LOL The "Master" eh? :D
Only a Master of Evil Darth.....
Uh...Wrong speech there....Sorry! :rolleyes:
Seriously though...I just spent some time answering an email about a similar question...So if you don't mind, I'm going to do a little cut & paste job here for ya. Since it pretty much will answer your question, fairly directly.
Ok...Here goes;
I wish I knew some short cuts for ya....I would've definitely
used them myself. LOL Basically, it really just comes down to starting out slowly...
Slowly enough that you can pay close attention to your mechanics, that is...And be
sure to try & keep the motions as minimal as possible with both hands, while still being
able to articulate the notes properly. Then just work with a metronome/drum machine
and build up your pace. I would probably suggest finding the tempo at which you really
start to struggle with a given exercise, then drop that tempo by at least 30-40bpm
and start really working on smoothing out the kinks in it. So if an exercise gives you
trouble at 120bpm...go ahead and drop it down to 80bpm and really focus on the details
that are giving you trouble. Working slower will give your brain time to process it all and
become more proficient at the core physical moves of the passage. Once it starts to
consistently click for you...you'll gain confidence and it will be much easier to bring the
tempo back up to speed. Much more so than just trying to continually fumble through it
at higher speeds.Ok...I'm back again...LOL
That was one reason why I didn't actually mention any tempos within those lessons, because I didn't want people thinking that they had to actually "start" at that tempo. The intro segment was don't at about 140bpm I think and the actual lessons are performed at 120-125bpm. I chose 140 for the intro for more showy reasons...LOL...It's about the edge of where I can pull that stuff off, without looking like I am constipated or something....Though, as you could no doubt tell...140 gives me that appearance as well. :o
The 120-125bpm for the lessons is just a good example point, since at 1/2 speed it is pretty easy to visually comprehend, yet at full speed it still sounds fairly cool. LOL While the true (TRUE) shred-meisters like Rusty Cooley, Theodore Ziras, Francesco Fareri are wailing on 16th note sextuplets at upwards 180bpm....for the rest of us human, non-alien-hybrids...the 120bpm+ range is not too bad. :)
Alright...and once again...back to the cut & paste segment of our broadcast...
Also...It's important to keep your goals within reach as you go along. If a Rusty Cooley or
someone is playing something at 180bpm...forget about that until you can manage 100bpm,
then 110, 120 and so on. Don't bash yourself for not playing it up to that level yet...Remember
that he/she to more than likely had to put in months & years of heavy practice before playing
that lick that you're currently hearing them perform. So keep the big picture in mind...It is
important to start slow & get it right to get to those higher levels....
But also keep things reasonable as you work your way up. Push your limits bit by bit, but ease
up and pay attention to the details when you do start to get sloppy....And don't be afraid to
be happy with your progress along the way. Music is as much or more about the process of
getting there, as it is about achieving any physical goals. So have fun & don't forget to make
time to actually "make" music as you go along.So in summary....I took all that to say "Start slow & work your way up". LOL
Seriously though, in my own playing experiences...I did waste many years NOT following that advice and struggled a lot because of it. So just keep in mind, that a "shortcut" typically will mean a step or two that is skipped and most often will cause problems at some point down the road....more often sooner than later. So practice Smart and Hard, since one without the other will more than likely only get you part of the way there.
Later,
Don
(The
Master) ;) LOL
