Guitar technique
Getting it right first try: what your number of attempts says about your technique
In short
The number of attempts you need to nail an exercise measures how stable your motion is, regardless of speed. A passage nailed one time in five isn’t learned, even if the good take is fast. To make a motion reliable, practice below your top tempo, count consecutive successes rather than your best take, and test yourself “cold”.
Every guitarist knows this: at home the passage comes out one time in three; in front of someone or on stage, never. The difference doesn’t show on the metronome; it shows in the number of attempts.
Speed and stability are two different things
Speed tells you how far your motion can go. The number of attempts tells you how reliable it is. You can be fast and unstable (the good take happens, but rarely), or slower and very stable. To play in real situations, stability is what counts.
That’s why the RIFFLEX report shows, for each fingering and each motion, the average number of attempts needed to pass: the higher the bar, the harder it is for you to succeed first time, whatever speed you reach.
What your attempts reveal
- Many attempts on one specific fingering: that fingering isn’t automatic yet, even if it reaches a good speed.
- Many attempts on one motion (hammer-on or pull-off): the motion itself lacks reliability.
- Many attempts as soon as a difficulty is added (stretch, shift, skip): the basic motion holds, but not under constraint.
Why a motion stays unstable
Most often because it was practiced too fast. At the edge of your speed, the motion varies with every repetition: your brain doesn’t store one movement but several rough versions. Tension plays a part too: a tense motion is more sensitive to stress and fatigue.
Making your motion reliable
- Practice a little below your top tempo, where you succeed almost every time.
- Count consecutive successes: aim for, say, five clean runs in a row before raising the tempo.
- Test yourself “cold”: at the start of a session, with no specific warm-up, one attempt only. That’s the real measure of what you’ve learned.
- Log your number of attempts next to your tempo: together they tell you where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I play it at home but not in front of others?
Because the motion isn’t stable yet: it works when every condition is right. Stress shrinks the margin further. Practicing below your top tempo and aiming for consecutive successes makes the motion sturdier.
Should I raise the tempo as soon as I nail it once?
No. A single success doesn’t prove the motion is learned. Several successes in a row at the same tempo before moving up is better.
How do I know a passage is really learned?
If it comes out first time, cold, at the start of a session. That’s the most honest test.