| Warming up 05/24/04 Let's start off with some fingertwisting exercises. This will help to get your fingers moving and create some coordination between your left and right hands. For each exercise you will use "alternate picking" which means picking down-up-down-up. Exercise 1 - Use alternate picking (down-up-down-up). Once you have completed the exercise move up one fret and repeat. Keep moving up the fretboard after each completion until you are reach the 15th fret and then work your way back down. This may take a while at first but it will go quicker as your hands loosen up. ---------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1--------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------1-2-3-4---------------------4-3-2-1----------------------------------------- -------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1------------------------------- ---------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1--------------------- -----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1----------- -1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1- Warmed up yet? No? Well, move on to the next exercise. Exercise 2 - Do the same as above. Watch it - it's tricky! ----------------------------------------------------1-3-2-4-2-4-1-3-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------1-3-2-4---------------------2-4-1-3---------------------------------------- --------------------------------1-3-2-4-----------------------------------------2-4-1-3------------------------------ ----------------------1-3-2-4-------------------------------------------------------------2-4-1-3-------------------- ------------1-3-2-4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-4-1-3---------- -1-3-2-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-4-1-3- Exercise 3 - This is similar to exercise #1 but the fingering is backward. ---------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------4-3-2-1---------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------- -------------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4------------------------------- ---------------------4-3-2-1-------------------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4--------------------- -----------4-3-2-1---------------------------------------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------- -4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4- |
| Guitar Tips and Advice |
| This section is where I'm going to give you some helpful hints, lessons, and tips on how to improve your playing. Hopefully, you will be able to learn something new or for the more experienced players - just brush up on some stuff. Remember, nothing is ever set in stone! Use your imagination when you're working on the lessons. Play with it and try to expand upon it. Music is about expression and individuality so let your personality come through in your playing. |
| 08/19/04 Try doing this triad sweeping! Use a downward Picking motion (sweep) for the first three notes of each figure and an upstroke for the 4th note. Use pull-offs when moving from the 4th note to the 5th and use an up-stroke for the last note. Remember to start slow and work your way up to speed. Good luck! ----------15-19-15-------------14-17-14------------12-15-12-----------11-14-11--------- ------17-------------17-----15------------15-----13------------13----12------------12----- --16---------------------14--------------------12-------------------11-------------------11- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Finger-Tips If you ever have stiff fingers try running them under warm (not hot) water for a few minutes. You might get stiff fingers from practicing too much or just from being an old fart like me. Also, keep a set of nail clippers handy. Yeah, that's right! Real men carry nail clippers, motherfucker! Can't hit those strings if you have claws like a cat. Having said that, sometimes I use the nails of my right hand middle and ring fingers to do some tapping. I also use the edge of my pick. |
| 12-06-04 Sweeping up! In the last lesson we worked on some triad sweeps. This month we'll work on a sweep pattern that I use with Bad Influence during the lead break on "Play that Funky Music". This pattern also uses some string skipping and when you have it down and can play it smoothly you'll amaze your friends, get the attention of that special someone, and become the envy of all that are graced with your presence. OK, so it'll just sound cool but did I mention that it slices, dices, AND juliens? As always, start slowly. If you have a metronome start at about 40 BPM and work your way up to about 120 BPM. -------------------------------------------------12--15--12-----------------------15--19--------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------17----------17----------------------- ---------------------12--16--12-------12--16-----------------16--12--16--------------------16------------------- -----------------14----------------14--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------14-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---12--15------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 01/04/06 Has it really been a year since I have added anything to this page? Damn!!!! I'm sorry, alright? Jeez.........I will have something soon!!!! Until then I will leave you with this. Alot of players will put new strings on and tune 'up'. Here's a tip for you. When you are tuning if you go above the desired pitch bring the string down below the note and tune it back up. This helps keep the string in tune during the massive killer riffs that I know every one of you bastards are playing. Good luck and happy wanking!!!! |