Sail, Sail, Sail away o one that does not play; for the world is musical and should always be that way.
S.R.V. Anyone?
Hey everyone, I just got started today on this site...pretty cool. Anyway, I am starting to get good enough that I am able to chop though some pretty cool S.R.V. riffs and solos. The problem is that I cant seem to "take it to the next level" and just bleed out solos like he can. Can anyone give me some advice how to get lightning fast, I am willing to put in the time for it!
# 1
Originally Posted by: BluesForPeaceHey everyone, I just got started today on this site...pretty cool. Anyway, I am starting to get good enough that I am able to chop though some pretty cool S.R.V. riffs and solos. The problem is that I cant seem to "take it to the next level" and just bleed out solos like he can. Can anyone give me some advice how to get lightning fast, I am willing to put in the time for it!
Hello and welcome. I am sure that you'll get plenty of great advice from the folks here at GT. I am huge SRV fan but I can't offer you much since I am not quite at the level you are based on your post. Stick around and I am certain you'll get what you're looking for. Again, welcome. Enjoy. :)
[FONT=Tahoma]"All I can do is be me ... whoever that is". Bob Dylan [/FONT]
# 2
Welcome to GT Blues... :)
Speed is a product of solid technique, which is based on muscle memory. As an example, if you want to be able to play 16th note triplets at 200bpm, you would first need to master it at 100bpm. Using alternate picking as the example, you might practice chromatics:
E-----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
B--------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------
G-----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------
D--------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------
A-----------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------
E--1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------
You could repeat the exercise up and down the neck - do it to a metronome and play at a speed you are comfortable with. Then, you slowly increase the tempo over time... and it will take a while depending on how often you practice and for how long.
Make sure you warm up, especially before pushing yourself (and more in the colder months) - if you pick up an injury you'll set yourself back further than if you are just a little more patient. You could also vary the exercise above, and miss out your middle or ring finger for instance so you can get used to strict alternate picking with uneven numbers of notes on each string. The variations are almost limitless, and you'll be best place to decide what will give you the most advantage.
Just make sure not to continue pushing the speed if the notes are getting sloppy - you'll only reinforce bad habits... and if you need any more info, please come back and ask away...
Speed is a product of solid technique, which is based on muscle memory. As an example, if you want to be able to play 16th note triplets at 200bpm, you would first need to master it at 100bpm. Using alternate picking as the example, you might practice chromatics:
E-----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
B--------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------
G-----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------
D--------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------
A-----------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------
E--1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------
You could repeat the exercise up and down the neck - do it to a metronome and play at a speed you are comfortable with. Then, you slowly increase the tempo over time... and it will take a while depending on how often you practice and for how long.
Make sure you warm up, especially before pushing yourself (and more in the colder months) - if you pick up an injury you'll set yourself back further than if you are just a little more patient. You could also vary the exercise above, and miss out your middle or ring finger for instance so you can get used to strict alternate picking with uneven numbers of notes on each string. The variations are almost limitless, and you'll be best place to decide what will give you the most advantage.
Just make sure not to continue pushing the speed if the notes are getting sloppy - you'll only reinforce bad habits... and if you need any more info, please come back and ask away...
Check out my music, video, lessons & backing tracks here![br]https://www.renhimself.com
# 3
Adding to Ren's suggestions...
Here's a list of tutorials that can be used as exercise to gain speed/technique.
Concentrate on one technique (alternate pick, hammer-ons, pull-offs....) at a time. Then try to mix them together. Take the Mode tutorial for exemple. You could run the scale but alternate the technique used from string to string, one alternate, one hammer-on while going up the scale. Then one alternate, one pull-offs while descending the scale.
Speedy ideas
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=213
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=287
Hammer-ons
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=338
Pull-offs
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=367
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9980
Legato
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=282
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=283
Sweeps
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8750
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9869
Modes
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=370
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
Here's a list of tutorials that can be used as exercise to gain speed/technique.
Concentrate on one technique (alternate pick, hammer-ons, pull-offs....) at a time. Then try to mix them together. Take the Mode tutorial for exemple. You could run the scale but alternate the technique used from string to string, one alternate, one hammer-on while going up the scale. Then one alternate, one pull-offs while descending the scale.
Speedy ideas
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=213
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=287
Hammer-ons
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=338
Pull-offs
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=367
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9980
Legato
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=282
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=283
Sweeps
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8750
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9869
Modes
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=370
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
# 4
thanks for the posts guys, I am self taught and it helps alot for you guys to keep me on the right track. I tried to get up to speed on those 1-2-3-4 excersises and I got it pretty fast up and the neck. I am used to doing these kind of excersises and I got this one up to about 160 BPM with the metronome. BUT! SRV does get fast but his technuque revolves around alot of bending and hammer ons/offs. I just cant get my brain to get my fingers to move as fast as my pick hand. Does anyone have any excersises that involve using slightly more complex finger techniques that can get me a start on how to get the multiple coordination between hands like SRV?
Sail, Sail, Sail away o one that does not play; for the world is musical and should always be that way.
# 5
Try these:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=217
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=232
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=244
Also, check out some of Doug Fearman's tuts on Blues:
http://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=16587
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=57
Hope this helps, happy playing. :)
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=217
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=232
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=244
Also, check out some of Doug Fearman's tuts on Blues:
http://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=16587
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=57
Hope this helps, happy playing. :)
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 6
Originally Posted by: BluesForPeaceI just cant get my brain to get my fingers to move as fast as my pick hand. Does anyone have any excersises that involve using slightly more complex finger techniques that can get me a start on how to get the multiple coordination between hands
Start slow build up..
Also remember its not necessarily how fast you play but how clean your technique is.
*Just broke a string :mad: now I'm practicing alt picking on a 12 string @:*
"Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil."
# 7
Hi there
I would like to add that while technical practice is important, and I definitely advocate it, you should also be spending a lot of time improvising and playing to blues backing tracks. Speed will happen with time, but if you spend too much time just playing technical exercises, you are missing out on developing the musicality side of your chops. I really doubt Stevie ever spent much time doing technical drills. He would have just "played" his guitar all the time. That is not to say you shouldn't do technical drills, but many make the mistake of practicing technical drills all the time instead of "playing".
I am an avid SRV fan, and learnt most of his songs note for note. This was great for developing my chops, but I realised quickly that I didn't want to sound exactly like someone else. By improvising or trying to come up with your own licks, you will start to sound more like yourself.
I would suggest that, if you were going to practice for 3 hours, do a half hour of drills, and 2 1/2 hours of "playing" to your backing tracks.
Also, get a blues trio together if you haven't already. To be realistic, 10 hours a day practice in the bedroom for 10 years probably won't get you Stevie's technique and power, but 10 years of performing 5 nights a week might. It's a whole different thing. ;)
I would like to add that while technical practice is important, and I definitely advocate it, you should also be spending a lot of time improvising and playing to blues backing tracks. Speed will happen with time, but if you spend too much time just playing technical exercises, you are missing out on developing the musicality side of your chops. I really doubt Stevie ever spent much time doing technical drills. He would have just "played" his guitar all the time. That is not to say you shouldn't do technical drills, but many make the mistake of practicing technical drills all the time instead of "playing".
I am an avid SRV fan, and learnt most of his songs note for note. This was great for developing my chops, but I realised quickly that I didn't want to sound exactly like someone else. By improvising or trying to come up with your own licks, you will start to sound more like yourself.
I would suggest that, if you were going to practice for 3 hours, do a half hour of drills, and 2 1/2 hours of "playing" to your backing tracks.
Also, get a blues trio together if you haven't already. To be realistic, 10 hours a day practice in the bedroom for 10 years probably won't get you Stevie's technique and power, but 10 years of performing 5 nights a week might. It's a whole different thing. ;)
# 8