How to Increase Your Speed Playing Electric Guitar

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose a guitar pick with a thickness of 0.7 mm (0.028 inch) or above.

   The thicker pick will provide a stable feeling when you playing fast.
   
   Practice with your picks regularly to make sure you feel comfortable with them.
2. 2

   Step 2: Strengthen your fretting or picking hand.

   There is a range of ways to do this effectively, as explained in the following steps. , This may look weird but it does help to strengthen your hands and your muscles. , Just as runners have to run every day, guitarists have to keep their hands moving every day.
   
   This exercise is not about speed, but is about your hand's endurance.
   
   At first, you may think this is not necessary but give it a try.
   
   Can you keep strumming all eighth notes at 120bpm in 5 minutes? Do this daily. The help from metronome to maintain the tempo is optional. , The aim of this is to make your fretting fingers faster and your picking fingers get used to alternative picking technique (pick up and down, up and down, up and down continuously while you are playing).
   
   Here is the example (in this example, you use all four of your fretting fingers):
   E|-------------------------------------------------- B|-------------------------------------------------- G|--------------------------------------1--2--3--4-- D|--------------------------1--2--3--4-------------- A|--------------1--2--3--4-------------------------- E|--1--2--3--4--------------------------------------
   --------------------- E|--4--3--2--1-------------------------------------- B|--------------4--3--2--1-------------------------- G|--------------------------4--3--2--1-------------- D|--------------------------------------4--3--2--1-- A|-------------------------------------------------- E|-------------------------------------------------- , This is the same as the example above.
   
   You may edit the notes in order to practice your fingers one by one.
   
   Here is another example :
   E|-------------------------------------- B|-------------------------------------- G|-------------------------------------- D|-------------------------------------- A|-------------------3-----3--4--3--4--6-- E|--3--4--6--4--6----6-----------------
   --------------------- E|----------------------------------------- B|----------------------------------------- G|--------------------------------------3- D|---------3----3--4--3--4--6--4--6--- A|--4--6-----6--------------------------- E|----------------------------------------- , The idea of this step is also same as other previous steps.
   
   You now practice with common major, minor and pentatonic scales.
   
   For example (E Major scale):
   E|-------------------------------------------0---2---4--- B|-----------------------------------0---2--------------- G|---------------------------1---2----------------------- D|-------------------1---2------------------------------- A|-----------0---2--------------------------------------- E|---0---2-----------------------------------------------
   -------------- E|---4---2---0------------------------------------------- B|---------------2---0----------------------------------- G|-----------------------2---1--------------------------- D|-------------------------------2---1------------------- A|---------------------------------------2---0----------- E|-----------------------------------------------2---0---
   -------------- (G Pentatonic Major Scale) E|-------------------------------------------3---5--- B|-----------------------------------3---5----------- G|---------------------------2---4------------------- D|-------------------2---5--------------------------- A|-----------2---5----------------------------------- E|---3---5-------------------------------------------
   -------------- E|---5---3------------------------------------------- B|-----------5---3----------------------------------- G|-------------------4---2--------------------------- D|---------------------------5---2------------------- A|-----------------------------------5---2----------- E|-------------------------------------------5---3--- , This is the key to effective fast playing. , There are a lot of techniques that can help you improve your speed when playing guitar, such as hammer on, pull off, legato and sweep picking.
   
   However, sweep picking might not be easy for beginner players.
3. 3

   Step 3: Do pull-ups.

4. 4

   Step 4: Practice strumming your guitar.

5. 5

   Step 5: Play frets up and down with alternative picking technique.

6. 6

   Step 6: Practice using specific fingers (index

7. 7

   Step 7: middle and pinkie).

8. 8

   Step 8: Practice with particular scales.

9. 9

   Step 9: Practice regularly.

10. 10

    Step 10: Combine the strengthening exercises with other techniques.

Detailed Guide

About the Author