Building speed

[potatohead]

Guys,

We have spoken in in this thread about building speed, but most of it (at least what I have been practicing most) is single note stuff. I am getting a bit faster, especially with hammer on triplets, but I still find moving up and down the fretboard (across the strings) a little bit slower and tougher. I can move up and down in the same position, or along the same string pretty quickly, but changing strings and fret position for example in one go is a lot harder.

Anyway, I have been messing around with some Tornado of Souls riffs and I am finding it pretty freaking hard to even get close to tempo. That shit is fast . This one for example:

-4--4--4-------------- 2--2--------------4----
-2--2--2--4--4--5--5--2--2--2--2--5--0- 2----
--------- -2--2--3--3--0--0--4--4--3----------

So is this the same story... Just practice it slow and clean and keep working it faster over time?

[Spivonious]

Guys,

We have spoken in in this thread about building speed, but most of it (at least what I have been practicing most) is single note stuff. I am getting a bit faster, especially with hammer on triplets, but I still find moving up and down the fretboard (across the strings) a little bit slower and tougher. I can move up and down in the same position, or along the same string pretty quickly, but changing strings and fret position for example in one go is a lot harder.

Anyway, I have been messing around with some Tornado of Souls riffs and I am finding it pretty freaking hard to even get close to tempo. That shit is fast . This one for example:

-4--4--4-------------- 2--2--------------4----
-2--2--2--4--4--5--5--2--2--2--2--5--0- 2----
--------- -2--2--3--3--0--0--4--4--3----------

So is this the same story... Just practice it slow and clean and keep working it faster over time?

Where is that riff in the song? Anyway, yes just practice it as slow as it takes to get it clean, and build up speed over time. I also find it helps to jump a few steps ahead and then fall back down to the "next" speed. Like 80bpm -> 100 bpm, then 85bpm.

[potatohead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cxlpFSCUYc&feature=related

Starts at 21 seconds in, and the whole riff is about 2.5 seconds long and they repeat it four or five times. The chrous part it goes into I have learned as well, but that is a lot slower (or at least has less notes in the same amount of time).

[Evil Mike]

Try playing it like this:

Riff 3 x6
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-4-----------------------------|
A|-2---2-2-2---------------------|
E|-----------2-2-3-3-0-0-2-2-3-0-|
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"This morning I made the call..."

http://www.abysslord.com/megadeth/tabs/rip/07-Tornado_Of_Souls.txt

Abysslord's tab is some of the best Megadeth tab I've seen.

[potatohead]

Well fuck, that's super simple. I do know from watching the Blood in the Water video they (Broderick at least) play it the way I tabbed it up there. Mustaines switches up his fingerings it seems, so it's hard to tell with him.

Playing it that way, I guess it just makes it sound a little thinner? I'll try it out after work.

[Spivonious]

In either case, don't play it all downstrokes. Much easier that way

[Evil Mike]

Abysslord does his tab by watching them play as well by ear and other tab books, so its probably based on the way dave plays it live. Chris may be playing it fully corded, but with the bass and another guitar in there it goes by so fast that it still sounds pretty full.

[javert]

Abysslord's tabs are awesome! I've been using them for years. I remember Dave saying in an interview a long time ago that Tornado was one of the hardest for him to play live due to all the downpicking (I play it that way too). However, I noticed that he does use alternate picking in more recent live footage - perhaps he changed his technique when he damaged his hand? Or was that the other hand :think:

[Spivonious]

Abysslord's tabs are awesome! I've been using them for years. I remember Dave saying in an interview a long time ago that Tornado was one of the hardest for him to play live due to all the downpicking (I play it that way too). However, I noticed that he does use alternate picking in more recent live footage - perhaps he changed his technique when he damaged his hand? Or was that the other hand :think:

It was his left hand that he damaged the nerves in.

I find that I get a much cleaner, more even sound with alternate picking.

[Larz]

I find my speed is much different standing versus sitting, so make sure you don't do all your practice sitting down if you're going to be playing out a lot because of the the different angles, etc.

And don't ignore the pinky finger.

[Grim]

I find my speed is much different standing versus sitting, so make sure you don't do all your practice sitting down if you're going to be playing out a lot because of the the different angles, etc.

And don't ignore the pinky finger.

My first gig fucked me up exactly that way... I used to hyperflex my thumb backwards to alternate pick but that doesnt work standing so I had to start flexing normally and havent gone back.

[BenoA]

I find my speed is much different standing versus sitting, so make sure you don't do all your practice sitting down if you're going to be playing out a lot because of the the different angles, etc.

And don't ignore the pinky finger.

Good advice. I'm trying to improve my playing these days and each time I do scales and exercises, I do it standing up. Even for the cover tunes I gotta learn for my band, I will do my own rehearsal standing. No more sitting down for practicing except if I'm noodling or just jamming for fun.

And yes, practice that pinky!

[Soap]

Everybody has their way doing it and getting there.
For me, what I've learned that works best for me is.

I boil a pan (bucket like large pan) of water.
Once reached boiling I insert both hands in the boiling hot water to the wrists.
This always helps great blood circulation in both hands to shred better.

At this point in much pain and watching my flesh blister and mutate.
The heart and lungs are at peak performance and the functionality of vital organs have been enhanced naturally, no substance, no alcohol, no energy drinks, all naturally induced.
This heightens my overall perception and stage presence so my performance is genuinely heart felt and intense. The audience can tell I'm really into it.

On stage pieces of blistering skin and blood cover and saturate the strings and fretboard and shredding comes naturally, effortlessly actually. Again, its all natural no artificial enhancements.
Both hands fret hand and picking hand perform flawlessly.

For giggles and mostly depending on the venue, I attach a venomous deadly viper to the headstock of my guitar and the random frequent painful bites throughout the set adds a whole other element of shock and awe. The audience is captivated and salivating at the mouth from the brutal display of sincere madness.

For the riveting encore experience, I decapitate and viciously murder and dismember all three Marylon Manson, Alice Cooper and David Bowie dressed in a Shirley Temple dress.
The excellent encore song of choice is always a crowd pleaser "When You Wish Upon A Star."

Shredding, stage presence and performance and audience involvement is stunning.

[VitaminG]

only Bowie is in a Shirley Temple dress?

[Musician78]

I am nt sure if this has been stated, but make sure you practice with a metronome or something similar. I have been playing for about 18 years or so and never practiced with a metronome. As a result, if I don't have something keeping time behind me now, my timing is all over the place. Had I played with a metronome, I surmise that my timing would be far more precise when I have nothing in the background.