Exercise and Workout Schedule

[Mufaza]

I was curious if some of you guys that have been shredding for a while, have a good workout schedule and system that works. If you can recommend a good site, or book that will help in building the best exercise program for a guitarist wanting to get better.

I have been checking Satches, Petrucci, ect.. guitar techniques and examples, and was wanting a good way to organize them into a daily routine. I have done that on a small scale, and was just curious to get some feedback and examples that others have used that have been really successful.

Thanks in advanced.

[nickcoumbe]

Look for SV's 10 hour workout.

Also try learning Eugene's Trick Bag.

[teokiatuan]

Originally Posted by nickcoumbe

Look for SV's 10 hour workout.

Also try learning Eugene's Trick Bag.

I've seen the 10 hour workout and i have to say, it was piss boring!!

Most of the time i try to isolate licks or lines from certain songs.
Especially Petrucci's solo stuff, TONS of great exercises in there, very fun too.

[Sickbean]

Originally Posted by teokiatuan

I've seen the 10 hour workout and i have to say, it was piss boring!!

Most of the time i try to isolate licks or lines from certain songs.
Especially Petrucci's solo stuff, TONS of great exercises in there, very fun too.

Correct.

Vai is an astounding player obviously, but there are far better teachers. Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Guthrie Govan to name 3.

I'm currently having loads of success with Martin Gouldings Metal Bootcamp series in the UK Guitar Techniques Magazine. Get hold of it if you can. Try teh evilbay.

[nickcoumbe]

I think it is a great exercise programme, although it is a bit boring. To be honest, for me it is more about the discipline of actually learning and perfecting those exercises.

[IbanezFreak777]

As much as I love Vai. Hands down Paul Gilbert is by far the best Guitar Teacher on the Planet.. Just the way he explains things, and his relaxed approach to frankly difficult lessons....

[Magical Muffin]

I don't keep to a 'schedule', because guitar is about fun, and if you force yourself to play at certain times it becomes unfun, the same with anything. Also, when I have remotely tried that I usually begin to painfully noodle some irrelevant licks for half the time, which isn't very productive. Though when I say "I am going work on this rhythm excersize for 20 mins" or something I can usually pull it off. Not always, because I am not all that disiplined, which is something I'm working on.

[corpraider69]

Uhh this may sound stupid but for people with not that much discipline it may work.
Try playing along to the tv like the emotion you get from a movie or show it changes your playing up a bit just a suggestion.

[MattyG]

Frankly it is extremely difficult to make a one size fits all routine for a guitarist.
There are so many areas you might be interested in working on that you will probably find that you need to have a few routines to choose from to fit your needs.

A good general approach for me, if I only have an hour:

10 mins scales and arpeggios
10 mins picking exercises
15 mins old repertoire revision
15 mins new repertoire/reading
10 mins noodling/improv

However these timings are very hard to stick to.

A lot of people have trouble practicing because they don't know what to practice - this comes down to not having a clear perspective of what you want to achieve - your GOALS

When you have a goal, and I mean a realistic one, you have a direction you want to go in. This enables you to kind of itemise your practice time into the components that will lead you closer to your goal.

You mention Satch and Petrucci - why not try learning some of their songs, or parts of songs you like, for example a solo segment or intro riff?

Try transcribing some of their solos/riffs, try analysing the chords and the notes they use over chords in their solos. Try writing a solo in the style of that player. Try making a backing track of a song you like, or just a section like a solo part and try playing your own solos and melodies over the top of it.

Sorry, I think I have gone a little away from what you have asked!
Like I said - I don't think that many players stick to a set routine all the time - for example I know a lot of brass players who have a 'Daily Routine' that they play day in day out, the same, every time to keep their lips flexible and strong throughout the range of the instrument.
I have yet to find a guitarist who relies on anything like this.

Really I think a daily covering of scales, arpeggios, chord progressions, picking exercises and any other techniques you want to work on will keep you 'in the game' so to speak.
Like, the bread and butter stuff we call technique is mostly covered in the practice of these things.
The hard bit is using that technique to make beautiful music - now if I could tell you how to do that I would be a very wealthy man LOL

[jaxadam]

Well, if you're a beginner, I would start out with simply some push-ups and sit-ups. Maybe incorporate some squats into that too.

Then I would find a reputable gym in your area, and really start hitting legs, chest, arms, and back HARD.

Ask around for some d-bol and anadrol, and when you're ready for cutting, get some winny (winstrol).

Oh, whoops, sorry, wrong thread!

[MattyG]

wrong forum too!

[Mufaza]

MattyG - Thanks good response. What I was looking for. Its hard sometimes to get focused and setup a beneficial excersize schedule. Thanks

[MattyG]

you're welcome