Play fast and long note?

[momotor]

Hi all,
I have a technique related question: I've joined one of the online guitar school. Our instructor saw my video (playing scale at 240) and told me that my notes were too short and did not ring. I know what is causing the former problem: I didn't press down long enough because my fingers were busy moving to press the next note but I don't have a solution for it. I figured if I press long "enough" I wouldn't have time to play the next note in time. Also, how do I make the notes ring?

Thanks!
-Mo

[Reg]

Less movement from note to note... left hand in better position and fingers closer to neck with less up and down movement. That the most common technique problem is see with good players. Sometimes it's as simple as better position playing, but sounds like you have a teacher and can play a little. I give lesson to very good players... usually just a couple to help them get to the next level and that's usually it, of course I make it much more complicated and give very technical and theoretical methodology and try to get very philosophical... but most of the time they just want to be able to play faster yada yada. I do have very technical material to help, but most teacher do... If you want drills let me know...Best Reg

[Luan]

If he is an instructor, why he didn't told you how to fix that?

[Blue(s) Skies]

What scale(s) do you play?And where do you play them?
Would be interesting to know, because then I'd probably be able to give you some advice.

I think Reg nailed it...it is a common problem, one that arises because guitarist want to play fast (generally).

Set your metronome at 80 BPM and play the scale (or whatever) in quarter notes, holding down each note until you finger the one that follows. Focus on getting a legato sound.

This will serve a bunch of purposes--helping to slow down your nervous system, focusing on tone, playing more smoothly, and straightening out your time.

Do this every day for a while and you will see all kinds of good things. Trust me when I tell you that international-level players do this very thing daily. Slow practice will get you there faster in this case.

[Luan]

Actually, playing picking all the notes is a stacatto sound, there is a limit on how legato you can make it sound. Using only hammer ons and pull off is a different story.
Also, I hear that hollowbodys and jazz guitar overall tends to have a very stacatto sound, with the exception of rosenwinkel's sound for example.

[fumblefingers]

yes, you need to concentrate on legato. the same thing happens to me because i want to swing it and give it a little pop. i catch myself doing that and realize - that’s not legato!

one trick is to try to exaggerate the legato playing in a few exercises by playing slowly and holding the notes as long as possible. then gradually speed it up.

[Blue(s) Skies]

I one time had problems like you have now - and I still have them a lot!
I think jeffstocksmusic is right. If you really want to play a tune fast,
first play it slowly- start at level zero!

Start at a tempo you're playing the tune, the scale the riff, what ever you're playing perfectly. Then go up 5 BPM and do the same again. If you're able to play the riff perfectly in that tempo, then go up another 5 BPM.

Do that till you can't go up anymore without loosing the perfection.
The next day you first revise the riff in the tempo you stopped yesterday. If you can't play start from the beginning again.
The important thing is that you know the riff/scale by heart. You're fingers have to be like a machine, and it's best if you don't even have to look at you're fingers while playing.

There might be a day when you think" Man I think I'm getting worse" but keep on playing the riff perfectly and increasing another five beats, perhaps even if you need days for it. Don't forget to start everyday from level zero and go up to the tempo of yesterday before you go on with a new (faster) tempo. Another hint: Try to play it effortlessly and smooth-stay calm while playing it without a cramp in your fingers , and one last one : PATIENCE!

I hope I could help you!

Blue(s) Skies

[JohnRoss]

Originally Posted by Luan

Actually, playing picking all the notes is a stacatto sound, there is a limit on how legato you can make it sound.

Um, no, there isn't, and I realize "there is a limit" is just an expression, but this is an illustration of Zeno's paradox. Yes, the more legato you get it to sound, the more difficult it is to make it more legato, but there isn't a limit.