Probably the (or one of the) most important exercises for shredders
are
chromatic exercises. They help develop co-ordination between the
picking
hand and the fretting hand. They are best practiced using a
metronome
(extremely useful tool if you want to be a shredder!)
Chromatic exercises help develop strength in all the fingers. I
remember when
I first started getting into shred, my first milestone was when I
practiced chromatic
exercises for about 8 hours straight one weekend. The improvement
was quickly
noticeable. Before then I just couldn't play the chromatic riff to
Master of Puppets
by Metallica at any sort of quick speed with alternate picking.
Afterwards, it felt so much
easier and I found I could do it straight away!
My favourite chromatic exercises are
the ones which work with 4 notes per string,
going up the strings from the bass to treble strings (E to e) and
back down again.
I do them at the first fret, then second, up to the 12th fret. This
also develops
stamina, and this little variation helps stop you getting bored. One
thing to note with
these exercises; make sure you aim for accuracy before speed. If you
teach your
hands to remember them incorrectly, that's how you will always play
them, and it
becomes much harder when you'll have to re-learn them. Start of at
an easy speed,
and gradually increase the metronome until you think you've reached
your limit.
Turn it down a few b.p.m, and stay at that speed until it becomes
really easy for
you. Repeat that method again and again and you should increase
speed quite well.
Always use alternate picking!
(up/down/up/down)
Chromatic Exercises to Use:
I mostly use these patterns
whilst practicing or warming up, but feel free to vary the
patterns to challenge yourself.
1234
|---------------------------------|---------1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1---------|
|---------------------------------|-1-2-3-4-----------------4-3-2-1-|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-|---------------------------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4---------|---------------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4-----------------|---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-------------------------|---------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-4-3-2-1----------------------------|
|---------4-3-2-1--------------------|
|-----------------4-3-2-1------------|
|-------------------------4-3-2-1----|
1324
|---------------------------------|---------1-3-2-4-4-2-3-1---------|
|---------------------------------|-1-3-2-4-----------------4-2-3-1-|
|-------------------------1-3-2-4-|---------------------------------|
|-----------------1-3-2-4---------|---------------------------------|
|---------1-3-2-4-----------------|---------------------------------|
|-1-3-2-4-------------------------|---------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-4-2-3-1----------------------------|
|---------4-2-3-1--------------------|
|-----------------4-2-3-1------------|
|-------------------------4-2-3-1----|
1423
|---------------------------------|---------1-4-2-3-3-2-4-1---------|
|---------------------------------|-1-4-2-3-----------------3-2-4-1-|
|-------------------------1-4-2-3-|---------------------------------|
|-----------------1-4-2-3---------|---------------------------------|
|---------1-4-2-3-----------------|---------------------------------|
|-1-4-2-3-------------------------|---------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-3-2-4-1----------------------------|
|---------3-2-4-1--------------------|
|-----------------3-2-4-1------------|
|-------------------------3-2-4-1----|
© Richard Baines 2004
|
