Hey Jazz III,
Right now I am running a practice schedule that mirrors the DVD that I will be releasing. I'm doing this because I need to play everything spot on when I record it at the end of Sept, and It progresses nicely from warm ups to Insanity!
Here is the outline for it, this won't tell you exactly what I'm playing but you'll get an idea:
DVD Outline
Introduction:
Hello my name is Chris Broderick (cut to live footage) Welcome to my Guitar Instructional Video.
The intent of this Video is to have both technical and theoretical ideas paralleling each other while becoming more advanced. Unfortunately the scope of this video will only cover tonal or key based soloing, I was originally going to cover altered scales, but the scope of this DVD would get to big.
General topics Covered:
1. Warm ups
2. Keys, Modes
3. Scale fragments
4. Intervals
5. Seventh arpeggios
Tuning:
Tuning in Eb illustrating just the 6th string.
Warm Ups:
Left hand tapping exercise,
Benefits are left hand independence and agility, left hand finger extension and contraction, with a slight emphasis on supination, and pronation.
Tips, allow this and all exercises to do their job. They are not merely something to conquer. Good technique has nothing to do with what you play, but how you play it.
Chromatic picking exercise,
Benefits, allows for practice of both picking the between the insides and outsides of strings, progressive intervallic picking, finger extension/contraction, and small shifts.
Tips, take the time to bring out each note, look for finger independence, use the Metronome.
Keys, Scales, and Modes: (Still an extension of warm ups)
Explanation of Keys, and Modes,
Illustration of modes, three note per string.
Tremolo picking exercise in Fmj,
Alternate with slur exercise.
Benefits, memorization of Mode patterns, speed picking (evenness both dynamically and rhythmically), evenness of complete slurred 3 note per sting scale patterns (fragments are found on other videos)
Tips: Pick with the hand moving parallel across the bridge, while not bouncing around the string, use of the metronome is essential, speeds of 200bpm or more are achievable.
Scale Fragments and the use of polyrhythms with the metronome:
Explanation of how to use the metronome in this way (triplets, 16ths, and sextuplets)
Explanation of scale fragmentation.
Descending sextuplet in Dmj
Benefits: increased speed and rhythm accuracy
Tips: work with different amounts of beat divisions (ex. Repetitions of 16ths to
sextuplets) metronome bpm ~ 140
9/8 example in Dmj
Benefits: ability to play syncopations against the beat
Tips: mix this up with other patterns (sextuplets, and 16ths)
Scale/Arpeggio idea in Gmi
Explanation of how this relates to scale fragments
Benefits: introduction into string skipping, expansion of Key based soloing, advanced extension/contraction and rotation technique
Tips: clearity of each note, keep in mind picking direction of second and third string is always down then up.
Pentatonic sixtuplet in Ami:
Benefits: continued rhythmic and picking coordination, memorization of extended
3 note per string Pentatonics.
Tips: realize that when shifting focus should be on the 4th finger and not the first.
Pentatonic legato example in Ami:
Benefits: fluid slurring of pentatonic scales using the right hand to tap notes within the scale.
Tips: practice slowly maintaining clarity of every note, this example does not have a unified rhythm and therefore should be practiced in sections (as with all examples) or the individual rhythm should be felt when playing through the complete idea, upon completion this example probably will be used in a much larger beat structure where this idea leads to the end by the appropriate time.
Intervals and the Harmony of Scale degrees
Amj String skipping sequence of 3rds:
Explanation of how this relates to the modes, and ideas behind its creation.
Benefits: broadening the idea of how to conceptualize scales in new ways, alternate string skipping picking, the idea of considering these as arpeggios (explanation).
Tips: slow focused practice with the subdivision of the beat at triplets (I did this because this idea would be a lot easier to do with a subdivision of 2 or 4 and it makes the idea much more interesting).
Triplet descending Cmi pedal example:
This is the only example of the use of altered tonality (the use of Nepolitan 2nd at the cadence)
Benefits: Alternate pick while string skipping, learning the root Mj/ mi sweep patterns (not covered), Left Hand finger coordination. Tips: Slow practice ensuring pick alternation, and accuracy.
Melodic Arpeggio in Gmi:
Explanation: how it relates to the Key or modes, Illustration of melody and asrpeggio, show the deviation from the key with the Nepolitan 2nd.
Benefits: alternate picking with an advanced string skipping pattern.
Tips: start with an up pick to produce efficient alternation of the pick, an idea would be to practice it both ways.
Quintuplet E harmonic mi string skipping example:
Explanation of harmonic mi and its purpose, Illustrate how this idea was constructed.
Benefits: speed articulation of both picked and slurred notes, advanced string skipping.
Tips: Practice this (and all examples for that matter) in small sections, the upper voice will always start with an up, and the lower with a down ( whether slurring or not).
Seventh Arpeggios:
Explanation: everyone always illustrates the common Mj/mi arpeggios, I though I would show some interesting ways that I use Seventh arpeggios. Explantation of what a seventh is.
Amj7 and C#mi7 examples:
Explanation: based off of the seventh of the arpeggio.
Benefits: New harmonic material to play with, staggered sweep picking.
Tips: When sweep picking allow the pick to rest against the next string until it is to be played. The possibility of other inversions.
Sequenced Amj7 and C#mi7:
Explanation of creation.
Benefits: ability to turn around an arpeggio on the inner strings, running through different inversions
Conclusion:
Remember that all illustrations are not just riffs but meant as a learning tool for you to expand upon and manipulate so that you construct your own ideas.
Remember, this is an outline for me when I go to record it, so it may sound a little odd, but that's because it was never intended to be seen by anyone else.
Also I am going to start working on Some Kruetzer Violin studies that I have owned for ever and never gotten to. I will be posting some of them on my web site so that all of us guitards can work on them.
Take it easy, Chris.
