Guitar - GameCreators Forum

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BlueKlayman

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Joined: 22nd Jun 2009

Location: Near that actor guy

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 11:25

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Hey guys,

This thread is directed mainly at those who can play guitar.

I would like to know what you do as finger exercises, warm ups and other ways for practicing. I have played guitar on and off for the last few years, but I have decided that I want to take it seriously.
So:
A) What exercises do you do, how often and for how long?
B) Recommended songs to teach myself that will possibly help with my technique.
C) Pedals for a good tone; could be blues, rock, metal or jazz (Just for reference :p)

Thanks.

For taking the time for reading this, I will provide you with a link to my favourite artist on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/h3ddan

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Kezzla

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Location: Where beer does flow and men chunder

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 11:44

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hey man, good stuff.
I recomend the four finger chromatic warmup exercise.

E----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-5-------------------
B--------------------------------2-3-4-5-----------------------------
G------------------------2-3-4-5-------------------------------------
D----------------3-4-5-6---------------------------------------------
A---------4-5-6-7----------------------------------------------------
E-5-6-7-8------------------------------------------------------------
use all four fingers per string and for the high e just use your pinky again for the 5th fret

just go up and down repeatedly, it will help with picking and fingering work,
it will also help with speed as you get better at it.
Also use it to practice legato picking (one pick per string then hammer/pull)

I also recommend running through your modes from low g Aeolian right the way up the fretboard to the high g
two octaves per mode. that will take you from low e to high e with every mode.
again also do it with legato picking.

this will help with the before mentioned skills and will be practically useful
in soloing and general music writing.

so far as how often and how long, that's up to you and how fast you want to progress. more = better

so far as songs go just pick songs you like and mess about with different ways of playing them.
you can make them more/less complex depending on your desires.

for a good pedal, i recommend using amplitube if your just jammin by yourself.

or for a hardware pedal... i havent used them for years, but the boss gt series multifx units are pretty cool.
slightly pricy too.

i just use software fx with my recording gear.

ive attached a sheet you may or may not find useful in progressing your music.
you havnt really told us your current knowledge or skill level so im sorry if my post seems patronizing.

anyway this stuff will get you started

Sometimes I like to use words out of contents

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nackidno

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Joined: 3rd Feb 2007

Location: Där solen aldrig skiner

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 11:54

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Cool! I play guitar too, what brand is yours? just askin'.

I have only played guitar for one and a half year, acoustic and electric and I love both. Are you playing acoustic or electric?

For exercise I can't think of anything better than playing scales, that's some really good speed exercising. But don't forget to try out the scale yourself and play something within the scale, to practice actually playing you know.

As for songs, some will disagree but John Mayer uses some really awesome technique, even if you don't like his music, going through and learning his stuff has helped me a lot to understand the guitar. Also classic music is not to be feared, relish it instead, the classical guitar pieces are some of the craziest guitar playing I've seen. See this one for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22S6tdMVTns

Yay for fellow guitarists!

Check out my music blog!

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Kezzla

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Location: Where beer does flow and men chunder

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 12:04

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Nice, ive played for about 15 years.

I've got a...

Jackson ps4
ibaneze gio
samick thinbody acoustic electric (no model number and ive only ever seen two of them in my life)
Ibaneze ex series bass guitar.

and im very soon to add a yourock midi guitar to my arsenal.

@nackidno- thats some sound advice there, I used to enjoy taking classical piano pieces and learning them on guitar. particularly Beethoven, his pieces are magic on guitar, bloody hard too.

Sometimes I like to use words out of contents

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BlueKlayman

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Joined: 22nd Jun 2009

Location: Near that actor guy

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 13:03

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Thanks for all the tips guys, in particular Kezzla. I will try out that exercise you recommended.

Nackidno, I love a lot of classical guitar. It can sound so good. :p

My gear at the moment is:
An Epiphone SG
A Peavey Raptor
My dad's Gretsch(no idea what model)
My brothers Lag acoustic

A Line6 Spider III amp(dad's)
A travel marshall amp

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Seppuku Arts

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Location: Cambridgeshire, England

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 13:48 Edited at: 25th Nov 2011 13:49

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I too have been on and off and currently am 'on' and to be honest I am thinking I really ought to learn more.

However, I've got a Fender Stratocaster, it's lovely and red.

Though I would love a Gibson SG, they feel awesome to hold and play.

Generally for exercises I just go through my chords and randomly experiment chord arrangements and how I play them. I want to get back into my storytelling too, so guitar + storytelling = win, though I'll probably need an acoustic and learn how to play folk. I played a Takamine acoustic in my guitar shop, it was quite nice, not anywhere as nice as my Dad's Martin mind you. He also has quite a nice Gibson Les Paul Studio.

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Doomster

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Location: Germany

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 14:06 Edited at: 25th Nov 2011 14:12

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I'm also playing guitar, for about 1 year so far and still have plenty of years in front of me, until I can call myself "experienced guitar player", but since it's fun and cheers one up, I don't have any problem with that.

So far I've only played acoustic & electro-acoustic guitars and currently own a Takamine eg340sc - it's only from the "G" series and thus' not built in Japan, but still is gorgeous lookin' and soundin', really worth the money.

When I first started out, I've strummed and played with a pick for the most part, but the last months I've been practicing and playing fingerstyle - love it.

By the way, is there anyone else that has problems with singing & playing guitar at the same time? It just doesn't work for me.

Quote: "particularly Beethoven"

I'm in the process of learning his Mondscheinsonate and Für Elise - it's harder to memorize than to play them.

Both my favourite classical songs.

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zenassem

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Location: Long Island, NY

Posted: 25th Nov 2011 15:22 Edited at: 25th Nov 2011 16:33

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I'd Recommend "Guitar World Presents: John Petrucci's Wild Stringdom". Best guitar book for interesting, and results
oriented practice/developing/playing methods.

I particularly like the fact that thought went into constructing exercises that, while effective, are musically interesting AND actually sound good. For example: This is the probably the only instruction I have received (either by book or instructor) that shows the versatility of the Chromatic Scale. Yes, the Chromatic Scale... Who would of thought there was a way to work the Chromatic Scale into a melodic device???

It's like the P90X for guitarists!!
Better, in a different way, than even my Berkley Guitar Method series. Though I use them in conjunction.

(Comes w/ CD covering most of the music examples.)
Table Of Contents
Time Managment:
*Time Management
*Managing Your Practice Materials (Best practice advice ever read)

Warming Up:
*Right- and Left-Hand Synchronization
*Developing Diatonic Sequences
*Developing Endurance

Expanding Your Technique:
*Intervallic Slides
*String Skipping
*Diatonic Arpeggios
*Sweep Arpeggios
*Using Open Strings

Expanding Your Vocabulary:
*Creating the Dorian Sound Using Arpeggios
*Creating the Dorian Sound Using Pentatonic Scales
*Creating the Dorian Sound Using Intervals
*Navigating Lines Outside the Key Center
*The Lydian-Dominant Scale
*The Chromatic Scale (never found interesting Chromatic exercises until this book!!!)
*Using Chromatic Passing Tones

Expanding Your Creativity:
*Creating Original Licks
*Spicing Up Stock Blues Licks
*Breathing New Life Into Pentatonic Licks

Expanding Your Chord Knowledge:
*Triads
*Suspended Chords
*Add-Nine Chors
*Extended Major Chord Voicings
*Moveable Chords With Open Strings

Studying Non-Guitar Music:
*Building Left-Hand Strength Using Violin-Inspired Chromatic-Scale Workouts
*Using Different Meters to Accomodate Your Technique
*Chopins Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus No. 2
-The A section
-The B section
-The C section
.......................

Not sure if it's been re-printed.
The info on my copy is:
ISBN 0-7692-9102-39780769291024
© 2000 Alfred Publishing CO., INC.

Sample of a simple but effective warmup

~ZENassem

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BlueKlayman

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Posted: 26th Nov 2011 03:14

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I will see if I can find a copy. The closest music store is, unfortunately, 45 minutes away.

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The Slayer

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Playing: (Hide and) Seek and Destroy on my guitar!

Posted: 27th Nov 2011 02:39

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That seems like a very good book to have, zenassem. Thanks for sharing. I might get it some day.

I've been playing guitar (electrical) for about 15 years, and sometimes I impress myself lately. Not that I'm as good as John Petrucci, or any other professional guitarist, but there are days that I can really be proud of what I play.
I had music lessons (orgue and piano) when I was a child, and learned drum and guitar on my own.
Most of the time to warm up, I do various scales. Like the E harmonic minor (and major) scale, the melodic minor (and major) scale (descending and ascending), and the spanish gypsy scale, and most of the scales that have an oriental sound to them.
HERE is a good site to get a lot of scales to learn and practice.
Basically, I try to speed up my guitarplay by running a very basic rythm in FL Studio, and then gradually speed up the tempo.
This may sound weird, but the best practice I get, is when I have to 'force' my fingers to match up to the speed during a long period. And the more you play at high(er) speeds, teh more your fingers and guitarplay will get 'natural'.

Usually, after playing a lot and at high speeds, the next day it feels more easier to do the same thing.
As for my gear, I have an Ibanez SA 120 EX BK, and a BOSS ME 70 effects processor. I also have a small KORG amp, and a couple of pedals (distortion, equalizer, compressor, delay, etc...) which I don't use much more.

Cheers

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BlueKlayman

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Posted: 27th Nov 2011 03:59

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Yeah, I have been playing with a metronome, when I do my scales, starting at about 120 bpm to up to 220. I am starting at a higher speed everyday until I can start at 220 and have no flaws in my playing.

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Happy Cheesecake

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Posted: 28th Nov 2011 07:00 Edited at: 28th Nov 2011 07:01

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I play a bit as well, hehe. I've been getting into it a lot lately, and I've certainly excelled from when I first started. I've been playing for about 2 years but only started getting semi-serious about 6 months ago.

I'm rocking a Tremonti SE as well as a Gibson Epiphone LE. It's good fun, but playing and singing at the same time is definitely something that takes getting used to.