What's some tips about getting faster at the guitar?

Question

im talking thunderstruck fast

Answer 1

If your talking about AC/DCs Thunderstruck, it's a lot easier than you'd imagine. The riff is based on a one string hammer on/ pull off.

http://www.guitaretab.com/a/ac-dc/170.html

By allowing the "inertia" off the open string to sound out your fretted notes on the same string you can play this kind of riff incredibly fast.

The real challenge in playing fast comes down to cross-picked riffs, or riffs who's notes constantly change back and forth to different strings. Yakety Axe by Chet Atkins is a good example:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/c/chet_atkins/yakety_axe_ver3_tab.htm

The tab isn't exact but it'll give you an idea of what cross picking is about. The best way to become a fast player is to hone your picking technique and your fingering style. Keep the pick as close to the strings as possible at all times using alternate picking. The tip of the pick should barely touch the strings, it just grazes them (don't dig deep). Your fingering hand should also stay close to the fret board. The less finger movement you use the more efficiently you'll be able to reach your frets. Start by playing simple progression, lets say in the 5th position (A or at the 5th fret) . Play a progression that starts on A on the low E string, and moves up to A on the high E string then reverses back to the A on the low E string (all in the 5th position). Use 2 or 3 notes per string. If you know your minor pentatonic you could base a blues run off of it, but it really doesn't matter what you play (this is only an excersise to increase your fingering and picking dexerity). Just commit it to memory. Start slow picking every note (no hammer ons or pulls offs), then slowly increase your speed until you can't keep up any more. Then start over. Pay close attention to your timing playing in triplets (1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3). It's a great exercises and you can do it with countless different runs. It will increase your playing speed if you practice it often. This is just a synopsis of what you need to do. I'd have to write a book if I was to get any more specific.

Below are some good excersise you could do. They don't span all 6 strings but the concept is the same.

http://www.guitartricks.com/freelesson.php?input=M2M1bzVmN2A=

Bottom line is: playing fast does not make you a good player. Technique and style come first. Fast playing is no good if it's not coupled with good technique. I've heard plenty of fast players that just don't play well. It's rather unimpressive. Speed and virtuosity are not the same thing.

Answer 2

Practice. Practice a song at a speed where you're comfortable and slowly speed it up. It doesn't do you any good to try to play something that's just too fast. The trick is to gradually push yourself to play something faster and faster. A metronome is incredibly useful in this regard.

Answer 3

I agree with most of the responses. Practice, practice. When I started playing guitar, I played at least 6 hours per day and as much as 8 or 9 hours per day. I got good real fast. What I did, to get fast, was play a riff as fast as I could, day after day. It's like lifting weights....you get stronger. One technique used by the super fast players is called sweep picking. It's what the super fast players use. No offense to Angus Young (love the guy) but he's not that fast. I understand sweep picking but I never practice it. You might want to look into it.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

Learn your scales, learn all your 1-4-5 chord progressions (ie C-F-G, G-D-E, etc) major and minor. This will make you faster, and make things easier because it is improving yout technique. To play evenly when you are playing fast (so it sounds effortless, not like you're struggling) try to practice with distorting your rhythms- so instead of playing everthing evenly and fast, play one note short, the next longer, then short, then long. Also reverse it, long short long short. This distorting makes your playing smoother, and faster. Practice along with the radio. Take lessons or get a good instruction book, or both. Get some good Van Halen and play along with Eddie, imho, he's the best.

Answer 5

The best thing to do is learn the different scales. You can start with just one and when you know it, just try playing it faster and faster. Then when you've got it down, move onto another scale. Once you know them all, you'll be busting out like Hendrix and Vaughn...trust me.

Answer 6

practice, practice, practice. Great guitarists practice 8 to 10 hours a day.

Answer 7

practice, practice, practice! & everytime u practice try it a little faster each time!

Answer 8

pratice a lot - finger exercises are good. my teacher told me to do just exercices for several minutes whenever i start playin

Answer 9

practice practice practice...other than that just practice

Answer 10

practice, smoke weed, practice more