Anyone else need to warm up before they start playing?

ironfistx · #1 11-18-2012, 12:19 PM

During the 10 years of my youth that I played guitar, I pretty much warmed up by playing Master of Puppets or something.

Now that I am actually getting better than I was back then, and now that I am older (31), I find that I am pretty useless if I don't thoroughly warm up.

My warm up is 5-10 minutes of random finger combination + alternate picking and sweeping.

Then I go through the only modes I know: ionian, aeolian, and lydian. I'm so proud of myself cuz I finally understand that C Ionian = A aeolian = F lydian. I need to learn the rest now.

After enough warmup, I begin to play real songs by playing the intro to Twilight Symphony by Stratovarius (basically a descending harmonic minor plus a few chords).

Once I hit my groove with that, I am warmed up.

I know I am there because my fingers start to feel lighter than before. In fact, this is new to me. I remember a few weeks ago I was playing and my fingers just suddenly starting using a much lighter touch and I started playing faster. I was like wtf just happened, this is awesome!

I must go through this ritual, even in guitar stores. So I sound like the biggest noob for the first 5 or 10 minutes when I'm testing out guitars. And that's a big deal because you know entering a guitar store puts your ego into overdrive because all the people there actually care how good of a guitar player you are

Seriously tho, I need to warm up, and that's never been the case for me before. Anyone else?

6fingers · #2 11-18-2012, 12:31 PM

Nope, nobody needs and that's why ALL guitar class videos have warm-up exercises.
Warming up is a waste of time, Petrucci wasted over 30 minutes in his video about warming up.
See only you need it.

mertay · #3 11-18-2012, 01:41 PM

Warm-up to me should actually become some sort of ritual on daily basis even if you don't have time to practice new stuff.

Then instead of trying to bring out the "guitar player" each time you hold a guitar, you'll feel like one even when you don't have it near you. Its a good feeling

mike570 · #4 11-18-2012, 07:42 PM

There are a couple of songs I have if I play them live and first on the set list that I'd need to warm up just a little.
Lots of touring musicians warm up in sound check and in their dressing room. It's not uncommon. It gets the muscles and joints in the fingers going just like warming up for anything else.

BlanK · #5 11-19-2012, 02:36 AM

If you don't warm up, say hello to horrible injuries.

This doesn't just apply to guitar players. Great musicians have hurt themselves by not warming up. Freddie Hubbard couldn't even hit a proper note by the end of his career because he just blew his chops by not warming up and just playing stupidly high notes instantly. There are a lot more musicians than just him, he's the first that popped into my mind.

satchmo72 · #6 11-29-2012, 09:34 AM

One of the most important ideas I took from Petrucci's Rock Discipline video was his stretches and warm up. I can tell that I am slower and sore if I dont warm up.

dickicker · #7 11-29-2012, 10:18 AM

I always warm up. I have a few different exercises I do. Warming up should include stretching. I can not stress how important that is. When you get older, you'll thank me

GoodVaibes · #8 11-30-2012, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mertay

Warm-up to me should actually become some sort of ritual on daily basis even if you don't have time to practice new stuff.

Then instead of trying to bring out the "guitar player" each time you hold a guitar, you'll feel like one even when you don't have it near you. Its a good feeling

I totally agree with this. Recently I've made a concerted effort to become a better guitarist and by doing a similar 'ritual' I'm seeing and feeling a difference. My ritual is basically all 24 variations of 1.2.3.4. over four frets on all six strings then all 7 modes in two different ways each.

Recently I was advised to try any of the modes and play the notes in this order;
1-3-5-7-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 or,
do-me-so-te-ray-do-te-la-so-fa-me-ray-do (ionian/major scale)
It helps give you a sense of the mood the mode is meant to portray.

Definitely stretch out afterwards too!

JackButlerGOT · #9 11-30-2012, 08:43 AM

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.

GUITARMAGEDDON · #10 11-30-2012, 09:21 AM

just a minute or 2 of chromatics or whatever. I'm not usually breaking the sound barrier when I play anyways.

Wolfram · #11 11-30-2012, 02:43 PM

I am hot enough and don't need to warm up...........

-Wolfram

doriangrey · #12 11-30-2012, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironfistx

Then I go through the only modes I know: ionian, aeolian, and lydian. I'm so proud of myself cuz I finally understand that C Ionian = A aeolian = F lydian. I need to learn the rest now.

If you know those modes then you also know D Dorian, E Phrygian and G Mixolydian cuz they all contain the same notes as C Ionian...locrian occurs in about .5% of western music so I wouldn't bother with working on phrasing Locrian.

And yes, wamrup is critical - especially if you care about avoiding soft tissue / repetitive strain injuries...

HoosierDaddy · #13 12-18-2012, 12:47 PM

Man, I'm 51 and I have to warm up no matter if I'm practicing or playing out or whatever. It's also about feeling good. If I know I'm going to jam out with a band, I have to warm up my whole damn body.. LOL..
Tim

AlaskaBat · #14 12-19-2012, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfram

I am hot enough and don't need to warm up...........

-Wolfram

Good 'ol Wolfie--always a reliable laugh.

webmaestro · #15 12-19-2012, 10:44 AM

I'm only in my late 30's and I'm beginning to see definite signs of arthritis (swelling, stiffness, etc) in the joints of my left hand. So yeah, I absolutely have to warm up to ensure my knuckles don't freeze up. I do nonsensical chromatic exercises for about 10-15 mins, then move onto more interesting exercises (Rock Discipline type stuff) for about another 10-15 mins. Then, I'm usually good to go.

If I only have a short time to play/practice (1hr or or less), then I'll usually ONLY do warm-up exercises. That at least maintains my technical ability without causing injury.

If skip warmup and go right into trying to play songs or anything relatively fast/complex, my damn knuckles start to freeze up. Getting older sucks.