Warmup Techniques

Discussion in 'Guitar Lessons, Tutorials & Tips' started by esgallindeion, Aug 21, 2004.

  1. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Everytime before you start practising or get ready for a performance, it is advisable to have some standard warmup techniques to make you ready for playing. These techniques should aim mainly at opening up your fingers (especially after a long break, when you begin to lose your form). Some of these warmup exercises can also be used while developing new skills as a means to test them.

    To cut a long story short, warming up is essential for guitarists and with time and experience most guitarists come up with their own exercises and stuff but here are some standard warmup techniques compiled or created by me. Though they may sound or appear very trivial, rest assured that most of them have been provided by famous artists or approved by experts.


    Ex 1.
    e----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4----
    B-------------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------
    G----------------------------1-2-3-4----------------------
    D-------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------
    A----------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------
    E-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------

    e-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------
    B----------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------
    G-------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------
    D----------------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------
    A-------------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------
    E----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------


    Ex 2
    e----------------------------------------------4-3-2-1---------
    B-------------------------------------1-2-3-4------------------
    G----------------------------4-3-2-1---------------------------
    D-------------------1-2-3-4------------------------------------
    A----------4-3-2-1---------------------------------------------
    E-1-2-3-4------------------------------------------------------

    e-4-3-2-1------------------------------------------------------
    B----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------
    G-------------------4-3-2-1------------------------------------
    D----------------------------1-2-3-4---------------------------
    A-------------------------------------4-3-2-1------------------
    E----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4---------


    Ex 3.
    e-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    B---------------------------------------------------------------5-6-7-8--
    G----------------------------------------------5-6-7-8-------------------
    D----------------------------5-6-7-8-------------------------------------
    A-----------5-6-7-8------------------------------------------------------
    E--5-6-7-8----------5-6-7-8----------5-6-7-8----------5-6-7-8-----------

    e----------5-6-7-8--8-7-6-5----------8-7-6-5----------8-7-6-5---------
    B----------------------------8-7-6-5------------------------------------
    G----------------------------------------------8-7-6-5------------------
    D---------------------------------------------------------------8-7-6-5-
    A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    E-5-6-7-8---------------------------------------------------------------

    e-8-7-6-5-----------8-7-6-5------------
    B---------------------------------------
    G---------------------------------------
    D---------------------------------------
    A----------8-7-6-5----------------------
    E------------------------------8-7-6-5--
     
    voyager_avi likes this.
  2. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Ex 4
    e---------------------------------------------------------------5-6-7-8-
    B----------------------------------------------5-6-7-8------------------
    G-----------------------------5-6-7-8------------------5-6-7-8---------
    D-----------5-6-7-8-------------------5-6-7-8--------------------------
    A--------------------5-6-7-8--------------------------------------------
    E--5-6-7-8--------------------------------------------------------------

    e--8-7-6-5-------------------------------------------------
    B--------------------8-7-6-5-------------------------------
    G-----------8-7-6-5------------------8-7-6-5---------------
    D----------------------------8-7-6-5------------------8-7-6-5---
    A---------------------------------------------8-7-6-5------
    E--------------------------------------------------------------8-7-6-5
     
  3. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    Essi, I'd like to Stress on something here.. its VERY VERY Berrrry (Nats) important that you use your Pinky finger.. No Excuses..
     
  4. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    huh? I don't get your question. Anyway, please do not post any messages as there are still many more exercises to go.
     
  5. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Ex 5

    e------------------------------------5-7-8-7-5---------------------------
    B-----------------------------5-7-8------------8-7-5---------------------
    G----------------------4-5-7-------------------------7-5-4---------------
    D---------------4-5-7---------------------------------------7-5-4--------
    A--------3-5-7-----------------------------------------------------7-5-3-
    E--3-5-7------------------------------------------------------------------

    e----------------------------------------7-9-10-9-7----------------------
    B--------------------------------7-9-10-------------10-9-7--------------
    G-------------------------6-7-9-----------------------------9-7-6--------
    D------------------6-7-9-------------------------------------------9-7-6-
    A-----------5-7-9--------------------------------------------------------
    E--7-5-7-9---------------------------------------------------------------

    e--------------------------------------------
    B--------------------------------------------
    G--------------------------------------------
    D--------------------------------------------
    A--9-7-5------------------------------------
    E---------9-7-5-3-5-------------------------

    This is just a continued repetition of major scales. You can continue this pattern for as far in the fretboard as you want to.
     
  6. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Ex 6

    Arpeggio
    e------2-5-2-----------------4-7-4-----------------6-9-6-----------
    B----3-------3-------------5-------5-------------7-------7---------
    G--2-----------2---------4-----------4---------6-----------6-------
    D----------------4-----6---------------6-----8---------------8-----
    A------------------5/7-------------------7/9--------------------9--
    E------------------------------------------------------------------

    This pattern can be continued to cover the whole fretboard as well. Personally this is one of my favourite practice riff.
     
  7. dhim

    dhim New Member

    Dear Essi,

    Anything specific for rhythm guitarists????


    Regards,

    DHiM
     
  8. DrSaurabh

    DrSaurabh Wh@+s Up D0C

    when i went to my guitar dude...briefly....2 lessons to be precise...he gave me one too which i think is the major scale anyways....its the intreo tune from mera nam chun chun chun...

    E||--------------------------|--------------------------|
    B||--------------------------|--------------------------|
    G||--------------------------|--------------------------|
    D||--------------------------|--------------------------|
    A||-----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|-----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|
    E||--3--------------------3--|--3--------------------3--|



    --------------------------|--------------------------|
    --------------------------|--------------------------|
    --------------------------|--------------------------|
    -----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|-----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|
    --3--------------------3--|--3--------------------3--|
    --------------------------|--------------------------|



    --------------------------|--------------------------|
    --------------------------|--------------------------|
    -----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|--------------------------|
    --3--------------------3--|-----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|
    --------------------------|--3--------------------3--|
    --------------------------|--------------------------|



    --------------------------|--------------------------|-----------||
    --------------------------|--------------------------|-----------||
    --------------------------|--------------------------|-----------||
    --------------------------|--------------------------|-----------||
    -----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|-----2--3--4--5--3--2-----|-----------||
    --3--------------------3--|--3--------------------3--|--3~-------||
     
  9. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    G major Scale..
     
  10. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    No thats no major scale... Thats just a bluesy/jazzy riff... sounds cool with distortion when played very fast. Its quite similar to the first few exercises I have posted except it focuses more on 2 string playing.
     
  11. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    Check the notes and tell me which Scale the riff is based on.. :confused:
     
  12. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    @ dhim... I was doing a bit research on warmup techniques for rhythm guitarist, which is not exactly my forte.

    Basically these exercises will work for rhythm as well. But some people I know usually play arpeggios before chords. I don't know if its much help. basic strumming with barre chords in 4/4 and 3/4 should be good enough and its always better if you have someone jamming beside you while you're playing chords for warmup.

    for example...
    Note: Taken from wholenote.com

    Cmaj .........................................Dmaj...........................
    ----------------12---------------------------14------------
    -------------13----13---------------------15---15----------
    ----------12----------12---------------14---------14-------
    -------14----------------14---------16---------------16----
    ----15----------------------15-/-17---------------------17-

    Strumming the chords in different patterns while someone else is playing the arpeggio is quite useful. Or you can just create the arpeggio file in GP4 and jam with it.

    Its advisable to use barre chords as often as possible because with abrre chords you have more control over the sound which comes out, especially through snappy strumming.
    ------------------------------------------------------------
     
  13. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    he was talking about the scale, not the root on which the riff is based. Come on, you know its not the Gmaj scale... anyway, its not even based on Gmaj... its just a chromatic.
     
  14. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    Its is on Gmajor..
     
  15. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Or else maybe a G Lydian sharp... dunno, I'm not so good with all these scales.
     
  16. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    It may be a #..
     
  17. 6String_assasin

    6String_assasin The Painkiller

    essi...u missed a very imporatnt note!


    use Alternative Picking.
     
  18. jayanth

    jayanth <.: : Call Quits : :.>

    Yhea i htought that was quite obvious..
     
  19. esgallindeion

    esgallindeion Minstrel Knight

    Well... that's quite obvious, isn't it? I mean, I was teaching my 12 year old cousin these holidays the basics of playing guitar and even he could realize that these exercises will be more useful if you use alternative picking.

    Anyway, Use alternative picking wherever possible.
     
  20. 6String_assasin

    6String_assasin The Painkiller

    may not b oviuos for all those beginners...i thought.
     

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