Guitar Players!!! Need some advise.

[JoLLyRoGer]

I've been "hacking" around with the guitar for the better half of 10 years. But recently I've gotten very dedicated to finally put in the time and master this instrument. At least that's my desire. I've recently taken to practicing 1 hour per evening minimum and longer for as much as my time will permit.

I know I need to focus on scales as one of my fundamental areas to improve. Not just knowing chords, but knowing the entre fretboard.

The other thing is I need speed and dexterity to move around the fretboard. My question is this how much time per practice should I dedicate to finger exercises? Is 20 min a night dedicated to just finger/speed exercises enough to see significant improvements in a short amount of time?

Thanks!
-JR:thumbsup:

 

[Rudee]

I've been playing for over 20 years and I never did any specific finger exercises for any fingers other than my pinky, because I'm a shredder, and in order to shred I had to build up my pinky strength to master the 3 note per string minor scales and modes at fast speed. The other fingers gained strength on their own just playing normally. especially when you are dong double-string bends.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

yeah, my pinkie is the bane of me right now.. I gotta get my double picking technique working well too. That and getting consistant with pinch harmonics. Shredder is what I'm going for.

I'm so hung up on the 80's metal and hair bands it ridiculous.

I basically want to be Zakk Wylde once I reach my goal.

 

[Eos]

On a related note, I finally bought an amp this week after buying the guitar back in September. I generally play acoustic.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GHBZ4U

Very pleased with the attenuation switch. I like 1w, gain and tone at 5, volume at 10, and reverb at 2.5. Sounds great with my Epi G-400. No pedals.

Looking forward to other comments on fundamentals.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

On a related note, I finally bought an amp this week after buying the guitar back in September. I generally play acoustic.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GHBZ4U

Very pleased with the attenuation switch. I like 1w, gain and tone at 5, volume at 10, and reverb at 2.5. Sounds great with my Epi G-400. No pedals.

Looking forward to other comments on fundamentals.

That seems like a pretty sweet little combo amp for a very reasonable price for a class A tube.

I recently asked "Santa" for an Orange Crush to use as a practice amp and in low volume settings. It's solid state, but it's got some other features I'm really interested in and seems to get pretty good reviews.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Orange-...-Combo-Amp-424056-i1568710.gc?esid=424056.002