How To Increase Your Guitar Playing Speed The Easy Way

Are you having a hard time playing guitar fast? Here’s why: Instead of increasing your level of usable guitar speed, you worry too much about your potential guitar speed.

This video explains the what distinguishes potential guitar speed from usable guitar speed:

https://youtu.be/hJ97XJ1K-G0

Increasing usable guitar speed requires developing excellent two hand synchronization.

Attaining perfect sync between both hands requires effective guitar practice strategies.

These guitar practicing approaches drastically improve your two hand synchronization:

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #1: Using Double Picking

Practice every guitar scale or scale run by picking each note twice.

When you pick every note twice, playing with perfect sync between your hands becomes more challenging. You must move your picking hand two times as quickly as your fretting hand. It becomes very difficult to articulate each note and mistakes become very obvious. Once you begin playing the scale as usual (only picking once per note), it feels a lot easier and you are able to play with better two hand sync.

Here are two ways to use this strategy:

1. Use double picking training as your go to warmup routine. Practice all your technique exercises with double picking for about fifteen minutes. After you finish, return to practicing like usual.
2. Apply this strategy by scheduling specific time to work on it in your practice sessions. Choose several guitar technique exercises and practice them using double picking.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #2: Focus On Single String Licks

Playing single string licks helps you perfect your two hand synchronization skills. You have to play in perfect sync to correctly play each note. Here is an example of a single string lick:

Track your progress by using a metronome and seeing how many times you can play a lick before mistakes occur.

Keep playing the single string lick over and over until you can do so perfectly for 15 repetitions at a certain tempo. Then raise the metronome speed. Identify the fastest tempo at which you can play perfectly for 15 repetitions.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #3: Practice Guitar Without An Amp

Start practicing guitar a bit more without using an amp. Pick each note with extra force and volume to articulate it well.

When articulation suffers, two hand synchronization suffers as well. Playing guitar without an amp unmasks any inconsistencies in your articulation that were covered up by distortion. Focus on the notes that are the most out of sync with each other. This helps you pinpoint the mistakes that keep you from becoming a faster guitarist.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #4: Reverse The Picking Attack

Practice single string fragments by beginning each phrase with an upstroke. Set a goal for yourself make your playing sound exactly the same regardless of using a downstroke or upstroke. Keep the same level of articulation, speed and two hand sync in both hands.

At first this may be difficult, but it becomes easier with each subsequent practice session.

Important: this is kind of training is to be done as part of your practice ONLY. Do not make this part of your general playing style.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #5: Focus On String Changes

Use the single string strategy in this article and move it from one string to the next while ascending and descending. Repeat the sequence one time on each string, then switch strings.

Play the sequence both ascending and descending.

This trains you to keep your hands in perfect sync as you switch strings. You another aspect of two hand sync into isolation and train it until it is perfected.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #6: Focus On Position Shifts

Use the single string approach in this article and move your single string pattern to different places on the fretboard. This trains your two hand sync fluency using fretting hand position changes.

-Staying relaxed in your fretting hand shoulder as you switch from one position to another.

-Articulating the first note of each sequence with great force. This helps you focus by resetting your two hand sync as the pattern is repeated.

Make it your goal to repeat this a specific number of times until you can no longer play with perfect synchronization. Use a metronome to practice this at higher and higher speeds.

Two Hand Synchronization Guitar Practice Strategy #7: Measure Your Progress

It’s essential to keep track of your progress with two hand synchronization and every other aspect of your guitar playing. Measuring musical progress helps you to:

-Spot weaknesses that keep you from making progress.

-Get more results from every practice session.

-Know for sure that you are making progress (because you tracked it). This helps you become more motivated to get better.

Use these approaches to bring your usable guitar speed close to your potential guitar speed.

This free guitar technique guide gives you many more strategies for becoming a faster, more technical guitarist.