Due to poor technique, I’ve always had issues with tension. Largely thanks to CTC, this is slowly becoming less of a problem. I wanted to see if any other members were getting the same kinds of speeds as me for a phrase vs a minute.
- I recently hit 1/16ths at 240bpm - I can get through a 41-note descending run (where I pick 38 of those notes as I start the first string with some ligado to get the speed going). My pick hand tends to follow my fret hand (that’s my focus), and my fret hand can do the run ligado at 270bpm, so we’ll see if I can go any quicker. However, 240 is enough for now (if not forever) - it’s more stamina that needs improvement.
- I can only do a repeated version (adding in the ascending version of the run) at around 160bpm for one minute plus. I tense up at some point (usually within 30 seconds) at higher speeds.
- I’m fine for soloing, but I play the kind of metal that requires consistent tremolo picking, which is my biggest challenge. As I mentioned, my fret hand kind of triggers my pick hand’s speed, so when I’m holding a single note, I just can’t play as fast for as long. Surely a mental thing, but it is what it is. In relation to CTC, this means that the max speed on one note doesn’t really work for me, since I can play faster (and clean) when the fret hand is playing some kind of sequence (I particularly like/benefit from three octave types as opposed to box shapes).
Just some analysis to which I’m wondering if anyone else here can relate.
Cheers