To play guitar fast you must practice slow
Want to know how to Play Guitar Fast? Of course you do.
Musicians will tell you that it’s not about playing fast, but playing what’s right for the song. Thats stupid. Playing fast is all that matters!
But sometimes you are on a gig where a blazing solo is what’s called for. Or maybe you’re just bored! Getting your chops up is one of the fun things about being a musician!
So what’s the secret?
Play slowly.
That’s right. The best way to build your chops is to practice slowly along with a metronome in order to build muscle memory.
What is muscle memory? Muscle memory is what enables you to throw a baseball, brush your teeth, ride a bike and walk without thinking. Its what your muscles can recall without assistance from cognitive reasoning.
Muscle memory is developed through performing an action the same way between 20 and 80 times. It generally does not matter how quickly you repeat this action, it only matters how accurately you repeat it. What does that mean for us musicians? If you want to learn how to rip on a certain lick or scale, the most efficient use of your practice time is to repeat that action slowly and perfectly. Once you’ve gotten your phrase down at a slow tempo, then gradually increase the tempo of your metronome.
A lot of students try performing the same passage over and over again at blistering speed. They struggle to learn and grow frustrated. If they simply broke down their phrases into manageable pieces, practicing them slowly, they would see results from their hard work. This is the same principle used by professional athletes across the world.
I learned this approach to practice from my first drum teacher, Jill Mongeau, and its stuck with me. Applying this system to your woodshedding will decrease your practice time and make that practice more efficient. Give it a shot!