Hammond Music

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I get a lot of questions about what it takes to become a faster guitar player. My answer is always the same, practice. Of course that answer doesn’t always go over well with beginners it’s the truth. In order to get great at anything you must first be able to do it slowly, then add speed.

In this article I cover three practice exercises you can start doing now to improve both your accuracy and your speed. If you consistently do them you should start to see results after the first week.

NOTE: If you’re currently taking guitar lessons you may want to discuss these exercises with your teacher. The same goes if you’re using a learn guitar dvd or similar self study product consider skipping ahead in your lessons to see if there are any exercises for playing faster coming later on. The course developer or your instructor may prefer you follow different methods to play faster

Exercise 1 – Practice Scales

Understanding the important major and minor scales, along with notes on the neck is something you should learn. If this is something you haven’t yet learned don’t panic. Using your favourite search engine search for Pentatonic Scales, or visit a beginner guitar website and search for pentatonic scales. What you’re looking for is an image of the first pentatonic position.

You’re going to take that first pentatonic position and memorize it. Don’t worry yet about what scale you’re playing the shape is what you need first.

Now start at the first fret on your guitar and play the scale starting on the low E string down to the high E string. Now play it backwards. Next slide up to the second fret and do it all again, then the third fret, fourth fret and so on.

The key here is to learn accuracy with hitting the frets and the notes as you move up and down the neck forwards and backwards through the scale position.

Exercise 2 – Increase your Pace

Now we want to do exercise 1 again, but this time move things a little quicker. Using a metronome find a pace that is comfortable for you to play the first pentatonic shape. For some that might be 60-70 BPM for others it might be 100. The key is to find a comfortable speed to start at.

Start your metronome and once again on the first fret play the scale position forwards and backwards. Now this time when you slide up to fret two increase the beats per minute on your metronome by one or two and continue to do this all the way up the neck.

This exercise allows you to “warm up” to the idea of playing faster while maintaining accuracy and skill. Once you make it all the way up the neck you’ll have increased your speed by 12-16 beats per minute and hopefully maintained your accuracy and technique Ideally do this exercise for a few weeks maintaining the same starting tempo for at least a few days to ensure you’ve mastered it, then increase your starting tempo.

Exercise 3 – Picking Up and Down

Most beginners only hit the string on the down stroke with their pick. How ever as you speed up, especially in exercise #2, you’re going to find that hitting the string on the way down just isn’t enough. It’s time to start plucking the string on the way down and up. In the beginning this may feel strange so again starting slowly and getting the right technique is key.

First on the open low E string pluck up and down with your pick. Next move down to the 5th string, then the 4th and onwards all the way down to the 1st string. Then go back up. This exercise will help you feel comfortable picking up and down on all the strings and changing strings.

Finally add in the same pentatonic shape we’ve been using in the first and second exercises. This might feel strange at first, down pick for note one then up pick for note two and switch strings. Getting the right timing between your picking hand and fretting hand is tough but start slow, master it then add speed just like before.

If you consistently do these 3 exercises for a period of four weeks you will get faster. I’d urge you to also ensure you’re practicing the other new material and concepts you’re learning as well. It’s important that you keep up with your guitar lesson dvd or guitar lesson plan Learning guitar is fun but to be good it takes practice and work. The great thing is if you put the work in then you’re almost guaranteed to come out a better guitar player then you were going in.

For beginning left handed guitarists on a budget, the Epiphone Les Paul left handed standard guitar is an excellent selection. The Epiphone left handed line of guitars is extraordinary for the price. In addition, a Les Paul left hand instrument is no different from a right handed guitar except for the orientation. If you havent heard of Epiphone before, here’s a little history.

If the name Epiphone doesn’t ring a bell, here’s a bit of background. This was started in 1873 by Greek luthier Anasasios Stathopoulous. It was the main rival of Gibson’s when it came to archtops, which were actually at least as good or even better than Gibson’s.

Gibson obtained Epiphone aver WW2 because of economical circumstances. Epiphone gets its name from a mix of the proprietor’s first name, Epaminodas, and the Greek word for voice, epihone. As you know, Epiphone has always been known for its quality. I have an Epiphone Les Paul left Special, built with a Gibson neck, that I love and use all the time for jamming and gigs.

Epiphone Les Paul Left guitars were built in a way very similar to that of the Gibson Les Paul. They can be purchased in all the same colors, and with the same great sound. Epiphone took the Les Paul design and switched it around to better fit left handed guitarists. The controls and switches needed to be moved to the other side.

Many musicians that have just started have began their careers by playing an Epiphone left Les Paul left Standard, Playing a Les Paul left is probably the most exciting thing compared to playing a Gibson Les Paul left. The price makes the LP lefty affordable to most people. Epiphone has taken care to remake all of Gibson’s Les Paul Standard so the player has a authentic Les Paul playing experience.

The Epiphone Les Paul Left Standard is considered to be one of the best left handed guitars available.

If you are after hot jazz tones, just switch to the neck position pickup and youre there. Then if you want to get crunchy, switch on the neck and bridge position pickups and you can get as dark as you want. The master tone and volume controls provide you with an army of tone at your command.

The best destination for left-handed guitars is www.lefthandedguitarmall.com. They share your love for guitars, and they would like you to have the best left-handed guitar possible. They are knowledgeable and eager to provide information about their wide selection of Les Paul left-handed guitars, as well as many other brands. The Les Paul left-handed guitars are available with the same selection of finishes as the Gibsons. If you want to work with the best to finnd your left-handed guitar, check out www.lefthandedguitarmall.com today.

When thinking of acoustic left hand guitars, Takamine immediately comes to mind. The US distributor for Takamine is US based. They are called the Kaman Corporation. They are well known for the pre-amp/EQ’s they have in every model acoustic/electric guitar. The same goes for their acoustic.

Every Takamine acoustic electric guitar can be ordered in left hand style.

Among the many series of Takamine acoustic  left handed guitars, there are two that stand out. One of these is the G series and encompasses a wide variety of acoustic electric guitar, left hand models included. Most of them feature a spruce top that is solid with nato sides and back. Not real sure what nato is, but I know that the instruments are spectacular.

Dollar for dollar, the Takamine acoustic electric guitar left hand oriented is top notch for several reasons. First, unlike their rival, who shall remain nameless here, the body style has not been altered. It is still a classic dreadnought with a flat rear and molded sides. This has maintained the acoustic tone every player craves and chases and will not slip from the lap when playing.

The only change is that some of these electric left hand guitars have a cutaway and some dont. I prefer the single cutaway because it allows access to the higher register, giving the player a further range. Most of the models I looked at had a smaller scale neck with only 20 frets. The neck joins at the 14th and you have clear access to frets 15 through 20. That is especially crucial when you kick in the pre-amp and power up for leads or standout rhythm riffs.

Only one change has been made to any of their guitars, namely that some of the acoustic left hand guitars now have a cutaway. Single cutaways are superior, because they increase the player’s range by making it easier to play high notes. The majority of models have relatively small necks with 20 frets; the neck joins at the 14th fret, making frets 15 to 20 easier to play. This becomes even more important when you need more power for rhythm riffs and leads. Takamine electric guitars for left handers contain wonderful pre-amps and EQs, usually with Takamine’s proprietary TK4N electronics. Players can adjust the middle range while they’re playing, and the notch filter can also be tuned.

I cannot finish this one without a word on Takamines Natural series. This is a more upscale model from the G series and features a Mahogany back and sides with a solid cedar top. Still, the Takamine Natural acoustic electric guitar left handed version is a great value for the money.

As they say, the life of the guitar is in the wood and these series from Takamine are no different. Both series of acoustic left hand guitars, electric or not, have extremely good tone and clarity. Combine Takamines attention to workmanship with a set of medium to light steel strings and you have a winning musical combination.

I am unable to complete this one without speaking on Takamines Natural series. This looks like a greater upscale model from the G series and has a Mahogany back and sides with a solid cedar top. Yet, the Takamine Natural acoustic electric guitar left handed variant is a real value for your money.