Guitar speed plan
Stuck at the same speed for months? Answer a few questions about your picking hand, fretting hand, timing and habits. You get a diagnosis of what’s really holding you back and a 7-day practice routine built around it, with exact tempos for every drill.
What the diagnostic looks at
Speed problems look the same from the outside (“I can’t play it fast enough”) but come from different places. Practicing the wrong thing is why many players stay stuck for years. The diagnostic scores nine areas and picks your main and second bottleneck:
- Picking-hand speed: the pick hand stalls or feels heavy
- String crossing: mistakes when you change strings
- Hand sync: notes smear, double up or go missing
- Fretting-hand economy: fingers land late or fly off the strings
- Finger independence: a weak ring finger or pinky
- Tension and endurance: tightness, burn, short bursts
- Timing: rushing, dragging, shaky subdivisions
- Mental map: losing your place in fast passages
- Chord changes: changes that arrive late
How the week works
- Day 1, measure: find your clean speed on one string and across strings.
- Day 2, slow and perfect: clean reps on your main bottleneck.
- Day 3, speed bursts: short bursts above your top speed, then back to clean.
- Day 4, second focus: your second bottleneck gets the most time.
- Day 5, tempo ladder: raise the click 4 BPM at a time until it breaks, then lock in the clean tempo.
- Day 6, make it music: use the technique on a lick or on the passage you want to play.
- Day 7, test and reset: re-test and log your numbers for next week.
Free and full plan
Free: the full diagnosis and days 1–3 of your routine, as often as you like.
Full plan, $10 a month: days 4–7, then a new week every 7 days that builds on your check-in, with new drills, new tempos and a 4-week cycle of build, stretch, push and consolidate. It’s saved to your account. Cancel any time.
Practice with our free metronome, and if chord changes are your bottleneck, the chord change trainer.
Questions
Why can’t I play guitar faster?
Almost always because one specific thing breaks first: the picking hand stalls, string changes trip you up, the hands fall out of sync, the fretting fingers travel too far, a weak finger slows everything, tension builds up, or the timing rushes. The diagnostic finds which one it is for you, because each needs different practice.
How long should I practice guitar speed each day?
Consistency matters more than length. 15–30 minutes of focused speed work every day beats a long session once a week. The plan is built for the minutes you choose, from 10 to 90 a day.
What tempo should I practice at?
Most of your reps should be at about 65–80% of your clean top speed, where every note is even and relaxed. Short bursts of 1–2 beats slightly above your top speed then teach your hands the motion at higher tempos. The plan gives you an exact BPM for every drill.
What do I get for $10 a month?
The full 7-day routine (days 4–7 are locked on the free version), then a new week every 7 days built from your weekly check-in: new drills, new tempos and a 4-week cycle of build, stretch, push and consolidate. Your plan is saved to your account on every device.
Can I cancel the speed plan?
Yes, any time, from the link on your plan or from your Paddle receipt. Your plan stays unlocked until the end of the month you paid for, and your first payment has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Related reading: how to play guitar faster, alternate picking, finger exercises, using a metronome.