Guitar Practice Thread

[Blackjack]

How many hours a week and days a week do you work on technique, specifically: Alternate picking, economy picking, and sweep picking?

I play about 3 days a week and about 2 hours a day, so about 6 hours a week on those three things. The majority of my practice is spent working on creativity - writing songs. That's about another 9 hours week.

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

How many hours a week and days a week do you work on technique, specifically: Alternate picking, economy picking, and sweep picking?

I play about 3 days a week and about 2 hours a day, so about 6 hours a week on those three things. The majority of my practice is spent working on creativity - writing songs. That's about another 9 hours week.

yeah putting alot of time in definitely helps. I'm not familiar with economy picking. What is it?

 

[Crimson Glory]

I've been playing for almost 15 years now.

I spent a long time working on all the things you mentioned. I'm pretty good at sweep picking, alternate picking through scales or fast riffs/licks, economy picking I never really got too good at, but I can do it a little when it suits the situation.

I practiced anywhere form 2-6 hours a day. Depended on the day.

For a long time all I really focused on was shred. Yngwie(pieces of his tunes I know better than any other guitar player), Gilbert, Petrucci, Friedman, etc. It was my passion to become good enough to play the stuff they wrote.

Lately I just play for fun and I work more on learning how to actually play and improvise in key and maybe even write a bit of my own, so my chops aren't as sharp as they could be. I still put a bit of practice on problem areas where I know I can improve, but outside of doing Hybrid Picking, or some crazy 8 finger tapping, there's not much I havnt developed so I don't feel the need to grind away like I used to.

There's still so much I don't know that I need to get a handle on.

 

[Crimson Glory]

yeah putting alot of time in definitely helps. I'm not familiar with economy picking. What is it?

Combining sweep and alternate picking.

Down stroke = v

Up Stroke = ^

Take a typical three note per string diatonic scale, G Major for example, you'd typically, starting on the low E, if you were using alternate picking, play it v ^ v (string change) ^ v ^ (string change) v ^ v, etc you get the idea.

With economy picking you're essentially starting out alternate picking, but, when changing strings, you sweep to the next string with either a downstroke if you started with one, or an upstroke if you started with one.

It's a neat way to play things very cleanly.

Side note: I prefer to just alternate pick either traditionally or I also position shift, to make things a little more natural. This way I always switch strings on an upstroke, to avoid inside string picking. It also means I can cover more ground on the neck going from the 3rd fret on the low E(G) all the way to the 15th fret(also G) on the high e and burn through a scale pretty effectively.

 

[Crimson Glory]

This video inspires me to practice more.

Guthrie has easily become my biggest guitar hero. His song "Waves" off of his "Erotic Cakes" album has been on repeat in my head for days.

I'd argue, from a technical, musical, knowledgable stand point and overall versatility wise, he's the best guitar player alive.

The guy might not have huge songs or a massive following like some guys, but he's better than all of them at just playing and I mean really playing the guitar.

I've never seen Petrucci, Yngwie, Friedman, Gilbert etc do what this man does, he can play any style, in any key.

 

[ShinkanPo]

I used to practice 6 hours a day sometimes even up to 8 divided in two 4 straight hours, but a half of the time is just me enjoying and not really putting to much emphasis on accent,dynamics etc, or just straign noodling with some scales.

In the past decade I manage to cut down practice time to just 5 hours a day but a more disciplined approach and it already includes some ear training and rhythm and note reading training. I improved more in a year that way than the last 10 years of my life practicing 7 to 9 hours mindlessly.

Recently I even try to limit practicing 4 hours at most, I prefer to practice just for 3 hours and divide it into a morning and afternoon session and this is just to maintain and be able to learn new songs, I no longer improve even though there are still lots of techniques I can learn it just seems I am already stuck and this is all the best I can get.

I don't have a particular strict routine that I follow but I try make a list of what to do and what not every day.

but an ideal one would be some stretches like what John Petrucci did in the begining of his rock discipline video.

- Tune my guitar
- do basic scale warm ups slow.
-stretching warm ups slow.
-random bends to move my tendons and break in the tuning.
-Fast scale runs for warm ups
-fast stretch runs.

Then after that if I have a new piece I am trying to learn I either go get the notaion/TAB and read it or practiced the parts that I already memorized without metronome. ( I don't do Metronome practice every day )


Then maybe after an hour, I jam out the songs I can already play well with a backing track. If there is still time like its still under 2 hours or I still feel fresh I will go back the piece I am studying see if I already improved or I can moved on the next bar.

 

[ShinkanPo]

This video inspires me to practice more.

Guthrie has easily become my biggest guitar hero. His song "Waves" off of his "Erotic Cakes" album has been on repeat in my head for days.

I'd argue, from a technical, musical, knowledgable stand point and overall versatility wise, he's the best guitar player alive.

The guy might not have huge songs or a massive following like some guys, but he's better than all of them at just playing and I mean really playing the guitar.

I've never seen Petrucci, Yngwie, Friedman, Gilbert etc do what this man does, he can play any style, in any key.

His legato is smooth! I haven't seen some of his tutorials yet but from what limited footage I have seen him explaining his articulation it seems he uses two types of legato one where his pull offs is done like he plucks the strings with his left hand in combination with some hammer ons, and the other ones which uses from time to time where he just lifts his finger from the fretted note and let it naturally ring before hammering on again this gives it a much more softer sound run.

 

[CrimsonFan]

5+ hours a day... What in the hell lol.

I go days without touching an instrument every week. If i do go practice ill post up in public and put a tip jar so im making a buck while doing it. I practice songs i intend to perform. Im glad i like blues, country, folk and shit instead of metal.. What a fuckin headache

 

[Crimson Glory]

5+ hours a day... What in the hell lol.

I go days without touching an instrument every week. If i do go practice ill post up in public and put a tip jar so im making a buck while doing it. I practice songs i intend to perform. Im glad i like blues, country, folk and shit instead of metal.. What a fuckin headache

What's wrong with Metal?

Blues and Folk are awesome.

 

[Crimson Glory]

I've been learning some basic Jazz chords, 7, 9 and diminished.

http://pickupjazz.com/beginner-jazz-guitar-chords/

I'm lovin' it.

I was aware of the Maj 7 and didn't even know it. E Maj 7 is a chord used in Under The Bridge.

They sound so fresh and new(probably because alot of them are to me).

 

[SpiderCrawl]

I never practice, I just play, I also don’t learn much other bands music, just stick a backing track on and jam with it, different keys and styles daily.

 

[Lovestorm]

Never really had a proper practice regime. It's why i'm still shit after over 10 years playing. Every once in a while it adds up though and i suddenly discover i can do something i couldn't before or there is a noticeable improvement in ability, but it doesn't happen often.

It feels a bit like leveling up in Skyrim.

 

[CrimsonFan]

I've been learning some basic Jazz chords, 7, 9 and diminished.

http://pickupjazz.com/beginner-jazz-guitar-chords/

I'm lovin' it.

I was aware of the Maj 7 and didn't even know it. E Maj 7 is a chord used in Under The Bridge.

They sound so fresh and new(probably because alot of them are to me).

Yeah he plays a Maj7 during that pause on the verse.

Frusciante was pretty damn good at that time. Really like his playing.

Thats crazy that youve played for so long without knowing that. Not common in metal. So it makes sense.

I use alot of major, minor, and dominant 7ths. That and a good catalog of diminished chords is really all you need for rock music. I also use alot of extensions on my chords (generally with my pinky or ring finger). Im not really thinking about the extended note and dont really even think of it as a different chord. Just like when you play a minor 7th, youre just picking your finger up on a normal barr chord.

Do you know how to build chords? Example, do you know why its called an Emaj 7

Working on a lesson right now that emphasizes on guitarists and correct practice on learning lead. Will post when its done. A big subject im working on is the infatuation with modes, and why i believe theyre a gigantic waste of time

I posted a bit of it on reddit to gauge the response. Lesson will likely be a video with much more detail



@ShinkanPo


Thoughts?

 

[CrimsonFan]

My practice routine differs. Ive got a few friends who come by often and we just jam together. Learn popular covers, write stupid songs. Work on our vocals

By myself, I will play songs as if im going to perform them. Alot of times ill go to a local street and just play with my case out. It gives me motivation to practice and ill make some money at the same time.

On electric guitar, i play alot differently. My practice session will consist more of doing runs to keep my fingers moving fast, playing over backing tracks, and just having fun with the instrument.

I enjoy putting random songs on and trying to learn it by ear. Honestly that is great practice

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

great thread btw. thanks.

 

[Crimson Glory]

Yeah he plays a Maj7 during that pause on the verse.

Frusciante was pretty damn good at that time. Really like his playing.

Thats crazy that youve played for so long without knowing that. Not common in metal. So it makes sense.

I use alot of major, minor, and dominant 7ths. That and a good catalog of diminished chords is really all you need for rock music. I also use alot of extensions on my chords (generally with my pinky or ring finger). Im not really thinking about the extended note and dont really even think of it as a different chord. Just like when you play a minor 7th, youre just picking your finger up on a normal barr chord.

Do you know how to build chords? Example, do you know why its called an Emaj 7

Working on a lesson right now that emphasizes on guitarists and correct practice on learning lead. Will post when its done. A big subject im working on is the infatuation with modes, and why i believe theyre a gigantic waste of time

I posted a bit of it on reddit to gauge the response. Lesson will likely be a video with much more detail



@ShinkanPo


Thoughts?

I had learned the Maj7 arpeggio but never learned what the chord looked like.

My knowledge of chords is really quite stunted, outside of the usual stuff I never looked too far into it. But im working on getting better.

Ill be sure to check out your lesson when its done. Ill learn alot from it.