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Martian · 03-29-2009, 08:47 AM

This and The Piano Resource Thread are an idea that popped into my head.

I am, as some of you are aware, a guitarist. I have been playing for several years, and have picked up a thing or two in that time. Not so long ago, Baraka_Guru and I had a sit-down where we discussed guitar. Things like technique, practice schedules, all the sundry details of the craft. I have before and since considered creating a series of online lessons, but am stymied by how to effectively implement such a thing.

So.

This thread exists for those with experience to share their knowledge, and for those gaining experience to ask their questions.

I'm going to start with some warm-up exercises. Proper warm-up and cool-down is essential to good play. I'm guilty of skipping it once in a while, but as a rule I try to always put in at least 5 minutes, preferably 10 or 15. A few simple exercises:

First of all is scales. They're simple, but can be made to be complex. A favourite of mine is to run the scales through the circle of fifths. Start with C Major, then G Major, D Major, A Major and so on and so on. Here's some tab for all of the majors through two octaves, which is an excellent start. Ignore the arpeggios. Run a scale up, then back down. If you're feeling bold, you can move on to doing it in thirds, which is something I do; it's a holdout from when I was a wind instrumentalist and needed exercises to improve the strength and dexterity of my embouchure. It involves reorganizing the notes using different intervals, and can break the routine. It looks like this:

C E D F E G F A G B A C B D C

I will tab that on request.

And of course, you can also do chromatic scales, pentatonic scales, blues scales, minor scales and if you're really adventurous you can get into some of the more obscure modes.

And the other exercise is variously known as the caterpillar or the crawl. It looks like this:

----------------------------------------1-3-4-4-6-7-----------------------------------------
--------------------------------1-3-4-----------------4-6-7---------------------------------
------------------------1-3-4---------------------------------4-6-7-------------------------
----------------1-3-4--------------------------------------------------4-6-7----------------
--------1-3-4------------------------------------------------------------------4-6-7--------
1-3-4----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-6-7

And so on, up the fretboard. Start it slow, and then add speed. Don't go faster than you can manage accurately. Precision is always more important than speed.

And a simple tip, something that I harp endlessly:

Learn standard notation. It's crucial. I cannot this enough. Understanding theory allows us to understand how the notes fit together. This, in turn, allows us to assemble them in new and interesting ways. Being able to read standard notation is the first step to understanding theory.

03-29-2009, 08:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	The Guitar Resource Thread This and The Piano Resource Thread are an idea that popped into my head. I am, as some of you are aware, a guitarist. I have been playing for several years, and have picked up a thing or two in that time. Not so long ago, Baraka_Guru and I had a sit-down where we discussed guitar. Things like technique, practice schedules, all the sundry details of the craft. I have before and since considered creating a series of online lessons, but am stymied by how to effectively implement such a thing. So. This thread exists for those with experience to share their knowledge, and for those gaining experience to ask their questions. I'm going to start with some warm-up exercises. Proper warm-up and cool-down is essential to good play. I'm guilty of skipping it once in a while, but as a rule I try to always put in at least 5 minutes, preferably 10 or 15. A few simple exercises: First of all is scales. They're simple, but can be made to be complex. A favourite of mine is to run the scales through the circle of fifths. Start with C Major, then G Major, D Major, A Major and so on and so on. Here's some tab for all of the majors through two octaves, which is an excellent start. Ignore the arpeggios. Run a scale up, then back down. If you're feeling bold, you can move on to doing it in thirds, which is something I do; it's a holdout from when I was a wind instrumentalist and needed exercises to improve the strength and dexterity of my embouchure. It involves reorganizing the notes using different intervals, and can break the routine. It looks like this: C E D F E G F A G B A C B D C I will tab that on request. And of course, you can also do chromatic scales, pentatonic scales, blues scales, minor scales and if you're really adventurous you can get into some of the more obscure modes. And the other exercise is variously known as the caterpillar or the crawl. It looks like this: ----------------------------------------1-3-4-4-6-7----------------------------------------- --------------------------------1-3-4-----------------4-6-7--------------------------------- ------------------------1-3-4---------------------------------4-6-7------------------------- ----------------1-3-4--------------------------------------------------4-6-7---------------- --------1-3-4------------------------------------------------------------------4-6-7-------- 1-3-4----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-6-7 And so on, up the fretboard. Start it slow, and then add speed. Don't go faster than you can manage accurately. Precision is always more important than speed. And a simple tip, something that I harp endlessly: Learn standard notation. It's crucial. I cannot this enough. Understanding theory allows us to understand how the notes fit together. This, in turn, allows us to assemble them in new and interesting ways. Being able to read standard notation is the first step to understanding theory. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame Last edited by Martian; 03-29-2009 at 09:04 AM..