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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Your Best Practice Exercise...

Posted by: Brandon Earman Mar 21 2011, 06:01 PM

Name your best/favorite practice exercise that you ever added to your routine. This could be a basic warm-up, string skipping pattern, chord exercise, anything.

Which of these do you think has improved your playing the most over time?

Posted by: Mudbone Mar 21 2011, 06:13 PM

Well this one ain't my best or my favorite exercise, but it was very effective, and opened new doors for me.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/right-hand-basic1/

Posted by: Sollesnes Mar 21 2011, 06:16 PM

I think skip picking excersises in general are especially good for developing hand coordination, and helping your right hand to be as exact as possible, knowing its way around the strings. Like this one:


-----------------4------1------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
------------3---------------2--------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
--------2-----------------------3----------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
---1-------------------------------4-------------------------

Of course you should be able to both economy and alternate pick it smile.gif

but of course... what, all in all, has probably made the most difference, is the thousands of hours Ive spent doing 1234 etc tongue.gif
For the left hand, I think new excersises needs to be added constantly for it to be excersises. Whatever way you find weird, unusual, uncomfortable, difficult, etc, to move your fingers. Thats what your excersises should be for the left hand smile.gif
For example, I can make an excersise right now, which I can make the goal of today to make easy and fluid. smile.gif

Not a very hard excersise, only took a few minutes, but make some every day. I think its the best way to find your weaknesses, and work them out smile.gif

---------------------------------------------------------1-- e
-------------------------------------------4----3------------
------------------------------1-----2----------------2--------
----------------4-----3---------------3------4----------------- t
---------2----------------2------1----------------------------
------------3------4-----------------------------------------
---1-------------------------------------------------------- c

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Mar 21 2011, 07:22 PM

The way I learnt to speedpick was Zsolt Galambos's Modal Madness series here at GMC. smile.gif No better exercise for it than those lessons, if you ask me. They also help theory understanding as the exercises are actually scales back and forth.

Posted by: Brandon Earman Mar 21 2011, 08:30 PM

Nice, Sollesnes. String skipping does help build dexterity, I only do simple pentatonic ones:

E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------12---15---
B------------------------------------------------------12---15--------------------------
G----------------------------------12---14-----------------------12---14-------------- etc.
D-------------12---14-----------------------12---14-----------------------------------
A------------------------12---14--------------------------------------------------------
E---12---15-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


QUOTE (Kristian Hyvarinen @ Mar 21 2011, 01:22 PM) *
The way I learnt to speedpick was Zsolt Galambos's Modal Madness series here at GMC. smile.gif No better exercise for it than those lessons, if you ask me. They also help theory understanding as the exercises are actually scales back and forth.


I have been considering starting that lesson. It seems like you'd get a lot from it.

QUOTE (Kristian Hyvarinen @ Mar 21 2011, 01:22 PM) *
The way I learnt to speedpick was Zsolt Galambos's Modal Madness series here at GMC. smile.gif No better exercise for it than those lessons, if you ask me. They also help theory understanding as the exercises are actually scales back and forth.


Kristian, at what BPM backing track did you start with on this lesson, and how fast are you up to now? Just curious.

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Mar 22 2011, 02:01 AM

I started at 60 bpm and now I can reach 180-190 bpm, not that I've been actively training with it for half a year or so. Once you get a hold of it, it'll get easier.

Posted by: Sentenced Mar 22 2011, 02:32 AM

6 notes on one click at 190 bpm sounds quite fast...congratulation.

Posted by: Brandon Earman Mar 22 2011, 02:41 AM

QUOTE (Kristian Hyvarinen @ Mar 21 2011, 08:01 PM) *
I started at 60 bpm and now I can reach 180-190 bpm, not that I've been actively training with it for half a year or so. Once you get a hold of it, it'll get easier.


Wow, nice man. I'm still trying to break past ~80BPM 16th triplets. I get to a point and then I plateau, where I know it just requires more and more practice - but I get distracted easily onto other lessons etc.

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Mar 22 2011, 11:18 AM

Yeah, it takes a lot of time and patience. I remember going through phases where I only played that exercise (first on the series) on low speeds (lower than 90 bpm) for hours and hours, and on other times I barely could begin with the scales. But if you keep going it's more than doable, especially when you get the stamina to keep playing the exercise. smile.gif

Posted by: emirb Mar 22 2011, 01:07 PM

+1 on modal madness. I'm also practicing that - well sort of as that's what I play when not plugged in i.e. on the sofa in front of tv or something just to get the hold of stability in picking and also a bit in stretching the left hand as some positions are unusual for my normal 'grip'. Also very important and I'm already gaining from this is fretboard knowledge. I don't think I'll ever play these scales as they are but some short runs here and there and positions where the notes are becomes 'etched in you head after a while.
sorry for the long comment just some random thoughts. And Christian those speeds are truly impressive, I not even nearly there. Started also like 60bpm or something, now around 100 which feels quite ok for some month or so practicing.

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Mar 22 2011, 03:43 PM

And just when I got everyone's attention... biggrin.gif Yeah, I messed it up. Should never try writing anything when I'm tired - no way I can play Modal Madness 180-190 bpm, that'd be a kill. I'd forgotten they are played triplets, my speed is more realistically around 130 to 140 bpm. However, I do think it's possible to go even that far.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. laugh.gif I still recommend the series.

Posted by: Gitarrero Mar 22 2011, 03:51 PM

For me, practicing Lian's "Metal Patterns 1" and a couple of licks from Todd's saturday chats helped me improve my right hand speed dramatically. Around last fall, I had trouble playing Lian's lesson at 180...nowadays I start with 180 to warm-up smile.gif

Posted by: Sean_1234 Mar 22 2011, 06:33 PM

QUOTE (Kristian Hyvarinen @ Mar 22 2011, 03:43 PM) *
And just when I got everyone's attention... biggrin.gif Yeah, I messed it up. Should never try writing anything when I'm tired - no way I can play Modal Madness 180-190 bpm, that'd be a kill. I'd forgotten they are played triplets, my speed is more realistically around 130 to 140 bpm. However, I do think it's possible to go even that far.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. laugh.gif I still recommend the series.

hahaha tongue.gif I might just get started with this series, seems prety nice wink.gif

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Mar 22 2011, 08:11 PM

My Best Practice Exer...is actually learnin' songs for exempl*

Training my Down Pick Endurance/Str - i learned Tornado of Souls, MAster of Puppets and ...Ramones Songs

etcetc..i find it alot better and tasteful training that way

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Mar 23 2011, 12:18 AM

Hey, that's a brilliant point! I think people should train songs or parts of songs they like, they do work as exercises. smile.gif

Posted by: Michael AC Mar 24 2011, 12:48 AM

Adding a metronome and playing slower not worrying about speed but accuracy.

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