How fast can you play 16th notes?

[Spidey2112]

Not me.
But looking for a good reason to post this.
My God!My right wrist cramps up just looking at this!

His fingers look like a squid's tentacles, after realizing he's the prey.

 

[punchdrunk]

So fast.... I bet I could 16th note over that mountain....

 

[aekisz]

Who cares? Why would you want to?

 

[NoSlapForYou]

I just tried and 120 was pretty comfortable. 140 was my upper limit and it sounded sloppy. That was with my fingers. Didn't try with a pick.

Oddly, I might be able to play triples comparatively faster.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

Who cares? Why would you want to?

I can think of lots of reasons. Maybe you play metal or fingerstyle funk. Or maybe you've written a song where you think it sounds cool.

 

[Yango]

Not me.
But looking for a good reason to post this.
My God!My right wrist cramps up just looking at this!

That’s a pretty catchy tune. I found my self singing along, especially on the chorus.

 

[Nephilymbass]

How fast can you pluck and how do you do it.

For example, i can play sustained 16th notes at 95 BPM, with bursts to 120. Doesnt matter if its single note or scale. My plucking hand is my constraint in playing fast.
I use index and middle finger.

honestly couldn’t tell you. I hate metronomes and click tracks. In every band I’ve been in the guitarist and drummer will use clicks and track their parts before me so I always tell them to turn off the click when I track because by then the other parts are in time. I hear a metronome/click and I immediately want play polka bass lol.

 

[James Collins]

His fingers look like a squid's tentacles, after realizing he's the prey.

The video and audio timing is about as far apart as the dubbing in a Gamera movie. It is tough for me to watch without robot commentary.

 

[Ric5]

How fast can you play 16th notes?


I can play 16 per measure on a good day

 

[IamGroot]

I am amazed that 25% in the poll say they can play 16ths >140. I wonder if some are confusing quarter notes with 16th notes

 

[okcrum]

I've never measured it. One drummer I played with used to call to me "Do that Rocco thing!" every so often, and we'd go into a TOP groove.

 

[bobba66]

Not very fast.

 

[BioWeapon]

Not fast enough!

 

[RoketRdr]

When I engage the electric drill I can play them at just about 200bpm. Thank you Billy Sheehan.

 

[monsterthompson]

I’ll be humming this all day.

 

[pbass2]

I learned my current limits trying to duplicate JPJ in the Immigrant Song. Can't do it. I can approach it, but it will likely take me months of work to get up to that speed which, IIRC, is 115. So I put 80-100.

However, we played this song in rehearsal the other night and I faked that part. No one noticed.

With your fingers or with a pick like JPJ played it?

 

[genseric]

I can do 16th at 100-130 bpm, more? I burn!

 

[5StringBlues]

Faster than I can run the 100 meter high hurdles.

 

[red_rhino]

140... 141... whatever it takes.

 

[SteveCS]

Semiquavers at high tempi are not a modern thing nor are they the preserve of the metallist. From the late 19th/early 20th century...