Learn how to not only ramp up your technique, but how to use it effectively.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: • Learn how performing slurs can make your guitar playing two to three times faster. • Integrate fast licks in the context of songs. • Use fretboard symmetry to create sophisticated and complex melodic phrases. Click\n here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
More than 30 years ago, classical guitarist Benjamin Verdery wrote the following line in one of the first guitar magazines I ever bought: “Being able to play fast shouldn’t be your only goal, but it should be one of them since it’s part of the classical universe.” I think that is one of the smartest sentences ever written regarding music and speed, and that quote has resonated with me ever since—although I would say “the musical universe” rather than just “the classical universe.” The ability to play fast is akin to any other technique, it’s a tool to be used when needed and set aside when other tools are required. This lesson will demonstrate how to gain access to the speed tool, as well as how and when to use it effectively.
Speed Bursts
My number one piece of advice on learning how to play fast is to do it in small steps with short phrases or
“bursts” of speed. Ultimately, endurance should become part of your routine but to develop more quickly,
start with three- and four-note phrases. Additionally, mastering hammer-ons and pull-offs will also make you faster,
as your picking hand will have less work to do.
Ex. 1 is the ideal place to begin this practice, as it is a three-note phrase that includes an open string. Start this phrase slowly, making sure all three notes are at the same volume. This phrase should be repeated several times, then start speeding it up.
Click here for Ex. 1
Ex. 2 moves the previous across the top three strings. It’s so compelling that you will find it in numerous rockabilly songs like Brian Setzer’s “Rumble in Brighton.” The trickiest part of executing this phrase is keeping the rhythm steady as you move from string to string. That’s not to say you can’t vary the rhythm, just know when you’re varying it (Ex. 3).
Click here for Ex. 2
Click here for Ex. 3
Ex. 4 and Ex. 5 put Ex. 2 into practical context, using a 12-bar blues. It’s worthwhile to point out that this symmetrical phrase can be difficult to analyze. This 12-bar blues is supposedly in the key of E, yet the first six notes of the lick imply E Dorian (E–F#–G–A–B–C#–D), and the 3rd string includes a b5 and a b3. It’s good to be aware of the melodic implications, but don’t get hung up on analysis.
Click here for Ex. 4
Click here for Ex. 5
Randy Rhoads’ Open-String Riffs
If you slightly modify Ex. 1 our rockabilly riff takes a left turn into heavy metal territory. Ex. 6 can be found countless times in Rhoads’ playing, most notably in the classic “Crazy Train,” but also in “Flying High Again,” and “Dee.” As with all the examples in this lesson, start slowly and keep your volume and rhythm even.
Click here for Ex. 6
Once you’re comfortable with Ex. 6, put it to work in a song. Examples 7-10 demonstrate a variety of possibilities. Note that Ex. 10 uses a Gin the riff and changes the C# in Ex. 7 to a C natural for a more bluesy sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Click here for Ex. 8
Click here for Ex. 9
Click here for Ex. 10
What Do Eddie, Angus, and Randy Have in Common?
The answer? Ex. 11. Or at least variations thereof. My favorite example of this fast lick can be
heard in AC/DC’s cover of the Big Joe Williams song “Baby, Please Don’t Go.” This requires
more endurance and a bigger stretch than any of the previous examples, so if your hand gets tired or sore halfway
through the phrase, stop, stretch, and try again. This example, perhaps more than any of the others, will require
patience to play perfectly, so pace yourself.
Click here for Ex. 11
Fast Fretting
So what about phrases that don’t use open strings? Well you can move Ex. 1 up the fretboard and end up with
Ex. 12. This will be more challenging but once mastered, you’ll notice your speed increasing
considerably up and down the neck and in all keys. Ex. 13 and Ex. 14 moves that
shape across strings and will gradually build endurance.
Click here for Ex. 12
Click here for Ex. 13
Click here for Ex. 14
Ex. 15 puts the previous examples into a song context. These phrases are comparable to Eddie Van Halen’s fills on “I’m The One” (symmetry in abundance on that song) and Van Halen’s cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.”
Click here for Ex. 15
Exotic Speed
The final example in this lesson highlights the exotic Phrygian dominant sound heard in Flamenco music and
neo-classical metal (for more on the Phrygian dominant, see my “Inside the
Harmonic Minor Scale” lesson). As with all the previous examples, Ex. 16 features
short bursts of speed that can be expanded upon.
Click here for Ex. 16
Speed vs. Endurance
You don’t need a lot of notes to play fast. If anything, the only way to get faster is to start with fewer
notes. Focus on mastering a smaller group of notes at tempo before expanding to other strings and scales. Ironically
slow and steady wins the race, even when it comes to speed.
Patterns can be viewed as boring or trite, but a little bit of creativity can turn them into bits of inspiration.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediater Lesson Overview: • Learn different ways to arrange scales. • Combine various sequences to create more intersting lines. • Solidify your technique by practicing unusual groupings of notes. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
I want to offer some food for thought on making sequences musical. Using sequences in our playing helps develop our musicianship in various ways. It can help us tune into the fretboard, develop melodic ideas all around the neck, and further our improvisation and compositional skills. So, spending time with sequences is certainly not time wasted. Please note that I sometimes use the word “rule" in this column, this is only a pointer to keeping on track of our exploration of these concepts. The intellect is very useful, but intuition is where the creativity comes from. When in balance lots of great things can be done. Let's get stuck in!
It's simple to play a scale from bottom to top, or top to bottom, but we can develop a sequence by shuffling these notes around. In Ex. 1 we have a C Major scale (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) played in thirds followed by a sequence highlighting the diatonic triads of the major scale. By following a “rule" we can develop many different sequences. The options are endless and a little overwhelming.
Click here for Ex. 1
Lets start by simply combining an interval sequence with an arpeggio sequence. In Ex. 2, the first two beats of the first measure feature ascending thirds. This is then followed by a triad arpeggio starting from the third note on the string. The next set of thirds then starts on the “and" of beat 4. The entire sequence is a seven-note pattern that is created by combining two thirds and a triad. It gives us a nice bit of rhythmic displacement as the phrase is now starting in a different place in the measure.
Click here for Ex. 2
Ex. 3 is a descending idea in A minor that basically flips the sequence we looked at in Ex. 2. Here, we are starting with two descending thirds before the triad. I'm using pull-offs and economy picking to articulate the triads. This one works well over D minor as well if you want a D Dorian (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) flavor.
Click here for Ex. 3
You can see the effectiveness of combining different sequences and groupings of notes to create interesting runs. It's also really effective for making phrases. In Ex. 4 we take a small fragment from Ex. 3 and change the rhythm. In the sound example I repeat this a few times over some implied chords in my bass line: Am, F, and Dm. It's great to get more from one line by seeing the different chord types you can play it over.
Click here for Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 we're going to start using fourths and fifths. It starts with an ascending A minor triad (A–C–E) before leaping to the 9 (B) and then hitting a G major triad (G–B–D). A similar pattern leads into the C major triad (C–E–G). Throwing in these wider intervals alongside triads is very effective for creating a dramatic sounding runs.
Click here for Ex. 5
For our next example (Ex. 6), we will take fragments from Ex. 5 and space them out a bit. I wanted once again to show how these sequence ideas can also be helpful for developing melodic phrases. Once we have a cool sequence or fragment, all we need to do is be creative with how we play it. We can change the rhythm, harmonic context, dynamic, and much more.
Click here for Ex. 6
Before we move on, it's important to remember that we can add colorful notes to our triads. Let's begin with some seventh-chord arpeggios. Ex 7 features are diatonic seventh arpeggios in G minor (functioning as a IIm chord) to get a Dorian sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is a little gratuitous of me. It begins with an idea made of several different concepts. First, we start with an Am7 arpeggio (A–C–E–G), then descend down an A5 arpeggio. I follow that up with diatonic thirds and end with a pedal-point sequence. If that's not enough, we then take this bigger idea and fit it around a chord progression. I move it to G7, Dm7 and then I break my “rule" slightly and outline notes of a C6 arpeggio (C–E–G–A). However, it does keep the same melodic contour of the initial idea. I used my ear and fretboard to guide me. It's always healthy to have a fine balance between intellect and intuition.
Click here for Ex. 8
We dig into C harmonic minor (C–D–Eb–G–Ab–B-C) for Ex. 9's monster two-measure lick. It sounds evil! In composing this phrase, I kept to the basic concept of finding seventh-chord arpeggios within C harmonic minor in the 8th position. I followed my ear as well as my slowly developing intellect. However, if you look closely you can see I was following a mini chord progression through this line. We start out with a CmMaj9 arpeggio (C–Eb–G–B–D) in the first beat, followed by a G7b9 arpeggio (G–B–D–F–Ab). Here we have a very strong Im-V7 movement in C minor. I then move back to our CmMaj9 arpeggio and in the second measure we start descending down an Eb augmented triad (Eb–G–B). This is then followed by more CmMaj9 goodness.
Click here for Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is now taking Ex. 9 and extending it into a cool flamenco-inspired melody. The rhythms in this were inspired by the incredible Paco De Lucia. I follow the sequence from the previous example almost exactly, but I use a bit of artistic license to repeat certain fragments to fit into a “top line" or “head"-style melody.
Click here for Ex. 10
My aim here isn't to give you one rule to follow but instead to encourage you to take the sequences you know and love and start getting more out of them. Enjoy and stay safe!
What happens when the rug of the rhythm gets pulled out from under you?
Chops: Advanced Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: • Understand basic rhythmic elements and how to manipulate them. • Learn to transform “vanilla" phrases into something more interesting. • Never get bored playing over a vamp again! Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
Todd Rundgren's A Wizard, a True Star is probably the greatest example of the synthesis of epic '70s prog-rock grandeur and high-minded pop songwriting. Rundgren sets the vibe with the dramatic opening track “International Feel," which begins with a slow, pulsing synth that builds into a pummeling drum in the first verse. But it's at the end of the first chorus where Rundgren really sells it. The hard-hitting 4/4 groove is pulsing along when he drops the last two and a half beats of the phrase, making for a surprising and bombastic entrance to the first line of the song's second verse. If you don't know it's coming, it's a thrilling gesture that'll have you going back to count beats and figure out what happened. And if you are a superfan of the record–such as myself–it's the kind of thing you point out to friends when you're trying to prove how cool Todd is. Check it out below around the 1:28 mark.