Guitar Exercises For Dummies

A guitar-playing practice guide with hundreds of warm-up and technique-building exercises If you already play some guitar but need some practice, you're in the right place. Guitar Exercises For Dummies is a friendly guide that provides just enough need-to-know information about practicing scales, chords, and arpeggios in the context of specific skills and techniques to help you maximize its 400+ exercises and improve your guitar playing. (If you need instruction on topics like buying or tuning a guitar and playing basic chords, check out Guitar For Dummies.) This practical book starts off with warm-up exercises (on and off-instrument) and then logically transitions to scales, scale sequences, arpeggios, arpeggio sequences, and chords, with a focus on building strength and consistency as well as refining technique. Each section helps you to practice correct hand and body posture and experience variations, such as fingering options and hand positions, and then ends with a brief musical piece for you to try. You can also practice incorporating other facets of musical performance in your exercises, such as: Tempo Time signature Phrasing Dynamics The book wraps up with tips to help you maximize your practice time (like setting goals for each session), ways to improve your musicianship (such as studying other performers’ body language), and an appendix that explains the accompanying website (where you can find audio tracks and additional information). Grab your guitar, grab a copy of Guitar Exercises For Dummies, and start perfecting your finger picking today. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Guitar Exercises For Dummies (9780470387665). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions We Use in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 3 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book Is Organized 4 Part 1: Preparing to Practice 4 Part 2: Scales and Scale Sequences 4 Part 3: Arpeggios and Arpeggio Sequences 4 Part 4: Chords and Additional Exercises 4 Part 5: The Part of Tens 4 Icons Used in This Book 5 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Preparing to Practice 7 Chapter 1: Reviewing Guitar Fundamentals 9 Perfecting Your Practice Posture 9 Brushing Up On Guitar Notation 10 Decoding tablature 10 Comprehending chord diagrams 11 Interpreting neck diagrams 11 Recognizing rhythm slashes 12 Chapter 2: Warming Up for Your Practice Sessions 13 Preparing Your Body and Mind to Play 13 Limbering up your fingers 13 Reflecting on your breathing, relaxation, and focus 14 Waking Up Your Fingers with Some Practice Exercises 15 Single-note exercises 16 Chord exercises 17 Part 2: Scales and Scale Sequences 19 Chapter 3: Putting the Major Scales to Use in Your Playing 21 Practicing Five Major Scale Patterns 21 Major scale pattern #1 22 Major scale pattern #2 24 Major scale pattern #3 25 Major scale pattern #4 27 Major scale pattern #5 28 Applying Your Scale Work to Actual Pieces of Music 29 “The First Noël” 29 Bach’s “Minuet in G” 31 Chapter 4: Adding Major Scale Sequences to Your Repertoire 33 Practicing Major Scale Sequences 34 Major scale sequences using pattern #1 34 Major scale sequences using pattern #2 36 Major scale sequences using pattern #3 38 Major scale sequences using pattern #4 39 Major scale sequences using pattern #5 40 Putting Your Sequence Skills to Work with a Few Songs 42 “Oh, Them Golden Slippers” 42 “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” 43 Chapter 5: Tackling the Three Minor Scales 45 Familiarizing Yourself with Natural Minor Scales 45 Natural minor scale pattern #1 46 Natural minor scale pattern #2 47 Natural minor scale pattern #3 49 Natural minor scale pattern #4 50 Natural minor scale pattern #5 51 Raising the Bar with Melodic Minor Scales 53 Melodic minor scale pattern #1 53 Melodic minor scale pattern #2 55 Melodic minor scale pattern #3 56 Melodic minor scale pattern #4 58 Melodic minor scale pattern #5 59 Harmonizing with Harmonic Minor Scales 60 Harmonic minor scale pattern #1 61 Harmonic minor scale pattern #2 62 Harmonic minor scale pattern #3 63 Harmonic minor scale pattern #4 65 Harmonic minor scale pattern #5 66 Playing Pieces Using the Three Minor Scales 67 “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” 67 Handel’s “Allegro” 68 “The Three Ravens” 69 Chapter 6: Examining Minor Scale Sequences 71 It’s Only Natural: Practicing Natural Minor Scale Sequences 71 Natural minor scale sequences using pattern #1 72 Natural minor scale sequences using pattern #2 73 Natural minor scale sequences using pattern #3 74 Natural minor scale sequences using pattern #4 74 Natural minor scale sequences using pattern #5 75 Up and Down the Scale: Practicing Melodic Minor Scale Sequences 76 Melodic minor scale sequences using pattern #1 76 Melodic minor scale sequences using pattern #2 77 Melodic minor scale sequences using pattern #3 78 Melodic minor scale sequences using pattern #4 79 Melodic minor scale sequences using pattern #5 79 Discovering a More Intense Sound with Harmonic Minor Scale Sequences 80 Harmonic minor scale sequences using pattern #1 81 Harmonic minor scale sequences using pattern #2 82 Harmonic minor scale sequences using pattern #3 83 Harmonic minor scale sequences using pattern #4 84 Harmonic minor scale sequences using pattern #5 85 Practicing Some Pieces Using Minor Scale Sequences 85 “To Work upon the Railroad” 86 Bach’s “Bourrée in E Minor” 87 “The Full Little Jug” 88 Part 3: Arpeggios and Arpeggio Sequences 89 Chapter 7: Breaking Out with Major Arpeggios 91 Preparing Yourself for Major Chords by Practicing Major Arpeggios 91 Major arpeggio pattern #1 92 Major arpeggio pattern #2 93 Major arpeggio pattern #3 94 Major arpeggio pattern #4 95 Major arpeggio pattern #5 95 Applying Your Skills: Performing Pieces Using Major Arpeggios 96 “To the Colors” 97 “Retreat” 98 Chapter 8: Discovering How to Play Major Arpeggio Sequences 99 Picking Up On Major Arpeggio Sequences 99 Major arpeggio sequences using pattern #1 100 Major arpeggio sequences using pattern #2 101 Major arpeggio sequences using pattern #3 102 Major arpeggio sequences using pattern #4 104 Major arpeggio sequences using pattern #5 105 Playing Pieces That Feature Major Arpeggio Sequences 106 “Blues Riff in B” 106 “Doo-Wop Groove in A” 108 Chapter 9: Getting to Know Minor Arpeggios 109 Working On Minor Arpeggios 110 Minor arpeggio pattern #1 110 Minor arpeggio pattern #2 111 Minor arpeggio pattern #3 113 Minor arpeggio pattern #4 114 Minor arpeggio pattern #5 115 Playing Pieces with Minor Arpeggios 116 “Wolfgang’s Whistle” 116 “Amadeus’s Air” 117 Chapter 10: Looking at Minor Arpeggio Sequences 119 Adding Minor Arpeggio Sequences to Your Practice Sessions 119 Minor arpeggio sequences using pattern #1 120 Minor arpeggio sequences using pattern #2 121 Minor arpeggio sequences using pattern #3 122 Minor arpeggio sequences using pattern #4 124 Minor arpeggio sequences using pattern #5 125 Tackling a Few Pieces Composed of Minor Arpeggio Sequences 126 “Mozart’s Motif” 126 Schumann’s “The Wild Horseman” 128 Chapter 11: Enhancing Your Playing with Seventh Chord Arpeggios 131 Practicing Dominant Seventh Chord Arpeggios 132 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio pattern #1 132 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio pattern #2 133 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio pattern #3 134 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio pattern #4 135 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio pattern #5 135 Putting Your Fingers to Work with Minor Seventh Chord Arpeggios 136 Minor seventh chord arpeggio pattern #1 137 Minor seventh chord arpeggio pattern #2 138 Minor seventh chord arpeggio pattern #3 139 Minor seventh chord arpeggio pattern #4 140 Minor seventh chord arpeggio pattern #5 141 Running Through the Major Seventh Chord Arpeggios 142 Major seventh chord arpeggio pattern #1 142 Major seventh chord arpeggio pattern #2 143 Major seventh chord arpeggio pattern #3 144 Major seventh chord arpeggio pattern #4 145 Major seventh chord arpeggio pattern #5 146 Applying Seventh Chord Arpeggios to Some Famous Pieces 147 Schubert’s “Ave Maria” 147 Fauré’s “Pavane” 149 Chapter 12: Trying Your Hand at Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences 153 Taking On Dominant Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences 153 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #1 154 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #2 154 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #3 155 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #4 156 Dominant seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #5 156 Adding Minor Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences to Your Collection 157 Minor seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #1 157 Minor seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #2 158 Minor seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #3 159 Minor seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #4 159 Minor seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #5 160 Practicing Major Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences 161 Major seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #1 161 Major seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #2 162 Major seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #3 162 Major seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #4 163 Major seventh chord arpeggio sequence using pattern #5 164 Playing Pieces with Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences 164 Liszt’s “Liebestraum” 165 Bach and Gounod’s “Ave Maria” 165 Part 4: Chords and Additional Exercises 167 Chapter 13: Building Finger Independence with Chord Exercises 169 Practicing Inversion Patterns 170 Patterns using outside chords 170 Patterns using inside chords 178 Playing Chord Progressions 185 Progressions using outside chords 185 Progressions using inside chords 186 Practicing Pieces That Use Chord Progressions 187 Putting outside chords to use with “Danny Boy” 187 Playing inside chords in “Look for the Silver Lining” 189 Chapter 14: Developing Strength and Speed by Playing Single-Note Exercises 191 Moving Across the Neck 192 Stepping up and down on one string 192 Skipping around on one string 193 Jumping around on different strings 194 Moving Along the Neck 195 Climbing up and down the strings 196 Ascending and descending with diagonals 198 Part 5: The Part of Tens 201 Chapter 15: Ten Tips for Maximizing Your Practice Time 203 Establish Your Practice Place 203 Define Your Practice Time (and Stick to It) 203 Establish Objectives for Your Practice Sessions 204 Keep Your Accessories Handy 204 Get Your Head in the Game 204 Warm Up Your Hands and Fingers 204 Start Slow and Work Your Way Up 204 Isolate Difficult Passages 205 Play Different Guitars 205 Join the Club 205 Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Improve Your Musicianship 207 Get with the Rhythm 207 Familiarize Yourself with Pitch 207 Discover Harmony 208 Perform Live for a Crowd 208 Compose Your Own Melody and Improvise a Bit 208 Train Your Ear to Hear 208 Polish Your Playing with Expression 208 Listen to Lots of Music 209 Watch a Performer’s Body Language 209 Test Yourself by Teaching Someone Else 209 Appendix A: How to Use The Website 211

About the Author :
Mark Phillips is a guitarist, arranger, author, and editor with more than 30 years in music publishing. Jon Chappell is a multi-style guitarist, arranger, author, and journalist, and former editor of Guitar magazine.