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!

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

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.