Lesson One - Warming Up
Warming up is an essential part of the guitarist's practice and playing routine. You have probably noticed that you can play more cleanly and faster after a couple of hours playing - warming up correctly helps you play to the best of your ability in the shortest time. Attempting fast runs without warming up will 'teach you' a slovenly technique, it is also dangerous and innumerable guitarists suffer some form of tendonitis because they did not take the time to warm up. I'm sure I've managed to convince you of this lesson's importance, so dig in...
The Picking Hand
Ex.1
> > x4
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|*-------------------------------*|
|*-------------------------------*|
|---------------------------------|
|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|
pm-------------------------------|
This picking hand exercise should be down-picked throughout, preferably with a metronome. Start off at a very comfortable tempo (60bpm for example) and play it perfectly four times. Crank your metronome up by 10bpm and play it another four times. Keep speeding up in this gradual way until you fail to play the exercise cleanly. Take the metronome down by ten beats per minute and finish by playing it through a few times times as cleanly as you can at this speed.
Ex.2
> > x4
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|*---------------------------------*|
|*---------------------------------*|
|-----------------------------------|
|--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
pm---------------------------------|
This exercise should be performed in the same way as the previous example: start slowly and very gradually speed up. This time, however, all the notes should be alternate picked (up and down strokes). Both of these exercises while not only being ideal for warming up your picking hand are also excellent to improve the consistency of your palm-muted rhythm technique.
Ex.3
> > x4
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|*-------------------------------*|
|*-2---------------2-------------*|
|--2---------------2--------------|
|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|
pm-----------| pm-----------|
The power chords in this example should not be palm-muted, but all notes should be down-picked. Perform this warm up in a similar fashion to the previous two. Keep an ear out for any notes ringing whilst you're palm-muting, this should not be happening! The A and D strings should be dampened by your fretting hand as soon as the first palm-muted note is picked.
Ex.4
> > x4
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|*---------------------------------*|
|*-2---------------2---------------*|
|--2---------------2----------------|
|--0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0--|
pm------------| pm-------------|
This is the alternate-picked version of the previous exercise. After finishing this example, rest for a few moments, shake out your hands and try to keep them relaxed...
Slurring
Ex.1
x4
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|*-------2h4h5-------4h5h7-------5h7h9-*|
|*-2h4h5-------4h5h7-------5h7h9-------*|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
This is simply an E minor scale played on two strings whilst moving up the neck. This is the beginning of the fretting-hand warm up, and should, therefore, be taken at a very relaxed ad comfortable pace. Try not to let any tension creep into your fingers, wrist or palm, and bear in mind that the number of repetitions is only a guideline - you should repeat the exercises as many times as you feel is necessary.
Ex.2
x4
||---------------------------||
||---------------------------||
||*-7p5p4-------5p4p2-------*||
||*-------7p5p4-------5p4p2-*||
||---------------------------||
||---------------------------||
This second exercise is also an example of slurring, this time using two pull-offs. Most people find these more difficult so the final two groups of three have been removed, avoiding the longer four-fret stretch.
Alternate picking/co-ordination
Ex.1
> > x8
|--5---7---8---5---7---8--|
|-------------------------|
|*-----------------------*|
|*-----------------------*|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|
The basic rule for picking is 'Be consistent and economic'. Try not to change the way you pick a string (except for 'special' cases, i.e. tremolo picking, weird noises, etc.). Also, the less movement, in general, the better. If you only move your wrist to pick a string then you are saving yourself from unnecessary movement (of the arm or fingers). Try to bear this rule in mind when performing the exercises in this section.
Ex.2
> > x8
|--5-7-8-7-5-7-8-7--|
|-------------------|
|*-----------------*|
|*-----------------*|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
Try to keep your fingers planted when performing these exercises. In other words only take a finger off a fret if you need to. In this exercise your fingers should be doing this:
> > x8
|--5-7-8-7-5-7-8-7--|
|-------------------|
|*-----------------*|
|*-----------------*|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
Finger 1 x x x x x x x x
Finger 2
Finger 3 x x x x x x
Finger 4 x x
An 'x' shows that that finger is fretting a note - I hope this makes sense! This is another example of economy of motion. You should try to avoid moving any finger that doesn't need to be moved. Of course, many great guitarists' technique differs from the advice offered here, but if you learn these recommendations you will at least know what you 'should' be doing!
Ex.3
> > x8
|--5-8-7-8-5-8-7-8--|
|-------------------|
|*-----------------*||
|*-----------------*|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
This exercise is very similar to the last except the finger order has been changed. When playing through this, try to remember that you are aiming to warm up in order to play to the best of your ability. Try to play as perfectly as you can - warming up is as much a mental exercise as a physical one!
Ex.4
> > x8
|--5-6-8-6-5---5-6-8-6-5----||
|------------8-----------8--||
|*-------------------------*||
|*-------------------------*||
|---------------------------||
|---------------------------||
Here another string has been employed and the 2nd finger has replaced the 3rd. This exercise is also different in that the previous three have had an A minor tonality, whereas this snippet is in A Phrygian. Remember to stick to the alternate-picking pattern of down-up-down-up even when crossing strings. It may not seem the most natural way of playing, but in time you will find it is simple and efficient.
After all this, rest, shake out and then play whatever you want to play! You will notice the difference if you do not normally warm up before you begin to seriously practice. Your playing should, hopefully, be more fluid, cleaner and easier than normal. You may also find that your hands ache less (if they ached before) and that you can play more and for longer.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any injury caused while performing these exercises. I have made every attempt to warn the beginner to take it easy, and I trust that if they will stop if encounter from any pain whilst going through this lesson. Be careful! You only have one pair of hands!
Slow and steady wins the race...
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