! yes,... and it kills when i try to play guitar, its when I put pressure on one part of it, it hits some thing like a nerve and really hurts!!! oooch. What can I do, is this caused by playing too much guitar i.e(12hrs a day). Has it ever happent to any of u guys. Is it repetitive strain injury or some thing.???? HELP!

[lalimacefolle]

Originally posted by TommyBoyFury
guys I wonder if you can help advise me, I have done something to my thumb! yes,... and it kills when i try to play guitar, its when I put pressure on one part of it, it hits some thing like a nerve and really hurts!!! oooch. What can I do, is this caused by playing too much guitar i.e(12hrs a day). Has it ever happent to any of u guys. Is it repetitive strain injury or some thing.???? HELP!

Just go see a doctor!! Usually, it hurts your forearm and hand when you practice too much... And 12 hours a day is like... Too much...

[THE_HACK_PACK]

That string skipping pattern is exactly the kind of stuff I was referring to.Break down the note selection and you'll see these patterns will sound great over,CMaj6,Amin7,Eminadd6 or G Maj6/9.Like he said,move these patterns around.You'll get the hang of it all.

[faav]

to get back to playing fast..
Lalimacefolle, what do you consider perfecting slow playing? How far down did you turn the metronome to become as accurate as you are? I recently started working my way down below a note per second, and it really helps! Also I find funny things. For instance, I've been torturing my right hand to get rid of unintentional harmonics that my playing was full of. Thought I was pinch-harmonicing without wanting to. Playing really slow I discovered the harmonics were caused by the way I lifted my left-hand fingers after playing a note...

[lalimacefolle]

Originally posted by faav
Lalimacefolle, what do you consider perfecting slow playing? How far down did you turn the metronome to become as accurate as you are?

I'm not accurate at all, because I didn't work slow (I'm quite sloppy in my playing actually). But when I try and play something quite difficult, I might play it at 80 bpm with a metronome.

[cBoss]

i've heard of pinch harmonics and sweeping and ive heard it done many a time in solos and its so great, but my problem is that everywhere ive looked for tips, its like assumed that u know how to do it already. so my question is....HOW DO U SWEEP PICK and HOW DO U EXECUTE PINCH HARMONICS??? i would really love to know so someone please post back

[lalimacefolle]

pinch harmonics: you have to pick the string with your pick and some flesh of your thumb. Experiment, it'll come

Sweeping: http://lalimace.free.fr/mp3/essai.wmv a video is better than words