Shred tips??

[beggar_guitar]

I know this has to be one of the most posted questions in the history of guitar message boards. I have never wanted to be a one dimensional guitar player so I have tried different styles. (more of a jack of all trades, but master at none) I can play semi-fast while stringing together some scales arpeggios. (I do so with a metronome so it isn't mindless) but I can not for the life of me place it into a jam. I can noodle mindlessly on my own but I can't place it over a composed piece of music. I can do some soloing, but nothing fast.

Tips?

 

[nuntius]

Re: Shred tips??

If you can't play fast, then the only way to get to a point where you can is to practice, and practice slowly until you can play it cleanly... then, speed it up making sure you keep things clean.

As for some shred tips, learn how to play scales 3 notes per string, including the pentatonic scale, which can sound bloody scary when played 3 notes per string and fast - check the intro lick out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I2e_E7kGsI&search=colorado bulldog 3 nps pentatonics...

I highly recommend buying a stylus pick if you want to learn economy/sweep picking, and want to increase the efficiency of your picking technique

They force you to play with the very tip of the pick only.

Try working some licks out over specific chords, or playing the arpeggio of a chord over the top.. so if the chord is Eminor, play an Eminor arpeggio over the top... simple things like that.

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Shred tips??

Try some of the 2-3mm dunlop stubby picks. They are purple and kinda small. They have a pointy tip. It really helps you with accuracy. Work on coordination between picking and fretting hands. Try some descending and ascending runs on one string. Or just play something like this, increasing speed on the metronome:

-15-14-12- Just play that as triplets to a quarter note on the metronome at whatever speed you're comfortable.

Learn all your scales in a 3 note per string position like nuntius said. That is essential.

 

[Fretology]

Re: Shred tips??

I find speed comes with accuracy ..........you should want to be accurate and precise and after you figure that out, learn how to stretch your limits....mentally and physically......a good excercise is to make up as many melodies or motifs on one note/one fret using bends and bending up varying degrees to different notes.....and do that rhythmically......what does this do you say?....alot of things can be derived from this including perfect pitch or least relative pitch, good hand strength for vibrato, rhythm etc...if you get bored of the one fret, practice sliding to another fret within the scale......and keep adding to it...Also make a point to make something cool sounding and remember it so you can play it again tomorrow. Also, for me anyway, I don't think there is ever going to be a point in time where I have reached the ultimate "speed" I can always be better, more precise and more accurate and I continually have to work on it.