How do you play faster for longer amouts of time.?

[tomber]

Okay, so how can you play faster for a longer amount of time. I can play Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Who but theres to songs that get me all the time. The first is Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin during the guitar solo and then YYZ by Rush. Are there any tricks to moving your fingers faster?

[MrDOS]

My advice: gig.

[StingrayDerek]

That part in Dazed and Confused is brutal!!! I can manage to do it for about half the solo then my fingers cramp and I switch to open strings.

[the general]

practice. just start slow then work your way up. its the only way

[Marco A. Mayer]

Originally Posted by the general

practice. just start slow then work your way up. its the only way

Yup. That's how I managed to play YYZ note for note. And practice a riff to a metronome. Just slowly raise the metronome's speed until you can't play faster.

[Billnc]

Take one 16th note song, have the guitarist take really long solos then have the singer do announcements. You will do everything possible to avoid looking like an idiot. It will all be easier after that.

[puddin tame]

I bought some of those < shaped hand grip exercise thingies and have been using them for 10 minutes a day. Worked wonders for my endurance, I can play all day no problem

[IronLung1986]

building finger strength will help, but i recently learned of an even better solution to your problem: train your fretting fingers to only use the minimum amount of force necessary to clearly sound the note. most of the time when you find yourself unable to play fast enough you'll notice you're pressing down on the frets harder than is really necessary. this is a common physical reaction to intense or difficult music, and it seriously slows you down. but if you focus on applying just the right amount of pressure to the strings you'll notice how much faster you can play.

[ShirazBop]

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

building finger strength will help, but i recently learned of an even better solution to your problem: train your fretting fingers to only use the minimum amount of force necessary to clearly sound the note. most of the time when you find yourself unable to play fast enough you'll notice you're pressing down on the frets harder than is really necessary. this is a common physical reaction to intense or difficult music, and it seriously slows you down. but if you focus on applying just the right amount of pressure to the strings you'll notice how much faster you can play.

excellent reminder,.. So glad I read through this! Thanks!

[pandaman37]

another important thing i hear in a lot of interviews with famous bassists is proper warm ups before particularly intense songs... going through scales and the like.

[jruberto]

+1 on the practice very slowly (and i'll add with a metronome). build very solid time as well as economy of motion.

watch any of the great great players & the thing that is consistent is that it looks like they are barely moving their fingers -- guess what, they are barely moving their fingers.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by puddin tame

I bought some of those < shaped hand grip exercise thingies and have been using them for 10 minutes a day. Worked wonders for my endurance, I can play all day no problem

Be careful with those. You shouldn't train only the muscles on one side of a joint, but on both sides. So you'll also need hand stretching exercises.

[PostApocalypso]

Originally Posted by Chris K

Be careful with those. You shouldn't train only the muscles on one side of a joint, but on both sides. So you'll also need hand stretching exercises.

I've heard this a number of times now so it must be true! . I actually think I heard Billy Sheehan say this as well--essentially, it's important to not just strike quickly but also return to the 'ready position' quickly. Try using rubberbands to strengthen to outer muscles.

Of course, nothing works better for muscle endurance than practice (and improving your technique such that your movements are more efficient).

[faulknersj]

Iron lung has the right idea...economy of motion and a light touch are absolutely crucial to speed and endurance. Practicing slowly, try to use minimal motion in both your left and right hands. Also, one of the crucial components of speed involves alternating the index and middle finger of your right hand on each and every stroke. Start with the major scale and alternate (I) index and (m) middle on every stroke. I am willing to bet you are not doing this yet. This is THE absolute key to speed. Don't take shortcuts. Try playing everything slowly using this principal and gradually speed up as your control increases. This is the most important technique you will ever learn. Best wishes!

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by puddin tame

I bought some of those < shaped hand grip exercise thingies and have been using them for 10 minutes a day. Worked wonders for my endurance, I can play all day no problem

These gadgets are useless for bass playing, as it is the opening of the hands/fingers (the opposite of gripping ), i.e. the lifting of the fingers from one note to the next, that needs to be worked on while fretting. Besides, there is very little strength required to actually fret a string.

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

building finger strength will help, but i recently learned of an even better solution to your problem: train your fretting fingers to only use the minimum amount of force necessary to clearly sound the note. most of the time when you find yourself unable to play fast enough you'll notice you're pressing down on the frets harder than is really necessary. this is a common physical reaction to intense or difficult music, and it seriously slows you down. but if you focus on applying just the right amount of pressure to the strings you'll notice how much faster you can play.

This is the way to go.

[Psycho]

Focus on the motions.

Muscle memory allows for easier playing, and the more familiar your body and brain is with something, the easier it is to increase an aspect of it, like speed.

I had a tricky time learning part of Schism, but after slowly going through the motions i'm getting better.

Good luck.

[puddin tame]

I am willing to accept the very likely possibility that i'm a victim of placebo effect and that my endurance is actually the result of 9 years of playing.

I bought them just as part of my general exercise/workout routine and when I had to learn to play some annoyingly excessive metallica songs I was like "hey i'm not getting tired at all", thought they may have had something to do with it.

Relaxation is definitely the key, my fingers are like sticks of rubber when I really start workin it. Any muscle movement or tensing not absolutely necessary to delivering the notes you want with the tone you want is a waste

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by puddin tame

I am willing to accept the very likely possibility that i'm a victim of placebo effect and that my endurance is actually the result of 9 years of playing.

Endurance does indeed come from constant playing. There is a big difference between endurence and strength.

[Tom_RCJ]

Originally Posted by Billnc

Take one 16th note song, have the guitarist take really long solos then have the singer do announcements. You will do everything possible to avoid looking like an idiot. It will all be easier after that.

LMAO!!!

Oh man do I know what you mean. When I feel my hand start to cramp up and there's no end in sight . Gotta love those hammer-on notes man, they save me more often than i'd like to admit. And when it's my fretting hand cramping up; time to roll up & down with triple stops baby .

I giggle when our guitarist starts "pick tapping" (or whatever it's called) cause I know it's the same for him. Sounds impressive as all heck, but it's just giving our fingers a break, lol

[MNAirHead]

turn up your amp.. lower your action.. use a sissy touch..