The Secret to Playing at Fast Tempos (LJS)

[Patrick2]

I just really think that the whole "it's not physical" line of argument is just really bad advice. Most guitar player's problems are very physical in nature.

There's no magic frame of mind that's going to fix it for you. You have to practice carefully and slowly and be able to handle the skills needed.

Look at what guys like Reg are telling you. It's not to just "relax" or try to "hear better". It's all about getting better organized and comfortable on the instrument.

Yep!! That sez it all . . doesn't it? Too many people that seek to accelerate their playing to faster tempos . . . really can't express coherent thoughts at slower tempos yet. There are way too many people playing at hyper speed, whose lines don't speak, musically.

[Patrick2]

Ok. Good advice in the article. But the main things, from my perspective, is to PHRASE. I don't think you got into phrasing too much and that is the primary culprit, at least it was for me. And don't feel you have to jump in at playing all 8th notes at blistering speed. Start slower. No one will notice as you build up momentum and lock into the groove. The groove is the most important thing. Don't drag even a little. The best way I've found to do that is to PHRASE. Start with whole notes. Create a melodic footprint.

Note: Don't despair or even think about your right hand. That follows the left. My left won't follow my right and come up with anything interesting to play. Give the band something to dig into. If you know what you're playing you can play it.

Practice playing fast tunes very slowly. This is so you can learn to play the notes and phrase within the changes. When you feel comfortable at the tempo increase it to the point of just being uncomfortable. Work it there until you get it. Then increase the tempo until you can do it at THE tempo. It might take a while -- like months.

Undercut: Listen to fast solos. Imagine your fingers flying over the fretboard playing it, regardless of whether it's a horn player, pianist or guitarist. Also it doesn't matter whether the notes you're imagining are correct or not.

Undercut: Imagine you playing the solo AWAY from the guitar. Think phrasing.

Undercut: You'll have to develop good right hand technique. Deadly accurate time.

Undercut: You have to develop better left hand technique. Solid left hand strength. Timing should be in the LEFT which is trained to make the right follow. Not that you should be pressing hard. But for me playing fast depends on having a lot of strength in the left hand.

Relax. Breath. Listen. Any bit of doubt or breach in confidence might send you crumbing.

Perfectly stated, IMO

[kenbennett]

Honestly, I have never noticed that good players tap their feet at all. I never even noticed that they have feet. What the fuck you tap for? That's wasting energy that your fingers need.

Maybe they tap. I've just never noticed it and don't consider it essential to playing in any way. It's just incidental body movement like swaying hips or bobbing head.

I would bet that most great players have no awareness of their feet whatsoever! When they're burning, they don't even realize they got feet.

[mrcee]

Some tap with their feet and some don't. Monk used to pound the floor. I'm a foot tapper myself but it's totally involuntary. I'm not doing it to keep time. I think that it's more reacting to what I'm playing. Miles when asked what he looked for in a young player said that he could tell how well a person played just watching them open their case and set up the instrument. And he looked for a player who kept time, if they did use their feet at all, by tapping their heel and not their toe. Makes sense to me, the toe is sort of extended away from the body whereas the heel is in a direct line with it.

[ecj]

Honestly, I have never noticed that good players tap their feet at all. I never even noticed that they have feet. What the fuck you tap for? That's wasting energy that your fingers need.

Maybe they tap. I've just never noticed it and don't consider it essential to playing in any way. It's just incidental body movement like swaying hips or bobbing head.

I would bet that most great players have no awareness of their feet whatsoever! When they're burning, they don't even realize they got feet.

Wynton Marsalis tapped his foot on the quarter note even on fast tunes when I saw him.

[mr. beaumont]

Honestly, I have never noticed that good players tap their feet at all. I never even noticed that they have feet. What the fuck you tap for? That's wasting energy that your fingers need.

Maybe they tap. I've just never noticed it and don't consider it essential to playing in any way. It's just incidental body movement like swaying hips or bobbing head.

I would bet that most great players have no awareness of their feet whatsoever! When they're burning, they don't even realize they got feet.

"Tap" means a lot of things really. Mine is more like a "toe twitch." You'd probably never see it, but i do it.

The need for it? Depends on what the band's like, for me.

[henryrobinett]

To tap or not to tap. Moot. Silly. Neither will make you play faster. Time is internal regardless of tapping habits. If i helps you regulate your sense of time all the better. Basically you need to know where one is.

[Irez87]

[Irez87]

I took a risk and posted, let the hate filled youtube posts commence. On a different note, I was curious about how to phrase or feel double time runs. Still eludes me.

[henryrobinett]

I hope no hate starts! Thank you for uploading!

[vintagelove]

I took a risk and posted, let the hate filled youtube posts commence. On a different note, I was curious about how to phrase or feel double time runs. Still eludes me.

The comedian Cat Williams said something quite profound in the age of the Internet.

If you don't have at least three haters, you're not trying hard enough.


unfortunitly in the world of the Internet troll, getting a few negative comments is indeed proof you are doing well. People are jealous you can do something they can not. That's the world we live in, haters gonna hate....

[Shadow of the Sun]

The funny thing is, since this forum's been overtaken by Troy Grady recently, is that this fits in with his ideas, especially chunking.

Funny how spot on that man is.

[Irez87]

I've been digging his magnet video cam for looking at the mechanics of picking

[henryrobinett]

Troy Grady?

[Shadow of the Sun]

Troy Grady is the guy who does "Cracking the Code".

[henryrobinett]

Troy Grady is the guy who does "Cracking the Code".

I realized that later. Caused me to look around the forum. Not interested. But cool.

[christianm77]

I would be really really careful about takin advice from people who haven't demonstrated their ability to do what they are teaching you to do.

Stopped reading when he admitted that he's not great at fast tempos.

I want to listen to the guy who sucked at fast tempos then figured it out, not the guy who still can't do it.

Are you discussing playing music at fast tempos (improvising freely at tempo) or being able to burn 8ths at a fast tempo (chops)?

Totally different things. See Peter Bernstein and Jim hall for classic examples of up tempo work which isn't very 'notey'

on the other hand fast playing is usually cut and dried. Adam Rogers said something to that effect. If you play fast it will be something you have played before.

the way you feel the beat makes a big difference to all of this. Amalgamating the beat into larger groups - tapping your foot on one etc - is an important step, because you might be able to play 16ths at 160 but not 8ths at 320 (try it with a band in a box play along on loud if you don't understand what I mean.) it's harder to keep from getting excited when the drums and bass are really going for it.

Then you can tap your foot in four (or not) and feel it as a subdivision of a larger grouping.

ive also found practicing in 1/2 note triplets gives a feeling of relaxation.

Psychology.

The 2thing is big. A trad band I play with often clocks up 320+. I play rhythm guitar straight fours at this tempo. It feels more relaxed because we play in 2...

[christianm77]

I took a risk and posted, let the hate filled youtube posts commence. On a different note, I was curious about how to phrase or feel double time runs. Still eludes me.

Interesting subject. I find the mike longo DVDs useful for this.

one thing is feeling the 1/4 note triplet helps me feel the true double time. True swinging double time to me does not feel like 16th notes if that makes any sense.

Really counterintuitive. The interplay between triple and duple time in American music is endlessly fascinating...

[ecj]

Are you discussing playing music at fast tempos (improvising freely at tempo) or being able to burn 8ths at a fast tempo (chops)?

Totally different things. See Peter Bernstein and Jim hall for classic examples of up tempo work which isn't very 'notey'

on the other hand fast playing is usually cut and dried. Adam Rogers said something to that effect. If you play fast it will be something you have played before.

the way you feel the beat makes a big difference to all of this. Amalgamating the beat into larger groups - tapping your foot on one etc - is an important step, because you might be able to play 16ths at 160 but not 8ths at 320 (try it with a band in a box play along on loud if you don't understand what I mean.) it's harder to keep from getting excited when the drums and bass are really going for it.

Then you can tap your foot in four (or not) and feel it as a subdivision of a larger grouping.

ive also found practicing in 1/2 note triplets gives a feeling of relaxation.

Psychology.

The 2thing is big. A trad band I play with often clocks up 320+. I play rhythm guitar straight fours at this tempo. It feels more relaxed because we play in 2...

Kind of both. Bernstein can still play the 8s when he needs to. Hall. I know, heresy, but I hate the way Jim Hall plays on fast tunes. It sounds like he can't finish licks.

I do agree with amalgamation, both rhythmically and harmonically (ignore the iis!), but I dispute the writer's dismissal of the importance of physicality.

[Irez87]

Interesting subject. I find the mike longo DVDs useful for this.

one thing is feeling the 1/4 note triplet helps me feel the true double time. True swinging double time to me does not feel like 16th notes if that makes any sense.

Really counterintuitive. The interplay between triple and duple time in American music is endlessly fascinating...

I think I hear that in the way Cannonball Adderley plays double time. He swings the double time lines and makes them feel like a grooving rocking boat, with all that momentum. I'll try that 1/4 triplet thing. Does that mean that you shape your line dynamically and melodically with the 1/4 triplet?

[christianm77]

I think I hear that in the way Cannonball Adderley plays double time. He swings the double time lines and makes them feel like a grooving rocking boat, with all that momentum. I'll try that 1/4 triplet thing. Does that mean that you shape your line dynamically and melodically with the 1/4 triplet?

you feel the triplet as a 6/8 in you body- you can play it too, maybe an arpeggio or something.

1/2 note triplet. Really feel the 3/4.... Make sure that you aren't playing a 3 3 2-easily done!

then solo freely as you as you would and notice how it feels

[christianm77]

Kind of both. Bernstein can still play the 8s when he needs to. Hall. I know, heresy, but I hate the way Jim Hall plays on fast tunes. It sounds like he can't finish licks.

I do agree with amalgamation, both rhythmically and harmonically (ignore the iis!), but I dispute the writer's dismissal of the importance of physicality.

I think the amount of chops you have at any tempo is linked to how you perceive time. But you do need to be able to execute stuff physically it is true.