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Warming Up Part 1

One of the most helpful elements of my practice was given to me by, my first teacher, John McClellan. He offered a simple concept that has permeated my practice and when I follow this simple principle, with consistency, I always sound my best. The idea is this: “It always comes back to the basics.”

The more frequently you return to the fundamental elements of your playing: Right Hand Finger Placement, Right Hand Alternation, Left Hand Finger Placement, Ascending/ Descending Slurs, and Arpeggios, the more ease you will have when it’s time to tackle something “challenging.” Years later, when I was attending a master class with David Russell he pointed out: “Difficult or hard things on the guitar are really several simple elements of playing mixed together.” In essence he was stating the same thing my teacher, John, shared with me all those years ago. The more fluid, precise, and clear your fundamental movements are on the guitar, the more prepared you are for anything that may come your way within a piece.

Attached are the basic Right Hand exercises that I use to warm up with each day. They begin with single note exercises to work on tone, followed by alternation exercises, and then arpeggios.  The right hand exercises, when practiced regularly, will take you through many of the more “common” movements on the guitar. You may not want to practice them all at once—build these exercises slowly into your work. In a few weeks you will notice improvements in your tone, control, and general comfort on the guitar.

Right Hand Warm Up

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions–Happy Practicing!