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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Hello
Posted by: Amer Oct 2 2011, 08:36 AM
Hi Guys,
My name is Amer and I started playing guitar about a year ago. I am now able to play simple chords, know the pentatonic shapes and guess am stuck at that stage. You will know what I mean when you see Ivan's first slide video in the Pentatonic Workshop Series!
I have varies interests in music ranging from Paul Simon, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Santana, Clapton, BB King, Albert King, Rolling Stones, SRV to the early stage blues greats like Lighting Hopkin's.
I need some help and guidance - I would like to put together a practice routine and build on speed with the right technique. Please help!
I have started off with Ivan's Pentatonic Workshop and any help/suggestions in building together a routine that will help me improve on the basics while making it fun will be greatly appreciated.
I look forward to learning from all of you!
Cheers!
Amer
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 2 2011, 08:54 AM
Hi Amer!! Welcome to the site! I think that you did a grea choice starting with those Ivan's series. I think that a good routine should be divided in a same quantity of minutes for this topics: Technique (alternate picking, sweep picking, tapping, legato, rhythm), Music theory (reading music, harmony) , Improvisation study (Scales, Arpeggios, Modes) , Jamming (just for fun over a backing track) , Composing (compose a riff, a song or something applying the things that you are learning).
Posted by: JaxN4 Oct 2 2011, 08:59 AM
Hi mate and welcome to the site....there is an awesome bunch of ppl here and amazing lessons. Hope u have fun
Cheers
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Oct 2 2011, 01:12 PM
Welcome aboard GMC Amer! 
That pentatonic series is definitely a good choice to make your pentatonics more precise. Also, Gabriel gave some fine recommendations on other important areas that you should work on.
What I would recommend as well, is to find a place to study some styles that you like. For example we have a bunch of cool SRV lessons, and other in style lessons. You can check them out, and see if you like some of the solos, and investigate important elements of each style.
Also, one important thing that people usually neglect in the beginning (which is a bit ironic), are chords. Check out my chord workshop series. You don't have to practice it, but just watch first couple of lessons, and read some theory on it. It will only do you good later on.
If you need some help in developing more detailed practice routine, you let us know Amer.
Posted by: Ben Higgins Oct 2 2011, 05:13 PM
Hi Amer, great to see you on the boards ! 
When you say about learning speed, do you mean that literally ? You would like to learn how to develop a faster picking technique for example ?
Posted by: Amer Oct 2 2011, 05:32 PM
Hi Ben, that's the idea. I would like to develop a faster picking technique. I have had very little formal instruction and learnt mostly from online videos. I guess I am at the right place now. Would really appreciate if you could point me to some lessons on GMC in that direction.
I have been practicing on Ivan's pentatonic workshop for the last two days and I can already see some difference. I plan to work on his pentatonic and chord workshop series till I get them right!
I am trying to put together a daily practice routine (1 hour at-least on weekdays and 3-4 hrs on weekends). Do you have any suggestions?
When you say about learning speed, do you mean that literally ? You would like to learn how to develop a faster picking technique for example ?
Thank you, Ivan for your suggestions. I think your lessons are fabulous!
That pentatonic series is definitely a good choice to make your pentatonics more precise. Also, Gabriel gave some fine recommendations on other important areas that you should work on.
What I would recommend as well, is to find a place to study some styles that you like. For example we have a bunch of cool SRV lessons, and other in style lessons. You can check them out, and see if you like some of the solos, and investigate important elements of each style.
Also, one important thing that people usually neglect in the beginning (which is a bit ironic), are chords. Check out my chord workshop series. You don't have to practice it, but just watch first couple of lessons, and read some theory on it. It will only do you good later on.
If you need some help in developing more detailed practice routine, you let us know Amer.
Thanks Mate!
Cheers
Posted by: Daniel Realpe Oct 2 2011, 07:09 PM
Welcome to GMC! you'll definitely see the improvement if you put the time to it,
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Oct 2 2011, 09:07 PM
Hi Amer! Welcome to GMC!
If you were to ask me, here's what I suggest:
Step 1) Think of the things you want to accomplish on the guitar (fast picking, develop improvisation skills etc.)
Step 2) Focus on 30 minutes everyday on that particular aspect of your guitar playing and never stray (no TV, No Radio, No phone, No internet, no griflriend no mom, no cat) It sounds drastic, but a little discipline will help you focus on what you're doing! Tackle short intervals of time (I suggested 30 minutes, but you will find 15-20 minutes more easily to tackle)
Step 3) Record yourself as often as possible and at several periods of time, compare your recordings - not only it'll give you an immense pleasure to realize your progress but it'll help you figure out what's good and what's not! The REC section in here at GMC provides a WONDERFUL tool in this quest, so don't shy away from using it!
Step 4) Enjoy what you're learning NEVER make a task out of it! if you don't feel like practicing legato in a certain moment, switch to another aspect which feels more attractive at that point and study legato at a later moment! Of course, pay attention on distributing your efforts in a balanced way - otherwise you'll start being a super bender and you won't be able to play any legato whatsoever! BALANCE is the key!
These are my thoughts at this moment enjoy and please ask me anything else you wish to know 
Cosmin
Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Oct 2 2011, 09:14 PM
Just listen to what the guys said 
and welcome!!
Posted by: Ben Higgins Oct 2 2011, 10:56 PM
I have been practicing on Ivan's pentatonic workshop for the last two days and I can already see some difference. I plan to work on his pentatonic and chord workshop series till I get them right!
I am trying to put together a daily practice routine (1 hour at-least on weekdays and 3-4 hrs on weekends). Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Amer. At the risk of plugging my own lessons, I have recently done a couple of lessons that focus on developing picking speed.
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-Hand-Basics/
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Stamina-School/
They both just focus on the picking hand instead of presenting loads of things for the mind to try and grasp. They're also things that I practice myself to improve my picking ability, especially the second one.
I find it useful to strengthen a particular physical motion by doing it in the most direct, simplified way possible. Once you've started to build a stronger, faster picking technique then that's the time to start adding left hand combinations.
Posted by: Adrian Figallo Oct 3 2011, 03:37 AM
welcome to the site man, i think you are going in a great direction by now with ivan's lessons and the advices from ben and cosmin .
Posted by: Sinisa Cekic Oct 3 2011, 05:31 PM
Welcome to GMC man ! As you said - you have come to the right place
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