Question on speed.

[freddyu]

Hopefully I can word this question correctly. I am presently working on a lead that I have worked up to about 70% of the speed at which Shawn Lane plays it on the Blue Highway CD (thanks to amazing slow downer). Question is this, does your ability to play at lightening speed carry over to all of your playing, (ie. your fingers and brain get used to playing that fast, given you've learned the notes of course), or do you have to work just as hard to get each subsequent song you work on up to that same speed.

[Dfyngravity]

good question. once you have developed speed you will always be able to play at the speed. however learning a song is different. some people have to sit down and pick it out note by note and once they have it they can play it a full speed. other can just listen to a song and then play it. it all depends on how good of an ear you have. if you are reading music or tab again it depends on how fast you can read. i read music and thats how i learn all of the basic melodies to songs. i just sit down and will play the song through a couple times. after i have it committed to memory i can play it at any speed i want to. but to answer your question again, once you have maxed out your speed, you will always be able to play at the speed as long as you know what you are playing or improvising to. i hope this hepls and doesn't confuss you.

[mancmando]

I reakon it's all to to with what picking patterns the right hand has to do, as it's usually the right hand which is the limiting factor when it comes to speed (in my experience).

So if there are 2 tunes with the same picking patterns/right hand techniques then you should be able to play them at the same speed (assuming there are no really unusual things your left hand has to do). If there is a awkward right hand technique/picking pattern then this will limit the overall speed, but once you've mastered this technique/pattern then this should increase the speed of all tunes that use that particular right hand pattern.

That's not to say that I'm a lightning fast player myself, but I hope that all that makes sense......

[freddyu]

Thanks, so you are saying that you are able to play other songs once learned, (ie notes), at whatever top speed your brain and fingers have become accustomed to, and that it becomes easier with each subsequent song learned?

[Brian Ray]

The old adage that says "to play it fast you must first play it slow..." is annoying, yes, but all too true. If you can't play it clean slowly, playing faster certainly won't help. I believe this to be true:

muscle memory + time = speed

That said, one must also have good right hand technique as well as right/left hand coordination. I think, like in all things, the more you learn, the easier it becomes to learn more. I've seen this with my playing. The more fiddle tunes I learn, the easier it is to learn new ones... but I still have to learn each one slow before any speen will come.

[Damnation Gulch]

Its topics like this that I thank god for neo classical guitairsts (or hell, Roy Clark). Just like practicing a scale, the more you play it the easier it becomes and the faster you should be able to nail it...

[mandoman4807]

Doc Watson said at one of this instructional camps, that playing slowly is near impossible for him.

This is fairly amazing to me!

Darrell

[Ken Sager]

There are two axioms at work here
1. Practice it slow to play it fast
2. Learn it fast and you'll never be able to play it slow

Axioms get to ignore grammatical rules, by the way.

Speed kills. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Joy to all,
Ken

[ira]

amen ken. though i am far from a speedster. i can pick it up here and there. i do need to work on picking pattern (right hand) slowly and then click up the metronome to speed. however, certain songs that have come easier that i've learned faster, are really hard to slow down and vice versa.

[ira]

amen ken. though i am far from a speedster. i can pick it up here and there. i do need to work on picking pattern (right hand) slowly and then click up the metronome to speed. however, certain songs that have come easier that i've learned faster, are really hard to slow down and vice versa. its also great to remember that speed at the expense of class is not worth it. (why not throw in another axiom- or is that a maxim?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif?):D

[Tom C]

Because one can play an ascending scale at 300bmp does not mean they can do a descending scale at the same speed. It takes different muscles to place and lift fingers down. like pressing 1 2 3 4 where 1 leads into 2 compared to 4 3 2 1
where 2 now leads into 1.

[Damnation Gulch]

...and you do the hokie pokie.