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Posted by: Nick325 Sep 28 2007, 10:58 AM

what do u use as a warmup and any suggestions to add to my warmup? thanks

Posted by: shredmandan Sep 28 2007, 11:07 AM

Personally this is a subject i dont really understand .You warm up by playing stuff on the neck ,then once your warmed up you play stuff on the neck .I know im in the wrong here but someone explain this to me.Why should i practice warmup exercises that sound silly on guitar to start playing scales in stuff later?

Posted by: Stratman58 Sep 28 2007, 11:14 AM

I use the "CAGED" warmup all the way to the 12th fret, then I go in reverse!

Posted by: RobM Sep 28 2007, 11:16 AM

Well I know for me and most people warmups= The prevention of injuries to whatever body part you are warming up to do whatever it is. In our cases it's play the guitar, so we should warm up our hands and fingers gradually. Once warm then we can play whatever it is we want until the cows come home.

I start out doing an excercise like this: 1-2-3-4 on all strings holding down each finger as it depresses the string on the corresponding fret, Then 2-3-4-5 the same way all the way thru the 6th fret, i go down and up from low E to high E string BTW. Tghen once I;ve done that on the 6th fret I do the exact same in reverse. Each time I do the entire pattern i stop and stretch out my fingers together and seperately and then my thumb and then my wrist. I do the same stretches on each hand.

Once I do that 3 times, I do something like this: 1-4-3-2-3-4-1-4-2-3-2-3-1-2-3-1-4-1- you guessed it I do the same thing down and up, I do each one of these 3 times and then stretch.

Then I go on to some basic chords, then barre chords, then I play a couple of simple songs(I love Minuet in G by Bach). I do one final stretch and after that i start doing my exercises, songs, scales whatever I have planned for that practice.

Posted by: shredmandan Sep 28 2007, 11:33 AM

Thanks Rob
I see your point.I also have used the 1-2-3-4 thing throughout the neck when i first pick it up but there's my example for playing something you wouldnt use when actually warmed up.I dont just pickup a guitar and go straight to like 300 bpm wish i could but actually i have been using Muris Alt picking lesson to warm up.Not playing extremly fast but this helps my fingers get used to moving which is basically what i need along with my picking up to pace.I almost always use alt picking so this is important.

They say its very important to strech and warm up to prevent things like tendinits and stuff.I will work on some stuff and see what everybody dos on here maybe get some good idea's

Posted by: FretDancer69 Sep 28 2007, 12:23 PM

play scales with alternate picking and increasing speed slowly.

Posted by: mattacuk Sep 28 2007, 06:56 PM

I warm up before i do any speedpicking/sweeping. I do this be improvising on a pentatonic scale to a backing track. I then move onto speed stuff! This way i do get the hand craps and pains i once did !

Posted by: muris Sep 28 2007, 11:14 PM

Yeah,this is tricky topic and question.
In my case, lately I just play a bit just to get warmed-up,not thinking of it as an warm-up exercise.
And I never play the same thing,it's mostly like small jamming by myself.
But if you're in the early stage of playing,
you should do some exercises for that,to avoid injuries etc.
If you want,I can make a lesson about it.

Posted by: Robin Sep 28 2007, 11:55 PM

I just play scales slowly. I get better at the scales and alternate picking at the same time.

Posted by: rokchik Sep 29 2007, 01:07 AM

My approach to guitar practice is much like my approach to training at the gym... some small mobility exercise to get the blood pumping, stretching then practice.

I usually start with something like small arm circles then make them larger or cross my arms back an forth plus do circles with my wrists just to get limbered up and like I said get some blood flowing. I then stretch out my fingers, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders and back. When I actually pick up the guitar my limbs feel loose and are ready to start playing. I'll usually pick a scale and go through it slowly, concentrating on the alt picking for a warm up then I'll speed it up followed by a review of what I did my last practice session....I keep a journal... I'm such a nerd The actuall practice may vary but my start to it is always the same.

Posted by: Resurrection Sep 29 2007, 03:31 AM

Take a look at the warmups suggested by Kris in his "How to Practice Guitar" lesson

http://www2.guitarmasterclass.net/how-to-practice-guitar.htm

I've found them pretty useful.

Posted by: RobM Sep 29 2007, 04:01 AM

Then Again John Petrucci says to:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-QD0kZqA8

Posted by: Nick325 Sep 29 2007, 04:29 AM

im not new to guitar i already kinda have a warmup i was just asking if there was anything u guys had thats good to add to me "warm up"

Posted by: Lester Oct 1 2007, 04:39 AM

I had a pain in my lower left arm last day which is, i believe, because of guitarplaying....
and somone else, who also plays the guitar suggested that i would buy a ball ( one you play tennis with) to squeeze and he says that helps....
I dont really know because i have not tried yet, but maybe it works...

Posted by: bart m Oct 1 2007, 10:12 PM

I like my warmup to be something that i don't have to think too much about...for me, it's purely physical. RobM suggestion is more or less my approach...Or Muris's approach, some jamming on licks or riffs that you already know and are comfortable playing...to me, this allows the blood to get flowing and the brain can rest before you start putting your mental and physical effort together.