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Faster..faster...FASTER

#3
Two fingers. Playing over the G string with a total curve of movement of less then an inch (meaning I don't follow through or pluck hard, I am mostly just brushing through the string with my finger).

I don't think it is possible to play 480 beats a minute with a pick simply because in the best situation that means you have to go up then down 4 times a second. I might barely get to that mark with two fingers, let along my entire wrist.
 
#12
I didnt notice that mp3 to start with.

Yeah precision is definitley a problem there... and it's not exactly fast either, which is a shame because it means neither goal was achieved! :D

Sorry I'm unable to make this point using geeky html tricks ;)
 
#13
I can play with precision slow. I am working on my finger speed for this mainly for fret work not for speed. If I just wanted to play fast I would play a single note. The reason I want to be able to play as fast as I do on the mp3 is so I can learn to quickly transfer from fret to fret while remaining in timing.

EDIT: For example, this line that I am using in a song with my band requires me to fret fairly fast, and when I practice playing and fretting fast it allows me to play lines like this easier:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/masamaxproxy/bassfastreason.mp3

I have only been playing for little more then a year so playing things this fast and remaining in timing is still difficult esspecially changing strings.
 
#14
I don't think anything is wrong with !practice! like this. Although I think you'd be better served practicing scales or arpeggios there's nothing wrong with pushing your limits of speed. Along with precision I think you should really focus on tone. In the unlikely situation that you would need to play that fast in a band situation I don't imagine that it would cut through very well. Good work though
 
#16
I finally listened to the mp3. I can easily play that fast, and yet have never considered it. I've never practiced speed, nor altered my technique to try to play a part faster. Practice slower, Grasshopper.
 
#17
I've never practiced speed either but everyone learns differently. I know a lot of violinists that have to have a systematic approach to every nuance of their playing to get any better. Kinda weird if you ask me. But yeah, practice slower it sounds like you're playing a little faster than you're comfortable with. Practicing slower will help you keep a consistent full tone.
 
#18
Playing fast, eh?
I prefer to not play like slop. If your goal is to have flawless technique at high speeds, then I respect that. Don't leave out the low end while you're at it.


Anyways...An awesome exercise:

Know 'the spider?' Pick up the John Pattitucci instructional tape. If you are too lazy (or lack of funds) here it is:

Using economy fretting (one finger per fret):
G|---3---4---1---2---
D|-1---2---3---4-----
A|-------------------
E|-------------------
These are finger markings...Start off doing them higher up the neck (7th position,) until your comfortable with it.
Keep your fingers as close to the fretboard as possible. Minimize movement. The goal here is to produce a clear, precise tone, as effectively as possible. Also, keep your fingers arched. Remember a long time ago when you were taught how exactly how to play? Do that.
Start with quarters at 60 bpm. When you are comfortable. Bump it up ever so slowly. You might find you drop a bit each day, but don't sweat it. This is also an awesome warm-up exercise. You can play around with the pattern too (moving up and down strings or the neck, etc,) which will help moving and thinking whilst you play. If you want, you can start doing octaves across strings.

Did I miss anything?
 
#19
Good post Bassache.

that's the real trick, you have to play slowly before you can play quickly


Speed shouldn't be your goal, but rather a bi-product of good technique and solid practicing routine.

it can be fun to play fast, but equally fun to play slowly. I like to challenge myself speed-wise sometimes, but generally I don't worry about it much.

It's kind of like Slap, it's a fun technique, that can be useful, but certainly not likely to get you a steady gig If you are totally slap-happy.
 

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