Quote Originally Posted by Mike Buesseler View Post
Maybe get the rhythm of the tune down before the melody?
I think that's exactly what he's getting at.

A YouTube video of a guitar teacher was linked here recently. Unfortunately I remember neither the name of the thread nor that of the guitarist. But the upshot was that the mind's attempts to coordinate the left and right hand slow down your playing, even though your hands could move faster. The solution presented in the video was to develop left and right hand separately to the point where that coordination is no longer necessary.

Simon's suggestion gets at the same thing. You develop the right hand - not just rhythm, but also hitting the right strings at the right time - until it's almost automatic. Then you can focus on the left hand while the right just does its well-rehearsed thing.

I can't play fast because I haven't put the right hours and effort in. But I'm sure this approach would work. I learnt to do jig picking (DUD DUD) that way: Isolate the right hand, practise, even without an instrument, until the pick direction feels natural, then work on the tune. I've also often heard that singers who accompany themselves should first rehearse either the singing or the accompaniment until they no longer have to pay attention to it. Then they can put it all together more easily. It's all the same principle.