Excercise sticky

[Bassin']

Originally Posted by knuf

A triller exercise for your left hand (or right hand for leftys ;-) )
strength (very good for 6-or-more-String players!):

Start on your highest string (g or c) and do trillers in these different combinations for about 1 minute (each combination!):

1. Index, middle
2. index, ring
3. index, pinky
4. middle, ring
5. middle, pinky
6. ring, pinky

a little "add-on" to this exercise is doing these trillers with 3 fingers:
ie you use index, middle and pinky, it'd be this order:
8p5 6p5 6p5 8p5 and so on.. (as a tab)

Hope you know what i mean
I like this exercise, you'll notice, if you do this one every day, that you hand's strength gets better and better!

knuf :P

Another option for the above exercise is to play the two notes on the D string (or the second to highest string for any extended range players). While you play the notes, make sure the two fingers that are not active are anchored to the G string. You'll want to actually pluck each note, rather than doing an official "trill", and you also want to make sure to lift each finger that's active, even the one playing the lowest note, when that finger isn't holding down the note.

So as an example using combination #1 from above:

The index and middle finger are involved in playing the notes on the D string, frets 7 and 8, while the ring and pinkie fingers are anchored to the G string, frets 9 and 10. You pluck the first note while your index finger is on fret 7 of the D string; you then bring your middle finger down and pluck the note on the 8th fret while simultaneously you lift your index finger as your middle finger comes down. You then bring your index finger back down while simultaneously bringing the middle finger back up and pluck the note again fretted with the index finger on the seventh fret. Remember that while your doing all this, your ring and pinkie finger are still anchored to the 9th and 10th frets of the G string... and they don't come up until the exercise is done.

Use the same examples as above but make sure to lift whatever finger isn't fretting on the D string and anchor whatever fingers aren't involve to the corresponding frets on the G string.

One note of caution: This exercise really isolates the muscle groups in your hand so you don't need to do each combination for very long. I use it as a quick way to warm up my left hand; maybe 2-3 minutes total for all combinations. You could go a bit longer if you're trying to build up stamina but be careful not to over do it.

[wazzel]

I play around with scales like I use to do when I was playing sax.

Play the scale in quater notes, then eigth, tripplets, 1/16th etc up and down.

I also play patterns on the scale things like 3 notes down, 2 up, 3 down, 2 up etc.

1-2-3-2-1-2-3-4-3-2-......

The other way

8-7-6-7-8-7-6-5-6-7-...

Also play the scale returning to the root every other note

1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-.....

And in reverse

8-7-8-6-8-5-8-4-...

[CiRRuS~BaSS]

my dad showed me this one from his guitar days. he said he once saw Al DiMeola do it insanely fast and when you learn the exercise youll appreciate it.

G:-1--2--3---4-----4---4--4---
D:------1--2---3-----3---3-----
A:-----------1---2-----2--------
E:-----------------1-------------

then back down....

the way i think of it and easiest to view it is as a box. the perimeter of the box is from the 1st fret to the 4th fret, covering all four strings. your basically hitting each fret inside this box in a diagonal pattern from (if your right handed) left to right. going back down is just backwards (right to left diagonally).

if anyone has any questions please let me know, i hope i explained this well enough and its a nice warm-up/ warm-down/ technique exercise.

[beggar98]

My favorite is Michael Manring's old "mathematic permutations exercise". Some one started to talk about earlier, but stopped 1/4 through. Basically, find a spot on the neck where you're very comfortable with all 4 fingers on the board, I usually do 7-10 on the D. Then, just play through in even beats the following sequence, always alternating your plucking hand and keeping the tempo steady:

1234, 1243, 1324, 1342, 1423, 1432
2134, 2143, 2314, 2341, 2413, 2341
3124, 3142, 3214, 3241, 3412, 3421
4123, 4132, 4213, 4231, 4312, 4321

Start slow and build up speed. Once this gets easy to play fast with no fumbles, throw in some string skipping by running the same patterns but with each finger on a different string.

[Rodr-Evil]

Originally Posted by beggar98

My favorite is Michael Manring's old "mathematic permutations exercise". Some one started to talk about earlier, but stopped 1/4 through. Basically, find a spot on the neck where you're very comfortable with all 4 fingers on the board, I usually do 7-10 on the D. Then, just play through in even beats the following sequence, always alternating your plucking hand and keeping the tempo steady:

1234, 1243, 1324, 1342, 1423, 1432
2134, 2143, 2314, 2341, 2413, 2341
3124, 3142, 3214, 3241, 3412, 3421
4123, 4132, 4213, 4231, 4312, 4321

Start slow and build up speed. Once this gets easy to play fast with no fumbles, throw in some string skipping by running the same patterns but with each finger on a different string.

I'll try that one today, thanks man.

[kesslari]

This one is my favorite for developing independence between right and left hands:
t's very simple and deucedly effective...

Find a place where your left hand is comfortable. For me, 5th fret is good.
Left hand is very simple, taking 2 fingers and going accross all 4 strings (I've never found a good modification for 5 string, the 2nd half of the exercise being why)

so left hand will go

G:----------------1--2-
D:-----------1--2-
A:------1--2-
E:-1--2-

(hope that's the right way to notate it - all fingers staying on the same 2 frets, starting on the E string and continuing across to the G string).

RH:
Right hand, alternate fingers. 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2
So far so good - your left and right hands are in synch.

Coming back, your right hand takes advantage of the "rake" between each pair of strings descending.
So while on the return, your left hand still plays

G:-1--2-
D:------1--2-
A:-----------1--2-
E:----------------1--2-

RH: 1-2-2-1-1-2-2-1

That gets you playing 1-2 with your left hand, 2-1 with your right on the D and E strings. Going back up, you keep that 2-1 with your right, so:

LH:
G:----------------1--2-
D:-----------1--2-
A:------1--2-
E:-1--2-

RH: 2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1

And since your last pluck on the G string with your RH was with your index finger, coming down you play
LH:
G:-1--2-
D:------1--2-
A:-----------1--2-
E:----------------1--2-

RH: 2-1-1-2-2-1-1-2

Now you're back on a "1-2-1-2" RH fingering, and you can proceed to the next pair of fingers (1-3, etc)
It gets particularly challenging as you move to left hand fingers working in pairs descending (like 3-1), etc.

As I play it, I don't double up the end strings (E and G), though it may seem like it from the way I tabbed it. I'm not much of a tab wiz and I wanted the symmetry of the exercise to come through.

And as always, the metronome is your friend...

[Araillac]

One that I find is good for the plucking fingers is this:
1-2-3-4 on E
4-3-2-1 on A
1-2-3-4 on D
4-3-2-1 on G

The trick is to start off on E-1 and play 1 measure of quarter notes. go to E-2 and do eighth notes. E-3 for 16th then E-4 for 32nd. Move up to A-4 and start doing quarter again. Keep doing this till G-1 then start G-1 again with quarter and then go back down.

[tyggis]

A nice way to practice the right hand technique is to play just dead notes. Then you can really hear when you are not tight.

[Nyarlathotep]

Found this in one of my dads guitar playing books. I photocopied the 2 pages pretty badly, so i forget which book its from

Originally posted in a separate thread, but I figure i might as well put it here.

Both Hands Together
Now is the time to practice all that you have learned in the preceding sections, by using both hands together for the next exersize. The LH patter is the same as the one that you have just practiced.

-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
---------------------------------1-2-3-4---------
-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------
-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------
---------1-2-3-4---------------------------------
-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------

While the LH plays the pattern shown above, the RH is alternating the rest stroke on the string pressed down by the LH. In one sequence you begin with the i. finger, playing i., m., i., m. on each string; in a second sequence you should reverse the starting finger, playing m., i., m., i. Always alternate, and remember to leave the LH fingers in place until you change strings.

Now try coming down like this:

-4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------
---------4-3-2-1---------------------------------
-----------------4-3-2-1-------------------------
-------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------
---------------------------------4-3-2-1---------
-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1-

When descending, each LH finger is released as you strike the next, since otherwise only the highest note would sound.

This exersize is progressive; the next stage is to start one fret higher:

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

Following this pattern, and starting one fret higher each time, continue until you commence the sequence on the 9th fret:

--------------------------------------------------------9-10-11-12-
---------------------------------------------9-10-11-12------------
----------------------------------9-10-11-12-----------------------
-----------------------9-10-11-12----------------------------------
------------9-10-11-12---------------------------------------------
-9-10-11-12--------------------------------------------------------

Then begin to descend, starting the next sequence on the 8th fret, until you finally reach your starting position.

This is a famous technical exercise, and guitarists in Spain used to have contests (as probably still do) to see who could cover the whole guitar first.

To me it sounds good in theory, and would be great to do with a metronome. The 2 times Ive done the whole thing ive noticed that my fretting hand is a lot more responsive and loose. Recently did with a metronome (160 bpm) playing on each beat. Was harder than i thought it would be. Felt damn good tho

I was thinking, however, that instead of the "imim" or "mimi" finger plucking, one could get used to an "amim" or "imam" pattern that seems more useful if going for a speedy technique. I'm going to use the "amim" to practice this right now. Ill let you guys know how it goes (EDIT: it works out quite interesting useing "ami", tho my "a" is plauged by screwing around on me. Right now im getting some awesome speed from just the "m" and "i", so im gonna let that take me where it will.)

[Nyarlathotep]

Skipping 1 string at a time:

1||----------------------------3---4-|-1---2---------------------------||
2||-------------------3---4-1---2----|---3---4-1---2-------------------||
3||-----------3---4-1---2------------|-----------3---4-1---2-----------||
4||---3---4-1---2--------------------|-------------------3---4-1---2---||
5||-1---2----------------------------|---------------------------3---4-||

Skipping 2 strings at a time:

1||-------------------3---4-|-1---2-------------------||
2||-----------3---4---------|---------1---2-----------||
3||---3---4---------1---2---|---3---4---------1---2---||
4||---------1---2-----------|-----------3---4---------||
5||-1---2-------------------|-------------------3---4-||

Skipping 3 strings at a time:

1||------------3---4-|-1---2-----------||
2||----3---4---------|---------1---2---||
3||------------------|-----------------||
4||----------1---2---|---3---4---------||
5||--1---2-----------|-----------3---4-||

Skipping 4 strings at a time (5 string only ):

1||----3---4-|-1---2---||
2||----------|---------||
3||----------|---------||
4||----------|---------||
5||--1---2---|---3---4-||

Tabbed it on frets 1 to 4, but it could be done anywhere really... On a 4 string, just ignore the 1st or last 4 notes going up, and vice-versa going down. Im pretty sure this covers all the string skips you'll ever do, pickhand-wise anyway.

I couldn't find the string skipping lesson that's in one of the many bass books I have, so I just sorta came up with this after looking at the spider example on page 1 of this thread.

[BassplayerBrian]

a couple of the ones i use a lot come from upright players,
the first one is called: Rings Thing and it goes like this:

Fingers:12321323 12321323 12321323 on the E string and go up a half step until you cant climb the neck any more, then go on to this pattern
23432434 23432434 23432434 and climb the neck in half steps again, then this pattern
12421424 12421424 12421424 again, all the way up the neck.

The next one is Max's Magic which is essentially the same but with string crossings so itd be like this:

A: 232 323 232 323
E:1 1 1 1
again, all the way up the neck using all the patterns in rings thing as well

Start slow with a met, and work your way up making sure you can do it cleanly without stopping(frets: 12321323,12321323,23432434,23432434 etc.) all the way up the neck of the bass

It builds lots of speed and endurance!

[jbo]

I read this article by Manring in which he talked about a looping device being a good practice tool. I would try to describe it, but there are so many cool things he talks about...I'll just post the link. Enjoy!

http://www.instituteofbass.com/lesso...nring/loopers/

[Out_of_Toon]

The best warm-up IMHO:

E ---------------4(r)-5(p)-----------2(i)-3(m)----
A ----------5(p)----------4(r)-3(m)-----------2(i)
D -----------------------------------------------
G -----------------------------------------------

(i) - index
(m) - middle
(r) - ring
(p) - pinky

Of course, this can be played anywhere on the fretboard, hope it helps.

[Thingus995]

Originally Posted by Beast

From my Technical Death Metal thread.



"Alright, just finished going through a bunch of exercises, and this is pretty much what I did.

Major scale+all modes through two octaves and to a metronome. Double up each note if your working for speed. Don't double if your just working for finger gymnastics. Go through in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, and octaves.

Here are the other scales that I do with those exercises: Whole-tone Diminished, Harmonic Minor, Hungarian Minor, Pentatonics, Blues scales

Do chromatic runs up and down fretboard, starting at different points, be sure to do a few past the 12th fret as well, learn to use your top note too.

Do triads/arpeggios to metronome. Majors, Minors, Sus's, Dims, Augs, all of them that you can create, be sure to establish a relationship between the intervals of each arpeggio, and your ear, so you'll notice these patterns in music.

Put a metronome to 16th notes, use all four fingers on your picking hand, and try to match every note, if four fingers really does not work for you, three will most likely work.

Slapping: Practice 16th note patterns thumbing, just like what you would be doing with your 4 (3) fingers. Do the same with plucking, and then do it alternating, slap pluck slap pluck. Do some of the scale exercises with thumbing/plucking.

Tapping: Do the scale exercises below the 12th fret with your left hand just hammering on. Then do them above the 12th fret with your right hand. Pick up some piano sheet music and play it.

Some very nice songs to check out in case you need a good workout as well.

Sacrifice Unto Sebek- Nile
Frantic Disembowelment- Cannibal Corpse
Reduced to Slavery- Dying Fetus
Eagle Nature- Cynic
Only Ash Remains- Necrophagist
Execration Text- Nile
Master of Puppets- Metallica
Aces High- Iron Maiden

Enjoy!"

hahaha you forgot The Burning Pits of the Duat by Nile... Great practice songs hahaha

[robmill3r]

Instead of (in addition to) just playing scales, I play around with a piano agility exercise I learned as a child.
root-5-6-8-10-8-6-5-3-6-8-10-12-10-8-6-5...
and another
root-5-10-8-6-8-6-5-3-8-12-10-8-10-8-6-5...
turn around and take it back down after you resolve at the 2nd octave.
I play around with plucking on the right hand while I do these.
T,I one time T,M next time all five fingers another...
I think there were 30 or so of these type exercises, and I know they had a name. Just cant remember what they were called...

[jgoldbe]

These are two warm-ups I like to do. start out slowly, and as you begin to memorize the fingering speed up.

G|--------------------------------------------------7-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------7------9--7--10--9-----10-----10--7--9-------7--------------------------------------|
A|-----7-------8--7--10--8-----10---------------------------------------10-----8--10--7--8------7----------------|
E|--8-----10------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10-----8--10--7--8-|

This one is a little tricky at first. Think of it as your doing a C Major scale, and you play the first 3 notes, then go back to the first. then you play the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, then go back to the 2nd. and so on.

G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7-----------7--9-----
D|--------------------------------------------------------7-----------7--9-------7--9--10--7---9--10-----9---10-------10--
A|----------7----------7--8-------7--8--10--7---8--10-----8---10--------10------------------------------------------------
E|--8--10-----8---10--------10-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|--10--9--7--10---9--7------9---7---------7--------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-------------------------10---------10--8------10--8--7--10---8--7-------8---7----------7--------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------10---------10--8------10--8--7--10--8-

Once your comfortable with them, move your hand down the neck to get a bigger stretch.

[Rudreax]

I don't really have much to add to this, but I guess this would help.

When doing any of your own exercises, or when doing any of the ones in this topic, try to use a metronome whenever possible. This way, not only will you improve your dexterity, you'll practice your timing, which is just as important.

[caeman]

For the record, this one thread is worth the price of admission. Good stuff.

[OldBluesGuy]

Subscribed.

This is great stuff! Thanks to all of the contributors. I am in your debt.



obg

[Deacon_Blues]

Glad to hear you appreciate the thread.

+1 to Rudreax's post above about using a metronome. To practice a lick slowly and in time is the only way to really get control over what more difficult stuff.