Is it possible to increase a motions speed?

Playing Technique
#1

Hi!

New to this forum. It´s been completely eye opening too me all this about finding your motion and pick slanting ect. Been watching pretty much everything on the pick slanting primer. Just amazing and great teaching as well!

I´m working on finding my primary motion and while using it stay relaxed and comfortable. For now I don´t have the possibility to record and post it so this will have to do for now. From what I can see I use DWPS with the USX-motion.
I THINK I´m using forearm/wrist motion but that´s a question for later when I’m posting a video of it.

I can do 170 Bpm, sixteenths pretty easy and relaxed for around + 10 seconds.
180 Bpm, struggling with 3 bars.
190 Bpm, struggling with 2 bars.

(Only talking about tremolo on one string)

My motion tests shows I got forearm around 210 Bpm, and simple “knocking” around 210-220 Bpm.

I´m trying to relax in between “takes” to get back to how I want It to feel. (Relaxed)

My goal Is being able to play 200 Bpm with ease for 30 seconds.

Now to my questions:

Is it possible to reach my goal with the motion I´m using just by practising it more?

Should I, If doing it right, be able to play It 200 Bpm, 30 sec right from the start and 170 Bpm is just a sign that I´m doing it wrong and should change to another motion?

If put in the time or does this mean I´m doing it “wrong”?

Is playing 170 Bpm pretty effortless for a while a “receipt” that my tremolo/motion is good but needs to be polished? With other words, I´m on the right track.

And lastly…

Is it possible to learn a new motion with great speed even If I´m not fast at the moment?

Best Regards
Patri

#2

You can absolutely go faster.

Read @milehighshred ’s free metronome book and download a free metronome app on your smartphone.

1 Like
#3

I will check it out. thanks!

I guess another question I have would be if endurance is something that Is something everyone most develop next beside speed? Or is it that If endurance is a problem, I´m doing the technic wrong to begin with and should rethink my motions? From what I can make of the primer course it is not a matter of endurance and speed practise, more like; “If I´m doing the motions correct non om endurace and speed practice will be necessary”.

Does it make sense?

#4

There are a lot of factors here, so I’m going to answer the title of your post with a vague “maybe”.

Without seeing your motion, it’s tough to say what’s going on, but I do think that going from 16ths @ 170 for >10 seconds, to struggling with a couple of seconds at 190, is a pretty big drop-off. That is only a speed difference of less than 2 notes per second.

So my question to you is: why do you think this is happening? Are you tightening up and just need to stop, does it feel like the motion just won’t go at a higher speed, something else?

More generally, increases in speed and endurance are the result of honing a technique, so maybe if this motion is new to you, you just need to work out the kinks (which can take some time). Still, you need to know what exactly those problems are before you can fix them.

3 Likes
#5

Been doing some heavy thinking and testing tonight (from sweden). I realize that my picking angle combined with how much edge picking I’ve been using made som difference. Now 180 Bpm feels easy and smooth and 190 feels ok for maybe 1-2 bars.

I think I’ve been underestimated how much of an impact the edge picking have for speed. At least one step in the right direction I guess.

I also must say that I recently discovered Troy Grady and only been working for this maybe a week. I’ve got tons of motivation and have, probably like many others, realized how wrong I’ve been schooled when it comes to picking and motions.

I will eventually put up some vids of my technique and I’d love some feedback.

1 Like
#6

If you are Rusty C. and only hit the top half of a string, would edge picking have any impact? My guess is, “no.” This is probably very dependent on picking depth and possibly pick stiffness.