More
- Shredding the Canon in DLEVEL 9We'll work over 4 variations on the chord cadence of the ultra-well-known Pachelbel Canon.
- Developing A MelodyLEVEL 4Guidelines for developing a melody from scratch by using various phrasing techniques.
- Developing a melody #2LEVEL 6Let me who you how I develop some cool melodies!
- Metal PhrasingLEVEL 8Modal phrasing ideas developed on a static metal progression.
- Need for SpeedLEVEL 10A super fast shred session designed for people who prefer outside picking.
- Temple of SpeedLEVEL 9Increase your speed picking potential by using longer licks on one string and challenge yourself with odd note groupings.
- Speed BuildingLEVEL 4Exercises & tips to play faster, based on this simple principle: Speed is a by-product of accuracy.
- Blues Harmony - Developing the 12 Bar FrameLEVEL 3By developing the standard I IV V 12 bar blues progression we can get some very interesting results that can help us in every day songwriting - check it out! :)
- Speed Metal PatternsLEVEL 7Challenging riffing exercise to develop your alternate picking and timing!
Feedback
guitar5720th February 2010Yyyeaaahhh!!! very goooooddd!!! thanks!!!!
Jose Mena13th September 2008Hi - Amazing lesson!!
When you're playing this kind of stuff, where does your picking tend to 'pivot' from? (If you see waht I mean). I took lessons once from a very good player, who suggested that 'moving' the thumb and forefinger was ok for slow picking (obvious really), 'pivoting' from the wrist would get you into intermediate speeds, and pivoting at the elbow, moving the whole forearm as one, would need to 'kick-in' for fast speeds. This seems to work, but you hardly seem to move your arm at all, and still acieve incredibly fast speeds. I've gradually come to understand that this kind of speed only comes with a lot of practice, and a knowledge of the particular scale being used, but would you say that my old teacher was correct in his 'elbow pivoting' theory?
Kevin
I in my opinion your teacher was right, I do move the arm to achieve the fastest speeds, what happens is that I try not to move it to much, the less wide the movements are, the faster you will be able to play.
The problem when using the arm instead of the wrist or fingers is that you loose some control, however this is how I achieve the most speed. It will take some practice to do the right amount of arm/wrist/finger combination to play at incredible speeds with proper control.
Soon there will be another shred lesson where I take more time explaining my right hand technique, after making this lesson I realized questions like these would be asked, so I made another lesson and took the time to explain this.
Very good question, thanks for asking
kevvyg12th September 2008Hi - Amazing lesson!!
When you're playing this kind of stuff, where does your picking tend to 'pivot' from? (If you see waht I mean). I took lessons once from a very good player, who suggested that 'moving' the thumb and forefinger was ok for slow picking (obvious really), 'pivoting' from the wrist would get you into intermediate speeds, and pivoting at the elbow, moving the whole forearm as one, would need to 'kick-in' for fast speeds. This seems to work, but you hardly seem to move your arm at all, and still acieve incredibly fast speeds. I've gradually come to understand that this kind of speed only comes with a lot of practice, and a knowledge of the particular scale being used, but would you say that my old teacher was correct in his 'elbow pivoting' theory?
Kevin- Jose Mena10th September 2008Holy cow! Your hand was just a blur at some points!
hahaha 
Canis9th September 2008Holy cow! Your hand was just a blur at some points!
Nick32529th August 2008woahhh awesome lesson
Carlos Carrillo27th August 2008Excellent and awesome licks! Very fast and very important!! God job mate!!
- Jose Mena27th August 2008At 160bpm is just impossible for me. But I want to learn it so I guess I have to start slow.
Yes 160 bpm is insanely fast, I have a hard time practicing at this speed, but this is the point practice harder to play better, believe me if you get anywhere above 120 bpm that is already shred, and when played accurately it will sound amazing. If I was to make a song out of this I would bring it down to 130-140, maybe 150 bpm after watching Muris, but not 160.
At 160 I would stick to quintuplets like the string skipping part, or small 16th note triplet burst, there are little tricks that I use to shred when a song is anywhere between 150-170 and 16th notes don't feel fast enough, maybe later I will a lesson on that. 
Sergio Dorado27th August 2008Very fast and accurate! I´m trying to play it
Kuba Szafran26th August 2008Awesome!
coffeeman26th August 2008At 40 bpm, might be even harder
At 160bpm is just impossible for me. But I want to learn it so I guess I have to start slow.
Kristofer Dahl26th August 2008That's right Jose. However I now like to wait a little before commenting as that gives me chance to learn something from the feedback of the lesson as well.
In this lesson I definitely got rewarded for my new strategy!
- Jose Mena26th August 2008Thanks for this lesson Jose, insanley fast gonna practice it at 40 bpm.
At 40 bpm, might be even harderJose you display some incredibel chops in here - and your feedback participation is exemplary. I am learning so mych from you - thanks!
Thanks Kristofer, I was wondering where you were, you are usually the first to comment on a lesson, I thought maybe you didn't like it. - Kristofer Dahl26th August 2008
Jose you display some incredible chops in here - and your feedback participation is exemplary. I am learning so much from you - thanks!
- Ttask26th August 2008
Killer sound! I love the lick from 0:25 to 0:30, it sounds very Paul Gilbert.
Gabriel Leopardi25th August 2008Lots of awesome licks! Excelent lesson Jose.
- coffeeman25th August 2008
Thanks for this lesson Jose, insanley fast gonna practice it at 40 bpm.
- Jose Mena25th August 2008here is a question. The 160 BPM 16th note runs seem doable, but the triplets are beyond my speed right now. I normally practice 16th notes with the metronome, with the triplets being 6 notes per beat what would be the equivalent 16th notes with only 4 notes per beat be in BPM ? Hopefully this question makes sense. In simpler terms if I were playing 4 notes per beat 16th notes what BPM would I be at when doing the triplet run at the same tempo you are doing here ?
I think I understand, you could calculate it by knowing how many notes per second you are playing, and take that as reference, for instance we know that if we were at 60 bpm, and you played quarter notes, you would be playing a note per second, if you played 16th notes at 60 bpm you would be playing 4 notes per second, if it was 16th triplets it would be 6 notes per second. See what I am getting at, so to calculate how many notes per second you are playing take the bpm you are playing at divide by 60 and multiply by the number of notes per beat
Calculate how many notes per second you are playing at 160bpm 6 notes per beat
160/60 * 6 = 16 notes per second
Calculate how many notes per second you are playing at 160 bpm 4 notes per beat
160/60 * 4 = 10.67 notes per second
To calculate the equivalent we have to go backwards so we want
X/60 * 4 = 16 notes per second, solve for X, you get X = 16 * 60/4 = 240 bpm
So the answer to you question is you would need to set the metronome at 240 bpm and play 16th notes so that it is the same speed as 16th triplets at 160.
Sorry for the annoying math lesson, but that is the best way I could think of on how to explain it, so you can calculate these things yourself
Later 
Marcus Lavendell25th August 2008Wow! Amazing lesson Jose!! Great idea to do a lesson on this topic. Thanks!
- Jose Mena25th August 2008Man that is just insane! Since you've come to GMC you've quickly become one of my favourite instructors.
Just a couple of quick questions:
1. What guitar are you using this time? (All your guitars look and sound insane!)
2. Are you using your POD again? And if I were to get a POD X3 could I get this sound, because it is amazing!
Thanks again!
Thanks for the kind words, to answer your questions:
1. I am using a Carvin C66 guitar, which I love for shredding because of its nice Low Action
2. Yes I am using the POD XT Pro, have never tried the X3, I assume you could get a similar sound with the X3, To get that sound I came up with a preset of my own, none of the pre-programmed presets gave a sound I was pleased with. Keep in mind that the sound will also depend on the guitar.
Have fun 
Juan M. Valero25th August 2008You should haw called the lesson "Developing light speed".:)Great lesson man.
I absolutely agree !!! 
Jerry Arcidiacono25th August 2008Wow! Killer lesson Jose!
Nemanja Filipovic25th August 2008You should haw called the lesson "Developing light speed".:)Great lesson man.
- Juan M. Valero25th August 2008
I'm speechless mate !!! amazing sextuplets !! Bookmarked
John In Socal25th August 2008here is a question. The 160 BPM 16th note runs seem doable, but the triplets are beyond my speed right now. I normally practice 16th notes with the metronome, with the triplets being 6 notes per beat what would be the equivalent 16th notes with only 4 notes per beat be in BPM ? Hopefully this question makes sense. In simpler terms if I were playing 4 notes per beat 16th notes what BPM would I be at when doing the triplet run at the same tempo you are doing here ?
Starry Manhattan Rain25th August 2008Man that is just insane! Since you've come to GMC you've quickly become one of my favourite instructors.
Just a couple of quick questions:
1. What guitar are you using this time? (All your guitars look and sound insane!)
2. Are you using your POD again? And if I were to get a POD X3 could I get this sound, because it is amazing!
Thanks again!
Danilo Capezzuto25th August 2008Nice lesson Jose. Take care of your picks...don't burn them!
- Jose Mena24th August 2008
Thanks for the kind words, I am glad many people find the lesson helpful.
- Déjà vu24th August 2008
Wow Jose! Great idea for a topic... Great idea for a lesson!
- John In Socal24th August 2008
good stuff, those triplets are really fast at that tempo
Hisham Al-Sanea24th August 2008great shredding Jose..Excellent
jacmoe24th August 2008Excellent lesson!
I've been looking for a shred exercise for a while now, so thanks!
BIGD224th August 2008Goood lord that's fast.
Cool lesson.....well above me though.
AND anyone playing up to Mr Gilbert's level is pretty dang good in my book...two thumbs up.
Eat-Sleep-andJam24th August 2008Woah !
Nice man !
Ive been waiting for a lesson like this for awhile, keep them coming
Bravo Jose, Bravo !
Trond Vold24th August 2008 Very tight and precise! I'm definetly going to give this one a try.
chmilew24th August 2008Great lesson Jose,
really impressive ! - Jose Mena24th August 2008Bookmarked!! I have to double my speed to get to your crazy shred
Well, I won't give up!!
I just love those string skips
That is the right attitude!! 
Toni Suominen24th August 2008Great lesson for developing speed, thanks Jose!
- Jose Mena24th August 2008wow, i have no idea how people can shred like that haha awesome!
It is just practice, like always start slow and increase speed, it will just take time, but I believe anyone that puts time an effort into developing speed, will eventually play fast. 
Dexxter24th August 2008Bookmarked!! I have to double my speed to get to your crazy shred
Well, I won't give up!!
I just love those string skips- Jose Mena24th August 2008
string skipping part is definitely his trademark but you executed it as good as he would. Great lesson
Thanks!! 
Guitarist1624th August 2008great lesson. thanks a lot.
superize24th August 2008Great lesson... I will definently learn this to devolope my speed
sigma724th August 2008wow, i have no idea how people can shred like that haha awesome!
Emir Hot24th August 2008 string skipping part is definitely his trademark but you executed it as good as he would. Great lesson- Jose Mena24th August 2008
Thanks guys, I hope everyone finds the lesson useful to develop speed.
Reminds me of Racer X and Mr. Gilbert in his speedy days
Well done
Now that you mention it, those sound like Gilbert licks, I hadn't noticed but most definitely Paul Gilbert is an influence. I just didn't think about it when developing the lesson 
Ivan Milenkovic24th August 2008Very nice shredding man, great job
Matt2324th August 2008Great speed. I'm definitely going to learn this.
Bogdan Radovic24th August 2008Wow Jose, you can get a speeding ticket for this kind of guitar "driving"
ehhehe- Emir Hot24th August 2008
Reminds me of Racer X and Mr. Gilbert in his speedy days
Well done - USAMAN24th August 2008
Blazing....I havent learned a new lesson in a while...Guess I have some work to do now.
Thanks! 
Muris Varajic24th August 2008Killer stuff Jose!!
Tolek24th August 2008Wow, amazing lesson, José! Thanks a lot. I already know that this lesson will help developing my speed.
See ya!
Ian Bushell24th August 2008Yee-haaa!! Shreddin man..that was just like the movie.... fast and furious:)Well done!!
Nazgul24th August 2008Fast and cool guitar!
kyldeee24th August 2008Now, that's fast
DeepRoots24th August 2008Sweeeeeeeet
kaznie_NL24th August 2008If a title sais "shred" and "speed" it's often fast... just like this
very cool!!
Gerardo Siere24th August 2008Wow stunning speed Jose marvelous.
botoxfox24th August 2008Cool, I might be learning this one
Marcus Siepen24th August 2008wow, thats fast
well done
Practicing Peers
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- Lesson
- My notes
I recently read a forum topic started by GMC instructor Marcus Lavendell, and I totally agree with his approach when developing speed.
This lesson is based on the same concept. The original idea was to show you some alternate picking exercises, but I ended coming up with this somewhat of a Neo-classical solo. Musically it is not much, but the point here was to show you how to play fast playing 16th notes, 16th triplets, and 16th quintuplets.
I test the theory of pushing it to the limit, to increase your speed. My comfortable speed for playing 16th triplets is at 130-140, at 150 it is already very difficult for me, and at 160 it becomes almost impossible.
Why do this?
I have verified many times that playing live is not the same as practicing in your room, so you when practicing I practice faster, and more difficult stuff, so that when I play live I feel comfortable.
On this one I pushed my self to play 16th triplets at 160 bpm in order to practice, on actual songs I keep it lower, at around 130-140, but when practicing I try to play it as fast as I can, so that it feels comfortable when going back to normal speed.
The patterns I present here are very common, and probably have been used by every shredder out there. I recommend to start slow, find your comfortable speed, and then decide what is your limit, and push yourself to play it as fast as you can, when you come back to your comfortable speed, you will feel it is piece of cake now, and your playing will fast as well as accurate.
The key is E Minor, and I occasionally play an off key note to make things easier.
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