What are some good tips/patterns to practice picking speed and accuracy?

[prsplayer12]

This may be more of an electric guitar question, but could pertain to acoustic as well. I've started playing my electric more recently and seeing as how I havent seriously sat down with it in a few years I am a little rusty. I'm trying to re-teach myself alternating picking patterns and the correct techniques to build speed and accuracy. I'm pretty slow right now, and one hand always tends to move faster than the other. haha

Anyone have any ideas of specific patterns/techniques to practice or any other tips?

[rick-slo]

Flatpicking or fingerpicking?

[clintj]

Scales, all the patterns up the neck work best for me. Ascending then descending. Major, minor and pentatonic. I'll play a pattern slow, then a little faster etc.

[WonderMonkey]

In addition to scales, etc. here is an exercise that I'll always do. It works four frets and each string in all combinations.

Fingering Combos - Left Hand / Right Hand Drill

There are 24 combinations of fingerings in four frets using one string, as shown below. Each number represents a finger which covers only one fret. “1” is the pointer, “2” is the middle, “3” is the ring, and “4” is the pinky. Run this up the strings in a box pattern, move down one fret, and then run back down in the same fingering sequence, move down one fret, go back up, etc. until you have gone all the way down the neck. Go slow, use your fingertips, make sure your tone (fretting the string well) is good, and concentrate on form. This is not a speed drill but a technique and muscle memory exercise.

Using the “2 1 3 4” pattern and starting at the first fret we would have one pattern run (up, over one fret, then down):

|-2-1-3-4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8-|
|---------2-1-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8---------|
|-----------------2-1-3-4-------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8-----------------|
|-------------------------2-1-3-4---------------------------------6-5-7-8-------------------------|
|---------------------------------2-1-3-4------------------6-5-7-8--------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------2-1-3-4--6-5-7-8----------------------------------------|

24 Possible Fingering Combos
1 2 3 4
2 1 3 4
3 1 2 4
4 1 2 3
1 2 4 3
2 1 4 3
3 1 4 2
4 1 3 2
1 3 2 4
2 3 1 4
3 2 1 4
4 2 1 3
1 3 4 2
2 3 4 1
3 2 4 1
4 2 3 1
1 4 2 3
2 4 1 3
3 4 1 2
4 3 1 2
1 4 3 2
2 4 3 1
3 4 2 1
4 3 2 1

On week 1 pick the first two fingering combos (1 2 3 4, 1 2 4 3) and using each one start at fret 1 and go all the way down the neck. One set of these two fingerings will have you traverse the neck two times.

One week 2, and each week after that, pick the next two fingerings and practice them in the same manner as week 1’s set. However to keep advancing on what you learned in the prior week do one pattern run (up the box, move down one fret, down the box) of all prior fingering combos. On week two one complete set will have two trips down the neck for the new fingering combos and two pattern runs of the previous combos. Next week will have two trips down the next for the new fingering combos and four pattern runs of the previous combos. And so on. What has been just described is the minimum you should do. If you want to do two, or more, pattern runs of previous weeks fingerings then do so but ensure that each one of them is performed with focus. If you need to take a break and come back to finish then do so.

On the twelfth week you will be working on the last set of two fingering combos. This is four two down the neck (new fingering combo) and 22 patterns (previous weeks).

After the twelve week cycle is over start over with full neck runs of the first fingering combos but keep doing the single (or more) patterns of the other 22. If you have not already use a metronome at a slow BPM to practice.

[prsplayer12]

Hm. That looks pretty interesting. I'll have to give it a go later. The main problem that i found with just running through scales is that it doesnt always engage every finger and then i sort of get tunnel vision using only two or three fingers for a while.

[wrbriggs]

Originally Posted by prsplayer12

Hm. That looks pretty interesting. I'll have to give it a go later. The main problem that i found with just running through scales is that it doesnt always engage every finger and then i sort of get tunnel vision using only two or three fingers for a while.

A great strategy that engages all your fingers (learned this from "Blues You Can Use") is to work on seamlessly merging multiple scale patterns moving up the neck. I am terrible at it, but it seems pretty effective. That book is great, as it starts out one pattern at a time, and has you slowly learn how to blend each different scale pattern.

[sleepyEDB]

Hi WonderMonkey,

Thanks for the great drill, and very thorough post! I'm probably over-thinking this, but when I read the following part of your explanation,

Originally Posted by WonderMonkey

Each number represents a finger which covers only one fret. “1” is the pointer, “2” is the middle, “3” is the ring, and “4” is the pinky.

I can't quite combine it with the tab layout below:

Originally Posted by WonderMonkey

Using the “2 1 3 4” pattern and starting at the first fret we would have one pattern run (up, over one fret, then down):

|-2-1-3-4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8-|
|---------2-1-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8---------|
|-----------------2-1-3-4-------------------------------------------------6-5-7-8-----------------|
|-------------------------2-1-3-4---------------------------------6-5-7-8-------------------------|
|---------------------------------2-1-3-4------------------6-5-7-8--------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------2-1-3-4--6-5-7-8----------------------------------------|

So, looking at the first part of the tab layout, does the 2-1-3-4 mean we're putting our middle finger on the first fret of the high E string, our pointer finger on the second fret, ring finger on the third and then pinky on the fourth? Or, does it indicate the order in which we fret the notes, i.e. middle finger first on the second fret of the high E, pointer finger on the first fret next, then ring finger on the third followed by pinky on the fourth fret last? The second method seems more logical to me since it's more of a variation on a finger-roll, whereas the first method seems like it would be a lot of jumping around...but maybe that's the point?

Thanks,


sleepy

[clintj]

I read his tab as the fret number in question, keeping hand in position. So, 2-1-3-4 would be fretted with middle-index-ring-pinkie. This looks like a variation of the finger roll. I never thought of varying the order that much, I always did it as ascending notes when going across from low string to high, and vice versa. I'm going to give this a whirl tomorrow. Some of the major scale patterns cover a lot of territory and give my fingers a good workout too.

[WonderMonkey]

Originally Posted by prsplayer12

Hm. That looks pretty interesting. I'll have to give it a go later. The main problem that i found with just running through scales is that it doesnt always engage every finger and then i sort of get tunnel vision using only two or three fingers for a while.

What I posted engages every finger each time. This exercise doesn't have any flavor to it but is a great exercise to practice rh/lh, finger placement, etc. After using it as a learning tool many then use it to improve their speed and to stay sharp, usually as the warm up to other exercises.

With my limited time I created index cards with two of the fingering combos and I do a whole neck length of them but with the others I do just one up and down box pattern. The next time I pick two different ones, etc.

It can get tedious but it also teaches focus.

[WonderMonkey]

Originally Posted by sleepyEDB

Or, does it indicate the order in which we fret the notes, i.e. middle finger first on the second fret of the high E, pointer finger on the first fret next, then ring finger on the third followed by pinky on the fourth fret last?

Yes, that. I just wrote all that down the day before I pasted in it here and it appears there is room for clarification/improvement.

In the end it's one finger for one fret and what changes are the order in which you fret. There are only 24 possible combinations on one string in a four fret span.

[WonderMonkey]

Originally Posted by clintj

I read his tab as the fret number in question, keeping hand in position. So, 2-1-3-4 would be fretted with middle-index-ring-pinkie. This looks like a variation of the finger roll. I never thought of varying the order that much, I always did it as ascending notes when going across from low string to high, and vice versa. I'm going to give this a whirl tomorrow. Some of the major scale patterns cover a lot of territory and give my fingers a good workout too.

You got it. Not very clear on my part and I'll work on improving the clarity.

One thing that I'm learning is to focus on a few of them over and over and do it right, as slow as is necessary. What I do now is my first run is "perfect" and my next run is faster. I use a metronome. For a complete beginner I'd skip the metronome and just get them moving the fingers. A few weeks into it, depending on the student, I may break the metronome out.

Also this exercise was suggested by my instructor and he got it from somewhere else. I just formalized it on paper. I'm a horrible campfire guitarist looking to become better so that's why he has me doing it. He's been playing for years and still starts his day out with it.

[jseth]

WITHOUT DOUBT, the best practise technique I have ever found for this is to do scales (which ones don't really matter, but a good, all-inclusive one is a chromatic scale) with a metronome... You definitely want to do scales that employ all the fingers on the fretting hand.

BUT, set the metronome at a REALLY SLOW TEMPO... like, painfully slow! I'm talking about 40-50 bpm... and then do all the divisions of meter against that... 1/4 notes, 1/8, 1/4 note triplets, 16th (16th triplet and 32nd notes as you become adept with the first ones)...

Do these as perfectly as possible! Try to make each note equal and musical... it becomes quite a Zen exercise; I sometimes imagine a clear pool of water, and each note I play causes perfect, concentric ripples... focus on each note; breath and relax as you go... if you are having trouble with any of the patterns, GO SLOWER with the metronome setting!

Working this slowly ingrains finger position on both hands, pick position, hand position... remember, it only works IF you do it as perfectly as possible!

After working on this a bit, you will find the ability to play much, much faster, without much conscious thought... the human machine automatically translates, once the pattern is ingrained completely... not only that, but you WILL have tempo entrenched in your hands and mind... and that will last a long, long time!!!

It really isn't about the scales, per se, but this is a great method for learning some of the more "odd-ball" scales as well... along with arpeggios... 1/2 tone, whole tone scales, or "outlining" a particular scale or arpeggio by attacking from, first 1/2 step above, then 1/2 step below, THEN the target note... this last one is a great way to achieve an "outside" feel for any given moment in a piece or solo...

You will be amazed at how cleanly and precisely you will play to tempo, after using this method for a while...

[sleepyEDB]

Originally Posted by WonderMonkey

Yes, that. I just wrote all that down the day before I pasted in it here and it appears there is room for clarification/improvement.

In the end it's one finger for one fret and what changes are the order in which you fret. There are only 24 possible combinations on one string in a four fret span.

Excellent, thanks for clarifying! I look forward to trying out your method.

jseth, thanks for that as well...I like the idea of slowing things down to a Zen-like tempo.


sleepy

[byrd]

I've always liked the following exercise. I found it to be good practice when I was working to break myself of the habit of planting my pinky. I've definitely broken the habit, but my speed and accuracy is still a work in progress (although lately I haven't dedicated nearly enough time this sort of work):

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-002-TheSpider.php

[UcanDoit]

Looking through and learning from youtube, I came across this from Joe Satriani and found it amayzing how he makes it look so easy. The later part of the clip pertains to stretching fingering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNDyI5b3Fh8

ERIK