How To Practice for Maximum Speed


Tom Hess
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Tom Hess
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07/09/2006 9:47 pm
~ How To Practice for Maximum Speed ~
Effective Practice Strategies
by Tom Hess
www.tomhess.net

The scope of this subject is too broad to be fully covered in a single article. After receiving hundreds of requests for advice on this subject of developing speed, it seems an article is long overdue on the topic. Training advanced players to become virtuosos is a very rewarding and fun process for me. (as Iā€™m sure it is for most teachers who teach highly advanced students).

A Typical question from a student: What specific strategy should I employ to approach better speed development?

Although my answer varies from person to person, depending on what I know about that personā€™s current abilities and goals (among other things), I generally recommend some variation of the following strategy:

Stage 1: When first learning a new technique, determine (using a metronome of course) your maximum speed you can play cleanly. Write this speed down on paper in a practice log.

Stage 2: Practice at 20%-35% of your maximum speed. Do this for 5 consecutive practice sessions. Resist the temptation to go faster during this stage. Make sure everything is still very clean. There must be NO excessive tension anywhere in your arms, hands, wrists, shoulders, neck, head or anywhere else. Watch to make sure you have no excessive or unnecessary movements in either hand. For some guitarists, this first step is very boring. You MUST remain patient with yourself, and the process, during this time. This is absolutely critical! If you skip this step, you will probably train your hands to play incorrectly, inefficiently and ineffectively. At this stage you are developing the proper muscle memory for this technique. If you are currently studying with a great guitar teacher, your progress will be much faster, easier and better than if you attempt to do this on your own. Once you have mastered stage two, you may move on to stage three, but not before! Above I said you should practice this stage for 5 consecutive practice sessions. That is only a general guideline, after the 5th session, reevaluate your progress. If you have not mastered this step, continue practicing at 20%-35% before moving on to stage 3.

Stage 3: Practice at 50% of your maximum speed. Do this for 3 consecutive practice sessions. Again, make sure everything remains very clean. Play relaxed without tension anywhere in your arms, hands, wrists, shoulders, neck, etc. Watch to make sure you have no excessive or unnecessary movements in either hand. Do not move on until this step is mastered (it could take longer than 3 sessions, but do NOT move on to stage 4 before practicing for 3 sessions.

Stage 4: Practice at 60-65% of your maximum speed. Do this for 3 consecutive practice sessions. Again, with total relaxation and economy of motion (no unnecessary movements).

Stage 5: Practice at 80% of your maximum speed. Do this for 5 consecutive practice sessions.

Stage 6: Practice at 85% of your maximum speed for the next (1) practice session only.

Stage 7: Practice at 90% of your maximum speed for the next 10 practice sessions.

Stage 8: DRILL IT! TOTALLY RIPPIN (translation play at 100%) FOR an entire week!

Stage 9: After that week evaluate where your new maximum speed is (it will be higher than when you first measured it in stage 1).

Stage 10: In this stage you will rotate every 3 practice sessions like this: Session 1 = 60%. Session 2 = 85%. Session 3 = 95%. At the end of each practice session DRILL IT (100%) for a few minutes.

Once a week, measure your new maximum speed, and adjust your metronome speeds accordingly.

Warning: NEVER play/practice your guitar in pain. Serious injuries can occur. This is not a joke, I know people personally that have had to have surgeries on their wrists and arms!

If interested in reading more of my articles, there are many more here

Thanksā€¦.Tom Hess

http://tomhess.net/


Copyright 2006 by Tom Hess. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Tom Hess
# 1
Nick Layton
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Nick Layton
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07/09/2006 11:52 pm
Very cool Tom. Thanks!
http://www.nicklayton.com
# 2
Angel Zamora
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Angel Zamora
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07/10/2006 2:22 am
Yeah Tom, COOOOL!

Nice article
# 3
Mike_Philippov
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Mike_Philippov
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07/10/2006 6:24 pm
Thanks Tom, very helpful article!

Mike.
# 4
jimmy_kwtx
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jimmy_kwtx
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07/10/2006 6:28 pm
Good Article.

Reminds me of the line in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds"

NC-- "Speed is a by product of good drivers"

Originally Posted by: AkiraCool article.

The only problem I find with this sort of approach is that, to be honest, it'd bore the ****ing tits off of me.


"A"-- This may be boring but all of the heroes we have -- That are "shredders"-- use a marathon approach to learning. If you want the results you have to put in the "hours".
[FONT=Comic Sans MS]I reject your reality and substitue my own[/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]BYAAAAAAAAAAAH![/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]But it goes to eleven....[/FONT]
# 5
Tom Hess
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Tom Hess
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07/11/2006 12:47 pm
Well...I would advise this:

1. Try to have fun in the process..
2. The real fun you will experience in the "result" of having done serious practicing and then growing from it...when you are better it is always becomes more and more fun each new level we climb to..
Tom Hess
# 6
Mark Pav
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Mark Pav
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07/11/2006 3:57 pm
Thanks for the little article, Tom! I've actually read it before somewhere.

I have a question. Say that someone is learning to increase their speed, but they have bad habits as to how their right hand moves. Wouldn't going slowly for such a long period of time kinda consolidate that bad habit? I say this because we can get away with all kinds of unneccesary movements when we play slowly and it's only when we go up to a fairly high speed that those movements start to really hamper us. For that person, would it be of more benefit to practice at both slow and fast tempos in each practice session?
# 7
quickfingers
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quickfingers
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07/12/2006 1:54 am
yea, ive got to say that this es very helpful, but not for everyone. ive been playing the git stick for about four years and i can most definitely hold my own technical-wise, and i dont even own a metronome. i just do it all in my head, and even with weird time sigs i usually find myself out allright, and ive never found any riff i cannot physically play due to my learning style. to each his own, though.
"the more you know, the less you know. I don't feel like i know shit anymore, but i love it."
-Mike Stern

PERSONAL WANKAGE
# 8
quickfingers
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quickfingers
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07/12/2006 1:57 am
on a side note, i am gonna just suck it up and go buy a metronome tomorrow just for the hell of it. maybe it would help to get on a more technical level of learning, i suppose.
"the more you know, the less you know. I don't feel like i know shit anymore, but i love it."
-Mike Stern

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# 9
Mark Pav
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Mark Pav
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07/12/2006 2:35 am
Originally Posted by: quickfingerson a side note, i am gonna just suck it up and go buy a metronome tomorrow just for the hell of it. maybe it would help to get on a more technical level of learning, i suppose.


If you can practice near the computer, you can get a fee metronome here.
# 10
quickfingers
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quickfingers
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07/15/2006 12:19 am
thats what ive done in the few instances that ive used one. i have one on cubase, so i just pop it on every other blue moon.
"the more you know, the less you know. I don't feel like i know shit anymore, but i love it."
-Mike Stern

PERSONAL WANKAGE
# 11
Tom Hess
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Tom Hess
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07/18/2006 3:44 pm
The fun comes when you can "enjoy the result" of all the hard work that you do..
Tom Hess
# 12
Kole_Music
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Kole_Music
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08/01/2006 4:31 pm
Great article, especially since I am trying to increase my chops at the moment.
-Kole (Kyle Hicks)
http://www.KoleMusician.com
http://www.myspace.com/kolemusic

Composer, Guitarist, Instructor.
# 13
Tom Hess
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Tom Hess
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08/10/2006 4:30 pm
To Mark Pav:

sorry I just realized I had neglected to reply to an earlier reply of yours regarding bad habits and practicing speed. Well if you have bad habits, you have bad habits period and those need to be corrected. And Yes I do understand very well that most people who have bad habits may not be aware of them...this is why (among other reasons) I have written numerous articles on studying with a great teacher, choosing a teacher, etc.
you are welcome to check out those articles here:
http://tomhess.net/articles.php

thank you
Tom Hess
# 14
Mark Pav
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Mark Pav
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08/11/2006 1:04 am
Thanks for the reply, Tom.
# 15
Tom Hess
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Tom Hess
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12/20/2008 4:22 am
Hey I just wanted to mention that all links to my site given earlier in this old thread are now changed, basically it's the same URL as before except they end in .aspx not .php

I have been getting some emails about this from members of this forum, so I wanted to update you all :)
Tom Hess
# 16

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