SpeedStar
As any serious guitarist knows that fumbling around with your favourite licks will get you nowhere, and is not practice. So I started this thread so we could discuss and share our practice routines. For to make good guitarist out of us, yes? ?
I have 2 main routines I will outline, the first is my standard routine which takes about 3hrs to finish, if I don't have time I stay up till morning to finish it 8).
The other is if I really don't have 3hrs, is kiind of a diet version of that routine that last 30min.
I made the routine over about 6mnths and its quite complex and suited to my playing, but I'll try to summarise the basics.
2 Main Rules! Always aim for Accuracy and Always use a metronome.
Section 1 (Chords)
Warmup
Learning new chords
Jamming a little chord progression (concentrating on changing accurately and fast)
Funk Strumming techniques
Section 2 (Practical Theory)
Warmup
Learning new scales (favourite right now is harmonic minor)
Music Theory
Perfect Pitch training
Sight Reading ( I use my violin for this)
Section 3 (Technique)
Warmup
Tapping
Legato Phrassing
Tremolo Picking
Sweep Picking ? My Favourite
Alternate Picking
Section 4 (Accuracy and Speed Tech)
Warmup
Scale Jamming
Exercises (eg. Stretching, String Skipping, Peddling, 3 Octave Scales & Arpeggios, Alternate Picking etc)
Little jam to end it off
Each exercise can be from 2, 5 or 10minutes long.
There are lots of little exercises and details I left out, but anyway this routine works on a tempo system. Everything is played at a set tempo, after I play the routine 7 times (over 7 days) perfectly at that tempo I increase it by 2, and start over until one day I'm playing 16th notes at 300bpm. ?. Now I realised playing the same exercises over gets boring so I have a growing list of riffs/licks for each routine eg sweeping picking, so every day at random I'll select a different arpeggio to sweep pick. Also every other day I'll practice with the guitar unpluged, so I can really hear if I'm playing the exercises properly, and when I play with disstortion/overdrive I use different settings eg. I'll play a string skipping exercise with gain, delay and compression cranked, so that I can really work on my muting.
I realise that there is virtually no jamming with backing tracks etc. The reason being, I started guitar at the ripe old age of 22, so everyone had a +-6yr head start on me. The music I love is usually very challenging ie Gillbert or Vai, so I'm going to spend the first few years of playing in building solid technique, so that I'm not so bad when comparred with people my age who play longer. After that I will start focusing more on compisition etc, when I have the necassary tevhnique and know how to play what I want.
My basic philosophy with practice is
Always do it the hard way & be very self critical, since I have always been my own teacher who else is going to hit me on the head when I screw up?
cain
Yo dude
Good explanation, i have something similar but i split different techniques into different days. A metronome is the key to improving.
I got something i want you to try, it will greatly improve your speed as i know you are into shred. Play your sweeps / legato / picking with the metronome. Use your comfort speed as a start and start 20 beats slower than that. Lets use a 6 string sweep shape, play it 4 times up and down. Then add 2 beats and repeat, subtract one beat and repeat, then add two, remove one, you will move past your comfort speed and go maybe only 2/5/10bpm quicker. When you start playing "dirty" stop immediately. Now you know both your comfort and full/true speed. Your comfort speed will be the speed you can "start" at high speed without making mistakes, as you get your comfort speed up, so will your true speed increase.
Judging by my playing, you might I'm talking rubbish, but i learned this technique from my previous teacher and believe me it did wonders for my playing, unfortunately not playing for half a year ruins ones playing. Give it a try, i would like to hear if it works for you as well.
SpeedStar
I've used a method like that before, as a rule my practice speed are usually at borderline "boredom" tempo. eg. if comfort speed is 16ths at 80bpm and top speed is 16ths at 100bpm I'll play 16ths at 50bpm until it gets to the point where playing 16ths at 100bpm feels like 50bpm. I'm very anti practicing out my comfort zone, but I tried the method and heres my results.
Used a 3-Octave Gmaj scale root on low e.
Practice speed - 110bpm 8th notes
Comfort Speed - 100bpm 16th notes
Blitz Speed - 165bpm 16th notes
No Hammer ons all picked on clean dry patch (so I could listen for muted notes)
As you can see there is a vast difference between the three, I think the trick is not to try and increase the speed but try and reduce your tension so that "Blitz speed" one day will feel like "Practice Speed". Imagine your new Blitz speed! I increase tempo very slowly, in a month of hard practicing everyday my practice tempo will only go up by say 20-25bpm.
As Master Yoda once said "Patience young Skywalker"
PS did you try Steve Vai's 30hour workout?
cain
No i have not, give me info please!
SpeedStar
cain
Speedstar, the link is dead, can you upload it again?
