Anyone else need to warm up before they start playing?

[HoosierDaddy]

I totally agree.. Man, I have to warm up especially if I'm jamming with a band or out. I also agree that I need an hour or two is even better if it's a new place I've not jammed at before, this way I can get used to the surroundings, etc,.. I also don't do any big stretches or anything until I'm pretty warm. You warm up so you can do the harder things such as stretches, etc,.
Thanks.. Just my two cents.. LOL
Tim

Originally Posted by JackButlerGOT

Everyday.. multiple times a day.. if I have a break between students or sessions in the same day.. I warm up everytime...been playing for 35 years now and teaching for over 20 of those.. I've seem WAY too many careers cut short by the old "wail and flail" without properly warming.. and everyone thinks.. "not me".. if you don't warm up.. you WILL have problems.. maybe not today.. but eventually you WILL..
My normal warm up is 15-20 mins before a student.. before a show of any kind.. as much as humanly possible.. I'd like about an hour and a half if possible.. especially in a new venue.. 1.) to become familiar with the place and feel comfortable in a new environment and 2) so I can go through things extremely slow and extremely deliberate.. only going all out on a few things in the last bit before the actual performance, so as to not blow my hands up.. its all very organized and very deliberate.
edited to add: I wouldn't do ANY stretches with COLD muscles.. not with a guitar.. not in the gym and not on the mat in the dojo.. get the blood flowing to all the tissues first and then work up to the demanding stuff.

[Dethroned]

I'm a self taught dude, with no theory, no nadda. I just play from tabs and by ear. The bit below is my layman warm up.

Megadeth - Washington is Next - youtu.be/VwEp37Yp9rg
Tab: tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/megadeth/washington_is_next_ver4_guitar_pro.htm

Buckethead - Siege Engine - youtu.be/JsjYqm-2PDk
Tab: tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/buckethead/siege_engine_ver2_guitar_pro_831051id_01062009date .htm

Washington is next gets the powerchords into play and some light leads.

Siege Engine... that's the full chord pronunciation and muting in strum, stretching, and hammer on / pull offs. Play as much of it as you can, and learn a bit more of it at a time if you're not proficient enough to do it all from the get go.

Siege engine has a stretch of 0h7h12 12p7p0 0h3h8 8p3p0

I believe warming up... is doing an exercise that your muscle memory has down and can perform without strain. For some people it's a scale but I don't think it has to be. These tracks are my warm ups, because my memory has them down from playing them so often. Same with Megadeth's Take No Prisoners. That song is hell for your hands... real pure hell, if you're not used to it, but it's in my hands' memory bank so to speak. Doesn't strain me. Playing Siege Engine regularly is like doing yoga or something... just keeps me flexible 24/7. I highly recommend it. Warm ups now for me aren't about sorting out my hands so much as making sure i'm not playing like crap.

[LMDAVE]

I don't always play guitar, but when I do, I revert back to the Doug Mark Metal Method warm up sequence I learn back in 86-87. (I sound like Dos Equis guy saying that).

[GUITARMAGEDDON]

Originally Posted by LMDAVE

I don't always play guitar, but when I do, I revert back to the Doug Mark Metal Method warm up sequence I learn back in 86-87. (I sound like Dos Equis guy saying that).

I don't always shred,, but when I do I warm up with Metal Method.. LOL

I had those tapes. they were great!

[musicdr]

I just hit 50.Been playing since I was 15.I have always done some type of warmup.I do find with age it takes longer for me to really get going.Sometimes an hour or more with plenty of stretching exercises in between.I am grateful I can still play.

[MatiasTolkki]

I usually spend a good 30 minutes doing scales (chromatic, various fingerings, A Minor harmonic etc) or Adapted from piano Charles Hanon C major exercises a couple times each(2 different exercises), then the solo for Eagleheart (nice little finger workout, plus it helps me get better at playing the song) then practice Iron Man and the rhythm guitar intro to Hunting High and Low (Stratovarius). I sometimes play the lead guitar part of Hunting if i feel like it at the time, or playing all of Eagleheart.

[MaidenHead]

I usually warm up by playing some scales and then i'll go into some Rush. I have been trying to learn some Paul Gilbert stuff recently so i like to warm up before i play