Sloppy sloppy sloppy.....

[Grizzly_Diesel]

Hey everyone. Ive been playing guitar for about ten years. Ive always been the heavy downtuned rhythm player. But ive recently started trying to learn some solos and write some solos as well. Ive got the speed, movin my fingers isnt a problem but doing it in a precise and clean fasion is a whole different story. Any tips on scales or exercises to help clean it up a bot???

[guitar74]

Re: Sloppy sloppy sloppy.....

The best advice I can give you on that front is, practice. practice. Start slow, start with a scale shape, any one. downstroke the first note, upstroke the next, and build your speed slowly. I know it's boring, but start slowly with your first note on a downstroke, next note upstroke. If you have to get a metronome, then do it. Set your BPM at a level where you can do this cleanly.

Next practice this scale, shape, etc., at that speed that you can cleanly execute that scale for five minutes, non stop. Take a five minute rest, and try it maybe 10 bpm faster. If you can still do it cleanly do THAT speed for five minutes non stop, take a five min breather, and increase. Do this until you reach the speed that everything sounds like garbage, back it off to the fastest level you can execute that scale, run, whatever, and THAT is the speed you should practice that piece of music. It WILL increase your speed. This is how Steve Morse (was actually in an old issue of either Guitar World or Guitar Player) does it, so I trust this method, as it works for me.

Here's the thing though: Playing fast isn't necessarily everything, so practice vibrato, work on playing soulful, and communicating what you FEEL.

I try and look at music styles that may help me on that front as well. Even though I just did a rock album, I like to play old Merle Haggard, stuff off of the Allman Bros. Live at the Fillmore (for harmony ideas), as well as nailing some of the harmony content from Glen Miller (that's where the odd interval harmonies come from), and it helps you approach thing from a non guitarist standpoint, and gives you stuff to use in the heavier music.

I know I went off point, but I used to teach, and miss it, so sorry for the wordiness. Also, check out the vids from Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, and Morse. Paul has some great speed building exercises.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Sloppy sloppy sloppy.....

+1 to everything above. There is no magic bullet, only hard work and discipline.