Getting up to speed.

[JeffWhiting]

Hi, I have managed to get through to lesson 6 but find I struggle with the fast version of the exercises. No problem with the slow exercises. I reckon the fast tracks are around 120bpm, and I seem to be topping out at 105bpm. After that my fingers seem to go into meltdown. Questions: 1. Should I get fully up to speed before moving on. 2. Any techniques to improve speed and accuracy in achieving the goal. 3. Should I give up and stick with slow blues only?

 

[Al Holloway]

If you have it about 80% I would move on but split your practice time. Start with the new lesson (lesson 2) when your brain is fresh. After about 15 mins on the new lesson (Griff says after about 10-15 mins on something your brain will stop absorbing the information) stop that and go back to the lesson you stopped (lesson 1). Start at a speed you are comfortable with and slowly increase. Maybe only a couple of bpm at a time. There is software (I think song/video surgeon both do it) where you can set up a loop round the piece and it increase speed each time through. Carry on until you are happy you can complete the lesson at correct speed. By this time you should have the leson 2 to 80% and can move on to lesson 3 and make the lesson 2 the second lesson in your practice.
Now the slightly controversial bit. Should you continue with lesson 1 (and subsequent lessons) until you can not only just get through at the correct speed but play it faster and slower and however you want. Some would say yes with every lesson. I say only with lessons that speak to you. If you managed to squeek though a lesson and don't really feel it and don't know any piece that you need those skills for just move on. If however it is a fundamental skill and something you hear in all the songs you love and want to play then I would recomend putting it on the end of your practice for a bit of light relieve. Maybe even find a song with that skill in it and practice that.

cheers

Al.

 

[jmin]

HI Jeff. I think most folks will tell you to move on...you'll be improving your finger strength and dexterity no matter what you're playing. Griff has at least 3 courses that deal with speed and technique: Pentatonic Scales & Technique Mastery; Blues Speed Building Blocks; Classic Rock Speed Builders.
I don't think you should limit yourself to Slow Blues. Some of the "Slow" Blues stuff requires fast flurries and techniques.
You'll naturally speed up, it just takes time...and an incredible amount of practice!

 

[Paleo]

Any techniques to improve speed and accuracy in achieving the goal.

Griff is a proponent of the "speed burst" method as opposed to increasing bpm gradually.

He briefly mentions it in this video starting at about 5:20.

"When to stop and when to butcher it."

https://bluesguitarunleashed.com/blog/when-to-stop-and-when-to-butcher-it/

If you are an AAP member (?) we could direct you to where Griff goes into more detail, especially in the courses @jmin mentions above.

 

[jmin]

When you watch the intro to Griff's video (Paleo's post above), you'll see why I said even Slow Blues requires some speed...of course, Griff-speed is something a bit beyond!

 

[ChrisGSP]

I'm an adherent of the "butcher it loud and proud" school - don't settle for the slow-speed option. By all means move on to the following lessons (Lesson 7 is good fun), but keep going back to Lesson 6 at BOTH slow and full speed. Soon you will find that you don't need the slow one any more and the full-speed will become better and better over time. That's how I approached Lesson 12, and I've been working on it for 2 or 3 weeks now; and it's becoming less of an abbatoir every day.

 

[Paleo]

I get nervous in this here forum when I have to start looking up words.

 

[JeffWhiting]

Thanks for so many wise words from you all. I will take your advice and move forward and back between lessons to develop speed further. One reply has reminded me that I do have a metronome app which has a practice mode that automatically increases speed at set intervals. I’ll also use that as part of my practicing regime. I also think joining the All Access program will give me some widened experience so I’ll sort out membership to that in the next day or so. Your comments are much appreciated.

 

[Robb H]

I'm sorry to jump on this thread from so long ago. But I am quite frustrated with myself in the exact place that Jeff was. I have been working on lesson 6, examples 1 & 2 so far and my fingers also go into meltdown at the full speed version. And I've been working on this for weeks. I don't always get to play as much as I should but still. I play with the vid on slow speed and then try the full speed. I also practice bumping up the speed little by little. My fretting hand pulsing sucks and then I hit wrong strings and a bevy of other mistakes. I am still going back and practicing lessons 1-5. I can play them fine but go back to cement the concepts. That and my C shape 7 chords are weak/slow. I do limit work on each "thing" I'm working on to about 15 minutes, then play something else and sometimes come back. I'm just glad I'm not alone. I often suffer from "I suckitis."

 

[MikeS]

It sounds like you are a "relatively" new player. Just keep at it.
BGU is considered a moderately advanced course. It's meant for people that have been playing open chords and are fairly comfortable with them. That doesn't mean that you should stop trying BGU. It just means that if you aren't quite there yet, it might take you longer to get up to speed.
Also, a few thoughts:
1) I was an "experienced" open chord player and BGU still took me 2 years to finish. Sure, I did other courses, learned songs etc. during that time, but it's not always a straight line.
2) An excursion into Beginning Blues Guitar might not be a bad idea.
3) Remember that, while you need to keep your eye on the destination, the journey can and SHOULD be fun too.

 

[Robb H]

It sounds like you are a "relatively" new player. Just keep at it.
BGU is considered a moderately advanced course. It's meant for people that have been playing open chords and are fairly comfortable with them. That doesn't mean that you should stop trying BGU. It just means that if you aren't quite there yet, it might take you longer to get up to speed.
Also, a few thoughts:
1) I was an "experienced" open chord player and BGU still took me 2 years to finish. Sure, I did other courses, learned songs etc. during that time, but it's not always a straight line.
2) An excursion into Beginning Blues Guitar might not be a bad idea.
3) Remember that, while you need to keep your eye on the destination, the journey can and SHOULD be fun too.

Thanks Mike. I have been working at this guitar thing for five years or so (not all with Griff), although I have had a few distractions along the way. Speed has always been an issue for me, even with open chords. I completed BBG and thought I did pretty well. That is until the last lesson on 5th string bar chords. I still have to work at that.

But yes, the journey is still fun, along with my frustrations. That's why I still hang in there.

 

[BraylonJennings]

Robb, I think we are all our own worst critics. Keep going, keep it fun, and you'll improve almost without realizing it. Speed is a demon for most of us. I cringe at my playing all the time, but its usually only half as bad as I thought and still better than what I could accomplish not too long ago. Keep tapping that foot.