TrueGuitar.com Picking Practice and Exercises

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Featured Lesson

Ready, Set, Shred!

This week, we will take all we have done in the previous weeks, and put it together into an half an hour's worth of practicing.

The objective of the lesson firstly is to get your alternate picking chops up, and secondly, to work out a practice schedule for those of us who are pushed for time, and therefore need to use our time as effectively as possible.

Warm up	Noodle, Jam, do whatever comes to mind on the guitar. Remember though, start slowly. 5 minutes - Go longer if you feel you are not sufficiently warmed up.
Single Strings -Lesson-	5 minutes
String Crossing Wide intervals -Lesson-	5 minutes
String Crossing-Lesson-	5 minutes
String Crossing 2 -Lesson-	5 minutes
Pentatonic string crossing -Lesson-	5 minutes
TOTAL	30 minutes

Run through the practice schedule provided and see if it is effective for you. If you find a weakness practicing a certain exercise, modify the schedule to concentrate on the weak points. As an example, if you struggle with the single string exercise, devote more time to it, and then alter the schedule to fit it all into 30 minutes. Warm up for 4, spend 10 minutes on the Single string lesson, and 4 minutes on each remaining step in the schedule.

Your aim as always, should be accuracy and precision at first, followed by practicing on the quest for speed!
Remember, part of the secret to playing the guitar fast is accuracy, precision, relaxation and a finely honed practice regimen.

Also please remember, modify the schedule according to YOUR needs, add to it, drop exercises from it, extend the 30 minute time limit. Basically, experiment, but try to maintain a structure that lends itself to your constant improvement as a musician.