Practise Schedule Options

[SonofDestiny]

I've been here for a couple of days now and I really like the progress I'm making. I haven't really had a tight schedule so far, but I've always been doing these exercises:

- Hands Synchronisation
- Right hand basics
- A looooot of vibrato
- Stealing off phrasing ideas from our instructors (sorry guys )

Are there any exercises you guys recommend me to do for my technique? I know that I can look them up myself, but I don't want to do contradictory exercises. 'Cause when you're in the gym it's not really handy to first make the muscle shorter and then making it longer again, I figured... maybe playing the guitar works that way too?

Oh and have you guys got any advice for strengthening the skin on my fingertips? My skin is coming right off again and I hate that. Been playing for 5 years now and it still won't hold. (Well, or maybe I just have too much time now that school's over...) Well, still is the wrong word. I didn't have any problems until January this year

Well...anyways, I hope I'm not posting too many questions, sorry if I do, but these two are pretty essential to me to practise properly.

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[Martin la guitar...]

hmm, im not really the right person for this question, but i try my best. First of all i just want to point out that guitar is suppose to be fun. And by my own experience (You're mabye the opposite) practice schedule is wrong for me. Its because it feel like its limits my abilities to be a better guitar player. Again, your mabye not like i am. The only way to find this out is to test both options (Follow a practice schedule or just go and play by heart).

When it comes to fingerskin improvement i would (believe it or not) put the guitar down, as you said you've been playing for 5 years - the skin mabye haven't got the time to recover.

Something i advice to you is to practice scales - and chromatic scales. Look at Marcus lesson - from blind guardian where he shows numerous of ways of you can practice chromatic scales.

Another thing, which is no doubt the most important one: ALWAYS, ALWAYS practice with a metrome - especially if you're doing exercises and such. Without the metronom you will play" DaDa- DADADA-DADA-DA-DADADA" when its suppose to be "DADADADADADADADADADADA" (Hope you understand this weird explaination:)

Again, wait for someone with more experience to reply - as i am very, very unsure.

Anyway, have fun, Practice, and more practice!

Cheers

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[SonofDestiny]

Hey

Thanks, I really found that a good reply. I'm different then you, I guess. I really enjoy those exercises, haha, I don't know why. They sound a bit funny to me and they give me the feeling like I'm working out. They make me feel like I'm doing something proper to improve my playing

I used to play by my heart, but that didn't really work out for me. I would just noodle around a bit and that's not what I want. I wanna become a badass guitar player (mind you, badass playing, not a bad ass attitude ). Oh, and that's not to offend you by the way, I'm sure you can control yourself, whereas I can't

You're absolutely right about the metronome. Been using it for the last weeks and it's been awesome! I like my playing way better with the steady beat going on.

I'll check out Marcus' lesson

Thanks!

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[Martin la guitar...]

Sweet - Believe it or not, i too have the same goals as you have - to become a badass guitar player

What style are you into, metal, blues jazz, country, rock, pop? You sound like you're pretty serious with the guitar, would love to know more stuff about you m8

Another question Do you practice with a metronome when you're playing regular songs, lesson or just exercises?

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

As for a "looot of vibrato" then you can work your way through a system of bending every note on the whole fretboard with every finger, and doing it with a metronome, first slowly of course and than wokr you way to faster tempos just like any exercise. This will make wonders, it you go through it thoroughly.

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[Martin la guitar...]

Great tip Ivan

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[SonofDestiny]

@ Martin: I'm mainly into rock I love bands like Bon Jovi, Europe, Def Leppard, Guns 'n Roses, but also music that people would refer to as emo (but I'm definately not one of those guys with make-up), like lostprophets, Story of the Year. Metal... I don't love metal. It's allright, I guess. I'm not really into the 'true' metal stuff, but I think Machine Head has some awesome stuff and nu-metal is allright too! It may not be advanced guitar playing, but it has this atmospheric feeling and I love that I like blues too, but I don't really like being stuck into that genre. I like the bluesy things that are for example in Nocturnal Vision, but I don't like the kind of blues that I hear every jamsession

In short... I guess I just like music in general really. When it sounds good to me, I just like it. Music transcends labels for me (I even listen to Hilary Duff )

Haha and yeah, I am pretty serious about the guitar. I've always said that music is my life, but I've never really put it into action, you know? So this year I had exams and I made myself a deal. That deal was that I would spend a lot of time on music. I've been doing guitar lessons here, singing lessons too. I love it. I've never been a person with a lot of structure in my life, but I'm changing that this time.

Since I started to get serious on guitar I've done everything with a metronome. It's awesome!

Add me on msn if you want, you seem like a cool guy E-mailaddress is in my profile.

@ Ivan: thanks! I've heard about this method, but I forgot about it. You reckon I should try it with wide bends and small bends?

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This post has been edited by SonofDestiny: Jun 4 2008, 09:20 PM

[Hisham Al-Sanea]

you can do an exercises to see for how long time your hands and fingers can play without tiredness
also many bends like high bends and harm notes ,trills,scales downstrokes/upstrokes .

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[Scott Gentzen]

Something i advice to you is to practice scales - and chromatic scales. Look at Marcus lesson - from blind guardian where he shows numerous of ways of you can practice chromatic scales.

+1 on this.

It used to be common advice at GMC to skip chromatics and practice other scale types so while you're working your mechanical technique, you can learn scales while you're at it.

My problem is that at least at the level I'm at, I tend to do better if I can disengage my brain from learning theory stuff when I want to work on the mechanical action of playing the instrument. I might change my mind later, but for now, I warm up with and work sync, etc with chromatics and do scales as a separate section.

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[Martin la guitar...]

sweet, do what your heart wants!

As for Sonofdestiny, i cant find your msn....

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