Single string exercises are used to get your fingers moving faster and more accurately when playing the guitar. Before you begin single string exercises it is important to become familiar with some common guitar scales. Pentatonic scales are the simplest scales to learn as they consist of only five notes.http://www.myguitarsolo.com/sc_penta_blues.htm
When practicing single string exercises, it is essential that you use a metronome. A metronome is a device designed to help a musician keep their tempo by audibly ticking a set number of beats per minute.http://www.play-piano-now.com/metronome.html If you do not own a metronome you can keep your tempo using a metronome website.http://www.metronomeonline.com/
How to Practice Guitar: Single String Exercises Video
Jen Trani, guitarist, explains how to use single string exercises to enhance your guitar playing technique and speed. Spending just a short time each day doing these exercises will help you become a more accurate guitar player.
Step 1: Start With Metronome Set to 60 Beats Per Minute.
Begin by setting your metronome to the speed of 60 beats per minute. Play a pentatonic B scale, or another scale of your choosing, picking eighth notes to the tempo of the metronome. Be sure to use a pattern of picking in an upwards motion, and then picking in a downwards motion when playing your notes.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uze2EKgdFg8
Step 2: Slowly Increase the Speed of Your Metronome.
Once your scales and exercises sound clean and accurate when played at a speed of 60 beats per minute, slowly bump up the tempo on the metronome in small increments. You should play your scales perfectly three times before speeding up the tempo. If you are having difficulty playing the exercises you should slow down the tempo and try again.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uze2EKgdFg8
Step 3: Record What You Completed
Once you are finished practicing for the day, or as you complete each exercise, write down what you worked on. Write down every exercise that you played along with the beginning and ending tempos. Recording your progress will help you to know where to begin the next time that you sit down to practice.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uze2EKgdFg8
How to Practice Guitar: Singing and Playing
Jen Trani teaches viewers how to practice singing and playing the guitar at the same time. Trani explains techniques that she has found helpful, such as having the chords and lyrics in front of you.
How to Practice Guitar: Prevent Injury
Jen Trani, guitarist, provides tips and advice on how to protect yourself from injury while playing the guitar. Trani focuses on information regarding how to prevent repetitive stress injuries.
How to Practice Guitar: Picking Hand Exercises
Jen Trani, guitarist, teaches a variety of picking hand exercises. Hand exercises, once mastered, will build the skill of any guitar player.
How to Practice Guitar: Troubleshooting The Fret Hand
Host Jen Trani talks through potential issues with the fret hand and explains how these common obstacles can be overcome.
How to Practice Guitar: Troubleshooting The Picking Hand
Guitarists can have issues with their picking hand. Host Jen Trani discusses these issues and provides information on how to overcome typical problems.
How to Tune a Guitar
Host Jen Trani, guitarist, teaches viewers how to use an electric tuner to tune their guitar. Trani describes what to look for on the guitar tuner display screen.
Guitar String Names
Jen Trani, guitarist, goes over the names of the strings on the guitar. Trani provides some useful advice about how to remember the names of individual guitar strings.
How to Hammer on a Guitar
Jen Trani, guitarist, explains techniques for hammering on the guitar. Hammering involves producing sound from your guitar without using a guitar pick.
How to Pull Off on a Guitar
Jen Trani, guitarist, describes how to implement the pulling off technique on the guitar. Pulling off involves making sound on the guitar using only your fretting hand.
References
Meet Our Experts
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Jen Trani
Meet Jen, one of Mahalo's guitar experts. Born and raised in Denver, Jen Trani has been playing guitar in all styles since the age of 13. Having earned her bachelor's degree in music performance from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, Trani teaches guitar and plays lead with several bands. She also appeared in the Shirelles-inspired '60s musical ''Baby It's You,'' ''The Price Is Right,'' and is the composer for an online series of video shorts.
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Begin with the metronome at a speed of 60 beats per minute.
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Fact:
Play guitar exercises perfectly three times before increasing the speed.
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Fact:
Write down what you accomplished during your practice session.
