Many guitarists dream of playing with blazing speed, but often find themselves stuck in a rut when it comes to tremolo picking. If you’ve been practicing tirelessly, trying to move your hands faster and faster, yet still feel like lightning speed is out of reach, you’re not alone. The truth is, the secret to Tremolo Guitar Picking mastery isn’t about raw speed – it’s about efficiency.
The primary misconception holding most guitarists back is the belief that increasing hand speed is the key to faster guitar playing. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, your hands are already capable of far greater speed than you might imagine. The real bottleneck lies in the distance your pick travels for each note.
IMPROVE YOUR GUITAR SPEEDBY AT LEAST 100%
The frustrating part is that many guitarists practice for hours, assuming their picking technique is efficient, only to hit a speed plateau. They attempt to force speed by moving their hand faster, but this approach rarely yields significant results.
So, what’s the solution to achieving truly fast tremolo guitar picking? The answer is to increase the frequency of your pick strikes on the string. This is a crucial distinction: it’s not about moving your hand “faster” in a general sense, but about maximizing the number of pick strokes within a given time frame by minimizing wasted movement.
By reducing the distance your pick travels between each note, you inherently increase the frequency at which your pick interacts with the string. Imagine tightening the oscillations of a pendulum – it swings back and forth more rapidly in the same amount of time. This is the principle behind unlocking tremolo speed.
The result of this refined technique? Your tremolo guitar picking speed will skyrocket, allowing you to execute blistering fast runs and unleash your inner guitar hero.
To truly grasp this concept in action, watch the video demonstration below that visually illustrates how to optimize your pick movement for tremolo picking speed:
[Video Placeholder – Ideally, embed a video here demonstrating the concept of pick distance vs. hand speed in tremolo picking]
As you can see, the key takeaway is that cutting your pick attack distance in half can literally double your tremolo picking speed. This single adjustment is more impactful than simply trying to move your hand faster.
Now that you understand the fundamental concept of pick distance, let’s delve into practical steps you can take to further enhance your tremolo guitar picking technique and speed.
Rule #1 for Lightning Fast Tremolo Picking: Watch Your Picking Hand!
It’s a common habit for guitarists to focus intently on their fretting hand during practice. While fretting hand accuracy is essential, neglecting your picking hand during tremolo practice is a major roadblock to speed improvement.
If you consistently direct your attention away from your picking hand, or worse, don’t watch either hand at all, you’re missing crucial visual feedback necessary to refine your technique. Improving picking speed demands focused observation and deliberate adjustments to your picking motion.
To begin optimizing your picking hand for speed, start with an open string. This allows you to isolate your picking technique without the complexities of fretting notes. Follow these steps to build a solid foundation for tremolo speed:
Step One: Slow and Steady 16th Notes
Begin by picking an open string continuously, aiming for four notes per beat (16th notes) at a slow tempo. Practice for approximately 10 seconds – a metronome isn’t strictly necessary at this stage, as the focus is on controlled motion.
Crucially, maintain a consistent pick angle of around 30 degrees towards the headstock (where the tuning pegs are). This angle promotes efficient picking motion, minimizing unnecessary travel while maintaining dynamic control.
Right Hand Guitar Technique for Tremolo Picking
Image alt text: Close-up of a guitarist’s right hand demonstrating proper tremolo picking technique with angled pick and relaxed posture.
Pro Tip: Employ a stiff guitar pick that resists flexing. A rigid pick allows for a more powerful and articulate pick attack with less physical exertion, particularly beneficial for fast tremolo picking.
Step Two: Gradually Increase Tempo While Maintaining Efficiency
Now, slightly increase your tempo by about 10% and continue picking for another 5-10 seconds. As you speed up, remain laser-focused on your picking hand. Ensure your picking motions remain as compact and economical as they were at the slower tempo. This step is about maintaining efficiency as speed increases, preventing any extraneous movements from creeping in and hindering your progress.
Step Three: Minimize Pick Distance at Increasing Speeds
Continue incrementally raising the tempo while diligently observing your picking hand. Your primary goal is to consciously minimize the distance between your upstrokes and downstrokes. This is where the core principle of reducing pick travel comes into play.
As you refine your picking motion for speed, also consider these vital points:
- Maintain Articulation and Power: Don’t sacrifice clarity and impact for speed. To maintain a strong pick attack even with minimized motion, ensure you are still inserting a sufficient amount of the pick into the string. Using just the very edge of the pick can limit articulation and volume. A more engaged pick attack allows for powerful notes even with small, fast movements.
- Relax Your Picking Arm and Shoulder: Tension is the enemy of speed and endurance. Actively monitor your upper arm and shoulder for tension as you increase speed. Consciously relax these muscles. Tense muscles lead to fatigue, reduced control, and increase the risk of injury, especially during fast tremolo picking.
Gradually push your speed, focusing on these elements, until you reach your maximum controlled tremolo picking speed. Sustain this top speed for 10-15 seconds to solidify the technique.
Step Four: Rest and Repeat for Optimized Practice
Allow your hands to rest for 30 seconds after each speed burst. Then, repeat steps 1-3 several more times, aiming for a total of 15-20 minutes of focused tremolo picking practice. Consistent, targeted practice is key to developing lightning speed.
Beyond Open Strings: Integrating Tremolo into Fretted Playing
To further refine your tremolo technique and make it truly versatile, incorporate fretted notes into your practice. Alternate between practicing tremolo picking on open strings and on fretted notes.
Fretted notes introduce varying levels of string tension and resistance, which challenges your picking hand control in different ways. This variation helps you develop a more adaptable and robust tremolo technique that translates to real-world musical situations. Make this exercise a regular part of your guitar practice schedule to witness significant improvements in your overall picking speed and control.
Tremolo Picking Beyond Single Strings
It’s crucial to understand that minimizing pick distance isn’t limited to single-string tremolo practice. The principles you develop here are universally applicable to all aspects of your playing.
As demonstrated in the video (placeholder), apply this concept to multi-string guitar licks and scales. This integration is vital for seamlessly incorporating your tremolo skills into your broader lead guitar playing and enhancing your overall speed and fluidity across the fretboard.
Apply the exercise outlined above to the following lick. Remember to maintain vigilant focus on your picking hand, striving to keep your pick attack as compact as possible while retaining power and volume in each note.
Tremolo Picking Guitar Lick Tablature
Image alt text: Guitar tablature example demonstrating a tremolo picking lick, emphasizing string changes and fast picking patterns.
Listen to Audio Example
Mastering tremolo guitar picking technique is a journey of focused practice and understanding the underlying principles of efficient motion. By shifting your focus from simply moving your hand faster to optimizing your pick distance and practicing with intention, you’ll unlock a new level of speed and control in your playing.
Remember that tremolo picking is just one piece of the puzzle in becoming a faster guitar player. To explore other essential elements for building truly impressive guitar speed, delve into this comprehensive guitar speed mini-course.
And if you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, combining blazing speed with musicality and creativity, consider exploring online rock and metal guitar lessons for personalized guidance and accelerated progress.
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