You may wonder how other players get such great chops. Was it practice, natural ability, or just plain luck? First, you don't get anything for free. No one starts playing guitar with instant speed—everyone has to work at it. Technique is a mental mindset more than physical ability. You will play as fast as you want to play. If you've spent your whole life emulating fast players, then you'll have a yearning to play fast. If you play slow-hand blues and are content to take it easy, good technique can be as simple as learning to use your hands efficiently.

These are a few things you need to help you develop good technique:

• A metronome

• A logbook

• A pencil

• A goal

A metronome is an indispensable tool for working on technique, because it gives you a means of measuring your progress. Rather than just “feeling” fast today, wouldn't it be nice to know that you could play exactly ten beats per minute faster? The pencil and logbook will enable you to chart your development. Setting a realistic goal—mastering some licks or solos that are too hard for you right now—gives you something to work toward, and you'll feel great after you achieve that goal.

Building speed is a long process that requires a lot of determination and hard work. Practice every day and chart your growth with a metronome.