https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:18:48 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-320929 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:28:23 +0000
Thanks again for the advice! Hey Man,

Sorry for the extended response time but I didn't want to respond until I had the book in front of me.

The book is great. I've actually begun using it to expand my chops. I'm not a shredder but I tend to look up to those types of players for insight into raw technique. It has been my experience that, once I reach a new level in my technical skills, every style of music I play gets better. Alternate picking is alternate picking. If I can do it on a Deep Purple song I can do it on a bluegrass song or a jazz song. Now, of course, my note choice and phrasing will differ drastically depending on the style of the moment, but the technique supporting my playing tends to remain very similar.

As for how I'm using this book, I just play through it until I find something that's difficult for me, get out the metronome, and go to town. Wash, rinse, repeat. I would never recommend this approach for a beginner but I've been playing for 16 years or so and feel that I can take more liberties with my practice regimen at this point.

You take what you can and you leave the rest. There's plenty in there for anyone still looking to gain greater facility.

Peace,

Dylan Schwartz
http://www.myspace.com/buddhajones


P.S. Dan, I feel for you not being able to find a solid guitar teacher. There are many good teachers out there but also a legion of bad ones. If you want to get some personal advice I would try to head to a nearby city once or twice a month to see a real teacher. You can also feel free to message me if you have a question every now and then that you need answered.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Dylan Schwartz https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-320929 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318606 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:29:00 +0000 http://www.cyberfret.com/scales/major-3-notes-per-string/page2.php

Here's the major scale, 3 note per string, and which fingerings to use. Also, click through the pages for all the modes of the major scale.

This is probably one of the most (if not the most) important lesson to learn for lead guitar theory and speed.]]> Guitar Players Discussion jeffster1 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318606 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318531 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:34:53 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion jaguar https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318531 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318469 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:27:44 +0000
Here's something... look at the relationship of the minor pentatonic sclae and the major pentatonic scale... you can use the exact same pattern and only have to move a couple of frets. Makes it easy to add a little major flavor to a blues solo.

Nothing ground breaking here, but this is what I do sometimes.]]> Guitar Players Discussion MrJonesey https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318425 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:26:24 +0000
I typically start all my practice sessions with a bunch of runs of the 3 note per string G major scale, as well as the natural minor. This works as a stretch exercise, as well as a speed/memory exercise.]]> Guitar Players Discussion jeffster1 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-318425 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317838 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:38:11 +0000
chears for your help
Dan]]> Guitar Players Discussion jaguar https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317838 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317770 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:29:52 +0000
Thanks again for the advice!]]> Guitar Players Discussion Jersey Jack https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317770 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317748 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 04:24:08 +0000
Let me see if I can offer you a few worthwhile thoughts:

First, Listen to Jersey Jack about the need to practice consistently. One of the things I see over and over with my students is that they are willing to put in just enough time to waste their time. Let me repeat myself there -

" They are willing to put in just enough time to waste their time."

When you learn something you either learn it to the point where you can do something useful with it or don't bother learning it at all. If you learn it just enough to kinda, sorta, maybe, a little bit-ish 'get it' what you've really done is taken away time from your day that could have been spent hiking in the woods or making new friends or wasting goblins on your X-Box and that is time you'll never get back.

Harsh, I know, but it has to be said.

Secondly, the topic of exercises.

1) Use exercises that emphasis coordinating your picking hand and ALL FOUR LEFT HAND FINGERS. There are many of these but they generally will involve playing a pattern like 1 2 3 4 on the first string, then second string, then third string and on and on. The next exercise would be a variation on that pattern like 1 3 2 4. There are 24 of these variations but just pick a few to work each day or get a good book to provide all of the exercises you need. This one looked promising when I went through it last week:

http://www.amazon.com/Terrifying-Technique-Guitar-Carl-Culpepper/dp/0793551641/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231030790&sr=8-1

2) Practice exercises that are variations on running scales - playing scales in groupings if 3's or 4's is a good example. This type of exercise has the added benefit of getting those scale patterns securely underneath your fingers.


Use the above bullet points to begin your technique practice each day. After that's done focus on learning guitar solos and licks from players you admire so that you can see how the scales are actually used in songs. This brings us to the next section:

FIND YOURSELF SOME GUITAR HEROES AND FOCUS ON LEARNING THE SCALES THAT THEY USE.

I literally know hundreds of scales. I know them because I was required to learn them if I wanted to graduate from college. Some are still useful to me (like sweet, delicious Lydian) but many are gone because they are no longer useful (like Ab Super Locrian). Most people only need a small handful. Does Clapton need to know his symmetrical augmented scales in every position? Of course not! Does Ben Monder? Of course yes!

The scales you choose to learn, at least at the beginning of the process, should be the same scales that you hear your heroes using. Save the other stuff for the future when you can already tear through the basic scales and make them sing.

To figure out what scales your heroes use you could either read tons of interviews, scour the internet for tabs and lessons, or take a few lessons with a teach who can tell you exactly what a player is doing and how it works on the guitar. I would personally choose the last option because, if the teacher is quality, it will save you a TON of time and effort.

Now that you know what scales your heroes use, shed them mercilessly until you have them burned into your finger tips. Then learn solos or parts of solos from your favorite songs. That's the real learning. We call it 'application' and it is what makes scales become music.

Hope that helps. I would strongly recommend getting a teacher who can help you set goals and whip you into shape but you'll have to decide that one for yourself.

Regards,

Dylan Schwartz

blog.stillstrings.com
http://www.stillstrings.com
http://www.myspace.com/buddhajones]]> Guitar Players Discussion Dylan Schwartz https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317748 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317735 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:53:09 +0000
Just practicing scales is a thankless task (unless you can call back the notes as you play them at speed). I can play two octave major, harmonic and melodic minor scales in every key, and 3 octaves of E to A. Likewise major, minor, dominant and diminished arpeggios. All to a metronome. But why should I? It makes for decent warmup material, but apart from the fact that I had to play them for my Grades, they don't get a lot of use other than warmup.

Far better, methinks, that you know the base patterns but learn how to fit them over chords so you can pull a solo out of the hat when you need it. Sweep arpeggios are popular amongst the metallers these days, so there's something to be said for being able to do them at speed, but again you're limited to the virtuoso parts of your song when a solo or vocal-free section is called for.


A :-)]]> Guitar Players Discussion Alan Green https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317735 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317720 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:23:45 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion almann1979 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/bad-habits-4/#post-317720