How long can you play fast ? (Page 1 of 2)

I play much faster on decending licks than ascending, which is not good because it's good to have the same speed going down the strings/neck as it is going back up.  I can only play fast in short bursts partly because of my limited vocabulary/ ability and partly because I don't like to hear a constant flurry of notes.  I find speed to be most tasteful when used in short sprints not marathons.

Exactly. It's that push and pull between slow and fast that creates tension in the music. That's what you have to do. Create that tension. B.B. does it by hitting a big bent note and then there's a few seconds of silence. It makes you think what is he going to do next. But by alternating and sprinkling in little fast passages, it creates that tension that is oh so important in great solos. Also, something to think about is when doing a long long solo, approach it like Derek Trucks would. I use him because he's especially good at it. He'll start out really slow, mostly on top of the neck, and slowly builds it, creating more and more tension. By the end, he is absolutely wailing, going nuts. But that buildup that he creates is so great, because when he finally just starts wailing, you're like yeah!!!!!!

I use speed as one very small part of my stlye. I can play fast for a very long time, because I have invested some quite amount of time in speed and accuracy when I was younger. It paid off many times.

SOFTMC, it depends on what kind of a lick. Just chromatics I can play mostly effortless at 120 BPM, some Joe-kinda licks I can't play at 120 BPM For example in the Rockpalast DVD when Joe is playin the first solo of Takin' The Hit he plays 8 bars solid 16th notes with a few 32th note hammer-ons & pull-offs. Playin that on full speed is really hard.

Your arm should never cramp up, just try to relax. Just take a look at Joe, he never moves his arm (only in some special cases or playing chords). I know it's really hard to relax your arm but try it! It will work sometime!

Oh and you all shouldn't talk about 'fast'... that's really inaccurate

Here are my tabbed songs by "Smokin' Joe": http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7236
I LIKE MUSIC!

What's wrong with shred guitarists?  Personally I can't stand metronomes either so I use a drum machine...regardless you should have a tempo device to play with, it will make you a better player.  Not to get to off track...I can play fast for a LONG time...coming from Shredville, but so what, it's all about phrasing.  If you have nothing to say maybe it's better that you say it fast and get it over with. 

I Hear what you guys are saying !
I have nothing against shredding or unshredding just would licke to pull off some articulate fast runs now and then like Joe, but  again this speed thing seems too far from me Just wondered how you guy that play fast got there ?

THE great man speaks:-    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_dPrt7vSw   

"Everybody's entitled to my opinion.

ROFL I enjoyed that Nigel interview Derek!   As far as the playing fast thing goes, it's just a matter of repetition and practice.  I have never practiced with a drum track, metronome, or any real tempo device but I am able to kick things up from time to time.  My speedier hammer on/pull offs came from listening to how Clapton does it which to me is the best and smoothest...fretboard navigation I learned from Eric Johnson with the whole string skipping and rapid pentatonics.  Feel and fire came from SRV and Hendrix.  That's where I'm coming from.  All of those guys could/can play very fast at times, but all in their own unique way.  Speed I think was best described during a magazine interview by Brad Paisely.  He said that you have to spend a certain amount of time with the guitar in your hands and the speed will just naturally come.  I think that's so true.  Just spending quality time with the instrument in an efficient way undoubtably results in more command and cleaner playing.

        -Justin