| Package Dimensions | 12.7 x 11.1 x 1.3 cm; 9 Grams |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 9 g |
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Lucia Martinez
Fortalece tus dedos
Reviewed in Mexico on 16 March 2021Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
The best kept secret for lead guitarists
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2020Verified Purchase
The best kept secret for lead guitarists
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2020
INTRO:Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2020
Like most others, my left hand struggled going from "fast" to REALLY FAST when playing lead. It seemed to have good days and bad days. I spent months (well, years by now) practicing various legato exercises, spider riffs, doing stretches watching youtube videos, and so forth with painfully small improvements. Enter an individual named "John" from Mile High Shred Club who at one point was the fastest guitar player as per Guinness World Records. He played Flight of the Bumblebee as 620 BPM! His left hand was a blur, and he recommended these "Riff Bandz" (dreadfully awful name might I add) for left hand speed. I was initially bullish on this product because I had already tried twisting rubber bands around my fingers for months with zero improvement (and lots of strain). But I trusted John, so for $10 I just added them to my cart. When they arrived my initial thoughts were "gee, these things aren't that difficult" and indeed, the more proximal you put them on your fingers the easier they are, so be sure to put them closer to the ends of your fingers. They also seemed to vary in difficulty based on how many frets wide the exercise/riff you're practicing is.
PROS:
1. I noticed my practice session shrinking to thirty minutes before my forearm would grow tired. I see this as a plus because I used to take a long time (hours or more) practicing and warming up before my fingers felt free to fly around the fretboard. I don't have anymore time to center my life around guitar practice just so I can solo with some of my guitar gods (Dimebag, Zakk Wylde, Panos Arvanitis, Garry Moore, Satchel, Andy James). This product helped me squeeze my practice time in while watching a show with my spouse or before passing out from work.
2. The first major performance improvement I saw was my pinky become a lot faster. In the past it was often the finger I dreaded using or I knew would slow me down when performing a fast lick (opting for my middle finger or index). Getting that pinky moving properly helped make certain licks better and helped the adjacent ring finger as well which leads me to my next point.
3. Finger independence grew greatly. Pesky licks that focused between fingers 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 suddenly no longer were as rigid, mechanical, or forced.
4. Fingers just moved a lot faster. I can't put it any more plainly. It made those key exercises like working on trills or muscle memory repetition of licks that much more impactful in my playing.
CONS:
1. Like most elastic products, they will wear out and eventually snap - so if you plan on incorporating this into your daily routine then you'll probably need to stock up on these puppies.
2. They slightly cut off my circulation (as evidenced in the photo above). My fingers do not go numb or become painful - but they are slightly uncomfortable after extended periods of time.
3. I do not feel this product will benefit beginners much in speed, finger independence or technique. A lot of ground can be covered through plain old daily practice and proper right hand exercises. These "riff bandz" are meant to take the individual who can already play with some degree of proficiency to the next level.
4. If your right hand picking technique isn't on point then these bandz won't help much unless you're a huge legato player. I recommend Troy Grady as he is the authority on right hand technique.
VERDICT:
In closing, this is a simple and incredible product that can bust through speed plateaus and supercharge your practice sessions. Probably the best kept secret for weekend warriors that want to tango with those who dedicate their lives to this craft.
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Gunner Hellstorm
OK Idea, But poor design, implementation and value.
Reviewed in the United States on 17 May 2020Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
"Off Label" Use
Reviewed in the United States on 30 November 2019Verified Purchase
Zachary S.
Working as Advertised
Reviewed in the United States on 18 October 2019Verified Purchase
