The Real Reason You’re Not Gaining Speed on the Guitar
I think the biggest mistake so many guitarists make in trying to build speed is not knowing how to actually build the speed. We can have a million exercises that tell us a million different things, but when we don’t realize how we’re supposed to practice them, it becomes very hard to, well, practice them. It becomes difficult. So we need to make sure that we have a good routine and system with that.
I’m going to teach you exactly what I do in terms of getting through and starting to practice all of these and starting to cook them in and actually build noticeable speed. And that’s the key really, right? It needs to be noticeable to us for us to feel good about it.
Your Best Friend for Gaining Speed
So, we need to make sure that we do what we can to get there. My biggest recommendation is going to be some kind of metronome. You can buy them, there are free apps, there are free ones online everywhere. And as annoying as it is to sit there and listen to this, this is your best friend in gaining speed.
How to Start Practicing with a Metronome
I always recommend that you start with a metronome, just four clicks, so we can have simple four clicks going through.
1-2-3-4... 1-2-3-4
If you are new to using a metronome, what I recommend is starting at a low BPM, or beats per minute. And I recommend that you do four counts. For your playing, I recommend that you play at the most, if you’re new to a metronome, eighth notes. So, that’s playing one note per click and one note in between each click. And we call those “ands.” Like a-n-d, and.
So it would be like: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and... 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
I recommend starting there before you start doing things like triplets or 16th notes (one-e-and-a, two-e-and-a). Just focus on those simple eighth notes to build your foundation.
Finding Your Starting Tempo
I recommend you start at a low beats per minute on your exercises. You might struggle some, okay? So, if you’re struggling over and over and over and it’s just impossible to achieve, lower that BPM. Go to something like maybe an 80 instead of an 85. Maybe that’s a little more manageable for you.
The goal is to find a tempo that’s challenging enough to where you’re having a little bit of struggle, but it’s not complete failure.
The System for Incremental Growth
This is the most important part. You see, the problem I think 99% of guitarists have when they’re thinking about speed is they want to go from nothing to shred. And they want to just shorten that gap as much as possible. That’s not how the pros do it. The pros do it in incremental growth.
The 4-to-10 Rule
The idea is this: If you can play the exercise you’re playing at the tempo you’re playing it with the metronome clean and even on the counts, and you can do that four to 10 times clean and even, then it’s time to go up 5 to 10 beats per minute.
And then you master it there, and you go up 5 to 10 beats per minute. And then you master it there, and you go up 5 to 10 beats per minute.
Setting Small, Attainable Goals
The goal should never be to go from something like 100 beats per minute to 230 beats per minute in one practice. Instead, the pros focus on small incremental goals. So if they say to themselves, “I want to take this exercise up five beats per minute every day,” that becomes much more attainable. It’s not as strict, it’s not as painful, and it’s something that’s really useful for attaining those small goals.
If you think about increasing a BPM, five BPM every day, you go up 35 every seven days, right? You go up 50 every 10. And that becomes noticeable. You’re like, “Oh, well, that’s not bad. Actually, in 10 days, I could go from 100 to 150 BPM.” It’s because you’re not giving yourself the all-in goal.
Why This is Critical For Your Success
This is why I love to use metronomes and why I highly recommend you use metronomes in your practice. It’s critical for not just gaining speed, but for learning how you gain speed, doing it in a way that gives you actual results every single day. But even further, this keeps you on time. It teaches you about timing and rhythmic timing. And it’s something that is absolutely critical. If I had to say there’s one thing necessary in learning your skills as guitar, it’s to practice with a metronome.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is the biggest mistake guitarists make trying to build speed?
I think the biggest mistake so many guitarists make in trying to build speed is not knowing how to actually build the speed. - What is the most important tool for gaining speed?
My biggest recommendation is going to be some kind of metronome… this is your best friend in gaining speed. - If I’m new to a metronome, where should I start?
I recommend that you play at the most if you’re new to a metronome eighth notes. So playing one note per click and one note in between each click. - What if I’m struggling at my current tempo?
If you’re struggling over and over and over and it’s just impossible to achieve, lower that BPM. - When should I increase the speed on the metronome?
If you can play the exercise you’re playing at the tempo you’re playing it with the metronome clean and even… and you can do that four to 10 times clean and even, then it’s time to go up 5 to 10 beats per minute. - What is the professional approach to building speed?
That’s not how the pros do it. The pros do it in incremental growth. - What is a realistic daily goal for increasing speed?
If they say to themselves, I want to take this exercise up five beats per minute every day, that becomes much more attainable. - What is the single most necessary thing for learning guitar skills?
If I had to say there’s one thing necessary in learning your skills as guitar, it’s to practice with a metronome.
