Ultimate Guitar Speed Builder by Nick Jennison

Establishing a Maximum Speed

In the "Ultimate Guitar Speed Builder" course, Nick Jennison begins by helping you establish your maximum playing speed. This crucial first step involves determining the fastest tempo at which you can play a given piece accurately. By identifying your current limits, you can create a baseline for improvement and avoid practicing errors at high speeds. Establishing a maximum speed allows you to set realistic and achievable goals, ensuring steady progress in your guitar playing journey.

Progressing Raw Right Hand Speed

The next focus is on progressing raw right-hand speed. This involves exercises that hone your picking hand’s agility and precision. Techniques such as alternate picking are emphasised to increase speed without sacrificing accuracy. Improving right-hand speed is vital for playing fast solos and intricate riffs, making your performance cleaner and more impressive.

Progressing Raw Left Hand Speed

Equally important is the development of raw left-hand speed. This section focuses on enhancing the dexterity and coordination of your fretting hand. Exercises like hammer-ons and pull-offs are employed to build strength and speed. Increased left-hand speed allows for smoother transitions between notes and faster, more fluid playing.

Improving Your Synchronisation

One of the biggest challenges in fast playing is maintaining synchronisation between both hands. Nick Jennison provides targeted exercises to improve this critical aspect. Perfect synchronisation ensures that your playing sounds tight and cohesive, preventing the sloppiness that often accompanies high-speed playing. Mastering this skill is essential for delivering precise and professional-sounding performances.

Developing Your String Crossing

String crossing at high speeds can be particularly challenging. This course includes drills specifically designed to make crossing strings more fluid and accurate. Techniques such as sweep picking are utilised to improve efficiency and speed when moving between strings. Effective string crossing ensures that fast passages sound smooth and connected.

Progression Trouble Shooting

As you progress, you may encounter obstacles that hinder your speed development. This section provides strategies to troubleshoot common issues, such as tension and incorrect technique. By addressing these problems early, you can prevent bad habits and ensure steady improvement. Troubleshooting is essential for overcoming plateaus and continuing to advance your skills.

Vocabulary Based Exercises

To make your practice sessions more musical, Nick incorporates vocabulary-based exercises. These exercises use common musical phrases and licks to build speed within a musical context. This approach not only improves your technical skills but also expands your musical vocabulary, making your playing more versatile and expressive.

Crossing Strings on a Downstroke

Specific attention is given to crossing strings on a downstroke, a technique that can be particularly tricky at high speeds. By focusing on this aspect, you can achieve greater accuracy and smoothness in your playing. Mastering downstroke string crossing is essential for playing complex riffs and solos with confidence.

Six Note Pentatonic Pattern

The course includes a six-note pentatonic pattern exercise, a staple in rock and blues guitar playing. This exercise helps you build speed and familiarity with the pentatonic scale, a crucial component of many guitar solos. Practicing this pattern increases your ability to play fast, melodic lines that fit seamlessly into various musical genres.

Sweep Picking Patterns

Finally, sweep picking patterns are covered extensively. Sweep picking is a technique that allows for rapid playing of arpeggios by using a sweeping motion with the pick. This technique is essential for playing fast, intricate passages with clarity and precision. By mastering sweep picking, you can add a new dimension to your playing, making your solos more dynamic and impressive.

Performance Context

Seeing the techniques demonstrated in a performance context is invaluable. Nick Jennison provides performances that showcase how these techniques are applied in real musical situations. Watching a skilled guitarist perform these techniques helps you understand their practical applications and inspires you to integrate them into your own playing. Performances also offer a visual and auditory reference, making it easier to grasp the nuances of each technique.

Guitar Techniques Used in These Lessons

• Alternate Picking
• Sweep Picking
• Hammer-ons
• Pull-offs
• Arpeggios

The "Ultimate Guitar Speed Builder" by Nick Jennison is an essential resource for any guitarist looking to increase their speed and precision. By focusing on specific techniques and providing practical applications, this course ensures that you make tangible progress and elevate your playing to new heights.