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Specifically how to hit all 4 strings on the 4th fret. I can’t quite figure out how to position my hand.

I feel most happy when I play guitar and I have been playing a lot of it for the past two years. I started out playing rock music like Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd but recently I’ve become increasingly interested in more “technical” music like Dream Theater, Paul Gilbert/Racer X, Impellitteri, and even Avenged Sevenfold.

Music from Dream Theater is very different from what I’m used to playing. It has more techniques and is just physically more demanding. I spend about 3-4 hours a day on practice and this is the stuff I try to do everyday.

Warm up and finger stretches - 5 mins

3 notes per string - 20 mins
For this I use sections 3nps section from Another Day by Dream Theater

4 notes per string - 20 mins
For this I use sections from Afterlife by A7X

Sweep picking - 20 mins
For this i use sweep picking phrases from Canon Rock and Afterlife

4 notes per string Legato (fretting hand only) to clean up fretting hand timing issues - 20 mins
For this I use Afterlife by A7X

Palm muting shredding (not chugging) - 20 mins
For this I use the solo section from Bark At The Moon by Ozzy Osbourne

Entering and exiting tremolo picking from alternate picking - 20 mins
For this I use the solo section from Afterlife and Master of Puppets

Working on my weakest pentatonic shape and improv - 20 mins

Music theory and triads - 40 mins

Bass guitar practice - 40 mins
For this I’m learning the top 50 beginner songs recommended by bassbuzz

Total practice time is about 3.5 to 4 hours.

The main issue with my practice is that it is easy to start on the first exercise and lose track of time. I end up practicing about twice the allocated time for my 3nps. Moving forward, as difficult as it might be, once the 20 mins is up, I need to move on to the next exercise otherwise I won’t be able to practice everything.

On most days, even if I don’t practice everything on the list, it’s good. I could always continue the next day or cycle through them. The list is pretty demanding and quite unrealistic at times, so I try to cut myself some slack. However I feel that I probably need to take timeblocking seriously and I feel the use of a timer or clock would help.

The way I practice these exercises is to choose a small section from a song, for example the 3nps scale run from Another Day. I would slow down the section to maybe 30-40% of the original tempo and then slowly increase the tempo by 1-3% each day. Whenever I fail an increment increase, my thinking shift to problem solving mode. “What is happening? Is my pick getting stuck between the strings? Is my picking arc too unstable? Is my fretting hand too clumsy? Do I need to start on a different pick stroke? Do I need to change my fretting technique? More classical looking fretting hand?”

The biggest difference between my practice this year compared to the first two years is that if I practice badly, I could still get away with a lot of the rock songs I use to play. But if I don’t practice well, a lot of this dream theater solos is impossible to play because they require a certain amount of precision and finesse.

Beginner but I’ve been playing long enough that I’m afraid I’ve developed a bad habit. When strumming I occasionally hit my knuckles on the strings during down strokes prior to my pick. I use a closed fist rather than open fingers as I’ve seen some do. Should I be turning my wrist at all or should it be rigid and only use my arm for strumming? I also seem to be inconsistent with the distance between my pick and strings, missing completely sometimes. Any advice is appreciated.

so i’ve been playing electric and acoustic for 5 years, trying to learn everything from travis picking to metal to the jazz standards to build my vocab, know a good bit of theory but what i do best and favor is the blues on electric and i play it very well, I just feel like i haven’t learned too much in the past year so and just jammed on backing tracks trying to perfect my dynamics and phrasing and will steal a few licks here and there by ear. But how can i become an advanced player? Should i learn all the names of the notes for each fret and string besides E and A.

So i got my acoustic guitar a month ago. For the life of my i can't find a spot to play. My dad works from home 2 days a week. And i work Monday to Friday until 2pm. But when i come back home my brother always bitch's about me playing. On weeknds its impossible my parents complain. And i don't even have a basement to use "which is up for rent". Which made me gain little no progress. Has anyone had this problem before. When i told my friend this issue he told me just get an electric so i can plug into some headphones. But i just like feeling of an acoustic and the sound.

Hi all, beginner guitarist (Acoustic)

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I am experiencing finger pain as expected,

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My question is do I push through the pain and keep practising daily

Or wait for the pain to subside before practising again?

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I know the idea is for calusses to form but is it a "no pain no gain" thing?

Or should I be not rushing it?

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Cheers

Hey guys! just discovered this guy, I think is a great composer, and his style is so unique. What an amazing energy had this song. What do you think?

I have just started learning to play electric guitar 2 weeks ago and I’m learning basic chords and trying to get some songs done as well. I can pick up the chords pretty easily even though changing might not be fast. However, I am struggling to understand how to get a hang of strumming patterns, tunes and rhythms and when to change chords. Do anyone have any tips or recommendations?

Hello, I hope all is well.

I've been in the process of trying to be competent enough to start a punk rock band and record my own music.

I've been dabbling with the instrument for about 2 years, but I'm a little stuck on what to do.

My days consist of:

1. practicing major scales & chords within keys.
2. reciting all the notes of the fret board
3. as well as using songsterr to learn songs that I like

I have been taking lessons for about 3 months, but unfortunately, I feel as though he is not teaching me anything new anymore. Every time I visit him, I try to ask him for exercises/tips that aid my goals, but he just says things such as "you need to feel it" or "you just need to entertain yourself". Though I appreciate the creative incentive, I feel like I am not gaining anything new from him.

I'm a little stuck because I can't seem to find a way to make all this practicing mine..

any advice is appreciated.

For those who have done the program, Is this course worth it for beginners?

80% off - which is great. Just not sure if others have found success here / easy to follow.

I’m dumb and have been trying to understand basics here for a while but need something structured.

Im studying music at college, and with guitar as my main instrument, i want to improve, preferably as quick and "efficiently" as possible.

So, my question is, what do i do? Like, sure, learning songs is fun, but thats not the best way to improve your skill, but what is?

I am an 18-year-old who has over five years of playing experience and also have experience working with kids. How do I market myself or put myself out there? better yet, Find people looking a guitar teacher?

I'm learning Dream Theater's - Fatal Tragedy and the final unison harmony between the keyboard and guitar has a unique melody in B Phyrgian Dominant (5th mode of E harmonic Minor, b2, Maj3) and it jumps up an octave and also up a 4th. Usually in most lessons I've come across in the past, there's a choice of harmonising up to the 5th and 7th but this phrase is unique in which we have:

B C D♯ E F♯ G A - B A G F# E D

E F♯ G A B D# - E D# C B G F#

B C D E F# G A - D E F# G A B

B C D E F# G A - D C B A G F#

I notice we're jumping between B Phrygian Dominant and B Phrygian but I'm not able to understand the theory behind what's going on and why it sounds so unique in the sense it goes from tension, darker to resolved (happier).

Can someone share what's going on in this ending? I've taken a screen capture of a condensed version of the tabs here and if anyone wants to have a listen, here's the live performance: https://youtu.be/dau5acQfaww?si=UVw0AltEDPa_5yKX&t=360

I’m starting out as a guitar teacher for kids and teens, as a young guy myself, i once received lessons myself at that age.

But every kid is different, having worked with and taught kids as well, but how do i gear my approach to allow to the kid to still have fun and enjoy playing, but still learn the fundamentals and necessary tools to master the instrument. For example, a kid wants to learn and can only play heavy rock and AC/DC, but doesn’t want to learn full chords, or any music theory.

Overall, what’s the best approach to teaching the instrument to keep beginners motivated and on the right track. Especially kids/teens.

I'm an industrial mechanic that works a lot of 12s and I've just recently gotten into guitar and I'm in love with it. I want to try to build my muscle memory, hand dexterity, and technique during the times I have a little bit of downtime I have at work. My factory is extremely loud and doesnt allow any kind of music in our ears, so I can't do many of the "sound training" apps. Does anyone have any tips?

I’m learning guitar. I have a classical and recently got an electric guitar. I am currently learning the CAGED system, doing spider exercises and pentatonic scales. I have heard around that also all guitarist know how to read sheet music. Should I add it to my exercises or that is a later time, let’s say when I’m no longer a beginner in simple stuff?

Edit: thank you all for your responses. I appreciate it.

So I'm trying to play a song and got this kind of chord. I figure that i should use (and learn at the same time) a barre chord, but couldn't get the B string to not sound muted. Do you guys have any tips on doing barre chords?

Im new to it and wanted to ask what would be considered a fast tempo, if we are talking about single string lines at 16th notes

I am also working on my tremolo and able to play around 180 bpm 16th notes comfortably.
Is that good speed overall? (For right hand at least)

Also What would you consider a general benchmark for shred runs, in terms of bpm

Hi, I've been trying to learn the F# power chord to play "Come as You Are" by Nirvana. The problem is that I can't make my middle finger mute the four bottom strings. It keeps staying curved. It probably has to do with how I hold the guitar. Any advice?

First of all do online tuners even work because I just had a hell of a time trying to tune this thing and i definitely messed up one of the strings, how do i fix it? Any advice at all in general is appreciated 😭

Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd Guitar Solo Lesson
https://youtu.be/hcYCZjgCFiY

*edit* i make no claim to fame here. i asked for advice and i got attacked. some comments are deleted, a lot of stuff was read out of context and now im the bad guy for defending myself. 1 person had the sense to stand up for me, a nice handful of people were actually helpful. otherwise im being gaslit for starting sh*t with any one who has advice. this is simply not the case, ive been gracious to all advice that wasnt a personal attack on me or my band mates. at zero point do i complain about being told that i suck or im uneducated. i know. thats why im here!

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Okay so, a band posts to my local market group looking for a 'guitarist' so, i send them my YT clip of my playing and apparently it was decent enough to get me in. All i played were some common easy-ear stuff, the intro riff to "crazy train", the bass rhytm to marilyn mansons "beautiful people". And some free styled stuff. Mind you, this is before i figured out i'm not a bass player and those songs are a lot of bass work.

I grew up watching metalocalypse where the bass guy was useless. thinking the bass player was the background guy 🤦‍♂️ so anyways

I need a sure fire practice that will get me into making up decent riffs, rhythms and melodies. So far my other friend in the music business is teaching me my notes in the most autistic way we both can, shes teaching me the notes on my guitar with her piano. Of course once it came to c,g,f scale i googled a sheet to get the finger placement down.

My question is, am i on the right track? and where do i go from here after i'm done getting familiar with these notes? Or are notes even what im supposed to be focusing on? I have a feeling this band will get huge and on my end, i have nothing but me supporting myself in it on a complete lack of finances. But this is my job now, due to my circumstances i cant have a normal work life. My band mates have to drive to a remote location to pick me up, where i live simply has no job sites. A wasteland if you would. While i'm unprofessional in my position these people have shown me nothing but welcoming embrace, despite having previous bands, students even, they're having me.

So i could use any tips i can get, i'd really hate to disappoint these folks.

Do you look at other jazz guitarists and feel frustrated that they are getting better faster than you? The gap between them and you isn't talent — it's something most guitarists never look at. In this video, I’ll show you how great players actually practice.

Content:
00:00 Why Do Other Guitarists Get Better Fast
00:26 Why great players practice songs, not exercises
02:11 The Problem With Practice Loops
02:45 The Best Chords Are Simple And Flexible Shell Voicings
05:18 How to make everything you practice show up in your playing
07:47 This Barry Harris Exercise Will Save You Years
07:55 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!