This will definately improve your strength and speed

[Kristoffer]

I usually use something liek this as a warm up exercise to get the blood pumping in the hand and the arm. Start out on the b string and go to the 12th fret..which is b. hammer on and off to c so it would be b c b. The second step is G string from A to G..hammer off. Now you have b c b a g. Then you move to the D string...and play the E (these are allin the 12 postion). Now you have b c b a g e. Now hammer back onto the G string and play G to A. and then hammer back down to the B string and hammer on and off b and c so the entire phrase is b c b a g e g a b c b. THis should be worked up to a very fast shred. The phrase is usually played twice and then it is moved up 1 fret and played twice again and moved up a fret and plyed again (the pattern is played again and again up the frets until you hammer on and off E and F (e f e ) on the B string..it ithen taken to the high E. from here it is b string...20th fret..g e g...then E string...17th fret... a b c b a ..the entire phrase is g e g a b c b a ...this phrase is moved down the fret board instead of up...I usualy go down to C on the B string and then start the entire exercise over again. It is easy to improvise with because it can be hit with chromatic tones left and right. It willnot sound good until it is up to speed and might be easir to leave out the E on the D string when first starting out..I sometimes do this if I want to get it going really fast. Best of luck.

[StoneDragon]

Sounds cool. I'm always up for new exercises.

[drumstix128@aol.com]

Did you get that from a book or something?

[Kristoffer]

Books are something that I definately stay away from...I used to sit for countless hours in my room and learn this or that and try to make sense of what in the #$%$ these people were talking about. Way way way too confusing..and I am a mathematics major. I mean..I looked at some of these guys playing guitar and realized..uhhh, these guys are on some serious drugs and they are ripping out solos left and righy...I don't think that they actually sat down for hours and hours in a room somewhere. They just know their instrument. When I realized this...my playing really took off. All these chords and scales..great if you want to know how to play every freaking type of music in the world...LOL I just use my ear now and run with it..it is better than any book could ever be. Music is an art of hearing. If this (the phrase)sounds a little like it is out on the back 40 then please go and grab some Jason Becker. This guy is fast. I mean FAST!!! So is Macalpine...but Becker definately has more of a feel when he plays and isn't so freaking technical all of the time like Tony. This phrase is based off of "Quarter to midnight" by Tony Macalpine. Go to Napster and download it. It is very cool if it can be brought up to speed. If you can shred it out already then I could possibly attempt to show you where he goes with this theme...he doesn't start it over...he takes it chromatically all the way down the board..like every note possible and then dives the low E...comes back up for air and then hits the high E with a wicked tremelo and then finishes..exceptional songwriting ability. POssibly the best in the world.

TRy this out on high E it is played very fast and ends on A

8 7 5 7 5 4 10 8 7 8 7 5 12 10 8 10 8 7 8 7

still on E

5 7 5 4 and then play it over again and end on A//great if it is taken to high whining screaming E (22 fukll step) and then a progression to take it to dive bomb on low E. Very cool.


Kristoffer Dana