Notes:
Pretty much everyone needs to develop their technique in order to execute the music that they wish to perform. It is no good having a great idea in your head and not be able to get it out, and you will probably find that there are many songs that you want to play but are not physically capable of yet.
Technique development is the physical development of your hands (and to some extent your body) so that you can play things that you want to play.
For demanding styles (like jazz and fast metal) it is essential to develop your technique to a high level, and then maintain it. Even if this is not your thing, it is a good idea to get your technical ability higher than you need it - so that it will sound easy and smooth when you play.
Why develop your technique?
I am not a fast guitar player. I can't play 1000 notes a second but I am still very interested in developing my technique to allow me to play new and interesting ideas or concepts that I find. To play very fast takes a lot of practice, a lot of repetition and a lot of focus. That is not my thing, but I can show you how ;)
I think it's important to develop your technique to a higher level than where you need (want) to play.
Lets assume that you want to play Dave Gilmore style solos. He doesn't play that fast, but it's really smooth and fluent. He's playing within his technical ability. If you are pushing your technique to the limit your playing will never sound smooth or cool, and you will make mistakes.
Better to be playing within your limits and sounding good, having the time to plan ahead a little and leave some gaps to let the music breath. Playing within your technical limits will let you work on more expressive outlets such as dynamics, touch and phrasing. These things are much more important than playing lots of notes in my humble opinion.
Remember too that the faster you go the further ahead you have to look!
That said, if you want to play full on metal, jazz or fusion, you should push yourself to the max or it will sound lame. One of the things I love about Jeff Beck’s playing is that he is always on the edge, about to fall off and you wonder if he will make it or not… he usually does pull it off, but not all the time. So the above discussion is aimed at the 'general player' not the technical monster!
The Three Golden Rules:
There are three golden rules that I think are very important to adhere to if you are going to start developing your chops (guitarist slang word for technique).
• Practice the right thing.
Do not let yourself make any mistakes while working on technique. Do things very carefully, because there is no point in working a lot on developing a bad habit into a perfect bad habit!
• Start new things very slowly and only speed up when it's perfect.
Speed comes with time and a little help from a metronome, but fast runs must be played smoothly, accurately and clearly or they sound rubbish. The amazing thing about the really technical guitarists like Steve Vai or Eric Johnson is not just how fast they play but how cleanly they play. Slow it down to half or quarter speed and you can hear every note clearly - that is what you should be aiming for. Clarity.
• Keep all movements to an absolute minimum.
Try and keep all movements as small and accurate as possible. Try not to let your fingers fly too far away from the fingerboard, or to 'point away'. Also try and keep your picking under control using only the tip of the pick and not moving it too far from the string.
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