Guitar/Bass players!

[Dr Boners]

Okay, so do any of you know a way I can increase my finger speed on my fret hand? I'm trying to do a song with an awkward shift to do a couple of pull offs (8th fret on e to 6th on A with a 6 to 5 pull off on A then E) and I'm finding it hard to do, any advice other than practicing it more?

[theknightsofni]

get a metronome, start slow and slowly increase the speed of it

[Dwin]

Metronomes are for nubs.

[Chris R]

Pretty much what knights said. Try and do something chromatic, like take your fingers, stretch them across frets one through four, and just go with a metronome and build up speed. It can help to do this all across a fretboard.

[Captain Colon]

any advice other than practicing it more?
there is no other advice :o

[nojmaster]

Do hammer-on/pull-off exercises, you can do 'em chromatically, or in a scale, whatever. One thing I do is make sure not just to do it string by string, like 1h3 on E then A then D then G then B then e, but to alternate, like do it E then D then A then G, etc. That kind of stuff helped my technique out. You can work out loads of little things like that on your own to practise. Or you could just practise the one thing you're trying to do over and over till you get it, that works too :p

[Captain Colon]

You're rolling your middle finger from the 6th fret E string to 6th fret A string rite? You definitely shouldn't be using seperate fingers when you're switching strings. Alternatively you can finger the 6th fret with your index finger and then slide to the 5th fret, instead of doing a pull-off.

[Dr Boners]

You're rolling your middle finger from the 6th fret E string to 6th fret A string rite? You definitely shouldn't be using seperate fingers when you're switching strings. Alternatively you can finger the 6th fret with your index finger and then slide to the 5th fret, instead of doing a pull-off.

I'm rolling 6th fret to 5th on A then doing the same on E. Fender P bass necks, I'm thinking, were not make for people with tiny hands.

[Captain Colon]

I'm rolling 6th fret to 5th on A then doing the same on E.
i dunno wut dat meenz, mayb i will make a clip of how i would playsz it sometime if i remember

[CIA_Killer]

http://www.insaneguitar.com/ (Go to Master class and then alternate picking.)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5624

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9139

Remember; use a metronome or else you will get fucked in the long run.

[Captain Colon]

metronomes are gay, i've never used one and i rule

*E* O sry brenak, I misread your post, I thought it was an 8p6 on E, then a 6p5 on A and a 6p5 on E. What you're playing should be easy if you use your pinky. You use your pinky rite? >:\

[CIA_Killer]

To be honest, not using a metronome when developing speed is pretty foolish. An amazing number musicians believe that they have an accurate sense of time, but very few are naturals. Usually there will come a time where the musician is not able to further his technical capabilities because of not using a metronome.

EDIT: If you REALLY want to boost your technical abilities, I suggest getting John Petrucci's Rock Discipline. Yes he does look like a fruitcake but he could own your ass in guitar playing any day. ;)

[Captain Colon]

practicing is boring :(

[Dr Boners]

Yes he does look like a fruitcake but he could own your ass in guitar playing any day. ;)

Mostly beacuse I play bass :P

[theknightsofni]

then get progressive bass concepts by John Myung

[Captain Colon]

or don't get any instructional anything cause they're all the same

[Evil Superstar]

The only thing that really helps for me is: start slow until you got that and gently speed it up. Remember: speed comes after accuracy!

[TheSock]

If it's really fast, work on moving one finger while playing another note, and on bass, I find it really helps to fingerpick because you can use 2-3 fingers instead of one pick. If you don't have it figured out by next week, Lee told me that you're coming down to Dollazchesta to rage with us, so I could show you before I'm drunk.

-e-

I have found out that you are in fact going to a show, and won't be in dollazchesta for a good time. You're a bastard and I hate you.

[Gopats]

I just tuned my guitar to AAAAAA lolllll it sounds pretty sweet

[pk!]

As well as all the other advice, use thin clean strings on a clean guitar with low action.

Incidentally if you are ever auditioning for a new bunch of people, clean your guitar first and have fairly new strings. Initial impressions count for a lot and it's important to look professional.

[Afro Joe]

Since we're on the guitar thread some of you guys find me a good fingerpicking song to learn. AND MAKE IT GOOD!

[Feanaro]

Metronomes + scales. Go for three notes per string with a "stretchy" scale like Phrygian for extra points.

That's all I gots.

OMGHI2U AFRO! Classical Gas (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/m/mason_williams/classical_gas_ver2_tab.htm).

[pk!]

Fingerpicking:The three finest acoustic folk guitarists are Bert Jansch, Davy Graham and John Renbourn. The greatest of these is Davy Graham.

Jansch's cover of Graham's 'Angi' has become a folk rite of passage - either you can play it or you can't. It seems simple enough - Am/G/F/E but there is a great deal going on. http://musictonic.com/music/Bert-Jansch#vid-28p0hnQSCMw

I can't be sure of the above vid because I don't have Flash. The tab is easy to find.

Some of Bert Jansch's instrumentals were recorded by Led Zeppelin - for example Jansch's 'Blackwaterside' became Page's "Black Mountainside" and the later lawsuit set Bert up for life.

Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie is a neat, easy little tune btw.

[Captain Colon]

Metronomes + scales. Go for three notes per string with a "stretchy" scale like Phrygian for extra points.
Every mode is equally "stretchy" if you play it using three notes per string :lincoln: Try harmonic minor for extra stretchiness :D

Also, when you're playing three-note-per-string major scales and you get to the two whole-step intervals (eg. 3-5-7 on a string), try fingering the middle note with your ring finger instead of your middle finger. The ring and pinky can't stretch very far apart naturally so it's good to work them out as much as possible to improve that reach.

[Feanaro]

Every mode is equally "stretchy" if you play it using three notes per string :lincoln:

Maybe we are playing them in different positions but Locrian has multiple five-fret stretches in nearly every position, where you can get three notes per strings on four frets for most of Dorian.

[Captain Colon]

It doesn't make a difference because you're playing the same intervals for each mode, just starting at a different note. You can't start the Dorian mode from a different note (eg starting D dorian at F), because then you'd be playing a different mode.

[CIA_Killer]

Since we're on the guitar thread some of you guys find me a good fingerpicking song to learn. AND MAKE IT GOOD!

Flamenco.

Go search for some Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía if you think you're hot shit. ;)

[nojmaster]

Also, when you're playing three-note-per-string major scales and you get to the two whole-step intervals (eg. 3-5-7 on a string), try fingering the middle note with your ring finger instead of your middle finger. The ring and pinky can't stretch very far apart naturally so it's good to work them out as much as possible to improve that reach.

If only I didn't have girlishly small hands :(

Since here's a general guitar-thread, I needs some advice. I'm in the market for a decent mid-range electric with which to play rock and or roll, or pretty much anything else. Not too fussed whether it's got a whammy bar or not so that's not an issue either way. I've got a strat knockoff that's served me pretty good but I want something shiny with a new shape to cuddle at night, priced between 300-400 quid. Any suggestions?

[pk!]

I'm a big fan of Telecasters - very basic, not a lot to go wrong. The AK-47 of guitars. The Squier copies aren't bad.

If you want something a little different, I just got a Hofner Contemporary Shorty - I don't know what it's like to play as I've kept it right-handed for guests (I am left-handed) but visitors have liked it.

http://www.hofner.com/gab/en/phpshop/43/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.zupf_flypage/product_id,49/category_id,9/

http://www.hofner.com/images/stories/zupf/p1_1024/hct-sh-bl_01.jpg

[Evil Superstar]

If only I didn't have girlishly small hands :(

Since here's a general guitar-thread, I needs some advice. I'm in the market for a decent mid-range electric with which to play rock and or roll, or pretty much anything else. Not too fussed whether it's got a whammy bar or not so that's not an issue either way. I've got a strat knockoff that's served me pretty good but I want something shiny with a new shape to cuddle at night, priced between 300-400 quid. Any suggestions?


I've seen some nice Epi LPs in that price range or as pk! said, a nice tele (although Im not too thrilled about squiers) which usually have a smaller neck then LP models.

[[Political] Slayer]

To be honest, not using a metronome when developing speed is pretty foolish. An amazing number musicians believe that they have an accurate sense of time, but very few are naturals. Usually there will come a time where the musician is not able to further his technical capabilities because of not using a metronome.

EDIT: If you REALLY want to boost your technical abilities, I suggest getting John Petrucci's Rock Discipline. Yes he does look like a fruitcake but he could own your ass in guitar playing any day. ;)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evTTHS9hwvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pJ1ccnC1GI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKMYeXkYcgs

[RoommateRiot]

The only thing that really helps for me is: start slow until you got that and gently speed it up. Remember: speed comes after accuracy!

QFE. :)

[[Political] Slayer]

i dont know, i play full speed and work on accuracy and that works for me D:

[Captain Colon]

me too :)