Good speed builder?

[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

Anyways, do yall think this would be a good speed builder?

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.

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.



Responses please!

[Infernal Affair]

Permutations are a common way to develop exercises. You don't have to follow those specific patterns. Many people come up with their own.

Also here's the thread for even more exercises. It's stickied to the forum.

Excercise sticky

[jaebee]

scales are always a great way to combine excercise and theory, do 2 notes per string, 3 notes, 4 notes, 5 notes etc. do different intervals, arpeggios etc, just get it so you are doing 4 notes per string down to 1 note per string and back up to even more. another good excercise is anchoring a finger and hitting every posssible note in the finger box.

ie ancor index on LH and hit middle ring pinky on first string, second string, etc, also practice skipping strings with rh and lh alike.

[Questor]

I do that exercise, but I also mix it up i.e. instead of just 1-2-3-4 I do that up and down at 3 different fret positions (1, 5, and 9) then I do 1-3-2-4 (up) / 4-2-3-1 (down) at 1, 5, and 9 then 1-4-2-3 (up) / 4-1-3-2 (down) at 1, 5, and 9.

The big danger in this is that you get accustomed to 4 notes per string, so you have to add a few 3 note / string exercises. try 1-2-4 up / down and then 1-3-4 up / down at frets 1, 5, and 9.

After you really get comfortable with this, you can do position changes:

------------------------------4-6 / 5-7-
--------------------3-5 / 4-6-----------
----------2-4 / 3-5---------------------
1-3 / 2-4-------------------------------

The first two notes are played with the 1 and 3 fingers, then you slide up 1 fret and play the next two notes with the 2 and 4 fingers. You jump strings and play with 1 and 3 fingers, slide, jump, slide. Go in the reverse direction down the neck on the way back.

[Nyarlathotep]

^ Thanks

[Erick Lam]

I've never practiced chromatic exercices for any significant time because they have little use for real music. Scales and arpeggios are a LOT more useful and will develop your hand coordination just as fine. For any given scale, know and play every notes on a given position. For exemple, start a C major scale on E (5th fret, B string) and go up to the E on the G string (9 fret). Practice shifting position too. It seems beginners try to avoid shifting position at all cost but in the long run, smooth shifting means you won't need to stretch as much for a certain passage and keeping the hand moving a little keeps the blood flowing and is lees tiring. Practice scales in thirds (C-E-D-F-E-G-etc), in fourth C-F-D-G,etc) and so on... Fourths and fifths are difficult to play cleanly. Don't forget altered and diminished scales as those need fingering that aren't "boxy" like major or natural minor scales.

After you've done all that, you'll have learned to apply some theory into practice and chromatic scales will be a piece of cake without the need to ever practice them.

[Questor]

Good point Erick. Here are the 5 scale patterns that are used (in the key of A major).

-----------------1-2-4-
-------------2-4-------
-------2-4-5-----------
-2-4-5-----------------

---------------------4-6-7-
--------------4-6-7--------
-------4-5-7---------------
-4-5-7---------------------

-------------------6-7-9-
-------------6-7-9-------
---------7-9-------------
-7-9-10------------------

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

----------------------------11-13-14-
------------------11-12-14-----------
--------11-12-14---------------------
-12-14-------------------------------

In the first and third patterns, you have to shift you hand position back by 1 fret on the G string (1st pattern) and D string (3rd pattern).

In the last pattern, start on the 12th fret with your 2nd finger.

If you're really good, you can combine this with a few strategically placed slides / position changes to get a single pattern for a 2 octave scale. I used this to make 1st chair in All County Band waaaaaaaay back when I was in High School. The tubas didn't have a shot in hell in beating me with that. :P

[MarkTAW]

I do a major scale / triad exercise:

 G       Am      Bm      C       D       Em      F#dim   G
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-----2-|-----4-|---2-5-|---4-7-|
|-------|-----2-|-----7-|---5-7-|---4---|-2-5---|-4-----|-5-----|
|---5-7-|---3---|-2-5---|-3-----|-5-----|-------|-------|-------|
|-3-----|-5-----|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|

Then down, then with the minor scale. Then instead of triads, up to 7ths. You could conceivably do this in every mode, combining the exercises back-to-pack so you do ionian, dorian, phrygian, etc, all in the "proper" position" to join it with the other modes.

I'll probably move on to some "artificial" or non diatonic scales. Harmonic minor or something. Any recommendations?