Daily routine
I have never really practiced playing the guitar. Not in any of the years I played. I’ve been trying to, but never got around to it.
Lately, this has been hitting me in the face and the butt at the same time, resulting in some very precarious jerking around on stage and in the studio. So I decided to start a practice routine.
I’ve built a little metronome track in Cubase, which lasts for 5 minutes at 100 bpm. I’m planning to step it up a little every week. 10 bpm at a time. If I’m not comfortable, I take it back 5 bpm for that week.
Exercises include “advanced” techniques such as sweeping but it’s mainly focusing on two things: accuracy and precision. I’m learning my way around the fretboard again and I’m noticing that I’m even worse than I used to think I was. I’ve never had a single guitar lesson in my life and now I’m changing all that, with a little help from the internet.
For your convenience, I’ll post my daily routine. Adding to this, I also practice all of my melody lines each day.
I play each exercise for five minutes, relax, then continue to the next lesson. In all, this routine takes about one hour to finish. I also try to spell each note out loud as I play it, so as to deftly remember what note is where on sight instead of thinking about it. It’s helping already.
I’m also posting this because a lot of the exercises you find on the web these days are “advanced” lessons - not a whole lot of lessons that take you back to basics.
Any comments are appreciated.
t: thumb 4: index 3: middle 2: ring 1: pinky v: strum down ^: strum up /: slide up to next note \: slide down to next note h: hammer next note p: pull-off to next note Exercise 1: - sweeping - basic arpeggio 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ 6|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| 5|------3-5-3-----|------3-5-3-----|------3-5-3-----|------3-5-3-----| 4|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---| 3|--4-----------4-|--4-----------4-|--4-----------4-|--4-----------4-| 2|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------| 1|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| Exercise 2: - sweeping - basic arpeggio 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 3 1 3 4 2 v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ v v v v ^ v ^ ^ 6|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| 5|------3-5-3-----|------5-7-5-----|------7-9-7-----|------9-119-----| 4|----2-------2---|----4-------4---|----6-------6---|----8-------8---| 3|--4-----------4-|--6-----------6-|--8-----------8-|--10----------10| 2|5---------------|7---------------|9---------------|11--------------| 1|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| Exercise 3: - sweeping - basic arpeggio - sliding 1 2 4 4 2 1 1 2 4 4 2 1 1 2 4 4 2 1 1 2 4 4 2 1 v v v / ^ ^ / v v / ^ ^ / v v / ^ ^ / v v / ^ ^ 6|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------| 5|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------| 4|----2-|4-----|----6-|8-----|----9-|11----|----13|14----| 3|--4---|--6---|--8---|--10--|--11--|--13--|--15--|--16--| 2|5-----|----7-|9-----|----11|12----|----14|16----|----17| 1|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------| Exercise 4: - alternate picking - D Aeolian scale boxes: C D E F G A A# 1st shape F G A A#C D E F G A A#C D E F G A G F E D C A#A G F E D C A#A G 4 2 1 4 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 4 2 1 4 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 1 2 3 1 2 4 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------1-3-|5-3-1-----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------1-3-5-----|------5-3-1-----|----------------| 4|----------------|--2-3-----------|------------3-2-|----------------| 3|------------2-3-|5---------------|----------------|5-3-2-----------| 2|------1-3-5-----|----------------|----------------|------5-3-1-----| 1|1-3-5-----------|----------------|----------------|------------5-3-| 2nd shape G A A#C D E F G A A#C D E F G A A#A G F E D C A# A G F E D C A#A 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 4 2 1 4 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------3-5-|6-5-3-----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------3-5-6-----|------6-5-3-----|----------------| 4|----------------|--3-5-----------|------------5-3-|----------------| 3|------------3-5-|7---------------|----------------|7-5-3-----------| 2|------3-5-7-----|----------------|----------------|------7-5-3-----| 1|3-5-6-----------|----------------|----------------|------------6-5-| A A#C D E F G A A#C D E F G A A# C A#A G F E D C A#A G F E D C A# 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 4 3 1 4 3 1 3 4 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------5-6-|8-6-5-----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------5-6-8-----|------8-6-5-----|----------------| 4|----------------|--5-7-----------|------------7-5-|----------------| 3|------------5-7-|8---------------|----------------|8-7-5-----------| 2|------5-7-8-----|----------------|----------------|------8-7-5-----| 1|5-6-8-----------|----------------|----------------|------------8-6-| 3rd shape A#C D E F G A A# C D E F G A A#C D C A#A G F E D C A#A G F E D C 4 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 3 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------6-8-|108-6-----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------6-8-10----|------108-6-----|----------------| 4|----------------|--7-9-----------|------------9-7-|----------------| 3|------------7-8-|10--------------|----------------|108-7-----------| 2|------7-8-10----|----------------|----------------|------108-7-----| 1|6-8-10----------|----------------|----------------|------------108-| 4th shape C D E F G A A#C D E F G A A#C D E D C A#A G F E D C A#A G F E D 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 3 2 4 2 1 4 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 2 3 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------8-10|12108-----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------8-1011----|------11108-----|----------------| 4|----------------|--9-10----------|------------109-|----------------| 3|------------8-10|12--------------|----------------|12108-----------| 2|------8-1012----|----------------|----------------|------12108-----| 1|8-1012----------|----------------|----------------|------------1210| 5th shape D E F G A A#C D E F G A A#C D E F E D C A#A G F E D C A#A G F E 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 4 3 1 4 3 1 3 4 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------1012|131210----------|----------------| 5|----------------|------101113----|------131110----|----------------| 4|----------------|--1012----------|------------1210|----------------| 3|------------1012|14--------------|----------------|141210----------| 2|------101213----|----------------|----------------|------131210----| 1|101213----------|----------------|----------------|------------1312| 6th shape E F G A A#C D E F G A A#C D E F G F E D C A#A G F E D C A#A G F 4 3 1 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 3 1 4 3 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ 6|----------------|------------1213|151312----------|----------------| 5|----------------|--------1315----|------1513------|----------------| 4|----------------|--121415--------|----------151412|----------------| 3|------------1214|15--------------|----------------|151412----------| 2|------121315----|----------------|----------------|------151312----| 1|121315----------|----------------|----------------|------------1513|
May 9th, 2007 at 15:36:03
Salut Kristof,
I had fun with the two first exercises.Gonna work with those along with my own work-outs.
About the D Aolian(minor)scale,since it is also F major,A# should be replaced by Bb(flat).
Type to you later,
Jocelyn(jomaheux).
May 14th, 2007 at 21:14:37
Hey Jocelin,
You may be right about that. I’m still getting my head around when to use sharps and when to use flats. I know there’s a logical explanation somewhere … ;)