In this article, we will explore a couple of exercises and ideas to help build speed and accuracy.

Metronome

Unless stated otherwise, all of the following exercises require the use of a metronome. In fact, you should get into the habit of using a metronome whenever you practice because it is the tool that will help you play faster and cleaner.

The metronome helps you in two ways.

First, it teaches you to stay in time. Rhythm is a huge part of playing music, and if you have trouble staying in time, everything will sound messy.

It also clearly indicates your progress. If today you only get to 60 bpm, but the day after you make it to 120 bpm, you’ll know that you’ve made some progress in speed. A clear indication of progress helps with motivation, so motivate yourself by using a metronome.

As you start to build up speed with these exercises, oftentimes you will want to halve the speed of the metronome so it doesn’t get too distracting. For example, once you’ve made it to about 180 bpm, the constant beating of the metronome may get a little annoying. The solution is, if you are playing quarter notes at 180 bpm, play eighth notes at 90 bpm instead. You’ll be playing everything at the same speed with fewer beats from the metronome.

A quick word on speed

The key to playing fast is, after having sound technique, doing it in an effortless manner. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I can’t stress enough the importance to be completely relaxed when playing at faster speeds.

Try this out to see what I mean: flex your forearm and move your fingers as fast as you can, then try it without flexing your forearm. You should find that your fingers feel freer and move faster when your forearm is relaxed. Similarly, you can try sprinting while flexing your quads, then sprint again while relaxed. The results will be the same: your body moves faster and more efficiently when you are relaxed.

I bring up this point because a lot of people, myself included, tend to set the metronome way too fast when practicing these exercises. If your body tenses up at higher speeds, chances are, you’re going too fast, even if you’re hitting the notes cleanly. If you can’t play fast effortlessly, you’re not there yet and need to spend more time at a slower speed. It is better to spend more time making sure your technique is sound, rather than rushing through the exercises and creating bad habits.

Chromatic exercise

This first exercise should be familiar to everyone. Begin on the first four frets, while dedicating one finger to each fret (index to first, middle to second, ring to third, pinky to fourth). You will just be playing the notes on frets one, two, three, and four, while alternate picking with your right hand. Do this on all six strings, and increase the speed of the metronome as you progress.

|------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|

|----------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|

|--------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|

|------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|

|----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|

|--1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|

Try this same exercise higher up the neck as well so you get the feeling of playing fast at the higher frets.

|------------------------------------------5-6-7-8-|

|----------------------------------5-6-7-8---------|

|--------------------------5-6-7-8-----------------|

|------------------5-6-7-8-------------------------|

|----------5-6-7-8---------------------------------|

|--5-6-7-8-----------------------------------------|

Remember to take note of the speed of the metronome at the end of your practice to track your progress!

Scales

For those of you that know how to play scales, do the same thing as the chromatic exercise, but play your scales instead. This will help you kill two birds with one stone; you’re working on your technique and on memorising your scale shapes.