Poll: Which is faster? i-m or m-i or neither

Mircea asked me to post this question in the general forum, so here goes.

 

In the last workshop with Rene Izquierdo  mentioned that reflexive speed of i-m is faster than m-i. For my hand, it is definitely true, but I'm curious to know if it is the same for other guitarists.  Here is the specific experiment and question:

 

If you play two repeated notes on one string as fast as you can, first with i-m (pause) and them m-i, which one can you naturally do faster?  (Note: it has to be only two notes since more than two notes would be asking a different question)

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    • MirceaTeam
    • Head of Guitar
    • Mircea
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Wonderful question - and observation, Dean!

    In my own case, I would say that my reflexive speed for i-m is faster than m-i. But they are very close, and I'm not sure if it has always been this way! I feel like back in the day when I was just learning how to play tremolo, and practicing that particular technique a lot, it might have been the other way around. However, I can't really recall for sure, since it's been so many years, and I've learned so much since then.

    Curious to see what our fellow community members have to say about it!

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      • Marek Tabisznull
      • retired guitar teacher
      • Marek_Tabisz
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Mircea for me i-m and m-i is almost the same speed but m-i  I feel more natural, especially in confuguration: m-i
                                   p

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      • Marek Tabisznull
      • retired guitar teacher
      • Marek_Tabisz
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Marek Tabisz I mean p with m simultaneously

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      • MirceaTeam
      • Head of Guitar
      • Mircea
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Marek Tabisz that is very interesting! Thanks for your comment, Marek!

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    • David Krupka
    • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
    • David_Krupka
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    It's difficult to judge the actual difference in speed, but like Marek I find m followed by i feels more 'natural'. It seems to me that when we close our hands to form a fist, the motion begins at the pinky and is directed towards the index. I imagine this is why most of us articulate a four note tremolo with p-a-m-i and not with the equally logical p-i-m-a. (I also find inward directed arpeggios (i.e. p-m-i) much easier than their outward equivalents.)

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