left hand speed

[mullet0909]

So my right hand (non fretting hand) is way quicker than my left hand. So that speed is only fully useful when the same note is repeated a lot. I find it a strenuous task to play fast with both hands. Do you guys have any practices/techniques that could help my left hand get up to par?

[Rumblestiltzkin]

Originally Posted by mullet0909

So my right hand (non fretting hand) is way quicker than my left hand. So that speed is only fully useful when the same note is repeated a lot. I find it a strenuous task to play fast with both hands. Do you guys have any practices/techniques that could help my left hand get up to par?

I know just the thing for you my friend.

Now, first question, how long have you been playing?

For a rank beginner, put your hand in first position, 1st finger 1st fret E string, pluck E string, play a steady rythmn using hammer on in this pattern: 1h2h3h4. Then move to the A string, repeat. Repeat on D and G strings. Shift up one position, play the reverse, using pull-offs. Put hand in second position, pinky on 5th fret, G string. Pluck G string. Pull off in this pattern: 5p4p3p2, repeat up the strings til you reach E string, 2nd fret. Repeat this pattern as far as you want, up to 24th fret, and back down. Use a metronome and focus on keeping clear, even notes playing.

---------------------------------------------1h2h3h4---
------------------------------1h2h3h4------------------
----------------1h2h3h4--------------------------------
--1h2h3h4----------------------------------------------

  1             2            1              2             <- plucking hand (1= index, 2= mid)

--5p4p3p2-----------------------------------------------
-----------------5p4p3p2--------------------------------
-------------------------------5p4p3p2------------------
---------------------------------------------5p4p3p2----
 
  1             2             1            2

Once you've got this mastered at 60 bpm, bump it up a few and try again. To make it harder, instead of plucking 1 right hand finger per string, pluck 2 time per string. So the pattern would be: pluck, hammer, pluck, hammer. Make it crazy: Pluck, hammer, hammer, pluck, hammer, hammer, ect... Practice hammering to a new note on a new string. Practice hammering everything don't ever pluck a note.

Once you're bored crapless of this thing AND have it MASTERED at at least 80 bpm, post back here I'll give you some 3 note per string legato excercises.

Hope somebody uses this, took me a while to type all this up.

[mullet0909]

Thanks man. I think it's really going to help. I've been playing 2 1/2 years. I am interested in your other excercises though. By the way rumble, we have a similar setup.

[Shroom]

Well, playing my scales has always worked for me. I warm up by playing the major, minor, and harmonic minor scales at a confortable speed, then as fast as I can do it without messing it up. I do this usually starting with G (3rd fret on the E string) and moving up a whole step until I get to around the twelth fret or sometimes up to the 16th ish.

[Vengoropatubus]

I don't suppose I could have those 3 note per string legato exercises.

[mullet0909]

me too

[PrecisionBass]

In this case, a metronome is your best friend. Play the lick continuously at a painfully slow speed (yeah I know painful, but it works), like around 60 BPM or 56 BPM. Keep playing the lick at this speed until you have NAILED it perfectly, timing, duration, attack, and release. Then, increase it about eight beats per minute and play the lick over. Repeat until you can play the lick really fast.

[Rumblestiltzkin]

Alright, you asked for it, you got it. 3 note per string legato excercises.

Minor mode

--------------------------------------3h5h7----|---7p5p3-------------------------------------|
--------------------------3h5h7----------------|--------------7p5p3--------------------------|
--------------3h5h6----------------------------|-------------------------6p5p3---------------|
--3h5h6----------------------------------------|------------------------------------6p5p3----|

..1..3..4...1..3..4...1..2..4...1..2..4.......4..2..1..4..2..1..4..3..1.4..3 .1      <-- Fingering to use
 
 (use the same alternate finger pluck, plucking one note per string)

Harmonic Minor mode

--------------------------------------3h5h7----|---7p5p3-------------------------------------|
--------------------------4h5h7----------------|--------------7p5p4--------------------------|
--------------3h5h6----------------------------|-------------------------6p5p3---------------|
--3h5h6----------------------------------------|------------------------------------6p5p3----|
 
  1  3  4   1  3  4   1  2  4   1  2  4       4  2  1  4  2 1  4  3  1  4 3  1     <- Fingering pattern to use

Major mode

--------------------------------------4h5h7----|---7p5p4-------------------------------------|
--------------------------4h5h7----------------|--------------7p5p4--------------------------|
--------------3h5h7----------------------------|-------------------------7p5p3---------------|
--3h5h7----------------------------------------|------------------------------------7p5p3----|

  1  2  4   1  2  4  1  2  4    .. ect

That's the basics of it. I leave it to you to extend the scales up into the next position of the scale. For example, a good excercise is to run ascending up the scale in first position, then shift up, then pull-off descending the scale in second position, ect...

I can't get the fingering to line up with the tab exactly, but it's one finger per fret technique, I'm sure ya'll will figure it out.

[uturnbass]

Practice man, there's no easy way to building left hand speed. You could run up and down scales, or find a pattern or lick you like and just practice them. But I just played all sorts of music: funk, motown, classic rock etc. Wasn't focusing on building my speed, it just progressed along as I played more and more.
Although these guys are showing you a lot of hammer-ons/pull-off excersises, I'd recommended playing them normally also, it's alot easier to nail a 1h2h3h4 then a 1-2-3-4 imo..
That way your picking hand will also learn to grow with the speed of the left hand.
Excercises like these listed can also get old really fast, so maybe finding a few songs with nice fast basslines that'll make your left hand work would be more enjoyable! I recommend 16th note funk lines It's all up to you.
Goodluck and have fun with it!

[Rumblestiltzkin]

In response to the poster above me,

The idea is to develop left hand speed, not right hand speed. If you want to develop left hand speed, you practice hammer on and pull off. Leave the right hand as simple a part as possible to focus on the left hand. If you had read the original post, you would understand that. This method is tried and true. Doing it your way is not addressing the OP's original question/problem.

[uturnbass]

Yeah I understand, I just felt he should practice using the same speed for both hands so they learn to work together rather than one be way faster than the other.
Sorry, don't use too many excericises so I don't know too much about them.

[mullet0909]

thanx to both of you!