Great Video, hope it helps.
John C.

I should have practiced my scales more when I was starting out, rather than grabbing a fakebook and hitting the road after six months in 1964. I learned too many bad fingering habits, which are hard to unlearn.

There's no shortcut to playing fast. As I posted to Donny about Arpeggios its go slow and steady with the correct fingering and speed will come. My teacher would make me count out loud as I did this so I wouldn't become reliant on a metronome,
Same with practicing a passage. Isolate the section you wnat to master, practice one hand at a time and then put them together. Again slow and steady. IT will all fall into place.
All that being said Jimmy Smith was basically self taught and played all his runs with three fingers go disregard the above !

Likewise Django played with two fingers and is a legendary guitarist.

Natural talents find a way. The rest of us have to use the old tried and true methods. Who knows what Art Tatum or Eroll Garner studied. I have to keep practicing, I'm jealous.

Bill,
In my teaching days I had a guitar student that played circles around me when it comes to speed. He had been playing guitar for six months.

My wife had a piano student with perfect pitch. There are many that feel they have perfect pitch but fall short. I told him to stand in the hallway and they closed the studio door. When I played a note he not only named I he also told me what octave it was in.

Scary!
John C.

And while playing fast can be impressive it still doesn't replace expressive playing.

Well said Nigel.
Makes me think of all the Guitar Heros out there. Crank it up and let it rip.

John
I went to College with a girl who did have perfect pitch. In some ways it was a hinderance. Playing on a piano that was out of tune would drive her crazy. But wow, did she get straight A's in ear training.

Too right, it's like when a guitarist plays so fast with all those notes but it all runs into itself. It is not music but mush ( or can be) just showing off really.

On the other hand, it is good to do you exercises like scales and arpeggios etc, and limber up, keep the blood flowing and warm up the joints.


Allan