Hey guys, in light of some recent l33t bashing, I figured I'd start a thread about playing technique and practice strategies. We talk so much about gear
here that it seems like most of us are pretty spoiled and only talk about gear (I am definitely guilty). Anyways, maybe a little conversation about what we do
to get better is needed.
Here's my .02. I got Accelerate your Guitar Playing for xmas. It is a great DVD. Anyways, some exercises I have been doing are for finger coordination. They may seem trivial, but they really help.
1) Start on the first fret of any string. Fret the first with your index, the second with your middle, third with your ring, and fourth with your pinky, keeping your other fingers in place as you move up. Then fret the second fret with your first finger and repeat the previous. Do this until your pinkie is on the 12th fret. Then come back down but this time your pinkie is going to lead the way (like the index finger did). Make sure you fret lightly and minimize picking movement. The pick should be held softly. Start slow and build speed. Then, work on dynamics in this exercise. Also, listen to the sounds each note makes, even sing it to yourself before you play it. Kind of like mini interval training.
More to come....Hope you guys have some input.
Here's my .02. I got Accelerate your Guitar Playing for xmas. It is a great DVD. Anyways, some exercises I have been doing are for finger coordination. They may seem trivial, but they really help.
1) Start on the first fret of any string. Fret the first with your index, the second with your middle, third with your ring, and fourth with your pinky, keeping your other fingers in place as you move up. Then fret the second fret with your first finger and repeat the previous. Do this until your pinkie is on the 12th fret. Then come back down but this time your pinkie is going to lead the way (like the index finger did). Make sure you fret lightly and minimize picking movement. The pick should be held softly. Start slow and build speed. Then, work on dynamics in this exercise. Also, listen to the sounds each note makes, even sing it to yourself before you play it. Kind of like mini interval training.
More to come....Hope you guys have some input.
