Picking Speed Exercises - Increase Picking Speed

Hey how’s it going guys,

Today’s lesson is a follow-up to a past lesson. I’m going to teach you a few more exercises today to really develop both your picking hand and your fretting hand and help you pick faster and more fluently.

Let’s dive right into it. Check the exercise 1 prior to this lesson.

Speed Improvement Exercise 2

This is very similar to the first exercise (refer to the first lesson). Assign a particular fret to each finger. All four fingers must be on frets with no frets space in between. Unlike in the previous lesson where you just played the four notes back and forth on each string and fret, here, play the four notes in a different order. I’m not going to specify which order, but start simple and then play sequences, which feel really awkward. With time this feeling will pass and your fingers will get accustomed to stretch and play difficult note sequences. Thus enabling you to play fast.

Speed Improvement Exercise 3

Keep your index finger on the fifth fret of the high E string. First play the note on the eighth fret with your pinky and pull off to the fifth fret. Then hammer-on the 6^th fret with your middle finger followed by another hammer-on with the pinky on the 8^th fret. Then do two pull-offs from the 8^th to the 6^th and afterwards the 6^th to the 5^th. Continue this cycle but the second time onwards don’t pick the first note or any other note. Start slow then speed up. Play this on different frets too. Don’t forget the play this on different strings as each string has a different feel to it. Also play this exercise replacing the middle finger with the ring finger but on the 7^th fret to exercise the ring finger as well.

Speed Improvement Exercise 4

This exercise will truly develop finger strength and soon speed. Keep your first finger on any fret of any string. Then do continuous trills (hammer-ons and pull-offs) with the middle finger for as long as you can. Try to keep the fretting hand as straight as you can. Then do the same with the ring finger and pinky and on different string as well.

Keep on the lookout for a lesson on new picking tips,

Visal.