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Okay, what's THE excercise for building ridiculous shredder-style picking speed?


Krank

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I'm talking precise alternate picking scale runs at speeds above 160bpm.

 

I know a ton of scales, but not a fast picker.

 

What is THE excercise to get there? Please no tedious chromatic stuff, I want something MUSICAL, something that MAKES SENSE.

 

:wave:

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I'm talking precise alternate picking scale runs at speeds above 160bpm.


I know a ton of scales, but not a fast picker.


What is THE excercise to get there? Please no tedious chromatic stuff, I want something MUSICAL, something that MAKES SENSE.


:wave:

 

The solution, as has been posted on this forum a million billion times if you do a search, is to practice small bits of information slowly and accurately and speed will by the byproduct of your work.

 

Work on scale fragments, sequences, and actual lines from the music you want to play.

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If you have to ask,

it's too late.

 

 

This line of thinking needlessly encourages willful ignorance amongst guitarists who are shunned into feeling too intimidated to ask for knowledge and advice. It's never too late to learn new things and it's never too late (or early) to ask.

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Ok sorry. Just funnin in the apparent spirit of the question. I - and 'legit' educators as well don't think there's any service done by by offering magic arrows anyway. To me it's like forget Yngwie already. People - albeit a very rare select group, regularly win performance competitions like the Tchaikovsky and such. The obvious point, talent is assumed. It's the years of successfully directed study that make any difference - let alone THE difference. (?)

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There not one excercise that'll make you a better and faster picker.

The way you practice is more crucial.

If you want something other than chromatic runs try moving up in thirds

on 3nps patterns, here's how it goes for G major scale:

 

e-----------------------------------------------------------5---7-5-8----

B----------------------------------------------5---7-5-8-7---8-----------

G---------------------------------4---5-4-7-5---7------------------------

D--------------------4---5-4-7-5---7-------------------------------------

A-------3---5-3-7-5---7--------------------------------------------------

E-3-7-5---7--------------------------------------------------------------

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That's a neat one Burninator.

 

There's one guy who often posts that if you want to shred you need to know where you are going. Very true.

 

So you might select or devise a specific lick that you can practice the requisite one billion times and then pull out of your hat when needed. Most shredding is done over a one or two chord vamp.

 

You could make up your own shred lick using your scale patterns. Most shredding is not improvised, it's a memorized lick or a collection of small scale fragments strung together.

 

Then just practice the heck out of that lick until you get speed. No guarantees you'll be Yngwie or Eddie though.

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Jebus, people. It was a question half in jest. OF COURSE I know there isn't ONE particular excercise to get there. Of course I know it's about practising precision with small fragments, then gradually increasing speed and stringing together longer fragments. I'm not a complete noob.

 

The actual meaning of the thread: what's your FAVOURITE excercise for building ludicrous speed?

 

Thanks for the input.

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The actual meaning of the thread: what's your FAVOURITE excercise for building ludicrous speed?


Thanks for the input.

 

 

Instead of an exercise, learn how to play "far beyond the sun" by Yngwie, "tehcnical difficulties" by Paul Gilbert and the solo to "Dream warriors" by George Lynch/Dokken (live version)...if you can play these clean and accurately up to tempo...you're shredding. Way more fun than an exercise as well.

 

I picked those tunes as I'm assuming that's they type of shredding you want to emulate..

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Jebus, people. It was a question half in jest. OF COURSE I know there isn't ONE particular excercise to get there. Of course I know it's about practising precision with small fragments, then gradually increasing speed and stringing together longer fragments. I'm not a complete noob.


The actual meaning of the thread: what's your FAVOURITE excercise for building ludicrous speed?


Thanks for the input.

 

 

Hey Krank,

 

Just remember we can't read your mind. From the way you asked your question it sounded like you were a noob, and it didn't sound like half a jest.

 

If you give more specific information you might get more of the answers you want. I think for the most part the answers given were with the intent to help you.

 

The reason my response had just an edge of attitude on it is that we get many posts here asking the same generic "how can I play fast" question, and most of them are noobs.

 

It would be nice to have someone ask "how do I play well?" for a change.

 

Anyhow, as far as a good exercise for picking skills, here's one:

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I'm talking precise alternate picking scale runs at speeds above 160bpm.


I know a ton of scales, but not a fast picker.


What is THE excercise to get there? Please no tedious chromatic stuff, I want something MUSICAL, something that MAKES SENSE.


:wave:

 

There exists one exercise that owns them all, and will make you very fast in a reasonable time without boring you at all because it's very musical and fun to practice.

 

I know that exercise but since it's so useful and powerful, it's a secret that every successful guitarist keeps for himself... But I'm generous so send me 500$ and I'll teach you.

 

:poke:

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Jebus, people. It was a question half in jest. OF COURSE I know there isn't ONE particular excercise to get there. Of course I know it's about practising precision with small fragments, then gradually increasing speed and stringing together longer fragments. I'm not a complete noob.


The actual meaning of the thread: what's your FAVOURITE excercise for building ludicrous speed?


Thanks for the input.

 

 

Find a technique that allows you to tremolo pick at the speed you want to go. Slow that technique down and analyse it. Use it all the time, get control of it, play in time, sync the right and left hands. Practice as many hours a day as you can. Be patient, you won't build speed overnight it takes weeks to see improvements and years before you're at shred speed.

 

If you want to avoid cromatic exercises practice scales, scale patterns and learn solo's. Also learn chords/theory/train your ear - it'll help you understand the scales and hopefully make you more inclined to play things that make sense/sound good.

 

There's no magic exercise that's going to make you into a shred god.

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Thanks everyone!

 

 

Hey Krank,


Just remember we can't read your mind. From the way you asked your question it sounded like you were a noob, and it didn't sound like half a jest.


If you give more specific information you might get more of the answers you want. I think for the most part the answers given were with the intent to help you.


The reason my response had just an edge of attitude on it is that we get many posts here asking the same generic "how can I play fast" question, and most of them are noobs.


It would be nice to have someone ask "how do I play well?" for a change.


Anyhow, as far as a good exercise for picking skills, here's one:

 

 

You're right, I was being a little kid there. Just thought it would be fun to stir the pot and maybe get some useful advice at the same time.

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Find a technique that allows you to tremolo pick at the speed you want to go. Slow that technique down and analyse it. Use it all the time, get control of it, play in time, sync the right and left hands.

 

 

I'm not sure I understand this - the concept of 'tremolo picking' for me involves using the elbow/forearm for movement, picking a flurry of repeated notes on a single string at a time. I thought it was 'wrong' technique for anything else.

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Tremolo picking just means holding one string and picking as fast as possible. There's no right or wrong way to pick, some people get incredible speeds from the elbow, doesn't work for me. I have to pick from the wrist.

 

That is kind of the point about these questions, what works for me won't neccessarily work for you... you have to experiement find *your* technique, then refine it. Anyone can, using one method of another, tremolo pick very fast. The problem is control and co-ordination.

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Tremolo picking just means holding one string and picking as fast as possible. There's no right or wrong way to pick, some people get incredible speeds from the elbow, doesn't work for me. I have to pick from the wrist.


That is kind of the point about these questions, what works for me won't neccessarily work for you... you have to experiement find *your* technique, then refine it. Anyone can, using one method of another, tremolo pick very fast. The problem is control and co-ordination.

 

 

But that's not very shred-like, is it?

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