Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar V Guthrie Govans Creative Guitar: Advanced Technqiues Vol 2

HootsmonHootsmon Frets: 15923

which do you reckon?

does the speed mech book have a CD of examples ?

tae be or not tae be
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Comments

  • Both are good but I can't say I ever sat down and went through all exercises up to speed etc. 
    Maybe I should...! Too many actual songs to learn instead!
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    Speed MEchanics does have the CD.

    I've got that book, and the whole Troy Stetina series is good.

     

    I just need more time to work on them.........

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    I made more progress with speed mechanics than with Guthrie's book but I suspect this has more to do with how much time I spent with them.

    I've also got Danny Gill's Rock Lead Techniques who's first chapter focuses on picking. For me it breaks things down a bit more then the other two by looking at tremolo picking, then hand synchronisation on a single string and finally moving across strings. I also like that it's more rock centric than speed mechanics (a bit too shred for me). All examples come on a CD.

    All of them are good though if you put the time in. I'll probably be returning to Guthrie's book for the legato section soon.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    I thought the speed mechanics book was poor - I just found it not in depth enough and it didn't have enough examples / exercises to play through. I wanted a book with a nice structure to really improve my speed technique and found this book lacking.
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  • bigjonbigjon Frets: 680
    I found the Speed Mechanics book of more practical help
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    I thought the speed mechanics book was poor - I just found it not in depth enough and it didn't have enough examples / exercises to play through. I wanted a book with a nice structure to really improve my speed technique and found this book lacking.

    Are/were you starting from nothing, if so have a work through his Lead Guitar series first/with Speed Mechanics.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    I haven't read speed mechanics, but the Guthrie books are more about being creative and getting out of a rut, playing new things etc.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    mike_l said:
    I thought the speed mechanics book was poor - I just found it not in depth enough and it didn't have enough examples / exercises to play through. I wanted a book with a nice structure to really improve my speed technique and found this book lacking.

    Are/were you starting from nothing, if so have a work through his Lead Guitar series first/with Speed Mechanics.
    No - I already had done some work previously but I wanted a book specifically to give me a program to improve my speed related  techniques, this one has absolutely no depth to it, it's very lightweight.
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    I think it's designed to be used in conjunction with the rest of his series.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • bigjonbigjon Frets: 680
    I found it more of a 'does what it says on the tin' book, and as such it was useful for improving my speed, though not much else
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  • dafuzzdafuzz Frets: 1522
    Speed Mechanics is - surprisingly - more about the mechanical side of playing (ie working your finger muscles)

    Creative Guitar is what monquixote said: more about doing interesting things

    Both really good, but different
    All practice and no theory
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    I thought the speed mechanics book was poor - I just found it not in depth enough and it didn't have enough examples / exercises to play through. I wanted a book with a nice structure to really improve my speed technique and found this book lacking.

    http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/01056616/details.html

    I also have this, it's quite thin, but still has good examples.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    @Teetonetal ; if you're looking to speed up, then Kirk Hammets book "The sound and the Fury" is good, loads of examples/excercises and where they fall into his solo's. I know he gets slated a lot, it is his Guitar World columns all in one book, and is IMO worth a read/try.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    edited October 2014
    mike_l said:
    @Teetonetal ; if you're looking to speed up, then Kirk Hammets book "The sound and the Fury" is good, loads of examples/excercises and where they fall into his solo's. I know he gets slated a lot, it is his Guitar World columns all in one book, and is IMO worth a read/try.
    Oh, that's one I've not come across - I will check it :)

    What I have always looked for but never really found is a book that lays out a realistic practice regime that can actually be followed where the author takes you week by week through targeted exercises to develop speed and dexterity in a useful manor - i.e with things that can actually be incorporated into your solos.

    In the ideal world of my head the book would be like this:

    Intro explaining good picking technique and how to effectively practice for speed
    A Program laid out for 52 weeks

    Each week would contain
    A scale / arpeggio
    5 licks from the scale / arpeggio
    Explanation of what skill each lick targets
    recording of the licks played slow / medium /fast
    1 target piece that puts 1 of the 5 speed licks through chord changes... agian recorded solo / medium / fast
    work sheet for each lick that allows you to write in your tempo (to encourage good practice)

    Ideally the book would gradually introduce you to more complicated licks and patterns maybe culminating a short piece for week 51/52

    I like this idea because as you go you not only get technically more proficient but you also learn new scales and where each lick comes from it would also show you how you can fit the licks into a piece, with still scope for self development.

    you could then write a 2nd book on legato, maybe a 3rd on sweep picking.... 

    Does such a book exist? If it wasn't for the fact than I am (a) very busy and (b) rubbish at playing fast I would write my own!

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  • dafuzzdafuzz Frets: 1522
    I think Shaun Baxter did a column like that in GT many moons ago - it might still be running for all I know I having bought the mag in years. Maybe there's a compendium somewhere.

    Tbh those sort of exercises you should be inventing yourself, that's how you find your unique voice as a musician
    All practice and no theory
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    mike_l said:
    @Teetonetal ; if you're looking to speed up, then Kirk Hammets book "The sound and the Fury" is good, loads of examples/excercises and where they fall into his solo's. I know he gets slated a lot, it is his Guitar World columns all in one book, and is IMO worth a read/try.
    Oh, that's one I've not come across - I will check it :)

    What I have always looked for but never really found is a book that lays out a realistic practice regime that can actually be followed where the author takes you week by week through targeted exercises to develop speed and dexterity in a useful manor - i.e with things that can actually be incorporated into your solos.

    In the ideal world of my head the book would be like this:

    Intro explaining good picking technique and how to effectively practice for speed
    A Program laid out for 52 weeks

    Each week would contain
    A scale / arpeggio
    5 licks from the scale / arpeggio
    Explanation of what skill each lick targets
    recording of the licks played slow / medium /fast
    1 target piece that puts 1 of the 5 speed licks through chord changes... agian recorded solo / medium / fast
    work sheet for each lick that allows you to write in your tempo (to encourage good practice)

    Ideally the book would gradually introduce you to more complicated licks and patterns maybe culminating a short piece for week 51/52

    I like this idea because as you go you not only get technically more proficient but you also learn new scales and where each lick comes from it would also show you how you can fit the licks into a piece, with still scope for self development.

    you could then write a 2nd book on legato, maybe a 3rd on sweep picking.... 

    Does such a book exist? If it wasn't for the fact than I am (a) very busy and (b) rubbish at playing fast I would write my own!

    Sounds like the ten minute guitar workout to me

    A very good book.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Hmm, don't know that one but is it purely based upon speed technique? or general playing?
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    @Teetonetal The Progressive series has a few books which work in that way. Also the MI have Lead guitar basics, and techniques books, again very good, and also a backing/jam tracks book, which is for improvising over backing tracks. The last has the chord charts with suggested scales/modes to use and the backing tracks on CD.

    The Troy Stetina series (Metal lead primer/1/2) covers a lot of the speedier parts of playing, and would work well with the Speed Mechanics book.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • Teetonetal;374408" said:
    mike_l said:

    @Teetonetal  if you're looking to speed up, then Kirk Hammets book "The sound and the Fury" is good, loads of examples/excercises and where they fall into his solo's. I know he gets slated a lot, it is his Guitar World columns all in one book, and is IMO worth a read/try.





    Oh, that's one I've not come across - I will check it :)

    What I have always looked for but never really found is a book that lays out a realistic practice regime that can actually be followed where the author takes you week by week through targeted exercises to develop speed and dexterity in a useful manor - i.e with things that can actually be incorporated into your solos.

    In the ideal world of my head the book would be like this:

    Intro explaining good picking technique and how to effectively practice for speedA Program laid out for 52 weeks

    Each week would containA scale / arpeggio5 licks from the scale / arpeggioExplanation of what skill each lick targetsrecording of the licks played slow / medium /fast1 target piece that puts 1 of the 5 speed licks through chord changes... agian recorded solo / medium / fastwork sheet for each lick that allows you to write in your tempo (to encourage good practice)

    Ideally the book would gradually introduce you to more complicated licks and patterns maybe culminating a short piece for week 51/52

    I like this idea because as you go you not only get technically more proficient but you also learn new scales and where each lick comes from it would also show you how you can fit the licks into a piece, with still scope for self development.

    you could then write a 2nd book on legato, maybe a 3rd on sweep picking.... 

    Does such a book exist? If it wasn't for the fact than I am (a) very busy and (b) rubbish at playing fast I would write my own!
    Not strictly metal, but there is a book called a dozen a day or something. I have it.

    It's basically 365 exercises across a range of genres that build each week and work in a variety of techniques. The last exercise is a Paul Gilbert sweep-string skip-tap arpeggio that is, frankly, bonkers. :)

    It also has some fingerstyle, hybrid, chordal work etc.
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    @Teetonetal ; if you can find them John Petrucci's "Rock Discipline" if good for getting fingers flexible and (Not seen this one) Dimebag Darrell's "Riffer Madness*" might cover a lot of what you want/need.

    *again the complete book of his magazine column.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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