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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Songs Or Exercises?
Posted by: Johnny Göthe Norlin May 23 2008, 12:01 PM
What's best really, doing technique exercises or practice songs where that certain technique you wanna learn is used? I usually here a song and want to learn certain sections in it. Should I try and find good exercises for it or just dive right into learning the song?/ Johnny
Posted by: Bogdan Radovic May 23 2008, 12:46 PM
Well I find exercises much better option...Best way is to do exercises and than when you get bored with them try to do the songs etc...With exercises you are very much focused on particular technique and they are in repetitive form so you are very efficient..
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 23 2008, 12:48 PM
Both to be honest. Practice the exercises and then learn your favourite songs with those exercises and then try and incorporate the exercises and techniques into your own songs.
Posted by: Iluha May 23 2008, 01:11 PM
This is what I do when I hear a section I like in a song, first I try to learn it but if I see it's too complicated for me right now, I use a basic exercise of the technique being used(for example, if I want to learn a lick in a Satriani song, more than likely I'll practice a legato exercise), and aftar a while try again, ussually I can learn that troublesome section by than.
Posted by: DeepRoots May 23 2008, 01:14 PM
The way i see it is:
You hear a song where a certaing technique is used...
You do a bunch of exercises for that technique...
You practise the song in sections over and over...
You reward yourself with the treat of playing the song all the way through 
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 23 2008, 01:27 PM
Exercises are definitely more effective because you practice structured stuff with metronome. When you practice a song you can divide it into smaller sections and make exercises. That's the way it works generally.
Posted by: Hisham Al-Sanea May 23 2008, 01:46 PM
to start with exercise would be better
Posted by: Scott Gentzen May 23 2008, 01:54 PM
I try to go back and forth depending on how much time I have.
I don't generally have the ability to practice for hours at a time but if I have time I usually start with chromatic runs, then into scales, and either work on a GLC lesson or a song. I pretty much always do it in that order, so if I have less time, I'm less likely to get to the music part.
Posted by: rokchik May 23 2008, 02:13 PM
I find both to be useful. I've noticed that with the more techniques I learn through exercises the easier I can now recognize them in the songs I want to learn, so it makes the songs easier. The songs make the techniques more fun to learn, it's not so monotonous, and also the songs show how the techniques can be used so it gives me ideas on how to use them. (I hope that made sense)
rok
Posted by: mattacuk May 23 2008, 02:21 PM
IMO Excercises are the way to go. This is because if your learning your favorite songs without a solid skill set there going to sound sloppy, and never as good as the original.
Choose exercises from the GMC video archive that match the kind of stuff you want to play! 
edit:
In addition, many GMC lessons are complete songs! You can practice each technique seperate to build up skills
Posted by: Bogdan Radovic May 23 2008, 04:23 PM
There are lot of song lessons here on GMC , but I was referring on normal songs..I find GMC lessons constructed with particular techniques in mind and they are great exercises for them - but packed in a fun song kind of way So basicly fun focused exercises/songs.
Combining both can be a key to success (exercises and songs)..But you should not disregard any of them..
Posted by: Jenkinson May 23 2008, 05:20 PM
I agree with the posts above, I start with exercises, and then watch my ability to play certian passages in songs get better.
Posted by: Johnny Göthe Norlin May 24 2008, 09:11 AM
Choose exercises from the GMC video archive that match the kind of stuff you want to play!
edit:
In addition, many GMC lessons are complete songs! You can practice each technique seperate to build up skills
Thanks everyone for your replies.
That's what I've been experiencing and felt in the back of my mind. The "quality" of the certain techniques learned is less than if I would've learned 'em doing exercises to a metronome. Thanks again everyone. Back to practicing.
/ Johnny
Posted by: mattacuk May 24 2008, 09:30 AM
Awsome !!
I often like to choose lesson that are musical too, this gives the feeling of accomplishing a peice of music as it were. Such examples are Marcus's Winding Roads just for example!
Break them down, practice it induvidually with a metronome and you will feel your skills rise!! 
Posted by: Trond Vold May 25 2008, 02:51 AM
I prefer to learn the song actually. For me it was easier to learn the techniques when i could play along with the music. I cant remember any time i practiced with just a metronome.
Well, both ways work.. but i can just as well recommend learning the song where the technique is used.
Posted by: Daniel Robinson May 25 2008, 04:23 AM
I guess i am backwards like Trond, i tend to learn the songs as i play along i learn the technique.
For some reason it puts me in a different frame of mind, the music distracts me from thinking too hard and the technique seems to flow faster.
I notice this quite often actually, even melodic excersises. When trying to practice with metronome i mess up quite a bit. But when playing along with a backing track my mind is focused on the music and for some reason its like some sort of Zen moment.
I am not a Buddist btw, but its the only way i could relay what i meant. Somehow the backing distracts me and the excersise just flows. Its weird but thats how i learn best.
Daniel
Posted by: fkalich May 25 2008, 04:47 AM
was going to say something, changed my mind.
edit 2: now changed again. I do lessons. I have a few very difficult songs from earlier that I continue to try and improve. But I won't be doing new songs, probably ever, just lessons. If I do any new songs in the future, I expect it will be on acoustic.
Posted by: Pablo Vazquez May 25 2008, 06:09 PM
In my opinion... both 2!
Posted by: blindwillie May 26 2008, 07:39 AM
That's how I approach it too.
Just doing exercises gets boring to me, but practising a certain techique for a song is more rewarding when you see you get closer and closer to be able to play the song.
Posted by: Juan M. Valero May 26 2008, 12:23 PM
both ways are correct. One interesting thing is to play songs and practice the most difficult parts with some similar exercises
Posted by: Marcus Siepen May 26 2008, 07:30 PM
Both is fine in my opinion, playing a song is more fun that just going through an excercise, the excercise is more focused though, but nothing can stop you from doing both I guess
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