How can I get as clean as Broderick or please critique my lead playing?

[Xiphos68]

Please help me?

I'll put the video up in a minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5V2id-Wbek

[fretninjadave]

In my opinion I think you could benefit from slowing down and using a metronome.You dont sound bad , it just takes Practice practice practice.

[Xiphos68]

Originally Posted by fretninjadave

In my opinion I think you could benefit from slowing down and using a metronome.You dont sound bad , it just takes Practice practice practice.

Thanks dude.

What do you think needs to be working on in terms of that style?

[Imdeathcore]

work in your improvisation and SLOW DOWN!

[Samer]

i would work on note selection, and vibrato; it sounds good just needs a bit of polishing.

great right hand technique btw, can you explain how you pick?

[fretninjadave]

Originally Posted by Xiphos68

Thanks dude.

What do you think needs to be working on in terms of that style?

You should break up what you played in your video into small peices and learn how to play those notes front and back and upsidedown then put it back together . if you wanna sound clean practice your scales and arpeggios slow and speed them up and then slow back down.

[Rommel]

Put those licks/phrases to work in a real situation. Meaning, put a solo together over a progression or backing track. Record yourself doing so, and listen to the playback. The answers will present themselves.

[telecaster90]

Cool, you have some chops but to me at least, that was kind of boring to listen to from a lead perspective. You were just kind of aimlessly playing fast. My advice would be to slow down and work on phrasing. It's kinda hard to do without a backing track or a band behind you, but try to think melodically in relation to a progression or scale/mode you're playing in. If you aren't able to sing it, then don't play it.

[777]

For the amount of times youre picking youre only playing like one note per 3/4 pickstrokes.

Tbh If i were you id try work on more elaborate lines with one note per pick stroke instead of playing slow with the left hand and blasting through it with the right.

Picking is really clean so you might want to work on some legato stuff then apply picking to it to get those long shred lines going =]

[BlindingLight7]

Slow down, Metronome, Stop doing lame sweeps, Get every note clean at 100bpm, then bump it by 10bpm until you get a bit sloppy then practice there until it's, repeat this till your up to speed.

[Bloody_Inferno]

Definitely slow down and use the metronome to refine your note accuracy. Always remember that speed is the byproduct of accuracy. So apply this to the technique side things.

With that said and done...

Originally Posted by Rommel

Put those licks/phrases to work in a real situation. Meaning, put a solo together over a progression or backing track. Record yourself doing so, and listen to the playback. The answers will present themselves.

Definitely this. Just like what Samer said, work on note selection, because that is what puts your playing stand out and unique. The above will definitely help on your note selection. This also applies to phrasing.

[Xiphos68]

I appreciate the constructive criticism guys. Hopefully I can get to work soon. The only reason I did so many of those fast lead like JP I just got done listening to him and really this video wasn't a solo it was too show the technique I needed help with.

What do you guys think about the tone? Bad or good? Personally I think it sounds terrible.

Originally Posted by Samer

i would work on note selection, and vibrato; it sounds good just needs a bit of polishing.

great right hand technique btw, can you explain how you pick?

I pick like Rusty Cooley sometimes like forearm with a little bit of wrist involved. Sometimes I can get my wrist to go back and forth fast but not often.

Originally Posted by BlindingLight7

Slow down, Metronome, Stop doing lame sweeps, Get every note clean at 100bpm, then bump it by 10bpm until you get a bit sloppy then practice there until it's, repeat this till your up to speed.

Lame sweeps? You mean the 3 string tapping ones or the unfinished five string one? I have a hard time with sweeps, any advice on that or tabs to try?

Originally Posted by Bloody_Inferno

Definitely slow down and use the metronome to refine your note accuracy. Always remember that speed is the byproduct of accuracy. So apply this to the technique side things.

Well to let you all know. I just don't shred fast like that the whole time. No way wouldn't that the whole time in a solo, only JP can. I just want to do it where I can get it clean. But slow down and do the metronome? I'll do it.

[Demeyes]

I'd agree with a lot of what the others have said. It seemed like you were trying to play a little bit faster than you were able for, you don't seem to have full control when you go into fast picking mode, as in your not fully synching your right and left hands. You'll need to work with a metronome to get that right, starting slower and working up.
Also for lead playing, you didn't really bend any notes or do much in the way of vibrato. That is the secret to great lead playing. When you are finishing a lick you don't end well every time, you need to finish off a phrase well to really sell it.
You clearly put work into your playing and you have some nice skill but you need to slow down a bit and fine hone your leads. Good note choice, well chosen phrases with a defined beginnning and end, coupled with better control over your playing and you will be sorted.

[technomancer]

Also keep in mind that Broderick is a machine. He practices many hours a day, and when he's done he practices some more

After the Division show when they opened for Nevermore when Broderick was their touring guitarist he was back on the bus practicing after playing the show.

[Xiphos68]

Originally Posted by Demeyes

I'd agree with a lot of what the others have said. It seemed like you were trying to play a little bit faster than you were able for, you don't seem to have full control when you go into fast picking mode, as in your not fully synching your right and left hands. You'll need to work with a metronome to get that right, starting slower and working up.
Also for lead playing, you didn't really bend any notes or do much in the way of vibrato. That is the secret to great lead playing. When you are finishing a lick you don't end well every time, you need to finish off a phrase well to really sell it.
You clearly put work into your playing and you have some nice skill but you need to slow down a bit and fine hone your leads. Good note choice, well chosen phrases with a defined beginnning and end, coupled with better control over your playing and you will be sorted.

Thanks for the stuff. But how do I control my hand with my other hand? Like my main goal for it. Is to get as fast a petrucci for runs like that and that's it. Not like Cooley or anybody. But is picking fast enough just not the left hand it what your saying?

Originally Posted by technomancer

Also keep in mind that Broderick is a machine. He practices many hours a day, and when he's done he practices some more

After the Division show when they opened for Nevermore when Broderick was their touring guitarist he was back on the bus practicing after the show.

Really? Wow. But so it just takes practice, practice, and more practice? Man do I have a long way to go. This going to stink. Guitar boot camp.

[Demeyes]

Originally Posted by Xiphos68

Thanks for the stuff. But how do I control my hand with my other hand? Like my main goal for it. Is to get as fast a petrucci for runs like that and that's it. Not like Cooley or anybody. But is picking fast enough just not the left hand it what your saying?

You are picking fast enough but it doesn't seem like you are in full control with the left and right together. To me it sounds like if you slowed it down, you would not be hitting a clean note every for every pick strike, which is what you ideally want. I'm not great myself but that's something I've been trying to work on, and it something the likes of Broderick are super at.

[Xiphos68]

Originally Posted by Demeyes

You are picking fast enough but it doesn't seem like you are in full control with the left and right together. To me it sounds like if you slowed it down, you would not be hitting a clean note every for every pick strike, which is what you ideally want. I'm not great myself but that's something I've been trying to work on, and it something the likes of Broderick are super at.

Yeah but he's not as fast as petrucci is he?

[technomancer]

Originally Posted by Xiphos68

Yeah but he's not as fast as petrucci is he?

Yes he is Broderick is probably from a technique and playing skill standpoint the best there is today. His writing IMHO isn't as good as others (but he's never done a solo project) but his playing is nuts. He also does more than rock / metal as he plays Jazz, Classical, and Flamenco guitar as well.

[Demeyes]

Originally Posted by Xiphos68

Yeah but he's not as fast as petrucci is he?

I reckon Broderick could play just about anything Petrucci could and some of a good deal cleaner. This video is similar to Erotomania but more movement, he doesn't seem too phazed by it. Then again it doesn't really matter who is faster, they are both very fast and clean with their leads.

[technomancer]

^ you got it. There's also more to playing than speed. There are sections on Petrucci's solo album where he just blazes for an extended period of time that get really boring. And I love Petrucci

The practice techniques people have already given are spot on. Start slow, play with a metronome, and build up speed over time. I need to do more of that myself

[Splinterhead]

sounds to me like you have the ambition but you may be channeling your energy in the wrong direction. Speed comes up a lot in your posts. Try to remember that all it takes to play fast is time and a metronome. Speed is only an ingredient in your arsenal. For me a memorable guitar player has great phrasing and versatility.

If someone is giving a speech and speaking really fast like an auctioneer you'd quickly become annoyed and start to tune them out. But if they are speaking with a broad vocabulary and delivering their speech with a sense of conviction and varying emotion you'd probably listen more intently.

Work on being more well rounded. Speed is cool but there is so much more to guitar. (my .02)

[cyril v]

"perfect practice makes perfect.."

your best bet is to take a lick you want silky smooth and play it slowly, cleanly and with as little frustration as possible with minimal wasted effort... then build it up to speed. I'm sure most people get frustrated when they can't nail a lick in one night, but sometimes thats a bit unrealistic.

heres some wicked stuff...


fast forward to around 2:28 for the good stuff.

[Xiphos68]

Originally Posted by technomancer

^ you got it. There's also more to playing than speed. There are sections on Petrucci's solo album where he just blazes for an extended period of time that get really boring. And I love Petrucci

The practice techniques people have already given are spot on. Start slow, play with a metronome, and build up speed over time. I need to do more of that myself

Yeah I understand what your saying.

But in this video is this what you guys were talking about?

Originally Posted by Splinterhead

sounds to me like you have the ambition but you may be channeling your energy in the wrong direction. Speed comes up a lot in your posts. Try to remember that all it takes to play fast is time and a metronome. Speed is only an ingredient in your arsenal. For me a memorable guitar player has great phrasing and versatility.

If someone is giving a speech and speaking really fast like an auctioneer you'd quickly become annoyed and start to tune them out. But if they are speaking with a broad vocabulary and delivering their speech with a sense of conviction and varying emotion you'd probably listen more intently.

Work on being more well rounded. Speed is cool but there is so much more to guitar. (my .02)

Well thank you. It's not that I want to do fast runs the whole time. I just want to get my runs as fast as JP and that's it. I work on my phrasing just in the video I didn't do it. Have been able to play as much as like recently. With tendentious in my wrist. But I think this will help though. So thanks!

[Aysakh]

In all honesty, your technique is pretty frakin' clean. Just find some backing tracks and try jamming over them and you'll be ace in no time

[Xiphos68]

Originally Posted by Aysakh

In all honesty, your technique is pretty frakin' clean. Just find some backing tracks and try jamming over them and you'll be ace in no time

Really? I have backing tracks it's just I know I could do better with them. I mess with them pretty frequently. Just not lately because of my wrist.

Thanks though.