Any help with Practice Routine

[baldguitarman]

Ok i 've been playing for about a year and normally spend about 1 hour a day practicing sometimes more if poss, anyway this is my routine but seems to be getting in a rut ...

i normally practice pentatonic scales with a metronome starting slow and work up my paceto 140bpm. normally spend about 15 mins doing these , i then work on C A G E D chords, then trying some barre chords working on F at the mo (i think F stands for f***er) , then i seem to wonder of and try bits of songs that i have printed tabs from or off guitar pro5 but don't seem to stick to it..

At the mo iam trying gnr sweetchild o mine which you can see on you tube done by justin sandercoe great teacher, and also some good stuff on his web site at justinguitar.com worth a look. have got the intro ok, and the power chords which sound good but struggling with the solos well the bending anyway...

enough of a ramble but was hoping someone would come up with a good practice routine for me or other ideas i could try ..

..many thanks dudes

[Slone]

This is what I do although it takes much longer than an hour:

warm up - Open 1-2-3-4 chromatically

Legato exercises - hammer ons and pull offs from 1st to 22nd fret on all 6 strings with the finger combinations: 1-2 2-3 3-4 1-3 2-4 1-4 1-2-3 2-3-4 1-2-4 1-3-4 1-2-3-4

Dexterity exercises - 3 and 4 finger combinations from above going up the neck chromatically, on all 6 strings

Scales - I just run through all the scales I know 4 times each to make sure I don't forget them

Chords - I use the cycle of fifths or just go through all the keys

After this I just fool around, try some improv and learn/play a few riffs.

It's about 3-4 hours a day and I do it 5 days a week

also it's all done with a metronome.






If you don't have the time to practice for more than an hour a day I suggest doing the Legato and Dexterity with only the 1-2-3-4 combinations, running through the scales then doing whatever you want. But make sure you warm up properly.

[BlackCat]

I hate doing scales, but I know they're good for me, so here's a trick I use.
I got a cheap digital timer for about ten bucks. I set it for two minutes, and for those two minutes I just do one scale, over and over, thinking about nothing but the technique until that timer goes off. Then I do it for some other scales. Helps a lot.

[Slone]

Originally Posted by BlackCat

I hate doing scales, but I know they're good for me, so here's a trick I use.
I got a cheap digital timer for about ten bucks. I set it for two minutes, and for those two minutes I just do one scale, over and over, thinking about nothing but the technique until that timer goes off. Then I do it for some other scales. Helps a lot.

This sounds like a good idea, I'm gonna try this

----------------
Listening to: Yngwie Malmsteen - As Above, So Below
via FoxyTunes

[axslinger]

I don't have a routine but I have my opinion about scales. I think you need to know them...ie. know where they are on the neck. As far as how fast you can play them...useless. You'll never play a scale in a song...if you do, it's going to sound like a scale. When I practice scales, it's not for speed but rather to implant the pattern/position into my brain.

My reasoning is based on "what would I actually use when playing a song".

For dexterity, I write my own licks from scales. I make patterns from fragments of different scale positions. I practice transitions from one scale position to another using slides, etc. In other words, phrases that I could actually use when improvising.

I frequently hear/read a comment from a budding guitar play who knows his scales inside out and can play them lightening fast, but can't play a useful lick to save his ass.

Again, I'm not saying you don't need to know scales; you just need to know their place/purpose. If your're going to work on speed/dexterity, why not do it with a phrase that you will actually use?

[baldguitarman]

Many thanks for your help dudes, slone will add some of thoe h/ons p/offs into my routine no doubt it will help loads.. hey balckcat that timer sounds a great idea will have to go and get one ...thanks again dues...

[madams17]

As far as practicing scales, I usually do that while watching TV. Once you get to the point that you don't have to think about the next note, it is more about developing muscle memory and clean techinique. I do this unplugged.

I approach practicing scales in a few ways -

1) practice each of the 7 positions of the major scale (3 notes per string), moving up each position, both straight up and down and in patterns ascending and descending

2) practice each of the major scales C D E F G A and B in one position both straight up and down and in patterns ascending and descending

3) practice each of the major scales C D E F G A and B on 2 strings (usually the high B and E strings). To do this I have come up with a pattern of 3 notes per string ascending, and when I get to the top note I slide to the next note and use that as the beginning of my descending run, again 3 notes per string. I do this up the neck until I get to the octave of where I started, and then do the entire thing back down.

I will so something similar for Pentatonic scales, but since there are only 5 positions (2 notes per string) for that it goes quicker.

[C Squared]

It's awesome that you are using a metronome. And a second congrats for actually noticing your own weak ponits. So you're telling me you're having problems with the bends in the solos. A good bend is 1/4 technique and 3/4 ear traning. Here is a great exercise for developing finger strength and listening skills:

Start with your pinky on the high A of the E String (17th fret) and play the note. Now with your ring finger on the G# (16th fret) bend it to match the pitch of the A (half Step) Play the A note again. Do this several times untill you can consistantly match the pitch of the bent note to that of the fretted note.

Now Do the Same exercise with the G# and G (16th and 15th frets) using your ring finger and middle finger. After completing that task, you will then move down again chromatically to the G and F# (15th and 14th frets) using your middle and first fingers.

Utilize this exercise on all strings and in different positions. The idea is to develop finger strength and your ear so you will have confidence in your abilities to bend a note to pitch. You can do similar workouts then bending Whole steps and Minor Thirds.

[mojofilter]

One thing I use to do was go see bands play live ,it is a huge part in understandind how songs are put together. local talent is one of the best ways to get started,usually the musicians will let you pick ther brain after they play !