Practice routine

[kevinplarson]

I’ve so much appreciated these responses. I’m going to reread them and synthesize it all in my brain.

I’m a subscriber to TrueFire which I think is fabulous. I’ve learned so much taking lessons from Muriel Anderson and David Hamburger and others.

Do any of you have specific warm ups you do? Any technique exercises you recommend?

Thanks so much!

[Mr. Jelly]

Anymore I just learn stuff. Find three fiddle tunes to flat pick. Find a couple of fingerpicking tunes to work on. You can do that on line and it won't cost you dime. All you have to do is look (Google). Then work on them. If you don't work on them then sell the guitar. But if you do you will learn stuff. Then you just keep going. You won't know when to stop.

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by kevinplarson

I’ve so much appreciated these responses. I’m going to reread them and synthesize it all in my brain.

I’m a subscriber to TrueFire which I think is fabulous. I’ve learned so much taking lessons from Muriel Anderson and David Hamburger and others.

Do any of you have specific warm ups you do? Any technique exercises you recommend?

Thanks so much!

I have a few fiddle tunes/ jigs in my play list and starting at 3/4 speed and working up they make a great way to practice alternating picking fingers . They also provide a more realistic and musically enjoyable wake up routine than going up and down scales which is what my piano teacher got me doing, maybe that was one of the reasons I just got to hate those lesons.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by kevinplarson

I’ve so much appreciated these responses. I’m going to reread them and synthesize it all in my brain.

I’m a subscriber to TrueFire which I think is fabulous. I’ve learned so much taking lessons from Muriel Anderson and David Hamburger and others.

Do any of you have specific warm ups you do? Any technique exercises you recommend?

Thanks so much!

Kevin,

You asked about warm up exercises. Guitar Slim II (Chris Volak) posted some counterpoint exercises a while back that I often use as a warmup. The video is disabled in the thread, but if you go to the YouTube links and/or his home page you should be able to find them.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=481283

[NormanKliman]

Originally Posted by kevinplarson

...Do any of you have specific warm ups you do? Any technique exercises you recommend?...

Hi Kevin,

Here are two from the exercises page of my website. They’re based on repeating patterns, so they’re easy to remember, and they’re musical, so it won’t feel like you’re reciting gibberish.

This one is designed to strengthen your picking hand, especially thumb, index and middle fingers, but it’s meant to be played with your fretting-hand thumb behind the neck (classical style), so it may not be what you’re looking for. I recommend you give it a shot, though.

Here are eight exercises designed to strengthen picado, which is the technique of playing single-note lines with your index and middle fingers. The point is to work on leading with your middle finger in descending lines because it’s awkward to move to a lower-pitched string with your middle finger. We usually arrange fingerstrokes to lead with the index, but, in some musical situations, you’ll have no choice but to lead with your middle, and these exercises will help you work toward leading with either finger with equal strength and dexterity. Exercises 1 to 7 show how the concept works and exercise 8 is the one to work on.