Warm Up Strategy

By Russell Bloch Guitar lessons [248]321-0257

Jamming is not practicing. It isjamming. In order to utilize your time efficiently and to
continue developing technically, you need a practice strategy. Warm up first to prevent injury,
and prepare you to achieve more in your practice by being ready to go.
The different phases of your warm up, which can be as short as 5-10 minutes, depending on your
total practice time, are as follows:

A basic warm up, four finger patterns are good (like a chromatic scale.)
Scales. Rock players would first tackle the five forms of the pentatonic scale, and later,
other scales and modes.
Hammer-on/Pull-off patterns (legato.)
Chords and chord progressions
Any special skills you might be developing (bends, slides, tapping, sweeping, etc.)

As your skills develop, the above menu will grow and diversify, i.e. the exercises get more
difficult and faster, you might replace arpeggio patterns for chords, etc.
Then move on to the new material which you are working on, review old material, etc. One of
the best reasons for taking lessons is that with weekly lessons you will be more goal-oriented,
working on progressively more difficult material as you develop, which your teacher as your
guide.
For best results, practice with a metronome. Electronic battery-powered metronomes like the
Korg MA-30, or the Boss #DB-30 both have built in special rhythm features that allow you to set
your metronome to play in eighth or sixteenth notes, triplets, even a few swing rhythm patterns
used in rock, blues, jazz, etc. Dr. Rhythm or a drum machine are excellent, too.
If you warm up before you play every day, you will witness your skills developing before your
very fingers.
Here is a simple four-finger warm up pattern to get you started:

Two Basic Legato Patterns: