Hi @Troy.
I’m curious to know human limits concerning movement speeds also. I think it’s interesting to know what’s possible on guitar, even if it’s not musically interesting.
Years ago, I was a member of a few internet forums where the topic of speed came up frequently. On several of these forums, there was a user named willjay who had compiled hundreds of clips of fast playing and had accurately clocked the rates. You might have have read some of these discussions or even taken part in them.
I think that willjays’s criteria was somewhat extreme. To make his list, the lick had to be played with strict alternate picking and last for at least one second. His method was to find the fastest second long clip he could find and count the notes in that second. I had a discussion with him once on Eric Johnson’s official forum, where he indicated to me that he felt this was the only reasonable use of the term “notes per second,” where I felt (and still believe) that the term describes a rate.
Interestingly, willjay divided his list into “controlled” movements and “arm spasm” movements, and had little appreciation of the latter. The fastest “controlled” movements he clocked were of Shawn Lane in the 18-19 note per second range, while other players, including some forum members, we able to reach rates of about 24 notes per second using the “arm spasm” movements.
I find it very interesting that willjay’s results for “arm spasm” picking are roughly in agreement with the 12 Hertz you’ve mentioned in your post, which is why I’ve mentioned his list in this post. In fact, I think the 12 Hertz limit you’ve mentioned is interesting as it indicates that the fastest anybody could play anything with string hopping movements is 12 notes per second. This in turn reminds me of the Steve Morse interview analysis, where it was suggested that the speed of Tumeni Notes (about 14 notes per second), was above what can be accomplished with string hopping.
I’ve always been a little dubious of some of the Shawn Lane licks that willjay claimed were played at those speeds with strict alternate picking. For example, when demonstrating his signature diminished string skips on Power Licks, Shawn claims it can be played “picking every note,” but when the video is slowed down, it can be seen that he wasn’t in fact picking note. He also describes some picking licks as being “strict” alternate picking licks, but which are in fact involve some economical string changes to fit a DWPS orientation. When playing descending 6s however, Shawn definitely was able to reach 18-19 notes per second with alternate picking, as it’s a one-way pickslanting lick.
I’ve also also always suspected that Shawn introduced some elbow movement when he was really burning. When I watch this performance of Not Again and the outro jam, and in particular the speed picking licks beginning at 4:56, it really looks to me lick the driving force of the picking movement is elbow based, with a deviation-like wrist movement occuring because the wrist is so relaxed.
When I slow down the video in Transcribe!, it still looks like this warp-speed mechanic is primarily driven by small movement from the elbow.
For those who are interested, willjay’s list can still be found online via Google. Roy doesn’t appear on the list, but as he’s using controlled movements to play strict alternate picking patterns that are synchronized with the left hand, and which move across strings, he should qualify.
Other techniques, be it hammers and pull-offs, sweeping and tapping can all allow for higher speeds, and I think it’s equally interesting to consider what’s possible with those techniques also. In Rowan J Parker video where Roy demonstrates his “ludicrous legato,” which is apparently (I haven’t verified this) 32nd notes at 200bpm, which is just shy of 27 notes per second.