160 but only select songs with simpler and very drilled solos. Certainly not average improv tempo.
Luke & Timothy Lindblom banjo and guitar duet
2 Likes
If I’m not feeling relaxed I won’t be able to play clean at any speed, at all. There are days when I’m super loose and playing feels great. This week has been notably good in that regard, actually. Except I lost a callous 
The kind of stuff I do with my left hand also affects how my right hand performs too. I think I actually tend to have more left hand tension than right hand sometimes.
1 Like
I’ve learned what kind of things to do to bring in a loose feeling to my playing, so even if it’s one of those days where things feel tighter, I know my hands and how to warmup. I’ve learned that quality can be found but not forced and there are specific things you can do to find it. I equate quality as that relaxed, easy feeling while I’m playing, good tone and timing and clean picking. Speed should come last.
2 Likes
My habit for that is weird. I think “imagine Bryan Sutton” and then my wrist kinda starts doing that loose gliding motion and I start playing better 
1 Like
I think you have tender fingers like mine (like for several years) but just in the last 3 years it has become rough that I don’t have that problem much.
When I first started picking I also created my first email account which was pickin150@… I made my address that because it was my goal to one day flatpick at 150.
I never made it to 150 clean, on anything with a flatpick (I did on banjo). When I was in high school I rode bulls and tore my right wrist to pieces many times, often not being able to shake hands with folks for weeks at a time. I’ve since gone to the doc about it and it’s full of scar tissue, pops all the time. Oh well, I’ll leave the fast pickin’ to the youngins here on the forum.
@JohnM 150 is in cut time. That’s actually 300 beats per minute. My TEF files are in actual beats per minute. People use cut time because it keeps the numbers lower.
4 Likes
Thanks Ben, that clarifies it and I understand it better now! 
I think 150 cut time is borderline insane, anything above is insane speed! 
I think bluegrass guitar speed has become a bit of a social media fad. Seems like you can’t use YouTube or Insta without “175 BPM BLUEGRASS GUITAR!!!” shorts getting recommended everywhere
I’d love to be able to play at those ludicrous speeds, but more because that would mean my technique is on the right track, not necessarily so I can make reels with a bunch of flame emojis. Speed itself has become one of the boring things about BG guitar to me.
4 Likes
Amazing tone 
1 Like
I’m beginning to enjoy listening to more medium tempo songs myself. Fast is fun and all but I’m really starting to appreciate the emotional side of music more.
2 Likes
The longer I play the groovier I like to play, usually settle in from 90-110. That’s where I have the most fun. I like to play a banjo song faster sometimes, of course.
7 Likes
I wrote a hornpipe this week and gonna teach it on mando. It would be fun for us all to learn it and make a collab video.
Sorry for hijacking the thread…y’all boys sure poured the fire to it and it sounds good @Luke_L!
10 Likes
I remember you saying at camp that you find yourself enjoying the slower songs as you get older. I’ve been feeling the same thing for a few years now. I wonder if that’s just something that comes with age for everyone.
3 Likes
I love playing rhythm about this speed:
I feel like it really allows the instrument and music to shine more. It’s also not “easier” necessarily, I think… it’s so hard to get that Tim Austin G run to sound just right
4 Likes
To quote the preacher…
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
A time to play fast, a time to play slow!
A time to enjoy fast, a time to enjoy slow!
In other words you dislike show-off YouTube shorts as much as I do. It’s NOT all about the likes. 
3 Likes