Great Fretting Hand Exercise

Created for classical players to help with fretting hand independence, but will work for everyone.

Parallel Octaves

Giuliani Arpeggios pdf

Click here for the 120 Giuliani Arpeggios

Great for classical guitarists and for finger-style guitarists alike.

How Long Should You Practice?

Great article here.

Linked from Mark Wein

Two Simple Exercises

Here are a couple of basic exercises for developing finger independence.

Start on the first fret of the first string (F) with your first finger, then play the second fret with the second finger, third with the third and fourth with the fourth and back again. ie - 12344321

Now move up a fret and repeat. All the way to the 9th fret (so your pinky is on the 12th fret) and back down. Repeat on each string. If playing on classical guitar alternate your right hand fingerings as well to bring a greater challenge.... imimimim, mamamama, iaiaiaia, imamimam, pppppppp, etc.

The next exercise is 14342434 and should utilize the above variations.

The Most Important Thing To Know - Electric Edition

Books to Help Sight Reading

Here are some books that can help you work on your sight-reading chops...


A Modern Method for Guitar - Volumes 1, 2, 3 Complete - This is good one for beginners at reading.  But it progresses pretty quick - stacked triads on page five!


Advanced Reading Studies for Guitar: Guitar Technique (Advanced Reading: Guitar) - more of the same


Melodic Rhythms for Guitar - This is a great book as it teaches you new rhythmic figures on one pitch and then uses them in realistic melodies.


Contemporary Jazz/Rock Rhythms for Treble Clef Instruments - Heres another good one.


For Guitar Players Only - By Tommy Tedesco the most recorded guitarist in history.  I had this book.  The exercises are a little random, which can make for good sight reading in it's unpredictability.  Worth it for the stories.  All true.  And for the real session charts from the 70's and 80's in the back.


Also check out trumpet and clarinet study books.  Flute is good for reading ledger lines. You might be able to find them at used book stores or thrift stores. I've never payed more than a dollar for one.


Practice your reading with another guitarist.  Maybe someone better than you. Like playing tennis with a better player it forces you to rise to the occasion.


Here's the thing, if you are not likely to use it you are not likely to retain it. See if you can fine some reading bands, often swing bands or big bands that don't perform so much as practice. The Wire Choir here in LA is an example of one such opportunity. Also start writing music out. Write practice pieces for yourself that emphasize your weaknesses.

I worked it when I was in HS and college because I wanted to move to LA to be a session guitarist. Which I now am. Still surprised how rarely I need it. Read more cocktail napkins than bona-fide charts.

Five Minutes a Day...

You've heard of "7 Minute Abs"?

I've taught a lot of private lessons through the years.  Many to students with jobs, families, mortgages, etc. In other words to people with more important things to do than practice guitar for an hour a day.  (I know what could be more important?)

Consequently no practicing would tend to get done because a busy lawyer, electrical contractor, dentist, couldn't carve out an extra hour a day to practice their Guiliani Arpeggios (link pdf) or the changes to Giant Steps.

I had a simple two-fold solution.

First, set aside 5 minutes a day to practice.  This serves the purpose of dismantling any real or psychological time restraints.  We can all find five more minutes in a day right?  The reason I don't go to the gym every day is because it's a two hour commitment... driving there, cardio, weight lifting, stretching, driving back.  Yeah, not going to happen.  No matter what, I know it's two hours out of my life.  This is true tomorrow, the next day and the next.  Five minutes I can plan for.  I can sneak in.

Plus, five minutes turns into ten or fifteen or thirty without you even realizing it.  Especially if you are doing something you love.  So if your time barrier is psychological you've blasted through it with small manageable snowball to roll down the hill.  OK, lame metaphor I know.

Second. To help you remember to pick up the guitar, or guilt you into picking it up, have one on a stand in your office or your home office.  Or hanging on the wall.  Maybe even have a music stand with the music you are working on right there.

Guiliani Arpeggios - for right hand skill (Classical and Finger-style)
120 Studies for Right Hand Development (Classical Guitar Study Series)

Off The Wall Hangers - like the ones in my studio...
Off The Wall Guitar Hanger (for Standard Instruments)

Ultimate Support Guitar Stands also found in my studio...
Ultimate GS100 Support Genesis 100 Guitar Stand

Manhasset Music Stand found in my studio...
Manhasset M48 Symphony Music Stand
On-Stage SM7211 Professional Folding Orchestral Music Stand, Black (this one folds better and is cheaper!)

Combinatorics

Combina-what?!?  Yeah you heard me.  Combinatorics!

Sound Better for Free (or next to nothing) - Tip #3

Practice Loud

A common complaint that I've heard from many of my students is "I played great at home, what happened at the gig?!?"  To be honest it was my problem too, once.

Setting nervousness aside, volumes tend to fluctuate wildly depending on where and when you're playing. Your volume in your bedroom at midnight is going to be quite different then your volume headlining at the Coachellopalooza Festival.

But when possible try to create a similar volume environment to your "gig".  Try practicing during the daytime when everyone's gone.  I like to arrive at one of the churches I play at an hour before sound check (or rehearsal) and spend some quality time with my guitar at high volumes.  Sound men don't particularly care for this (I can't imagine why not) so be considerate.

"Why practice loud?" you ask. Well your guitar and your amp react quite differently to each other at different volumes.  The string squeaks and unintended open strings that you never noticed before jump out at you like rabid monkeys.  Add to that feedback and you have yourself a heapin' helpin' of frustration soup.  Practicing at higher volumes will help you "clean up your act".  You'll find the thumb and fingers of your left hand and the palm of your right hand are valuable tools for deadening unused strings.  There's a certain thrill that comes from moving a lot of air and yet taming the wild beast.  One of the best at this is Eddie Van Halen.  He plays incredibly loud and yet with very little unintended noise.

But remember any time your playing, to have the correct volume level proportionate to the type of gig, the style of music and the make-up of the band.

Van Halen CDs...
Van Halen
Van Halen II
Women & Children First
Fair Warning
Diver Down
1984
Van Halen: 5150
Van Halen OU812Music CD
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Balance
Van Halen III