How To Play Guitar Fast - The Magic Of Chunking

This weeks lesson teaches you how to play guitar fast using the the magic of chunking. In this lesson we will look at how you can play guitar faster, using a strategy called chunking. Anyone can learn how to play fast , so if you want to increase the speed of your alternate picking, sweep picking, tapping, legato, or any technique watch this guitar lesson to learn how the magic of chunking is the secret to shred guitar.

📚 Lesson Chapters
0:00 Intro Jam
0:33 Lesson Overview
1:28 What Is Chunking?
3:27 Why Chunking Matters?
6:09 How To Use Chunking
8:09 Step 1: Learn The Chunk Slowly
9:05 Step 2: Find Your Open Loop Tempo
11:30 Step 3: Get The Chunk Up To Speed
14:39 How To Use A Metronome
17:10 Step 4: Repeat For Each Chunk In The Phrase
17:31 Step 5: Add The First Note Of Chunk Two
19:13 Step 6: Connect The First Two Chunks
20:42 Step 7: Add Chunks To Build The Full Phrase

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[andreastrilling]

This is a brilliant example of how to translate state-of-the-art understandings from Neuroscience into applied guitar practice! Well explained and presented and all required aspects covered. I find it very motivating when there is an idea about why certain advice would work and how exactly it would work. I’ll try it out immediately and hope to see more content from you on that basis. Thanks a lot!

[acrobertson]

I've watched 100s of hours of guitar YouTube in the last year and frankly, if someone wanted me to boil it down to my top 5 or so, this would be in it. I knew about chunking, but you've laid it out so plainly and simply that now I feel I can use it much more effectively.

[willwillis]

In my 40 years of playing I have never heard nor seen this concept. The breakdown and explanation are so thorough and easy to understand. I would have expected to pay for such a valuable lesson. I'm most grateful for this!
Thank you

[johnrackham]

this video explained why speed bursts are so effective, practicing groups of notes at a tempo out of your comfort zone.... wow, open/closed loop environments... everything just clicked for me. you are godsent, thank you

[OlicanaMusicGuitar]

Do you want to see a video on picking technique?

[SandmanSeven]

Best picking up speed video I’ve seen so far! expressed eloquently and logically. Loved everything about this, gonna try it now.
Thank you thank you thank you

[dougcarr]

Clear, concise, scientific. This is a phenomenal lesson! Thank you!

[Fernando.Canal]

The way you intruduced how information goes to the brain was a key to learn this

[AxeMurderer]

19:15 This is half what I do when I connect things up, but I use this exact same method. Play chunk 1 and the first note of chunk 2 to get the connection to be as smooth as the chunks are separately. But I also practice the 2nd chunk by starting on the last note or two of the 1st chunk, basically coming at the problem from the other direction also with the exact same methodology. This allows me to approach smoothing out the connection from both directions...if you get what I mean. You describe the 1st half of the transition, which is moving into chunk 2 from chunk 1. This forces you to perfect entry into the transition between them at the end of chunk 1. I add some additional focus on the 2nd half of the transition as well, which is moving from chunk 1 through chunk 2. This forces you to also perfect exit out of the transition at the start of chunk 2. For me doing this greatly reduces the "stepping' required to get it smooth, that you demonstrated by continually adding one additional chunk 2 note to the end of your chunk 1 transition practice until it "cascades". 3-4 notes is much more than it ever takes me. Usually chunk 2 falls out after only 1 or 2 if I have also practiced chunk 2 from within chunk 1 the same as I have practiced chunk 1 going into chunk 2.

Hard to explain what I mean. I hope I have done it. Maybe I can just say that you are looking at connecting the chunks together from a viewpoint that stands within chunk 1 looking forward moving towards chunk 2. For me it also helps to connect them by looking from a viewpoint that stands within chunk 2 looking backwards moving away from chunk 1.

Another technique I would use with the specific lick you are demonstrating would be to divide up the chunks differently. So you have all the chunks as distinct from each other in the overall picture. All of chunk 1 is followed by all of chunk 2 followed by all of 3 etc. In a long string of triplets or 16th notes you can also easily delineate chunks that overlap with one another. So, you end up with all of chunk 1 followed by a chunk that is half chunk 1 and half chunk 2 followed by all of chunk 2 followed by 1/2 chunk 2 + 1/2 chunk 3 followed by all of 3 etc. This also helps with connecting the whole thing together in the long run since you have turned all the transitions between the chunks into separate chunks themselves. It can aid in improving your ability to lengthen the chunks as you learn and connect them, ideally leading to the entire lick becoming one huge single chunk. Another bonus with doing this is that it expands your vocabulary. Referring back to another video you did concerning phrasing in which you compared it with spoken languages, every chunk you master amounts to another word added into your phrasing vocabulary. In particular, your high-speed vocabulary. When you overlap chunks, you learn twice as many words.

[mattsuran]

This honestly a much deeper video than I expected. This is a must watch for any physical endeavor.

[darkknight]

Love the analogies. I caught this video at the right time when I am in the process of learning how to play fast. I realized the best way to learn is start with the mind to understand why it works like this. Thanks a lot. I'm a subscriber 🤘🏾

[TalkNRock]

I can't believe how precise, analytic and smooth is the way you teach my friend.Hats off. You are a phenomenal teacher. I wish you come back and make more videos.Thank you!

[kevinmccormick]

This fellow makes everything so clear and simple. One of, if not the best, of these types of clips out there!

[ramonmaximiliano]

Literally one of the best guitar classes on youtube, thanks for this

[thanosp.]

The detail you got into in order to explain why practicing a phrase slow will never perfect itself at higher speeds was outstanding. Subscribed for more wisdom!

[jordangamble]

The way you use shooting a ball into the hoop is a great visual for the learner to understand from a different perspective. Very detailed man💯🙏

[nananazario]

Thank you for the chunking lessons.. I totally get it! Finally. I would like you to make a video on how to hold the pick properly and how to make contact. I tend to slip miss my strings sometimes and I feel like I am not making contact on all my target strings.
Once again thank you for your insight. I am now one of your FANS!!

[vincentmalgouzou]

Thx, great vidéo, yes we want thé vidéo about picking !!

[ChrisBarnard-vdfj]

Thank you for explaining, very helpful.

[padleybonnerproductions]

Thanks man, this is really helpful. I definitely have found learning stuff in little bits and gradually putting it altogether a lot easier but this has really helped me apply it to everything I learn now in the best way. You deserve way more subscribers.