Guitar And Working Out

Does any of you know anything about the cons of doing physical workouts while trying to improve guitarskills.

I have recently started going to the gym (again) and i dont feel as comfortable picking as i did before, it feels like my wrists has gone more stiff then they where before, after lifting weights.

so the question is, should i avoid lifting heavy weights with my hand if i want to improve my guitar skills?


thx/john

Mastering Boxes Of Any Given Scale

Hi, how did you practice while learning how to master the most comon scaleshapes horizontally on the neck, i know there is lessons on this, but i would like how you managed to And would you recomend one who has yet not mastered to boxshifting to practice it?

thx

How Did You Evolve Speedwise?

So i got started on speedpicking since it seems like a good ingredience to the regular rock'n'roll manner.

I have worked my way up to ~100bpm 16th notes, while doing pretty simple patterns with no moving around, just trying to evelove some speed before getting on the more serious stuff..

And at this point it seems to me like its my left hand fingers that caps my maximum rather then my picking hand, did you experince the same while learning how to speedpick? And while you where learning it, what sorts of thing would you practice at my level?


Thankyou for all your great pentatonicbased blues/rock lessons btw, thats where i want to go

Speedpickinglessons And Backings

I've recently picked up speedpicking and progress has been Ok, i dont know what to compare with, i got the motion down an i am trying to get my hands get used to the fast positionshiftings and fast fingerings.

It seems like on pretty important advice is to not go for speed imediately, but work more on the pureness.

And thats fine, thats more important fore sure. I worked myself to a level where i can pick 8th triplets at 120bpm pretty clean.

Thing is most of the beginners patterns are 16th notes, and the "slow" backing tracks included starts at 120bpm something, so is that like a proper beginnersspeed, and in that case, am i worthless since im nowhere near 120bpm with 16th notes?

Also i am looking for advice on how to practice the speedpicking, should I jump on more advanced Sololessons and play em slow with no backing, with my metronome at my lousy speed, or should i work on the beginners stuff till i can play 16th notes at ~170bpm?


THX//little frustrated, thats all cheers

Staff, Pls Have A Look, I Have A Suggestion

As i was practicing today, something that appealed to me as both an easy and inovative way of improving the video lessons, came to my mind.

I was looking down at my hands while practincing som alternatepicking when i realised that i'd just found the ultimate videoview for video lessons, no matter the content.

Simply adding a camera angle that would show either the freatboard/lefthand(righthandforlefthandedtechersofcourse!), the picking hand or both, shown from the eyes of the teacher!

I think students would benefit more from the videos if such an agnle was added for a couple of reasons:

1. Most naturall, and understandable view

This is the one view that all of us, naturally, are most used watching since this is the angle we are using while practincing, seeing our own hands giggeling around the freatboard, IMO this view makes the teachers playing much easier to compare with ones own playing etc. I dont think i need the explain this one any further, think most of u get the point

2 Adding an additional element of techniqual understanding

Yes, wich other view does show the movement and position of the finger most used in guitarplaying, the thumb!(if u can refer to the thumb as a finger). The position of the thumb is, as far as i know one of the most essential substances of a good technique. I think less GMC'ers would risk ending up with various bad habbits that you are in danger of adding to your play without having a correct thumb position.

3 Cause no other videosites offer this view

Wich simply equals more ppl will be interested in becoming GMC members, wich simply equals[$$$$$$$$]!!



Here are 2 samples:






Ofcourse i realise that this would make the creating of lesson videos a little harder for the teachers, but that just might would be worth the effort mounting the camera above the guitar, somehow either atached to the instructor or to something right next to him, but it am sure this matter could be worked out some how, i think it might be worth it.

Hope ya'll like my idea, sure somebody else had the idea before me, but i couldnt keep it for myself:D

Good luck with your practicing etc //Salivtomte