Practice Question

[Funkbear311]

What are some of everybody's warmup routines? In looking for something new to do and I'm curious

 

[Same Guy]

When I start to feel stale playing the same old stuff, I try to jumpstart the passion again by going on YouTube and checking out a lesson on a tune I'm interested in, and start working on it.

 

[Funkbear311]

Yeah I've been doing that lately, trying to work on my blues soloing. Getting better. Any suggestions?

 

[Same Guy]

Yeah I've been doing that lately, trying to work on my blues soloing. Getting better. Any suggestions?

Try this one..

http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/play/pink_floyd/comfortably_numb.htm

 

[veinbuster]

I usually warm up playing some finger style on open chords: some combination of C, G, D, F, Am. It gets all of my fingers involved (except the right pinky) and loosens them up, reminds them where everything is on the guitar I'm playing and gets me ready to play whatever I want to work on.

 

[the.hatter]

For warm-ups, I'll usually run through positions on a couple scales in a random key, then play some open chords. Then I'm usually ready for some (sloppy) sweep arpeggio stuff.

To mix up practice, I try:

- 1 minute open chord transitions -> pick two chords, say C7 and G, and in a minute count how many chord changes you can make.
- Learn a new chord, or position of a chord
- Learn riffs from a tab I've favorite'd on UG (I'm quick to save tabs, not so quick to learn them lol)
- Play a backing track off Youtube and pratice soloing with it

 

[clasbtenn]

I practice every morning at 4:30 am before going to work.
I practice all the chord positions from a Mel Bay Chord book, and do scales and more intricate runs.

While it has become about 50% mental and 50% physical for me, it puts me in a much better mood to start the day. On the days that I cannot practice, for any reason at all, I am usually in a pissy mood.

Hey, sue me. I've only been doing things this way for 50+ years. I love to practice. ymmv

 

[Funkbear311]

I practice every morning at 4:30 am before going to work.
I practice all the chord positions from a Mel Bay Chord book, and do scales and more intricate runs.

While it has become about 50% mental and 50% physical for me, it puts me in a much better mood to start the day. On the days that I cannot practice, for any reason at all, I am usually in a pissy mood.

Hey, sue me. I've only been doing things this way for 50+ years. I love to practice. ymmv

Jealous, I wish I could practice in the morning but I have to get the kiddos ready. Although I do work like 5 mins from my house so I try to go home for lunch and get some practice in

 

[garrettb]

I do a couple of alternate picking exercises to get my fingers moving.

1. First finger, first fret, low E string, start with a down stroke and alternate pick 1, 2, 3, 4. Repeat up to the high E string. Once I finish that pattern, I move my fourth finger up half a step and alternate pick my way back down to the low string. Move up half a step and so on, and so on. You can reverse it and work your way back down the fretboard any time. I usually run the pattern up to the 12th fret and back down to 1. You can do any variation of the picking pattern you want.

2. Petrucci string skipping exercise (skip ahead to minute 17:00):

I haven't gone past just the simple down/up pattern in years, but it's a great fitness and coordination exercise.

 

[Alarik]

Practice?
Warm up?
Naaaaaa.

 

[Funkbear311]

I do a couple of alternate picking exercises to get my fingers moving.

1. First finger, first fret, low E string, start with a down stroke and alternate pick 1, 2, 3, 4. Repeat up to the high E string. Once I finish that pattern, I move my fourth finger up half a step and alternate pick my way back down to the low string. Move up half a step and so on, and so on. You can reverse it and work your way back down the fretboard any time. I usually run the pattern up to the 12th fret and back down to 1. You can do any variation of the picking pattern you want.

2. Petrucci string skipping exercise (skip ahead to minute 17:00):

I haven't gone past just the simple down/up pattern in years, but it's a great fitness and coordination exercise.

Already have #1 in my repertoire. But these are good ideas. I'm looking at starting to learn hybrid picking