Guitar Exercises For Dummies. Jon Chappell

2-3: “Across the neck” whole step warm-up.

      FIGURE 2-4: Diagonal whole step warm-up.

      Chord exercises

Playing chords is a big part of guitar, but the motion involved is somewhat different from playing single notes. The fingers each play separate strings, but they move all at the same time as you switch chords. So while single notes involve individual fingers coming into play one after another, chords involve three or four fingers all remaining still and then moving at the same time. If you’re going to practice chords, it makes sense to warm up with chord-based exercises, such as the ones in Figures 2-5 and 2-6.

      Figure 2-5 is an exercise using the basic major chords E, A, D, G, and C. These are sometimes called open chords, because they use open strings (strings that are unfretted, with no left-hand finger touching the string). Play each chord one beat apiece and focus on getting the left hand to move swiftly and accurately between changes. Don’t worry so much about what your right hand is doing. Just a simple strum or pluck on the strings is fine. As you’re practicing, focus on getting clear notes and clean fretting (with no buzzing or muffled strings).

      FIGURE 2-5: Open major chord warm-up.

      Figure 2-6 is a major barre chord warm-up (again starting with the basic E, A, D, G, and C chords). It’s devised to get you practicing all over the neck. After you play the first measure of 5/4, notice that the progression “starts over” one fret (or one half step) higher than the starting chord. This shift upward changes the letter name of the chords in the second and subsequent measures, but you use the same chord forms as you did in measure 1.

      FIGURE 2-6: Major barre chord warm-up.

Part 2

      Scales and Scale Sequences

IN THIS PART …

      This is the part where we get to the meat of the music matter — scales and scale sequences. Chapter 3 deals with the well-known and beloved major scale, the staple of practice regimens that has been haunting music students for centuries. However, we present these scales in ways you can easily and efficiently learn. Chapter 4 puts these scales into sequences, or patterns of notes. Much of “real music” deals with scales and scale segments. Chapters 5 and 6 are the minor counterparts to the previous two chapters, balancing the happy sounds of the major scales with the more somber tones of the minor scales.