Guitar scales and speed - How fast?

[rbarata]

Hello, my friends

I'm learning guitar scales and I would like to know how fast is enough to consider learning a new scale.
The experts say that, in your trainning, you only should move on to a new scale when you master the one you are learning at the moment. This includes speed. But how fast is enough?

Thanks

[wrench45us]

what a question

I am reminded of some advice I came across regarding practice:

keep it musical; you're playing music -- even if it's only scales

I would think fluid, rather than speed

one way to do this is to add some swing to scale practice
I'm not sure that would be approriate for every genre, but it works for me

[Jafo]

Being able to play 12 notes/second, is a good starting goal, but if you really want to impress the kiddies, go for 24 or more.

[C00kie]

how fast is enough?

Well, you may set your own goals I presume
1/8 notes or 1/16th notes, both could be fine, dependant on your own personal goal. Maybe 1/8 notes (that's 4 each second @ 120 bpm) is good enough to progress to the next scale, and work on getting faster in a next iteration.

[Nystul]

If you can play all of the notes correctly without consciously thinking about which one comes next or how to play it, then you are ready to learn a new scale. You don't have to be a virtuoso at one scale before moving on to the next, and you certainly should not stop practicing the other scales while learning a new one.

[ynot]

what a question

keep it musical; you're playing music -- even if it's only scales

I couldn't agree more.I also don't think your fingers really "know" the shape until you can do more with it than simply ascending/descending.Try practicing in sequences.For example these are all fairly common sequences:1,2,3, 2,3,4, 3,4,5 etc... or 1,2,3,4, 2,3,4,5, 3,4,5,6, etc...or 1,3, 2,4, 3,5 etc....This will encourage more melodic thinking as well.

[wrench45us]

I think that's true
on keyboard I can get confused as to what key/scale I'm in (and how I got there?) and will go back and play a scale to remind me of the form/shape of that scale

the best way I've found (and I've found this is a common practice) is take some very basic melody lines as simple as 'twinkle, twinkle' and play it in different keys/scales
then you see/feel how the 'functional' notes of every scale lay out

This may be a whole lot easier on fretboard than keyboard, once you get away from any open strings

another thing to try is bebop scales (as they always fit into 2 bars) for more fluid/musical playing

and on guitar definitely your blues scales

[forw]

what a question

keep it musical; you're playing music -- even if it's only scales

What a strange question ...


I would agree to this..

[pc999]

what a question

keep it musical; you're playing music -- even if it's only scales

I couldn't agree more.I also don't think your fingers really "know" the shape until you can do more with it than simply ascending/descending.Try practicing in sequences.For example these are all fairly common sequences:1,2,3, 2,3,4, 3,4,5 etc... or 1,2,3,4, 2,3,4,5, 3,4,5,6, etc...or 1,3, 2,4, 3,5 etc....This will encourage more melodic thinking as well.

Well let me add that you should only go to a new scale when you know what you are playing.

That mean, train your mind too, that when you are some/anywhere playing you can go to the root or the 3º or 6º of the scales almost by instinct, or move to anouther position that can beter suit your need. It will help you with others scales as well. It is like breathing exercice for runners, you can have great muscles but you need to keep them feed.


Dont try to go to speed, whenever you feel you can play something without effort, with a consise and fluid sound then you can move on (from a purely physical POV). It is way easier this way.

[generalstargazer]

This can help you get to hyperspeed!

[hibidy]

But I have to admit, as someone who has a tough time improving speed, I think most of the time speedsters just "wank off" and never talk about what they did to get to that speed. Did they start at BPM x and increase by 1? 5? What is considered proper speed improvement? Per week? per month?

[generalstargazer]

But I have to admit, as someone who has a tough time improving speed, I think most of the time speedsters just "wank off" and never talk about what they did to get to that speed. Did they start at BPM x and increase by 1? 5? What is considered proper speed improvement? Per week? per month?

What I do is increase my speed by practicing patterns and scales with a metronome and slowly increase BPM until I can play some solos in some songs I can't play.

[generalstargazer]

But I have to admit, as someone who has a tough time improving speed, I think most of the time speedsters just "wank off" and never talk about what they did to get to that speed. Did they start at BPM x and increase by 1? 5? What is considered proper speed improvement? Per week? per month?

oh another neat trick I learned was to practice my down picking speed which increased my overall alternating picking speed to much faster. like down pick an entire scale fast...

[tattiemannie]

Learn two scales ... then buy a capo! ... sorted!

[hibidy]

Learn two scales ... then buy a capo! ... sorted!

har har mattey!