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I am going to get Speed Mechanics...


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Posted

I have been playing guitar for about 16 years now and have never really been satisfied with where I am as a player. I mean you can always be better right. Life does get in the way and sometimes there just isn't the time to practice and there are tons of areas that need improvement. Today I went to the music store and bought a few things and got them to order in Speed Mechanics. Should have it by Friday or possible next Tuesday at the latest. I have heard so much about this book since coming to harmony central. No real desire to be a shredder but I definitely think this book will help me become a faster player and more technically proficient.:)

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Posted

Your on the right track there.

Its not just for shredding.

You need 3 other things with that book

1.bags of patience
2.determination
3.metranome

take it slow at first, and limit yourself to the first chapter..its a short chapter but stichk with it for few weeks and really nail it before moving on to the picking.

You will never finish this book, i bought it 10 years ago and still delve in from time to time...its great reference material.

I would also recommend John Petrucci "rock discipline" and any of the Paul Gilbert vids..great stuff and again not "only shred".

all the best

Rich

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Posted

You'll love it. the exercises are great but the best part is that they lead you up to some really outstanding solo pieces (i.e. Flight of the Bumblebee, a Paganini Caprice, etc.) that are all tabbed out in the book. A word of warning however - I believe that you are moving into a sort of danger zone for guitarists. What I mean is that alot of people jump into Speed Mechanics and don't have technique to handle it. I'm not saying you don't :) - don't get me wrong, but I know I didn't when I first bought the book. Consequently I injured my hand and didn't get all out of the book as I could have. I would suggest checking out a book called "The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar" and using it in tandem with Speed Mechanics. This way you will most likely eliminate both problems that I had.

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Posted
Originally posted by kevinp34

You'll love it. the exercises are great but the best part is that they lead you up to some really outstanding solo pieces (i.e. Flight of the Bumblebee, a Paganini Caprice, etc.) that are all tabbed out in the book. A word of warning however - I believe that you are moving into a sort of danger zone for guitarists. What I mean is that alot of people jump into Speed Mechanics and don't have technique to handle it. I'm not saying you don't
:)
- don't get me wrong, but I know I didn't when I first bought the book. Consequently I injured my hand and didn't get all out of the book as I could have. I would suggest checking out a book called "The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar" and using it in tandem with Speed Mechanics. This way you will most likely eliminate both problems that I had.


www.guitarprinciples.com is the website for that second book keep meaning to get it one day .

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Posted

my two cents...

Speed Mechanics can become a very frustrating experience.

When I got the book. I listened to the cd, started to read the stuff Mr. Stetina wrote. and I was frightened. Did I bought the right book? Do I really have to practice to play certain parts at *that* speed?

I'm no natural shredder. The day I bought the book I thought it would help me to become one. I still love shredding, but I also knew that slow guitar can touch the listener as well.

I'm more the one who plays slow but emotional solos.

This book, and especially the cd-examples are shred in it's purest form. If you try to follow everything you can get frustrated very fast. I don't know your skill, but if you're also one of the slower fellows, make the best out of it, and give a {censored} about the "recommended" speeds.

I'll practice a lot's of exercises from this book. I choosed a speed that's challenges me, but is still playable. Maybe 1/3 of the stuff Mr. Stetina recommends..

Nevertheless, the exercieses are great..

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Posted

Thanks alot guys...some good advice and great perspectives. I am already somewhat familiar with "The principles of correct practice". Been to the website a few times and I know how important it is to play relaxed and to shed yourself of muscle tension. I don't have any real grand illusions at this time. I have been playing for a long time and find that I play adequate enough. I'm not a superfast picker and I don't aspire to become a shredder. Just want to improve my lead playing...build up some speed...learn some stuff that will definitely take me up a few levels and have fun. :)

  • 2 weeks later...
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Posted

Got the book last night and have been noodling with it. Lot's of good stuff. I think I will have my work cut out for me for the next long while. That Stetina dude is a monster player.!!:D:cool:

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Posted

I got it at the end of last month. I'm still working on exercises 1 thru 6, and will continue to until I'm completely comfortable with that material before I go on. It looks so far like I easily have a years worth of lessons in the book.

Also, I'm havng a real hard time with left-hand cramping since I started playing again. Do you guys think the exercises in Speed Mechanics will help with this, or possibly make it worse?

Minh "Old Fart" Thong

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Posted

Originally posted by snakum

I got it at the end of last month. I'm still working on exercises 1 thru 6, and will continue to until I'm completely comfortable with that material before I go on. It looks so far like I easily have a years worth of lessons in the book.


Also, I'm havng a real hard time with left-hand cramping since I started playing again. Do you guys think the exercises in Speed Mechanics will help with this, or possibly make it worse?


Minh "Old Fart" Thong

 

Try looking at the guitar principles website for cramping problems , it could just be too much tension

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Posted

Total relaxation is the key to progress and to speed. I wasted 8-10 years of playing (not on guitar though) to learn that lesson on my own. The Guitar Principles site teaches you that lesson right from the start and gives you exercises to help achieve total relaxation.

"Incredible Lightness" is the key to speed:

http://www.guitarprinciples.com/GettingBetter/essay3.htm


I had the same feeling after 8 years of playing. The problem was that I built in too much tension into my hands and fingers, so I reached the limit of what I could do with that tension.... Even though I was playing slow so I could learn to play fast, I was still locking in tension into my hands and fingers. Out of frustration with lack of progress I gave up playing, and then took up the guitar to have a fresh start.

I'll tell ya, after visiting the guitar priciniples site a couple times, I always come away inspired to practice better, and with a better idea of what I need to achieve in my hands.

His essay and exercise on the "Incredible Lightness" kicked up my practice another notch. I read it two days ago. I've done the exercise occassionally during the past two days. I've taken it to where I'm teaching my fingers to fret notes without causing any sympathetic tension with the other fingers... (playing with a metronome set to 50 bpm, and 4 clicks per note... that's slow). I'm concentrating on complete relaxation, and guess what? My playing has improved more in the past two days than it has in two months. It's amazing.

I've gone ahead and ordered the book to see what else is there.

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Posted

I also have the Guitar Principles book. I ordered both that and Speed Mechanics. Let me tell you, if you play through the exercises in the SM make sure you are doing it extremely slowly at first and build and build getting faster.

Combining SM and Guitar Princliples is an excellent way to practice. Like qwerty, I have improved more in the last 6 weeks than probably in the last 2 years of my playing.

I am nailing pieces that I would struggle and struggle on before. Im picking clean, using proper technique and most importantly I feel relaxed. It was painfully slow at first, but you HAVE to start off slowly to build the foundation. Once you have the foundation your playing will escalate.

If your not relaxed when your playing you won't enjoy your playing as much as your 'trying to hard and concentrating' instead of enjoying.

Please keep these things in mind when you practice.

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Posted

Originally posted by snakum

I got it at the end of last month. I'm still working on exercises 1 thru 6, and will continue to until I'm completely comfortable with that material before I go on. It looks so far like I easily have a years worth of lessons in the book.


Also, I'm havng a real hard time with left-hand cramping since I started playing again. Do you guys think the exercises in Speed Mechanics will help with this, or possibly make it worse?


Minh "Old Fart" Thong

 

 

 

Don't forget to stretch you hands and forearms before playing for extended periods!! It makes the difference.

 

You wouldn't run 5 miles without stretching before and after , would you?

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Posted

Oh, I'm stretching quite often, and have been for the lst 25 years. This is a cramping in my left/fretting hand, primarily between the thumb and index finger, but through out the whole hand to a lesser degree.

I've always used .011s or .012s with very high action and have always tended to BASH the guitar. I think I moved back to medium strings too fast, and am fretting way too hard. I'm changing to .010s this weekend, lowering my action, and trying to reduce the amount of tension in my fretting technique.

Minh
(Still trying to nail exercises 1 thru 6 :D )

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Posted

I used to get pain between my thumb and index... it's from gripping the neck to hard or having your thumb too high above the fretboard. Make sure your thumb is in a relaxed position on the other side of the neck. I think as long as you have the proper form and enough dexterity, string gauge does't cause any extra pain. I play (shred) on 11's... :cool:

Joel
(exercise 134)

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