Learn How To Play Guitar Fast And Clean Using Excellent Two Hand Synchronization

Here are a few more 2-hand synchronization tips that will make you a cleaner and faster guitar player: 
 

2-hand Synchronization Tip #1. Use Directional Picking. 

Directional picking means: you alternate pick when you are on a single string. 

And when you change strings, pick in the direction of the string change.

This means: when you ascend (in pitch) you move to the next higher string with a downstroke.

When you descend (in pitch) you move to the next lower string with an upstroke.

And sometimes you will have an opportunity to sweep pick through string changes – making your playing much more efficient. 

Question: “Tom Hess, if directional picking is the best guitar picking technique, why do so many great players use strict alternate picking?” 

Answer: Directional picking is a relatively new guitar speed picking technique. Alternate picking has been around a lot longer.

This means:

Most guitar players from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000’s did not have anyone to teach them directional picking when they were beginners.

They developed their guitar speed picking skills in spite of the inefficiencies of strict alternate picking… not because it is a better technique. They had to work much harder (and longer) to reach their goals.

But you don’t have to.

Many of my guitar students now teach guitar speed lessons to their students.

Here is another common question I get about practicing directional picking to achieve effortless guitar speed:

Question: “Tom Hess, does directional picking only work for 3-note-per-string scales? What if I want to play pentatonic scales or other scales that don’t have 3 notes on every string?” 

Answer: Directional picking works for everything you play (with zero exceptions).

The principle of directional picking is to use the shortest possible path to the next note you need to play.

Sometimes the shortest path to your next note is to use alternate picking.

And other times…

…the shortest path may be to use sweep picking to change strings and NOT use alternate picking.

Directional picking gives you maximum efficiency and speed with the least amount of effort. (No matter what you play.)


2-Hand Synchronization Tip #2: Practice Guitar Picking Unplugged

Spend some of your guitar technique practice time playing without your amplifier. 

Articulate the notes loudly enough to be heard acoustically.

Articulation inconsistency is a common cause of sloppy 2-hand synchronization in your guitar technique. 

Playing guitar unplugged exposes inconsistencies in your guitar speed picking articulation that cause your hands to get out of sync. 

Pay attention to the specific notes where your hands aren’t in sync. This helps you focus like a laser on specific problems that hold your guitar speed back.

Note: pay particular attention to articulation of your upstrokes. Articulation of upstrokes is usually much weaker than downstrokes (for most guitar players). 

This is particularly common for guitarists who play everything with strict alternate picking.

2-Hand Synchronization Tip #3: Use Double Picking

This is just like it sounds: 

Practice all your scales and scale sequences by picking every note two times.

Example (regular scale):

Example (double-picked scale):

Picking every note 2 times makes your 2-hand synchronization more difficult. 

Your picking hand is forced to move twice as fast as the fretting hand. 

This makes it hard to articulate every note clearly while playing with guitar speed and makes any mistake more obvious. When you go back to normal playing, your guitar picking feels much easier and your 2-hand synchronization becomes much tighter.
You can apply this strategy in 2 ways:

1. Replace your normal guitar warm up routine with double picking training. Play through your guitar technique exercises using double picking for 10-15 minutes. After the warm up time is done, go back to playing at your usual guitar speed.
    
2. Schedule specific time to apply this strategy in your guitar practice schedule. Select specific guitar technique exercises and practice them using double picking.

Now that you know how to get your hands in sync, the next step is to transform the rest of your guitar playing skills, so you can start playing guitar the way you’ve always wanted.

I can help you with this in my Breakthrough Guitar Lessons.

Here is how it works: 

First, you fill out an in-depth evaluation form telling me about yourself as a guitar player. I ask you dozens of questions about your guitar playing strengths and weaknesses, musical knowledge and goals.

Don't worry, you don’t have to (and likely won’t) answer all the questions correctly. The evaluation from isn’t a test. 

It’s a way for me to see what you know and don’t know, so I can do the next step for you.

The next step is:

I create an in-depth guitar lesson strategy for you for what I intend to teach you for the first 3-6 months.

Next, I create your first guitar lesson and you begin practicing it.

And as you do, you’ll get a ton of support and feedback on your playing. 

For example: 

• You can show me your playing every single day if you want – just post a recording of your playing on my student forum. 
   
• You can also send me recordings separately for in-depth feedback on your playing and practicing on a regular basis. 
   
• You can ask me questions and show me your playing every week in live video Office Hours. I hop on Zoom for an hour to help you with whatever you feel stuck on. You show me your playing (and ask about your guitar playing challenges) during this time and I help you.
   
• Every week I do live video training classes where I can see you play guitar as well and give you more personal help with your playing.
   
• Depending on what you write in your feedback form about each lesson (I ask you to leave me feedback about each part of what I teach you) I often adjust your lesson strategy (if needed) to help you improve faster. 

Bottom line?

If you practice what I give you for 20-30 minutes per day, it becomes almost impossible for you not to improve. 

Here are the results my guitar students are getting: