Speed guitar training: How to play guitar really fast

So you're sick of playing like the tortoise and you wanna speed things up a bit and shred like the hare, eh? Well, believe it or not, you gotta spend most of your practice time playing like the tortoise to get there, slowly and steadily.

Here are some of the most effective ways I have found to increase your speed consistently over a steady period of time:

• Practice to a metronome. Most people know to practice to a metronome, but then they don't know how they should practice with this contraption, which leads to my next tip...

• Practice extremely slow and play with as little effort as possible. Very simply put, perfect practice makes perfect.
• Move the pick with your wrist, not from your elbow. This may seem counter-intuitive, as you can play faster using your elbow and just going all out, but in the long-term, you will get much fast even when playing using your elbow if you always practice playing from the wrist. This will also lower your chances of developing carpal tunnel.

• Practice playing with all of your muscles relaxed. You may play slower doing this, but the problem with tensing your muscles arises after you continually practice this way for days, months, and years on end.

• Playing as fast as you can for a short period of time. This goes against everything else I say, but then again, variety is what keeps your brain and muscles from getting used to playing the same things at the same speed.

• Learn a new riff or scale. It will keep you from getting burnt out on playing the same routine over and over day in and out, and will force you to stay engaged and thinking about what you are playing. You will find that this is essential to maintaining consistent progress.

• Take a break. Get away from the guitar for a day or seven. Seriously. Go do something else. Play some video games. Chill with your friends. Get a job and subsequently quit it when you are ready to play more guitar! You'll find that you come back with a new-found perspective to playing, practicing, and writing. You'll come up with new riffs that you wouldn't have thought of before. Lastly, once you get your coordination back in business and finally tuned after a couple of intense practice sessions, you will often find that your playing speed has increased! Something for nothing never felt so good!