How To Get Better at Guitar... Faster!
Most new guitarists taking beginner guitar lessons want to get better as quickly as possible. There is only one way to learn guitar faster, and that is to practice all the time. However, this is easier said than done and like many tasks in life it takes a lot of motivation and time. In this article we will look at some tips and techniques on how to learn and play the guitar faster, and not only will it increase your speed but also your proficiency.
FOLLOW STANDARD 'BORING' MUSICAL PRACTICE
If you want to master both your right and left hand as a guitarist you will need to practice guitar scales and guitar chords. There are ways to liven up such practice, but you need to build muscle memory, so what you might feel at times is boring repetition, is essential! This means playing scales and licks with a metronome starting from a super slow speed and then moving on only as we master that BPM (beats per minute).
This is hard for beginner guitar players because they want to jump ahead, and that is where the whole process can unravel. For those of you who may have been in school band or lessons you know that practice can be boring at times. And it’s not just a problem with new music students, as people get older, they really get tired of the strenuous work and their playing suffers.
Great guitarists and musicians are not born blessed, they put in hours of the most repetitive practice you can imagine. That is the simple, blunt, and very true answer to playing guitar fast!
STUDY THE MUSIC THEORY BEHIND WHAT YOU'RE PRACTICING
There are fun ways to practice, and one is by learning your music theory! This may seem controversial as people are wary of theory, but it’s not as hard as students assume. When a teacher or blog shows you a great lick, riff, or song to play, don’t just practice in the standard fashion mentioned above, break the music down.
Look at the notes, intervals, accents, chords and every single aspect of the song or riff. You will not understand it all right away, and when a question arises, look up the reason why. When you learn a new chord, use a guitar chord chart and find its different inversions along the neck, or when you play a new beginner guitar song, study the progression.
If you study your music, it helps develop a bigger picture and a realization that music isn’t as difficult as you might think. This helps with confidence and knowing how to be a more efficient guitarist.
SWITCH YOUR GENRES & PICKING STYLE UP
If you want to be a sweep picking machine and mad shredder you will have to spend hours with a metronome and slowly build speed in the licks you play. However, don’t get stuck in that genre and style only. Purposely learn how to clawhammer pick a banjo-like tune or perhaps try funk staccato playing.
Mix up your music beyond the kind you play, as it also works with the bigger picture, and can sometimes lead to new ideas. And most of all like sports training we want to physically push our body in a different way to challenge our muscle memory. Be sure when trying new picking and strumming to focus on each hand separately before attempting to play fast.
PLAY ALONG WITH SONGS OR OTHER MUSICIANS
Sometimes you will see an amazingly fast guitar player who can shred through licks, but they just seem mechanical about it. This lack of emotion in the music comes from the fact that way too many students play on their own or with machines. A metronome is important, but if that’s all you ever have, your speed will be impressive but not very musical.
Playing with other musicians is another essential aspect in music practice. It helps us learn our timing, rhythm, and new techniques. It doesn’t matter the genre, jamming with another musician will make you a better player. If you cannot find other players, there are many ways to augment that at home.
Drum machines, backing tracks, and regular songs are perfect for playing along with. Even if you do not know the song perfectly, just jump in and train your ears. Years ago, musicians didn’t have blogs with tips and tricks, they just got together and learned as a group. Do the same and your playing will increase in speed and efficiency.
PRACTICE WITH DIFFERENT GUITARS & STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
Now this advice isn’t meant to make you buy more guitars! But, if possible, try playing as many different guitars as you can. Try playing a heavy metal riff on a high action acoustic, and once you go back to your electric, it will be super easy! This seems like weird advice but playing different guitars with unique actions and neck shapes will be a challenge to that muscle memory. Try a left-handed guitar if you can! Make your brain hurt!
This advice also works with other stringed instruments, especially mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, and more. It goes back to that music theory idea of seeing the bigger musical picture. You don’t have to devote hours of practice to them, just get a feel for different tunings and string patterns.
PRACTICE MORE THAN YOU THINK IS NECESSARY
All these ideas are not just great for speed, they will make you a better guitar player. However, be careful not to get lost in the sauce of the big picture. If your main goal is to play faster there will have to be near daily practice of riffs, scales, licks, and songs. And when you do, you need uninterrupted time with no distractions.
Both the picking and fretting hands will have to be slowly trained until they can be done smoothly with no mistakes. If there are still mistakes on either hand, speed will never be built, and frustration and failure may follow. And if failure keeps occurring, well you simply must practice more!
The best way to learn and ultimately play guitar faster is by becoming a better all-around musician. This doesn’t just involve music theory and genre study; you need to learn the art of patience. By taking things slowly, practicing properly, and following the long hard path to excellence, only then will you be able to master amazing guitar playing speed!
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Content courtesy of Shawn Leonhardt of Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer
