Answering Forum/Guitar Questions in a Live Stream

Teacher's Lounge
#1

Hello! For those who don’t know me, I’m one of the lucky guitar players Troy has interviewed. Because of how busy I am, I haven’t actively engaged on this forum in quite some time.

That being said, I do see things from time to time I feel I can add some value to what’s being discussed. And, I’d like to try doing that in the live streams I do.

The live streams I have been doing typically start off with some practice to show how I like to do things. Then we watch one or two videos and discuss what’s being taught in them.

Sometimes people ask questions during the live stream, and that’s when things can really get interesting!

If you have any questions you’d like discussed in the next live stream, which I will be doing this Friday at 1 PM (pacific time zone), please let me know! Any topics you’d like discussed, how to play riffs or licks you’ve been stuck on (please provide tabs though), just post on this thread and I’ll answer as much as I can!

This is where I’ll be streaming:

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#2

I’ll be at work at 1:00 PM, but I can’t wait to watch the recording later in the day! Please post where one can find it!

I have a few questions, too!

  • You play at extremely high speeds, so what do you do to keep your hands aligned with such tight timing margins?
  • How deep does your pick go when you hit the string, do you barely scratch the top?
  • How do you get good dynamics when you play so fast, what are you adjusting?
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#3

Thank you for the questions! I’ll definitely go over them in the stream, and post a link once it’s been archived to YouTube.

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#4

Great stuff! I’d like to ask you what you think are the most important songs or riffs to get into metal rhythm guitar!

In other words, what do you think is the essential repertoire/ vocabulary :sunglasses:

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#5

I’ll definitely give an answer, but it might be disappointing :grimacing:

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#6

Hi @milehighshred, thanks for taking our questions! I have a pretty specific question about how to practice to increase speed:

Let’s say you have an 8-bar sixteenth-note run that you can play cleanly and relaxed at 180 bpm. Let’s say you want to be able to play it cleanly and relaxed at 200 bpm. How exactly would you go about accomplishing this?

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#7

Excellent question! I’ll definitely be going over that today :slightly_smiling_face:

#8

@milehighshred I was able to watch your feed on the above link, and the content is amazing! Your posture is perfectly ergonomic, your application of the metronome is amazing, and your answers to my question were incredible… THANK YOU! While I suspect that genetics are a part of your speed, a lot of it is surely from your highly disciplined practice, and it’s great that you’re spreading that knowledge!

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#9

Oh gods, please don’t tell me this place is turning into guitar eugenics now.

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#10

I think genetics are usually an element for people that can become world-class at something that’s athletic (24 notes/second is insanity), but the major take-away (IMHO) is that disciplined metronome practice is the key to playing as fast as one can (given their genetics). (And if I could edit my genetics, I’d be so excited to change so many things… :grinning:)

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#11

Glad you saw it, and you liked the answers!

Yes, I preach about how genetics absolutely play a factor in what one can achieve. I do not say it to make people feel like they shouldn’t try and better themselves, but to help them have realistic expectations.

I’m lucky to be able to do what I do, but as you stated, disciplined practice is what took me as far as I’ve come. If I didn’t keep pushing myself, and doing my best to play with accuracy, I couldn’t do everything I currently do.

Not everyone can get in the NBA or become Mr. Olympia through hard work alone. The genetics need to be there too! But, we can always improve and get better than we were the day before, no matter what our genetics may allow :slightly_smiling_face:

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#12

For everyone who would like to see the answers, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/4q91x5ZUACs?si=tGgpvMyXT1mD-f5c&t=1950

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#14

Different motions have different speed limits. Tall ergonomic mouse RDT will always be faster than wrist-forearm, for example. Also, speed is there from day one; grinding for hours to increase speed is not how it works. What repetition does is build accuracy and hand synchronization, not speed. If genes matter, it is only at the very extreme ends at which point the music is too imperceptible to the average ear to even matter. Not to mention the fact that the fretting hand will become the limiting factor at that point, limiting the amount of interesting things you can play.

These are all lessons I believe Troy and crew have taught us. Correct me if I’m wrong on any of it.

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#15

Where are the studies that prove any of this? I would hand-wave and say classical teachers have taught for hundreds of years and they are likely to have figured out what works, but that’s not a proof, either. Note that they like slow practice and other things that many guitar people reject! I think you just have to try what makes sense to you and hopefully have great results! :grinning:

#16

Yes, different movements have different speed limits. Totally!

One of these days I plan on making a video talking about finding speed, and then how to push it further. There’s a difference, and I think people confuse the two.

I’m definitely faster than when I first learned how to move quickly, and that’s a result of trying to hit faster and faster speeds. Try something at 200, then 201, then 202, keep pushing harder and harder.

If people can increase their sprinting speed, then why not picking speed or fretting speed?

Genetics determine your personal speed limit, and ability to push things further. They also help determine one’s interest in putting in the effort! Some of us, like me, actually enjoy putting in the work. A lot of people don’t. Definitely a genetic component there.

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#17

I think in all discussions about “guitar speed” we need to clarify which of these two broad challenges we are talking about:

  1. finding a motion or technique capable of the desired speed
  2. learning new vocabulary with a fast motion that we already have

These problems are different and require a different approach to be solved. Confusing one type of task for the other can be disastrous!

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#18

That list is incomplete, it is missing a critical point,

  • increasing speed

That’s the whole point about the metronome, 1bpm, etc., and it’s exactly what a pianist from a conservatory would tell you. So, how can we reconcile that? :slight_smile:

#19

@kgk is raising the interesting question: can you increase the speed of a particular motion? Let’s say you can tremolo at 200bpm with a wrist motion. Can you increase that speed to 220bpm with metronome practice?

I think the view of @Troy and CTC generally is that you can’t. “Increasing speed” of a tremolo is really just finding a different and faster motion.

I think @milehighshred has a different view, which seems to be that you can increase your speed by pushing yourself like a bodybuilder does in the gym.

I think the first view is right but this is a really interesting point that I’d love to hear more on. I

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#20

@PickOfConsciousness I cannot speak for CtC, but I think that they’re saying this:

  • Find a motion that’s good out of the box.
  • Start with that and quickly see what is possible.

This makes sense to get started! I don’t think that they’re saying that one can’t go faster or develop alternate motions.

Now, let me provide you two forms of proof that one can go faster:

  • @Troy can play nearly any motion known to man, and he learned and polished them all, with many starting from zero. So, he had many “bad” motions and improved them! This is an amazing accomplishment.
  • @milehighshred has, through sheer force of will and moving his metronome by 1bpm in some cases, reached speeds that are absolutely insane, 22nps. Remember that a metronome at 200bpm playing 16th notes is merely 13.3nps to put 22nps into perspective! He couldn’t do that when he started, he had to earn it, click by click, hour after hour… and that’s also why his rhythm is so good, he won’t advance the metronome until everything sounds great.

In summary, yes, you can go faster, and @milehighshred explains how, very clearly.

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#21

Absolutely :smiley: Get them gains!