Look, I’m sure we’d all like to be as fast as Yngwie, or Paul Gilbert, or Buckethead. But that is just not possible. Some people will always be better/faster than you. Which begs the question of why? IMHO there are three reasons:
- You haven’t practiced enough.
- You have practiced with inefficiencies that are slowing you down.
- You have hit your “speed ceiling” and can play no faster
Of those I think the third is probably the most controversial. Everyone has a ceiling though. Even the greatest players have a point at which they lose control of the picking. I don’t think that’s new information.
What I’m suggesting is that each person’s ceiling may be different based on some factors they cannot control such as finger length or musculature of the wrist and forearm, etc. So then, at the end of the day, if you are aware that you are playing efficiently yet can’t get over a certain BPM, how do you know that you haven’t in fact, hit your limit?
I think this question probably relates more to sports medicine than to music in some ways and I don’t think there has ever been a serious study of the topic but I would be happy to hear your thoughts.
Speaking for me personally, 16th note CAGED scales at 130 BPM is about my limit. Faster than that and I begin to feel tension in the forearm, or what I refer to as “Popeye Arm”. However, if I lock my forearm and pick from the elbow, I can play some licks in the 160-170 BPM range. However, the range from 131 to 159 has become a legato only zone.
So is it lack of practice? Inefficient technique? Or is this the maximum I can do based on how I’m built? You’re thinking I should get a teacher. I’m letting you know I was one. I have a degree in music and have been playing for 34 years. I’ve studied this thing quite a bit from a number of perspectives but I think it’s time to throw it out to the hive mind.
Thoughts? (Don’t say Troy Grady.)
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