The Need for Speed - Lesson 1 letostak@ix netcom com (Judy Letostak) Metal Edge BBS (619)423-4970 1 202 1109 (FidoNet) http www netcom com letostak musicshp html This lesson is for guitarist that wants to learn to SHRED If you don t then don t read it I don t want to read email about how shred has no feel if that s the way you think then keep it to yourself we don t want to hear it This is going to be a series of lessons for the serious guitarist the guitarist that want s to get the most out of his her fingers and guitar These lessons will be posted a bit erradically (sp ) So have patience I will do as many as I can The first thing you will want to do is to limber up your fingers before you start These exercises are an excellent way to limber up BE WARNED!!! If you experience pain stop rest stretch out your fingers then go back DO NOT practice with pain it s the worst thing you can do A ------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2 ---------------------------------1-2-3-4----------------- ------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------- ----------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------- --------1-2-3-4------------------------------------------ 1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- -5-4-3-2------------------------------------------------- -----------5-4-3-2--------------------------------------- ---------------------5-4-3-2----------------------------- -------------------------------5-4-3-2------------------- -----------------------------------------5-4-3-2--------- ----------------------------------------------3-4-5-6---- -------------------------------------3-4-5-6------------- ----------------------------3-4-5-6---------------------- -------------------3-4-5-6------------------------------- ----------3-4-5-6---------------------------------------- -3-4-5-6------------------------------------------------- use all 4 fingers etc do this all the way up the neck (til you run out of frets) then go back down Reversing the forward backward pattern is a litle better than just forward I suggest practicing all these lessons with a metronome B -------------------------------1-2-3-4-3-2--------------- -------------------------1-2-3-------------4-3-2--------- -------------------1-2-3-------------------------4-3-2--- -------------1-2-3-------------------------------------4- -------1-2-3--------------------------------------------- -1-2-3--------------------------------------------------- use 1 2 3 fingers -------------------------------------------------3-4-5--- -------------------------------------------3-4-5--------- -------------------------------------3-4-5--------------- -3-2---------------------------3-4-5--------------------- -----4-3-2---------------3-4-5--------------------------- -----------4-3-2---3-4-5--------------------------------- etc use 1 2 4 fingers this is a good excersise because it forces you to switch your picking patterns i e the first three notes would be down up down the next would be up down up It gets the alternate picking thing going for your picking hand These are played a triplets (one-two-three) or one and a to count Play with a metronome and play this pattern all the way up the neck then back down C -----------------------------------------2-3-4-1-etc----- ---------------------------------1-2-3-4----------------- -------------------------4-1-2-3------------------------- -----------------3-4-1-2--------------------------------- ---------2-3-4-1----------------------------------------- -1-2-3-4------------------------------------------------- The pattern with this one is which finger starts first E string your first finger starts A string your second finger starts D third finger G fourth finger etc This one takes a lot of practice to get it right Take this one VERY slow to start and build up Again metronome D -1-2-3-4-2-3-4-5-3-4-5-6-4-5-6-7-5-6-7-8-6-7-8-9-etc----- --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- This is also a tricky excercise because you have to shift your hand to get to the next pattern Go up to the highest fret then back down and do it again for the remaining 5 strings Use a metronome --------------------------------1-3-4--2-4-5------------- --------------------------1-3-4---------------2-4-5------ --------------------1-3-4----------------------------2-4-5 -------------1-3-4--------------------------------------- -------1-3-4--------------------------------------------- -1-3-4--------------------------------------------------- etc -------------------------------1-2-4--6-4-3-------------- -------------------------1-2-4--------------6-4-3-------- -------------------1-2-4---------------------------6-4-3-etc -------------1-2-4--------------------------------------- -------1-2-4--------------------------------------------- -1-2-4--------------------------------------------------- The above two patters are to work your 2nd and 3rd fingers seperately Do the same as the rest all the way up the fretboard then back down You can use as many patterns as you can dream up ---------------------1-3--4-2---------------------------- -----------------1-3----------4-2------------------------ -------------1-3------------------4-2-------------------- ---------1-3--------------------------4-2---------------- -----1-3----------------------------------4-2------------ -1-3------------------------------------------4-2-------- use 1st third fingers ---------------------2-4--5-3---------------------------- -----------------2-4----------5-3------------------------ -------------2-4------------------5-3-------------------- ---------2-4--------------------------5-3---------------- -----2-4----------------------------------5-3------------ -2-4------------------------------------------5-3-------- use 2nd and 4th fingers ---------------------1-4--5-2---------------------------- -----------------1-4----------5-2------------------------ -------------1-4------------------5-2-------------------- ---------1-4--------------------------5-2---------------- -----1-4----------------------------------5-2------------ -1-4------------------------------------------5-2-------- use 1st and fourth fingers The next few lessons will be just warming up exercises I wouldn t advise doing all of these everytime you practice Pick two or three that aren t familiar to you and work on them for about 15-25 minutes (or for a small part of your practice session) Then after you ve mastered those move on to harder patterns These are not supposed to be used musically they re just patterns to help get your fingers moving or to help strengthen them Don t just practice this this isn t a music lesson just a warmup Metal Edge BBS (619)423-4970 (San Diego CA USA) Over 10 000 Guitar Tabs pictures construction docs lessons interviews sound files lyrics programs Riot Member and Distro Warlock WHQ MetalNet WHQ http www netcom com letostak musicshp html =========================================================== h = hammeron ps = pick scrape p = pulloff % = repeat phrase = vibrato letostak@ix netcom com b = bend + natural harmonic = Slide * = Artificial Harmonic x = ghost note tr = trill ===========================================================