Developing techniques on the guitar
I use a system of short daily exercises to develop accuracy, stamina, and finger agility on the guitar to take this learning away from being incorporated as part of learning music. This allows my students to have the ability to play each piece in place before starting to work on applying these techniques to learning each piece of music.
Each exercise has several levels to progress through before getting an achievement award. Each exercise has a target duration from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If you manage the level below this target, it is now too easy and need to progress. If it takes longer, then you are working at the correct level. This is to keep you constantly in the development zone and not just doing an exercise for its sake.
Each exercise has award levels, with Bronze to Gold being for most guitarists playing for pleasure, with Platinum and Diamond for those going beyond and into performing or recording guitarist levels.
Each exercise has several levels to progress through before getting an achievement award. Each exercise has a target duration from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If you manage the level below this target, it is now too easy and need to progress. If it takes longer, then you are working at the correct level. This is to keep you constantly in the development zone and not just doing an exercise for its sake.
Each exercise has award levels, with Bronze to Gold being for most guitarists playing for pleasure, with Platinum and Diamond for those going beyond and into performing or recording guitarist levels.
Chord Wheels 1 & 2
To develop basic chords and progress to barre chords, less common barre chords and develop the ability to play any song without changing position on the guitar neck.
Chord wheel 1 is 12 common chords, and chord wheel 2 has 12 less common variations of those chords.
Chord wheel 1 is 12 common chords, and chord wheel 2 has 12 less common variations of those chords.
- Bronze – Open chords
- Silver – Common Barre Shapes
- Gold – Uncommon Barre Shapes
Strumming
To develop robust and flexible strumming that has accurate timekeeping. An essential technique to master on the guitar which looks so effortless yet challenging to master. Focus is on strumming hand to recognise rhythm patterns and instinctively know how they sound and should be played. Begins from getting the movement correct to complex and challenging rhythms at fast pace.
- Bronze – Developed strumming movement and strumming hand muting
- Silver – Developed Fretting hand muting
- Gold – Integrated Rests into previous strumming techniques
- Platinum – Developed triplet strumming of the previous techniques
- Diamond – Applied 16th note strumming of all the previous techniques
Barre Run 1 – 3
Developing finger independence while doing chord changes, Barre run 1 develops moving fingers 2 and 4 together, Barre run 2 develops moving fingers 3 and 4, and Barre run 3 develops moving fingers 2 and 3. A focused technique to improve chord change fluidity.
- Bronze – Developed finger movement.
- Silver –Position changing along with the finger movement
- Gold – Increased Chord Shape Difficulty
- Platinum – Increased Chord Shape Difficulty
- Diamond – Speed Doubled by adding opposite direction movements.
Chromatic Runs
Develop fretting hand fingers in coordination with picking hand movement. These are done with plectrum or fingerstyle. The Chromatic run sets the basic movements. Chromatic run 2, is a more advanced version of the Chromatic Run patterns.
Fret Hops are a variation where we introduce open strings to the patterns. This develops more picking accuracy and coordination and ensures our fretting hand movements are accurate.
The Satriani Chromatic runs are based on Joe Satriani’s variations using six notes instead of four. Focuses on building the synchronisation between hands and develops finger independence
Fret Hops are a variation where we introduce open strings to the patterns. This develops more picking accuracy and coordination and ensures our fretting hand movements are accurate.
The Satriani Chromatic runs are based on Joe Satriani’s variations using six notes instead of four. Focuses on building the synchronisation between hands and develops finger independence
- Bronze – Developed finger movement.
- Silver – Increased picking hand accuracy.
- Gold – Decreased fretting hand movement.
- Platinum – Increased Synchronisation between hands
- Diamond – Increased Speed
Finger Rolling
To develop string changing techniques starting with string changes on the same fret. Finger rolling 2 develops the coordination required to change frets and string at the same time. Finger Rolling 3 combines both together. This skill is to develop smooth and clean string changing for melodic sequences.
- Bronze – Developed finger movement.
- Silver – Increased difficulty
- Gold – Increased Synchronisation
- Platinum – Increased Synchronisation and Difficulty
- Diamond – Doubled Speed