Are there any specific exercises to increase plucking speed? Any time I come across sixteenth notes at around 80 bpm or faster I physically cannot pluck even an open string fast enough to play it.
Like Ramble On, I’m coming along except there are sixteenth notes sprinkled in there that throw my tempo off because I’m just not fast enough. And when you get to the measure of sixteenth notes in the chorus, I can only do that at little more than half speed.
I try plucking at open string at tempo and I just can’t move my plucking fingers fast enough.
Is this something that just comes with time or are there exercises you used to help build that speed?
I think there are two kinds of: “I am not fast enough!”
The first: you can play fast, but just not that riff. There, the common approach to play it slow and gradually increase speed is the way to go.
The second: You just can’t play that fast, anything. There, it is kinda like: you can’t run, and someone tells you: Just practice walking, and gradually increase speed.
For the second, you just have to get the feel of speed under your fingers, not just a specfic riff, I think.
Yeah, the second point is where I’m at currently. Like to play 16th notes at 98 bpm breaks down to six and a half plucks per second. Forget the notes, I just can’t wiggle my two fingers that fast lol
You’re challenging yourself with songs like Ramble On and that’s a good thing!
For me, little sprints where I play “just a little too fast” helped. Alternate that with slow practice and keep working on the song. Eventually, you’ll get there.
My project is shuffle eights at the moment. I want to be able to play “Doctor, doctor” by UFO at 100%+ speed (142 bpm). So far, I am clean at 85%* (120 bpm), and start to fall apart after that - but only in the transitions. That took me six weeks. The good thing is, I still love the song!
Now, I’ll include “La Grange” by ZZ Top to work on my stamina and precision. Shuffle eights are really cool rhythmically.
Good look with the sixteenths, keep at it!
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*I use YouTube to slow the original song down, that’s where the percentages come in. The downside is, YT only has 5% increments which adds up to 7-8 bpm each step. That jump is a lot when you are at your limit!
The plucking hand must be relaxed which is a difficult thing for us beginners. There’s a good video from Mark from Talking Bass on that topic, I’ll paste the link here. Plus, I try to pluck more lightly because this also helps with gaining speed.
Remember slow is smooth, smooth is fast. If you have trouble playing it fast, keep practicing at a slightly lower speed until it feels too easy, then challenge yourself and pick it up by like 5 bpm. This is a very small change but it will force you to count a little faster every time.
Also practice your scales and modes in the box and up the neck for a while before playing. Then play them faster and faster.
I do this to warm up a lot and gamify it. I’ll start at 60 bpm (because learning the patience to play slow is a thing) with a backing drum beat, and increase it by 10 bpm until I can’t do it anymore. Also helps your timing and rhythm imo.
Do you have any recommendations for android apps one can set to automatically increase the tempo, and choose between metronome to drum beats?
I tried the SBL Groove trainer app, but it crashes constantly, and often it doesn’t let me change the bpm at all. It would have been a great app, if it worked…
I’m not sure, I’m an iPhone user. When I do this, I play through Garageband on my Macbook and use the built in drum beats in that, I have to manually change the bpm between runs. I wouldn’t be surprised if your DAW has the same functionality built in. Garageband, while a capable DAW, isn’t exactly the most feature rich.
I’ve been using the app that came with my headphone amp (a Nux amp, or sometimes I use the Spark app because I also have a Spark Go that I use less frequently). I don’t remember what kind of amp you said you use but if there’s an app that comes with yours that could be an option.
I don’t have an Android so I’m not sure if it’s available, but I also have an app that’s simply called “Metronome”. I have the free version but there’s other functionality available in the Pro version. The developer is EUMlab in case you want to see if it’s available for you.
Don’t know if you’re taking the B2B course also, but if so, you can also slow down the speed on the videos in there. This is helpful, even when the talking part gets then quite funny (it sounds then like Josh was on some heavy sleeping pills ), but I think this is still fine at 75%.
Thanks, no I’m not taking the course, maybe someday if I hit a wall with my progress, but so far, I’m plucking along just fine, I’ve got years of standard guitar playing behind me which helps immensely.
Thanks! I have a Boss Katana Go, but the app mostly has lots of different effects, a tuner, and has the possibily of downloading tracks, but for some reason only 3 are showing there. No metronome. I’ll see what else I can find for android. It would be nice if there was one that we could choose the bpm, and the speed would increase gradually and automatically.
), but I think this is still fine at 75%.