practice regimes

[spaceboy]

just curious as to what you guys practice. i'm kinda chilling at the mo, but after the summer when I'm off to Uni i'm gonna really buckle down and get lessons, books etc. for now, just wanna expand my horizons a bit.

most of my excercises are purely left hand work outs trying to recover some strength i lost by not practicing during exam times.

a good one is

---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------3-----34---345--3456----
------3-----34----345--3456--456---56-----6-----------
-3456--456----56-----6----------------------------------

etc. just over and over til my hand can't take it any more.

then it's just some hammer-on and pull/off excercises i made up to the same effect as the above excercise

then if i have time i have a grade 8 book that I'll look at and work on some pieces.

pretty dull, so you see why i want to get some more ideas.

oh, arpeggios and sweep picking and tapping are practiced to limited degrees.

thanks for sharing!

 

[gimmejava]

I'm currently busting my butt on the material in "Sheets of Sound", by JZucker. I'll have my hands full to come for the next few years. But mind you, if I get through the book, I"ll be one bad Mofo!!!!

 

[spaceboy]

yeh, i'm thinking i might just have to get a hold of that book myself. seems like the best way...

 

[matte]

Originally posted by spaceboy
yeh, i'm thinking i might just have to get a hold of that book myself. seems like the best way...

I strongly recommend it.

 

[spaceboy]

well, consider it well and truly ordered! so yay for me.

 

[spaceboy]

but does no one want to share their favourite excercises/practice techniques/etc? no one at all?

 

[matte]

Originally posted by spaceboy
but does no one want to share their favourite excercises/practice techniques/etc? no one at all?

I don't have time to type it in.

 

[AlexT]

For starters:

1234, 4321, 121, 212, 131, 313, 1231, 1321, 3213, 3123, 1235, 1345, 5321, 5431 patters up and down scales in all positions and all keys (bonus: without looking at the fretboard.)

Alex

 

[spaceboy]

very nice. for the 121, 131, 313, 1231 etc. (the ones where you start and finish on the same finger) is there a special technique to moving strings? or do you just have to kinda flatten your finger down/slide it up sorta thing? or can you bar?

and what about for the main course? ^_^

 

[AlexT]

Spaceboy,

For the few cases where it's needed, I always move fingers, never bar.

The main course is an other story....

Cheers,

Alex

 

[matte]

Originally posted by AlexT
For starters:

1234, 4321, 121, 212, 131, 313, 1231, 1321, 3213, 3123, 1235, 1345, 5321, 5431 patters up and down scales in all positions and all keys (bonus: without looking at the fretboard.)

Alex

What relationship do these numbers have to do with playing music?

 

[AlexT]

Matte,

If you think about it, a lot.


Up or down seconds, thirds of any scale you know.

Partial pentatonics.

Playing mostly inside.

Quasi arpeggios.


....you name it.

 

[matte]

Originally posted by AlexT
Matte,

If you think about it, a lot.


Up or down seconds, thirds of any scale you know.

Partial pentatonics.

Playing mostly inside.

Quasi arpeggios.


....you name it.

Why not simply play through pieces that address specific technical issues? The whole idiomatic approach to guitar thing is pretty unconstructive if the objective is to play music.

Learn to play a half step whole step scale, displaced over three octaves. Forget about all the closed interval sequential motion line goes up/line goes down rubbish. Learn to play some music. Read through some of Bach's Solo Violin Partitas, Paganini's Caprices, RH parts to Chopin Etudes. You'll develop plenty of stamina and expose yourself to some incredible writing and harmonic devices.

 

[Mark C]

I'm gonna have to agree with Matte. If you are building technique, might as well learn some cool music while doing it. Not that my technique is all that good!

 

[matte]

Originally posted by Mark C
I'm gonna have to agree with Matte. If you are building technique, might as well learn some cool music while doing it. Not that my technique is all that good!

How often have you gone to see a horn player perform, with someone yelling in your ear:"Did you SEE what he/she just played?

 

[rwe333]

Originally posted by Matte
Why not simply play through pieces that address specific technical issues? The whole idiomatic approach to guitar thing is pretty unconstructive if the objective is to play music.

Learn to play a half step whole step scale, displaced over three octaves. Forget about all the closed interval sequential motion line goes up/line goes down rubbish. Learn to play some music. Read through some of Bach's Solo Violin Partitas, Paganini's Caprices, RH parts to Chopin Etudes. You'll develop plenty of stamina and expose yourself to some incredible writing and harmonic devices.

MANY excellent points throughout this thread, Matte...

 

[rh]

Originally posted by Matte
How often have you gone to see a horn player perform, with someone yelling in your ear:"Did you SEE what he/she just played?

Never. But I went to see Holdsworth one night with another guitarist who must have said exactly that three or four times in every tune Allan played.

Like Allan has said, lots of people "listen" to him with their eyes.

 

[matte]

Originally posted by rhuddleston
Never. But I went to see Holdsworth one night with another guitarist who must have said exactly that three or four times in every tune Allan played.

Like Allan has said, lots of people "listen" to him with their eyes.

Are you coming up here anytime soon? Your name comes up often with Nicky and Matt. I'd love to meet you.

Best,

Matte

 

[matte]

Originally posted by rwe333
MANY excellent points throughout this thread, Matte...

Thank you, Wayne.

 

[rh]

Originally posted by Matte
Are you coming up here anytime soon? Your name comes up often with Nicky and Matt. I'd love to meet you.

Best,

Matte

The feeling's definitely mutual, Matte. I'd love to get my family up to 'stock to meet you and hang with Matt and Lorenza, and have open plans to as soon the schedule opens up enough. It's been a sad and very busy year so far.

Mo' best,

Richard