The tempo ladder is the simplest way to get faster without getting sloppy. You climb the metronome one small step at a time, and only when you've earned it.
How to climb
- Find a tempo where you can play the exercise perfectly. Not "almost": perfectly.
- Play it four clean loops in a row. Any mistake resets the count.
- Raise the tempo by 4-5 bpm and repeat.
- When you fail three times at a new tempo, drop back 10 bpm, play four clean loops there, and stop for today.
Write down the last clean tempo. Tomorrow, start 10 bpm below it. You'll usually pass yesterday's top tempo within a few days.
Slow-fast
Once you're near your target, try alternating. Play one loop 10 bpm below the target, then one loop 10 bpm above it, then return to the target. The fast loop can be a bit rough; the target will then feel easier. Never stay at the fast tempo for more than a loop or two.
The exercises
Am and C arpeggios. Hold the full chord shape and pick one string at a time, A minor then C major. Let every note ring into the next. Alternate picking, starting with a downstroke.
G-C-D changes. Two strums per chord, G major, C major, D major, back to G. Changes are perfect for the ladder: the tempo tells you exactly how much time your fretting hand has.
The most common mistake is climbing too fast. Big jumps feel like progress but bring the mistakes back. Five bpm at a time.