Guitar Woodshed

Howdy folks, I am back at you again with another Guitar Woodshed installment! This time I’d like to discuss fun ways in which we can enhance our practice routines. I have been lucky enough to meet some of my guitar hero’s in person one way or another; which has helped me dig into their brains about rehearsal tips and other fancy schmancy guitar lore.  One of the things all of my faves preach is practicing with a metronome or some sort of rhythmic device.  That being said, they all said to stay musical in my rehearsal time.  Make sure you do the same.  Don’t just sit for hours and practice bebop scales… make music! Explore ideas with both hands and make sure you know where the 1 is in every bar.

Let’s take a look at some ideas I have about practicing and see if it might be something you can identify with as well:

Practicing with the drum machine really works well for me. Give it a shot and see if you feel the same way.  I have noticed a big difference practicing in different grooves and time signatures; plus it has lead to me writing two new songs which I am in the process of recording for my band’s new album.  The sky is the limit! Be creative, be fearless, work hard and results will happen.

Back to the shed,

Mark

Howdy Folks!

Everybody wants to shred right? Well maybe not everybody, but a lot of guitarists want to learn the art of playing faster…at some point.  When I was young I dreamed about playing as fast as Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen! Little did I know these guys are polar opposites when it comes to technique, feel, timing etc… but that is a larger conversation so we’ll save that for another day.

Every level of guitar player hits his or her own personal brick wall at some point.  That is the best time to take a step back and open up the door to the “Woodshed”. When I was younger I really wanted to learn how to play more efficiently, and thusly with more speed and mojo (like all of you). How do we accomplish this? There are millions of ways to improve your speed and dexterity! Let’s talk about a few things I have discovered (and continue to use) which have enabled me to play with more finesse and speed.

I hope you enjoyed the ideas from the video lesson! Keep practicing and you will notice a huge difference in your hands within weeks.

Remember, you can’t accomplish anything in the “Woodshed” unless you bring your tools. When you sit down in the shed, don’t practice things you already know for hours at a time; bring those tools and challenge yourself every day!

Taker Easy,

Mark Hopkins

www.markhopkinsmusic.com

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