Guitar Exercises For Dummies

Train your fingers to become a lean, mean guitar–playing machine! Want to sharpen your guitar–playing skills? This practice–oriented playbook is packed with hands–on technique builders, from warm–up exercises and scales to arpeggios, chords, and much more. You′ll see how to apply your technique with performance pieces at the end of each chapter. Review basic guitar fundamentals — posture, holding the guitar, sitting and standing with the guitar Brush up on guitar notation — decoding tablature, comprehending chord diagrams, interpreting neck diagrams, recognizing rhythm slashes Warm up away from the guitar — release tension, improve breathing, prepare your mind and body to play Wake up those fingers — limber up your fingers by playing simple exercises Develop strength, speed, and independence — play single–note patterns and chord progressions Open the book and find: More than 300 exercises in various keys, positions, and rhythms Drills & tips to perfect your playing and maximize your practice time Technique building opportunities Scales, scale sequences, arpeggios, arpeggio sequences, and chords Full–length pieces to play along with Ways to improve your musicianship Bonus CD Includes Selected exercises from each chapter Every performance piece Open string tuning notes Metronome tracks of different tempos

Introduction. Part I: Preparing to Practice. Chapter 1: Reviewing Guitar Fundamentals. Chapter 2: Warming Up for Your Practice Sessions. Part II: Scales and Scale Sequences. Chapter 3: Putting the Major Scales to Use in Your Playing. Chapter 4: Adding Major Scale Sequences to Your Repertoire. Chapter 5: Tackling the Three Minor Scales. Chapter 6: Examining Minor Scale Sequences. Part III: Arpeggios and Arpeggio Sequences. Chapter 7: Breaking Out with Major Arpeggios. Chapter 8: Discovering How to Play Major Arpeggio Sequences. Chapter 9: Getting to Know Minor Arpeggios. Chapter 10: Looking at Minor Arpeggio Sequences. Chapter 11: Enhancing Your Playing with Seventh Chord Arpeggios. Chapter 12: Trying Your Hand at Seventh Chord Arpeggio Sequences. Part IV: Chords and Additional Exercises. Chapter 13: Building Finger Independence with Chord Exercises. Chapter 14: Developing Strength and Speed by Playing Single–Note Exercises. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 15: Ten Tips for Maximizing Your Practice Time. Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Improve Your Musicianship. Appendix: How to Use the CD.

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. Phillips and Chappell are bestselling authors of Guitar For Dummies, 2nd Edition.