Hey,
I am curious as to what happened to get into that funk? Did you have a lay off? Put it down for a while? I tend to write everything down (exercise number and BPM) and change something the first day of every month. I am currently working on the two books below. The first has more licks, the second covers more tecnique. I decided to put a hold on the Speed Mechanics, just do what I've learned so far, and try to get the Goven book done. I'm up the eigth finger tecniques in the Goven book.
I practice EVERY exercise in whatever book I'm learning from, for one month. If it sounds like something I'd naturally play, I keep it, if not I chuck it and replace it with a set of new exercises, or I'll up the tempo slightly one the old ones. I'm not big on Bebop or whole tone scales, so I'll try them just to get the fingereing down, then dump them after the month is over.
If they are complicated or long, I may do them for two months or more. Some I've done for years. One eye opener I had was peddle tones. I use to play "I Don't Know" by Ozzy"...simple right? Just ride the A string. Then I did a peddle exercise from Mechanics, with a metronome, and found that it's more difficult than I thought! For some reason or another, I can play pedal tones with a drummer fine...but before I stared practicing them with a metromone, I never knew how easly it is to drift off the beat slightly. After discovering that, I decided to practice vibrato with a metronome. The only time I don't use one is for warm up and two handed tapping.
I also have my own licks going. For example, I started doing this Paul Gilbert outside picking lick, then after a month or so, I added a descending three note per string sweep scale followed by a melodic sequence, then an ascending three note per string sweep scale...etc.
Anyway, this first book will keep you busy for a while. I planned on writing a review whenever I finish them. They are both VERY popular for building chops. Both have a CD covering the licks at slow and fast speed. The end of the Goven book has some things I know I won't use, but I'm going to learn it anyway. I can't count how many times I was trying to learn something someone else did, hit the wrong note, and liked it better
http://www.amazon.com/Speed-Mechanics-G ... 0793509629http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Guitar-A ... 291&sr=1-3
J.P.
Give us this day our daily shred...