Members polishpaul Posted November 10, 2011 Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 Have a listen if you've got seven minutes to spare.......no airs and graces, but tons of warts! My little routine has developed over the years into what it is today, and I always go through it before getting serious. It serves as a warm up, and also a kind of guage as to how I'm doing. I can do all of it with my eyes closed now and I'm getting faster and faster all the time. The first bit of the clip, the Fm.........I later do this all over the neck - which is a cinch until one needs to use the B string . Here's the link to the clip - I use two or three fingers for scalar runs, thumb coming in as necessary on other stuff. I'm on classical: http://www.box.net/shared/t95yfjfl4pddsgraizru So..... How does anyone else start a session? With a regular routine? Straight scales? Flight of the Bumble Bee at 270bpm ? And if you had to defend your method, say, in some kind of music debate, what would you tell others to turn them on to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members c+t in b Posted November 10, 2011 Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 do actual warmups first. there are a multitude of finger stretch exercises in the classical realm alone mental warmups would also help i.e. find the same note on each string ascending/descending around the cycle of fifths/fourths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members polishpaul Posted November 10, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 do actual warmups first.there are a multitude of finger stretch exercises in the classical realm alonemental warmups would also help i.e. find the same note on each string ascending/descending around the cycle of fifths/fourths An excellent idea, thanks....I'll incorporate that one immediately. I think I'm looking to develop a new routine, by logical, rational choice, as opposed to my existing one which is "just there", by chance really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mosiddiqi Posted November 10, 2011 Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 I don't have a set routine. Usually, I just play and then if something grabs me, I'll chase it's tail till I've either got bored with it, or got a potential song out of it. If I'm working on something specifically, say, improvisation, then that's what I'll do. If I feel my picking is sloppier than usual, then I'll just kind of file that observation into my brain and try and be aware as I play of what the problem is..and then try and fix it. Some days I'll feel like I'm not nailing bends and vibrato as I'd like to, so I spend the evening bending every note. That makes for excellent listening I don't really feel the need to defend this to anyone else, except to say "I always have a fantastic time when I play the guitar, even if I suck, do you?". That's the most important thing I think...LOVE playing!!!...everything else is minor details. Playing the guitar requires work...but it sure doesn't feel like it. I know, 'cos I work for a living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members polishpaul Posted November 10, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 Well, with three of us here we already have three totally different approaches to starting a practice session, so I'm looking forward to reading of many more. Re the 'defending'........it was just a way of putting it, ie "why do you like your own ideas?" I was strugling to phrase it well. For anyone who listens to my clip, I should add that nothing I do strains my left hand or arm......that comes when I start having to play properly . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeremy_green Posted November 10, 2011 Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 I don't have a set routine. Usually, I just play and then if something grabs me, I'll chase it's tail till I've either got bored with it, or got a potential song out of it. If I'm working on something specifically, say, improvisation, then that's what I'll do. If I feel my picking is sloppier than usual, then I'll just kind of file that observation into my brain and try and be aware as I play of what the problem is..and then try and fix it. Some days I'll feel like I'm not nailing bends and vibrato as I'd like to, so I spend the evening bending every note. That makes for excellent listening I don't really feel the need to defend this to anyone else, except to say "I always have a fantastic time when I play the guitar, even if I suck, do you?". That's the most important thing I think...LOVE playing!!!...everything else is minor details. Playing the guitar requires work...but it sure doesn't feel like it. I know, 'cos I work for a living. This describes almost exactly my approach. Patch the biggest hole in the boat. I play a LOT of songs... I am always lifting songs... albums... all the time. Whenever I get bored I move on immediately without guilt... I just don't care. NEXT. I also spend a lot of time with my looper pedal. Improvising over random chords... typically a non-diatonic chord change. Then i work to make it sound natural. I NEVER do the same routine twice... if I do it is coincidence. I have no set warm-up... although I used to. If I feel creaky in the forearms I will practice sight reading for a bit as a warm up. I really do just follow my heart and do what interests me. Nurture the love of playing always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NorthernPaul Posted November 10, 2011 Members Share Posted November 10, 2011 Nice clip Paul, I like your style, and you've got a nice groove going:thu: I usually pick up the guitar and tune it. Then I run though the Major scale in all positions to a metronome as fast I can cleanly do it, using alternate picking. I also recently started picking a note and finding it everywhere on the fretboard. I'm pretty good at finding 'A' now, and that helps with roots of chords and scales. Eventually I'll be able to find the 3rds 5ths etc. I also pick a fret and run through CAGED barre chords, eg start at the F# 'E' shape and go all the way up the neck playing F# or whatever chord I choose. This is all quite boring stuff, but it only takes me about 10 to 15 minutes and is a good warm up for my hands and brain. Then I basically work through my Blues books, and I usually have a favourite song I'm learning as well. Thats my whole practice regime. I feel I'm making progress and I enjoy it so thats what keeps me at it. Sometimes though, I grab my acoustic and try and strum along to my favourite tunes that are playing on my hifi:love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonfinn Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 Generally, my practice these days tends to be pretty target-oriented. If I've got some gigs coming up, I'm practicing that stuff to get it to where it's internalized. Sometimes I've got a certain thing I want to improve so I'll engage in projects that force me to do the things I need improvement on. A lot. Lately I've been on a Christmas Tunes kick because my dentist asked me to do a solo gig doing all Christmas tunes for a private function. I agreed, then realized I've only got a handful of those I can play! It's kinda fun in it's own way! Here's one I'm currently working on: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tricky Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 do actual warmups first.mental warmups would also help i.e. find the same note on each string ascending/descending around the cycle of fifths/fourths Been doing this almost daily since you first suggested to me c+t - it's coming along nicely and already I'm starting see notes with same confidence and accuracy that used to be restricted 5th/6th string for me. So thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreenAsJade Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 I enjoyed listening to you PP. I reckon you've improved a lot. These days I tend to start with a lead I'm working on. Now that I have Transcribe with speed up mode, I set it at really slow, and loop it increasing 3pbm per loop up to 100%. By the time I arrive at 100% (or whatever the fastest I can play is) I've warmed up and also done some good work on the sucker from slow. find the same note on each string ascending/descending around the cycle of fifths/fourths I wouldn't mind trying this - can you explain in a little more detail in practical terms what you'd do? GaJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tricky Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 I wouldn't mind trying this - can you explain in a little more detail in practical terms what you'd do?GaJ I drilled c+b for the same info here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2818025-Structured-Rounded-Learning-for-the-guitar&p=43786858&viewfull=1#post43786858 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonPhillips Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 Playing the guitar requires work...but it sure doesn't feel like it. I know, 'cos I gamble taxpayers money for a living. FTFY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mosiddiqi Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 *buys Alex Lifeson Les Paul just to piss off Jon* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonPhillips Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members windmill Posted November 11, 2011 Members Share Posted November 11, 2011 Strum an open chords progression, realise i should try something different so change the progression about once or twice. Then start a minor pentatonic scale, realise I should vary my usual routine and then start on a major scale and get about half up the fret board. realise just how out of tune everything is, so get up, go get tuner, tune up, noodle aimlessly in a minor pentatonic scale, luxurianting in the sound of a tuned guitar, think about how gorgeous the tone of the guitar is.Start on a 12 bar chord progession with all those fancy jazz chords. Then, after ten minutes or so, remember what it was that I was going to start practising. It happens everytime, for years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members polishpaul Posted November 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 12, 2011 I enjoyed listening to you PP. I reckon you've improved a lot. Thanks GAJ! I never thought anyone would ever say they enjoyed listening to me play . It's all bluff and bluster still, though. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the feeling is in the precision. Even when I get further into a session and start concentrating, it's still a challenge to play stuff in time and on time........but it's coming. Working on Tears in Heaven (see nearby thread) is doing me the world of good - the best decision I've ever made musically is to eventually nail this. I heartily recommend it. The intro can be split into three sections, chordally, so I work on each individually and then bring them together. It's just a case of repetition and more and more repetition. Once the intro is nailed, you pretty much have the song down......just an easy bridge to go at. I'm REALLY getting into thinner chords by it - just a bass note with a couple of notes with it. So my practice-session kick-off is changing. I still run through what I outlined earlier here, but then I'm straight into Tears in Heaven.....slowly slowly slowly, focussing on every move, every note. Practicing with a specific goal is new to me. Although I'm watching the vid and looking at the tab, I don't feel I'm "cheating" by just copying. I know all the note names, and can figure out the form of the song. As I wrote earlier, there are some slick licks in this song and it's rather joyful to be able to gradually put my own stamp on it. A song a month......that's twelve in a year..............twenty-four in two...........yeeha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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