Building speed

Hi guys & gals,

I know it's a little clichéd, but just for some fun I'm been trying to learn to play some George Formby stuff.

I get the various steaming techniques, and can sort of do them, but as soon as I start to speed things up I just can't seem to move my arm and wrist fast enough. I've been trying for weeks but I don't seem to be improving. I don't know if I'm keeping them too tense when playing or what. I watch others do it and it seems so fluent; a fluency I just can't acheive (yet, lol).

Any advice for me on how to practice in order to get faster in this sort of playing?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Dave,
I'm just a rank amateur, but I do think the secret is to strum only using your hand and wrist. (And yes, they both need to be somewhat relaxed.) When the strumming movement involves the whole arm, things almost always slow down, because it takes more energy and power to move a bigger body part that quickly. I just watched a video of George Formby, and his arm didn't move an inch; all of the action was in his hand and wrist. Something to think about. Hope it helps.
Jan D

I was watching a few vids last night and I think you've hit the nail on the head Jan - thank you for your advice.

I agree with Jan D. Also shortening the strum so that you aren't spending half your time strumming air instead of strings. But I am in the same boat. I've been working on that fast strum for a long time and I don't seem to make much progress.

Rllink said:

I agree with Jan D. Also shortening the strum so that you aren't spending half your time strumming air instead of strings. But I am in the same boat. I've been working on that fast strum for a long time and I don't seem to make much progress.

Click to expand...

Thanks mate - that's another thing I hadn't though of - stroking air - makes sense - I'll take more notice of what I'm doing and adjust...

Go to the App store and search justinguitar and you will find a lot of Apps.

One is called 1 minute.

You put in the chords and then try to play as many clean changes as you can in 1 minute.

It will speed up your fingering and strumming.

The tried and true practice with a metronome. Start a little slower then your max then increase a bit each day or each second or third day. It takes dedicated progressive practice but you will get there eventually.

The justnguitar exercise that Col50 was describing is for chord changes and works great. Let's start with C to F, change back and forth with one strum in between for one minute counting each change. When you get to 60 you have passed. With barr chords or four finger chords it takes many practice sessions to get from say 30 changes up to 60. But this exercise absolutely works, been using with guitar for a while

Thanks for all your input peeps - really appreciated - I'll take all your advice on board.