What's your best advice for improving picking speed and accuracy?

[GovernorSilver]

Originally Posted by buddastrat

I remember this one, you posted awhile back. It is amazing how he plays it,. his style. I worked on part of that for awhile doing an arrangement of it. But I just don't have time and patience to keep it going, I end up getting a good way through, and then kinda improvise around some of the ideas. It's so long, I can never finish it. Then you post it up again and I want to work on it again, and the cycle starts over, lol. It's such an awesome tune. I recently picked up a mandolin, it's crazy to play. That dude is a monster.

I just keep chipping away at BWV 1006, little by little. I've taken long breaks from playing it, admittedly, because I had to prep for a viola gig, was obsessed with some fingerstyle piece, or was messing around with synth programming. I guess I could try that idea FatJeff posted in the "How do you guys learn a classical piece?" thread, of starting on the final measure of the prelude to this piece instead of the first, and working backwards, or perhaps some of the other ideas posted in that classical guitar page that he linked.

The Chris Thile vid was originally posted by someone else in response to a question about Eric Johnson's bounce technique. In another, related video, Thile says that his epiphany was learning that a lot of bluegrass players learn and practice Bach pieces. There are more recently uploaded Youtube vids of Thile playing the Presto movement from BWV 1001 and the Gigue movement from BWV 1004.

[TommiK]

Originally Posted by GovernorSilver

Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned that one shouldn't forget about tone. I do find if I'm working on a nice piece of music like this, I'm motivated to make it sound good, not just get the notes right, so the tone issue takes care of itself.

One of the great things about working on pieces like the E major Partita is that there's so many ways to finger it, especially when you're sightreading it, that besides learning a beautiful piece of music, you really end up knowing the neck a lot better too.

I too, have been working on the Bach Partitas on-off for some time now, and I think I've changed fingerings on every single one I've practised several times. Some of them definitely sound a lot better than others, it's been a valuable lesson.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by bluesman

I'm not trying to be blindingly fast but I need to improve. Any tips on how to practice, pick angle, wrist movement, anything, would be appreciated.

There's a ton of info already been given - IMO part of the issue is translating technical exercises into actual music (some have already mentioned this) One thing which I find useful is, instead of practicing exercises to a metronome, work with an actual backing track in something like Band In A Box where you can tailor the chords and tempo to your liking. Try to isolate the specific technical issue e.g. crossing strings, and then create your own lick which addresses that problem - try to make it sound like a musical lick that you can get into and out of in the flow of your improvisation. If you keep doing this you will find it easier to actually use the speed and technique you are developing to make actual music rather than it standing out as a technical element which doesn't really fit within the rest of the music.

[AndyNOLA]

6 hours a day x 6 months will do it.

[GovernorSilver]

Originally Posted by TommiK

One of the great things about working on pieces like the E major Partita is that there's so many ways to finger it, especially when you're sightreading it, that besides learning a beautiful piece of music, you really end up knowing the neck a lot better too.

I too, have been working on the Bach Partitas on-off for some time now, and I think I've changed fingerings on every single one I've practised several times. Some of them definitely sound a lot better than others, it's been a valuable lesson.

This is why I swore off using tab to learn classical pieces. I'm not above using tab to learn someone's fingerstyle arrangement or some type of exercise, but I draw the line with classical music.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Jon

There's a ton of info already been given - IMO part of the issue is translating technical exercises into actual music (some have already mentioned this) One thing which I find useful is, instead of practicing exercises to a metronome, work with an actual backing track in something like Band In A Box where you can tailor the chords and tempo to your liking. Try to isolate the specific technical issue e.g. crossing strings, and then create your own lick which addresses that problem - try to make it sound like a musical lick that you can get into and out of in the flow of your improvisation. If you keep doing this you will find it easier to actually use the speed and technique you are developing to make actual music rather than it standing out as a technical element which doesn't really fit within the rest of the music.

You also need to examine exactly what goes wrong in your playing when you try to play too fast and make mistakes - what are those mistakes? Finger placement on the fretboard not accurate? Lack of co-ordination between left & right hand? etc.

You should spend a good proportion of your time trying to play perfectly - so slow down your playing until you can play perfectly, but keep in mind what goes wrong when you try to play too fast and focus on making that perfect at your slow speed.

[bluesman]

I wonder if there will come a day when a thread can be more than a page long without people sniping at each other. Relax people.

There's a lot of great advice here. Thanks for the tips, everyone.

[Tomo]

Originally Posted by bluesman

I'm not trying to be blindingly fast but I need to improve. Any tips on how to practice, pick angle, wrist movement, anything, would be appreciated.

Many things are important to CONTROL this (both hand's timing). Please use an amp, turn up a bit louder. More treble than bass, no reverb. Please record your playing/performances often as you can. Practice things slower than you would like to do. Free your left hand thumb as much as you can. Work on your picking control (not just play notes...) try to get less picking noises. Watch out both hands timing. Slow as you can, then challenge a bit faster than you can...then record yourself...think about your tone, touch, timing, feel etc. Then practice really really insane slower that you ever played before. Try to be patient. Don't expect too fast. Read this and write them out with your own words and try to understand these by sound etc. If you make a lot of efforts, you may reach your goals.

Tomo

[Dave Orban]

Tomo rocks!

[bluesman]

Originally Posted by Tomo

Many things are important to CONTROL this (both hand's timing). Please use an amp, turn up a bit louder. More treble than bass, no reverb. Please record your playing/performances often as you can. Practice things slower than you would like to do. Free your left hand thumb as much as you can. Work on your picking control (not just play notes...) try to get less picking noises. Watch out both hands timing. Slow as you can, then challenge a bit faster than you can...then record yourself...think about your tone, touch, timing, feel etc. Then practice really really insane slower that you ever played before. Try to be patient. Don't expect too fast. Read this and write them out with your own words and try to understand these by sound etc. If you make a lot of efforts, you may reach your goals.

Tomo

Thanks for the tips, Tomo. I'm curious, why more treble than bass and no reverb?

[Dave Orban]

So you can hear distinctly what's going on.

[guitarjazz]

Originally Posted by dsimon665

I love Bach's WTC ... I can imagine any of his fugues would be hard to play on guitar!

There is a book of solo guitar versions of the TwoPart Inventions that will put hair on your chest but might not make you play faster.

[Tomo]

Originally Posted by bluesman

Thanks for the tips, Tomo. I'm curious, why more treble than bass and no reverb?

You're welcome. This is one of ideas. This way you can hear all noises etc first and all details so that you can really focus on control then you can enjoy your performance more. Similar to other things. I really suggest no reverb for practice in general, listen old records from 50s, early 60s, they didn't have reverb on amps so they can hear nuances, rhythm better? this is just suggestion so whatever you choose is fine. Sometime you can use reverb so you can hear your dynamics touch etc. Is that help?

Tomo

[bluesman]

Originally Posted by Tomo

You're welcome. This is one of ideas. This way you can hear all noises etc first and all details so that you can really focus on control then you can enjoy your performance more. Similar to other things. I really suggest no reverb for practice in general, listen old records from 50s, early 60s, they didn't have reverb on amps so they can hear nuances, rhythm better? this is just suggestion so whatever you choose is fine. Sometime you can use reverb so you can hear your dynamics touch etc. Is that help?

Tomo

That's very helpful. Thanks again.

[p.j.]

Originally Posted by xntrick

i had great success using the Stylus Pick, it took a good 2 months until i saw improvement but it was well worth it.

http://www.styluspick.com/

Do you use it all the time or just when practicing?

PJ