Nemesis 2

Metal Guitarists: warming up and practicing Hi everyone!
I play lead guitar in a metallica cover band and I've been playing for 7 years.
I want to share with you tips and tricks in practicing and warming up..

- I always warm up before playing
- I practice every day, at least 1 hour
- I try to play along to a song every day, after my warming up

I'd like to know what kind of warming up/practicing session do you perform, in order to stay in shape (it is terrible in fact shredding one day after master of puppets or creeping death solos and barely play them the day after!!! )
I warm up with chromatics, major, minor and pentatonic scales, triads.. I do a little sweeping and tapping to stay in my warming up to stay in shape..

And before a gig? How do you prepare?
Help!!

Stay metal and up the irons!

ConstableMurtis

when im at home, i warm up by just turning on the metronome to some random beat, and i just jam out for 20-30 minutes, eventually increasing the beat as i go on. this allows me to start out playing slower stuff, then eventually getting into some really fast thrashy stuff.

when im warming up for a gig, i just go backstage about 20 minutes before i go on, and start by doing some really fast picking (both down and alternate) patterns, to warm up both hands. after that i just play through the hardest part of each song that we are going to be playing that night.

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Gibson Shred-X Explorer
ESP M-II
ESP LTD EC QM200
Ibanez RG321 w/ EMG 81/60

Crate GFX-212T 120 watt
Line 6 Uber Metal Pedal
Mesa Boogie F-50
Mesa Boogie 2x12 cab
ISP Decimator

http://www.myspace.com/delusionsof

magvol

stretching my fingers like the Petrucci video :P actually helped me alot to play smoother

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jacob23

i do constant 6 string sweeps in different shapes and play a song thats relaxing ....that evens me out

acidtone

for a warm up, i have one rule...keep going until your fingers dont move...then rest for about 3-5 mins...

practice songs you enjoy playing and learn a song every week or so..

in between warming up and playing, i practice alot of those boring yet effective drills to improve finger technique etc...

Nemesis 2

Thanks everyone for the replies and for the suggestions!
Feel free to write everything about your practicing habits, it really helps!
if you have questions write them down freely!

Sadam

I normaly do lots of excersises from Rock discipline. I also make my own excercises and try and make them more and more difficult and slowly build up the speed. Lots of chromatic and instead of following the same patterns over and over again try playing them randomly and changing the fingering pattern each time.

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I will shred in the end!!

Nemesis 2

How many hours a day do I have to practice to be always a brilliant soloist?
Because it's so bad playing well a solo in your room or with the band and then making mistakes while playing live...
How many hours do you practice?

fendabenda

Its not how many hours you practice but how you practice. Keep practicing it slowly till you got it and keep increasing speed until you feel happy with your progress.

DaddyTwoFoot

I stretch my arms (upper, lower, and hands) and massage all over my arms. Gets the blood flowing, keeps your arms fit for moving.

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southern riff

i play 5-6 hours a day. all my excersies are made to finger strength and speed as well as picking speed and accracy:

1: i start by doing lots of streches like the ones from john petrucci rock disiplin video.this takes me about 5 minutes.

2: i then use a metronome starting at 120bpm and playing cromaticly with all four fingers across the neck while moveing up the neck a semi tone and increasing the bpm by 60 every 15 minuets for 1-2 hours.
e.g.
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------9-10-11-12-
B|--------------------------------------------------------------9-10-11-12----------------
G|-----------------------------------------------9-10-11-12-------------------------------
D|--------------------------------9-10-11-12----------------------------------------------
A|-----------------9-10-11-12-------------------------------------------------------------
E|-9-10-11-12-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3: then i play what i call "spider picking" which i play for 20 minuets:
e.g.
E--------------------------------------------------6---8--8---6-------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------6---8---5---7-----7---5---8---6----------------------------------
G----------------------------6---8---5---7---------------------------7---5---8---6-----------------------
D-----------------6---8---5---7-------------------------------------------------7---5---8---6------------
A------6---8---5---7-----------------------------------------------------------------------7---5---8---6-
E----5---7---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7---5


4:then i play an "inverted spider picking" which i play for 10 minuets:
e.g.
E--------------------------------------------------4---6--6---4----------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------4---6---5---7-----7---5---6---4------------------------------------
G----------------------------4---6---5---7---------------------------7---5---6---4-------------------------
D-----------------4---6---5---7-------------------------------------------------7---5---6---4--------------
A------4---6---5---7-----------------------------------------------------------------------7---5---6---4---
E----5---7---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7---5-

5: i then play several scales in no particual order for 1 hour:
e.g.
e|----------------------------------------------------------7---8-
B|-------------------------------------------------8---10--------
G|------------------------------------7---9---10----------------
D|-----------------------7---9---10-----------------------------
A|----------7---8---10------------------------------------------
E|-8---10--------------------------------------------------------

e|----------------------------------------------------------------------(8)-
B|--------------------------------------------------------8---10---11-----
G|-----------------------------------------------8---10--------------------
D|-------------------------------8---(10)---12----------------------------
A|-----------------8---10---12--------------------------------------------
E|-(8)---10---11----------------------------------------------------------

e|-------------------------------------------------------------3-
B|-----------------------------------------------------4---6----
G|---------------------------------------3---(5)---6-----------
D|---------------------------3---5---6-------------------------
A|-------------(3)---4---6-------------------------------------
E|-3---4---6---------------------------------------------------

e|-------------------------------------------------------------7---(8)-
B|------------------------------------------------7---8---10----------
G|----------------------------------------7---9------------------------
D|-------------------------7---9---(10)-------------------------------
A|------------7---9---10----------------------------------------------
E|-(8)---10------------------------------------------------------------

e|--------------------------------------------------------------6---(8)-
B|-----------------------------------------------------8---10----------
G|----------------------------------------7---9---10------------------
D|-------------------------7---8---(10)-------------------------------
A|------------7---8---10----------------------------------------------
E|-(8)---10------------------------------------------------------------

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------11-
B|----------------------------------------------------------12---(13)---15----
G|------------------------------------------------12---14----------------------
D|---------------------------------12---13---15-------------------------------
A|----------------12---14---(15)----------------------------------------------
E|-11---13---15---------------------------------------------------------------

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------7---(8)-
B|----------------------------------------------------------7---9---10----------
G|---------------------------------------------7---8---10-----------------------
D|------------------------------7---9---(10)------------------------------------
A|-----------------8---9---11---------------------------------------------------
E|-(8)---10---11----------------------------------------------------------------

6: i then do some sweep picking using 3 strings, 4 strings, 5 strings then all 6 strings. i play for 1 hour 30 minutes:
e.g.
E|------5--3------------1--0-------
B|----6-------5-------3-------1----
G|-7------------5--3------------0--
D|------------------------------------
A|------------------------------------
E|------------------------------------

e|--------------3h7--7p3-------------
B|-----------5--------------5----------
G|--------4-------------------4--------
D|-----5-------------------------5-----
A|-7--------------------------------7--
E|--------------------------------------

E|----------------12h15---15p12-----------------
B|-------------13-------------------13--------------
G|---------12--------------------------12-----------
D|-----14---------------------------------14--------
A|-15-----------------------------------------15----
E|----------------------------------------------------

E|---------------------12h15--15p12--------------------------
B|------------------12------------------12-----------------------
G|---------------12-------------------------12-------------------
D|------------14-------------------------------14----------------
A|---------14--------------------------------------14------------
E|-12h15---------------------------------------------15p12---

7: i then play some picking paterns with the metronome at 120bpm. i play for 1 hour:
e.g.
e|-9-9-9-9--7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7--3-3-3-3--5-5-5-5--2-2-2-2--3-3-3-3-
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

e|-3-0-5-0-7-0-5-0--3-0-5-0-7-0-5-0--5-0-7-0-9-0-7-0--5-0-7-0-9-0-7-0-
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

e|------------------------2-5-2-----------------------------
B|-------------------2-5---------5-2------------------------
G|--------------2-4-------------------4-2-------------------
D|---------2-4-----------------------------4-2--------------
A|----2-4---------------------------------------4-2---------
E|-5--------------------------------------------------5-2-5-

e|--------------------------5-8-5--------------------------
B|---------------------5-8--------8-5---------------------
G|----------------5-7------------------7-5----------------
D|-----------5-7----------------------------7-5-----------
A|------5-7--------------------------------------7-5------
E|-5-8------------------------------------------------8-5-

e|--------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------------------------------------------
G|--------------------------------------------------------------
D|----5---------------5------7-------5---------------5-------
A|-7-----7-----5---5-----7-----7-------7-----5--7-------7-
E|-----------7-------------------------------------------------

e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------5-------------------------------------------------
G|----------------5-----7----5h7p5----------5--------------------------2-
D|-- -5--6--7------7-------------------7--7----7--5-7-7------5-------2--
A|-7- ----------7-------------------------------------------5--7---------0--
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------8------

hope this helps you when praticing for a shred sesson or before a gig. good luck and shred for your life.

Nemesis 2

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Southern riffs, thanks a lot for all these exercises! They're very useful and they're like no one I have ever made.. Thanks!
Keep sharing your practicing habits, it's very useful to know different point of views!

southern riff

thanks dude your welcome

ninewhilenine

I start of doing chromatic 1-2-3-4 with the corresponding fingers (hope you get me) all the way up the neck.

Flame me - I play the first lick here at different speeds after that to warm up more intensely.

I then do some stretches, eg legato from 8th fret to 12th on all strings, then back up.

Than warm up my picking hand by practising palm muted power chords, increasing the speed gradually.

I then normally launch into a song, but only after 2,3,4 songs do I feel completely 100% warmed up.

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Nemesis 2

Thanks ninewhilenine, i've seen the video by trivium and it's really interesting!
I hope one day to play like them!!
keep writing your ideas guys, and of course.. keep playing!

Der Bomber

-Le chromatique fantastique!

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Nemesis 2

Keep sharing your practicing and playing habits!
Every hint is fairly welcome!

Archeo Avis

I have backing tracks of Satriani's Until we say goodbye and Petrucci's Glasgow Kiss that I play along to.

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Scourge441

Well, as a bassist, I run through my scale modes from start to finish (go up ionian, come back down dorian, go up phrygian, etc) through a few different keys. I do some chromatic exercises too, and some of the exercises from Rock Discipline (yes, I know they're meant for guitar).

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