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Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 20 2013, 01:53 PM

Hi there GMC'ers!

What was Your first picking hand exercise that made a breakthrough in Your playing?


I remember that for me it was the most boring ever chromatic exercise on each strings. I did some variations with different rythyms, accents and string skipping concepts. I had pretty good results only after 2 weeks of regular (few hours per day) practising. It my "start from point 0" cause I've never before pracitse any alternate picking. Then I found "Intense Rock II" from Paul Gilbert and fell in love with muted, fast, alternate licks

Posted by: Socky42 Mar 20 2013, 02:07 PM

The good ol' spider exercise from JustinGuitar

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-002-TheSpider.php

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 20 2013, 02:50 PM

Yeah it's basicly same concpet of using all 4 fingers in various combinations

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 20 2013, 05:46 PM

My picking hand get to a new level once I discovered Vinnie Moore's Speed and Accuracy clinic. In that clinic he shares really effective AP exercises that changed my life.

Posted by: Gitarrero Mar 20 2013, 07:11 PM

I can't name one exercise, but ever since I started attending Todd's video chats my picking hand got so much better!

Posted by: bleez Mar 20 2013, 07:25 PM

Working through Todd's shred lessons has definitely resulted in a breakthrough with my picking.

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 20 2013, 07:31 PM

Name it "The TodeXercise"

Posted by: TreyDeschamp Mar 20 2013, 07:36 PM

I got my exercise from an old Paul Gilbert instructional VHS that my Dad has (80s era)

Basically it's like this:


--------------5--------
--------5-6-8---8-6-5--

But you repeat it fast and move it up and down the neck. It's always been something I've warmed up with.

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 20 2013, 07:47 PM

+1 duuuude! He was also my breakthrough to speed picking right after chromatic exercises

Posted by: Qenzoz Mar 20 2013, 10:39 PM

I am currently just getting back at the guitar really well, after not really playing for too many months , but I am also back better than ever, practicing a lot more and also a lot more efficient, I almost see some sort of improvement everyday and I think I found out a good picking exercise for me to go at right now! TAB below.

Anyways! I've tried different exercises now the current speed I am at is only around the 80 BPM 6th notes triplets, so nothing fast yet, but I am using one I got from Andy James. I like this one it's only on 1 string and it is also fun to play. I've also tried that Paul Gilbert exercise out, I like that one a lot, but from now on I'll just keep it sort of simple and just stay on one string and after that I'll focus on crossing strings, plus I really like that fingering pattern e.g. 15 12 14 15 14 12, I use the same pattern in my legato exercises, so they'll support each other nicely.

But still I haven't had my breakthrough yet, which is set to around the 120 BPM mark, hopefully I'll get there soon

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 20 2013, 11:23 PM

that's great! If You keep it that way You're gonna get some incredible results! Just every time You play stay in the tempo that is comfortable and keep it clean Love triplets!

Posted by: Qenzoz Mar 20 2013, 11:45 PM

Hmm, well I am kind of clueless on how to improve speed efficiently, since what I am doing now is just starting out at maybe like 30 BPM then after 3 minutes I'll go to 35, and so on till I reach my first step which is 80 BPM, and then I'll maybe go to 85 just to get a feel of it being a bit faster then back to 80.

I like the idea of warming up by starting at 30, then I should maybe just get to 75 if that's my max speed being fully comfortable and then just stay there for like 30 minutes?

Not exactly sure how to approach this, sometimes I have 30 minutes time for practicing other times I have 1-2 hours, but I practice 4 different techniques, so max would probably be 1 hour for each technique, but I think I will most of the time just get 30 minutes done on each exercise, but I make sure just to at least get a bit done each day doesn't matter if it just 5 minutes, since I could have a very busy day.. Plus I like to practice some more `musically´ things like songs and such

Mainly I am just concerned if I do it where I just stay at 75, I have like no idea when I should speed up, when do I check if I am ready for a 5 BPM speed up or how much you go up? - it just confuses me a bit, since I stay at the tempo I am comfortable with, but apparently not too comfortable since I am not so comfortable I can take on the next step

But if you give some tips on how to approach this, that would be very helpful!

Cheers & thanks in advance!
Tobias

Posted by: Patrik Berg Mar 21 2013, 02:46 AM

Well I started with my right hand until I got a result but.......... Ok keep it G rated
I'm still struggling a bit with my speed picking, I just work with a metronome doing exercises like Ben Higgins linear shred zone

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Mar 21 2013, 09:37 AM

The famous 'John Petrucci's Rock Discipline'

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 21 2013, 11:23 AM

I still have a feeling like He was smoking a grass on this lesson Look into those eyes...so lazy and that poker face

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 21 2013, 12:18 PM

This exercise is great!! I also love Gilbert's old clinics, the ones that included magic.



Another must see video!

Posted by: TreyDeschamp Mar 21 2013, 05:57 PM

I love Paul's older DVDs. While they were great instructional DVDs they were so damn awkward and funny!

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Mar 22 2013, 08:50 AM

That one with the rabbit out of the hat was pretty awesome

Anyway - Paul's DVDs were my first acquaintance with exercising pentatonic licks in an organized format I feel like taking a look through them as we speak!

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 22 2013, 09:39 AM

Yeah...when I was about 12 or 13 me and my two brothers enjoyed his lessons even though they didn't play on instruments yet "Down to the mexico"...and those mariachis

Posted by: leonard478 Mar 22 2013, 09:44 AM

I love the riffs in 'Down to mexico'
Gilbert gold:)

Posted by: Darius Wave Mar 22 2013, 10:47 AM

He's great but I would never give him my guitar to do the "chainsaw trick"