Daily exercises - any recommendations ?

Paul_C · March 2023

2023 is the year of playing guitar for me, rather than making albums.

I'd like to spend half an hour a day (at least) playing a few exercises to improve dexterity instead of random noodling, which is my usual way of spending time on guitar.

I've got some gigs to play with a friend's band so I'll be working on the songs for that and I have a few chrod progressions I like to use to keep my hand in with chord shapes, so it's scales and arpeggios I suppose but I'm open to suggestions.

monquixote · March 2023

I personally think playing with musicality is more important so I'd pick songs that challenge you.

Also play them with a drum machine and record yourself so you can listen back.

Phrasing dynamics and timing are where most people fall down.

relic245 · March 2023

Depending on your dexterity the spider exercise was the one that gave me the biggest improvement in technique.

On the 6th string play frets:
1,2,3,4 and keep all fingers down.

Then do the same on 5th string but only move 1 finger at a time.

So you're fretting 1,2,3,4 on 6th. Keep all fingers down and just move your index finger.
Then move 2nd finger etc.

Cover all strings to 1st, move up 1 fret then come back down the strings in the same way.
Move up a fret and repeat until you've covered the whole neck.

When I first started I literally couldn't move my 3rd finger, I picked it up and moved it with my right hand until i trained it how to move on its own. Took a week or so before I started to get movement.

I often use it as a warm up before gigs too.

It's the one exercise that I swear by that gave me independent finger movement better than anything else.

Does that make sense? If not I can record quick vid of me doing it.

hollywoodrox · March 2023

Yes , picking bits of solos or songs you can’t play & working them up to speed from slow is invaluable

viz · March 2023

Go for the one where you play, on a single string:

1234
2341
3412
4123

Then move to the 5 other variations:

1243
2431
4312
3124

1324
3241
2413
4132

1342
3421
4213
2134

1423
4231
2341
3412

and finally, the upside down version of the first one:

1432
4321
3214
2143

Then try doing them across the strings:

Low E string: 1234
A string: 2341
D string: 3412
etc. when you get to the top, move up a semitone and come down:

top E: 3413
B string: 4132
Etc.

Then, using one string, slide up a semitone each set of four notes:

1234
3452
5634
7456
5678 etc.

And down again.

That’ll keep you busy for 100 years.

Brad · March 2023

As mentioned above, chromatic ‘spider’ exercises always a good starting point.

However, interval studies are truly humbling and fantastic for developing technique and aural connection to the instrument. Take any shape of the major scale and explore 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 7ths over the entirety of the shape in the following ways;

All ascending
All descending
Alternating ascending/descending
Alternating descending/ascending

These will massively improve your control in both hands. And as @monquixote said, pay attention to how to things are sounding as you’re playing.

markv · March 2023

I found David Mead's book "10 minute guitar workout" pretty helpful for this. The second half of the book is sets of 5 exercises at different levels that you progress through (the first half of the book is essentially an introduction to guitar for beginners and a bit out of place imo)

fastonebaz · March 2023

Do Viz's workout but on a bass. Then when you pick up a guitar it will seem tiny and feel amazing to play

joeW · March 2023

One I use most days starting from day low G, play up Gmaj7 arp then go up a note in the scale, in this case a G then play down the diatonic arp which would be a min 7, then up b min7 down C maj 7 etc until you get to the high e string. Then change to C Maj as the parent scale and come down the in the same fashion.

You can continue changing key and complete 3 cycles of 5th as you slowly ascend the fretboard. It’s good for dexterity, ear and for general fb knowledge

roberty · March 2023

fastonebaz said:

Do Viz's workout but on a bass. Rhythm when you pick up a guitar it will seem tiny and feel amazing to play

Practicing the bass really does force you to economise your left hand. It also helped me more easily adapt to different guitar necks, I will play pretty much anything now

I usually do some bending and vibrato exercises when I pick the guitar up. Worth spending a minute or two on that imo

LastMantra · March 2023

I would just practice the crap out of the songs you're going to be playing in the band.

hollywoodrox · March 2023

LastMantra said:

I would just practice the crap out of the songs you're going to be playing in the band.

Absolutely & new ones

also working with that solo app on intervals that Tom Quail & David Bebe have produced seems a worthwhile task

Paul_C · March 2023

LastMantra said:

I would just practice the crap out of the songs you're going to be playing in the band.

This is the only one that really needs practicing as far as technique is concerned (I'm trying to get it back up to speed and use a plectrum the whole time)

GuyBoden · March 2023

Listen to some Bach, with a nice cuppa tea.

personalnadir · March 2023

markv said:

I found David Mead's book "10 minute guitar workout" pretty helpful for this. The second half of the book is sets of 5 exercises at different levels that you progress through (the first half of the book is essentially an introduction to guitar for beginners and a bit out of place imo)

I enjoyed using his app for a bit

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/david-mead-guitar-gym/id566521979

BigPaulie · March 2023

That Ashton Kutcher doppelganger who demos all the acoustics put me onto this one called "inside out ".

Strictly D U D U alternate picking. Fingering is 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

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

It's deceptively tricky. The first 4 notes are outside picking and the second 4 are inside. Work with a metronome. Focus on accuracy. As you get better you can move it up and down the neck and across the strings. You can also do it on non-adjacent strings to work on string skipping.

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Daily exercises - any recommendations ?

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