Endurance: Playing a fast, simple but very repetitive riff, a very long time

[K2000]

Hey, I've been playing for a while, but I'm stumped on how to master a physically tough riff, that goes on for 5-plus minutes.

It's a basic pentatonic climb... fast 32nd notes, and about half the notes are hammer-ons. I can play pentatonic riffs with no problem, but the catch here seems to be the sheer repetition. Staying in one spot and hammering the same fast run over and over, is a real challenge. I've noticed that in most other playing situations, changing hand positions gives my hands a break (even if I am playing fast, non-stop riffs). The issue seems to be the relentless, fast, repetitive riff, while staying locked in one spot. After a minute or two, my fretting hand is ready to fall off.

So what should be my approach to mastering this - playing the riff slow for 5 minutes straight, then gradually building up speed - or playing the riff fast, and trying to build up duration? The longest I can go is about 90 seconds before I start getting tight and making mistakes, and if I go up to 2 minutes I am totally tight and in pain, basically. Unable to play at all. (Note - I take care and don't work on this drill unless I'm already thoroughly warmed up)

I could tab this riff out, but I'm not sure that the specific run is that important (??) There's a local player who is a killer bassist, and he plays this specific fast run for 5 minutes straight, while everybody else takes turns playing solos... and that happens in the middle of a fairly challenging 10 - 12 minute prog-metal song. I was amazed to see him do it live, and I decided I should tackle it, for my own growth. I'm not sure how to get to the next level though.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by K2000

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So what should be my approach to mastering this - playing the riff slow for 5 minutes straight, then gradually building up speed - or playing the riff fast, and trying to build up duration? .

If you can play the riff cleanly at the intended tempo, then you just need to build up your stamina. You say that after a minute ot two, your hand is ready to fall off. My advice would be to aim for a time period just before your hand really gets tired. Play slowly at first, then at the intended tempo. Dont play through any pain. Rest the hand. Come back to the exercise at a later time. Increase the time period gradually. Time and patience are the key.

[Skitch it!]

Lighten up your touch and turn the amp up, put a hole in the dyke and let the water trickle out rather than opening the flood gates and letting it all out too quickly.

[Jools4001]

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

Lighten up your touch and turn the amp up, put a hole in the dyke and let the water trickle out rather than opening the flood gates and letting it all out too quickly.

+1 on that.

My band started to cover a couple of Iron Maiden songs so I have to play the Steve Harris gallop for minutes on end. It's simple to play, but after a couple of minutes the muscles in my plucking hand forearm started to 'go fo the burn'.....until I turned the amp up and lightened my touch

I now have a 'Steve Harris' patch set up on my bass pod to increase the clank and crank up the volume accordingly.

[Jason P Bass]

Good advice above.

Also try to analyze the effort you're putting into playing it. If you can make it even 5% easier to play the riff once, and you're gonna play it 2,324 times, it's gonna add up fast.

So focus on left hand finger placement EXACTLY where they need to be, and try to use less strength to fret the notes.

Consider a different fingering that requires more string crossing, less stretching.

Turn up the amp, crank up the compression, and play very lightly.

And then just work on extending your stamina.