Not dead

Just like to tell myself that I'm still practicing and writing, and having fun. I think I'm reinforcing somethings, but not really improving any speed especially Alternate Picking. I will be devising a plan to do the shred thing in the fall when my schedule is normal enough to get about 2 hours a day in. Right now im focusing on body recomposition and its hard to do 2 things at once. I'm still practicing just about every day though!

Day 21

burnout, dont worry man

AP, Legato and improv

Day 20

minimal practice

Day 19

It Dwells in Me - 80
Legato 1 no pick - learning
Bm Ap Lick - 80-85... off today :|
5 string sweep - 100
Mode 1 AP - off. I feel lethargic
Mode 1 Legato with pick - 85 off... this is not good today.

Ugh?

Today sucks balls. 1 Hour so far. Hope to pick it back up later. Not working now

Day 18

More writing today

Fucking speech class :(

Day 17

I wrote a song today, all the way through pretty much and involved alot of metal riffing, tapping, and improv. Actually playing time was probably around 3 hours, and overall writing for 4 or 5. Writing down 3.

Day 16

Warm Up

Sweet Child Slash Lick 2 - ok
Fade to Black Lick 1 - 140 :)
Mode 1 AP - 85
Mode 1 Legato - 100
Bminor Ap Lick 1 - 90
5 String Sweep - 95
Vibrato - ok@!
ZW AP - 85
Ashes of the Wake - word
E Harmonic minoc Legato - ok
Learning Fall to pieces - ok
3 String Sweep - 95
Learning Mode 2 - meh
Scom lick 2 - 80 ... stuff hurts.

-Stuff I didn't do today?-
The sound of truth
Pentatonic Tapping
Legato Open High E String
String skip & Slide lick
Seize the day solo

3+ hours

Day 15

I think I almost saw some improvement in my overall playing last night, but who knows. I probably wont see the dividends of all this practice for months.

Warm up
Mode 1 AP Aeolian (Minor) 85
Mode 1 Legato
It Dwells In Me 85
Bm AP LICK 95
Legato 1 ok
5 String Sweep 100
Zw AP - 90!!!!
Vibrato - ok
Learning Mode 2 Locrian ok
Ashes of the Wake
The sound of Truth

Barn jamming

cut short by nagging friends. Barn jam = practice though. 4 hours today

Day 14

Jumping back on that horse.
See what drinking and subsequent hangovers do to me?
Next hangover: June 28th.

Anyways. School has also started, and added to my work schedule means less guitar time. However, I'm going to start new lessons today but some main things I want to focus on. Alternate picking, Legato, Metal Riffing, Song Learning. So... tonight I will do the following:

(after warm up)
10 minutes - AP Bm lick (it's for my solo!) - 90 was lacking I guess?
10 minutes - 5 String sweep with metronome - Almost 100
10 minutes - AP Zw - 85/90
10 minutes - Learning Fall to Pieces k
10 minutes - Legato (fill this in here) - ok
10 minutes - Ap A Minor - 80
10 minutes - 3 String sweep - 95
10 minutes - SCOM Lick 2 - 75
10 minutes - ashes of the wake - Fucking up at 100 :(((((
10 minutes - learning the next mode (up) - ok
10 minutes - Something else legato - weird
10 minutes - vibrato - ij
10 minutes - learning a new arpeggio - ok Emaj7
20 minutes - the sound of truth
Improv with a metal backing

Should be ~3 hours today. Hoping the next 17 days will all average 3 hours a day until I'm hungover. I really need to be motivated when I'm hungover, but I'm pretty sure I'm like mental after drinking for a few days. It's a curse.

Day 13

2 Hours of Improv / Messing around

Day 12

Improv

Day 11-NOTHING

Nothing

Day 10-NOTHING

nill

Day 9

Well yesterday was a pretty crappy day for guitar I guess. Today, to try and avoid/adjust burnout, I will try new things. It's important that I do a few of the other things to keep improving on them, but new approaches and new things to do always refresh things. Also, I'm hopeful that my wrist stops hurting because I'm afraid of having an injury that stops me from playing.

2-SCOM licks: BPMS aren't necessary, they are sucking today.
Bminor AP lick - 90
Bminor 3 String sweep - 95
Lots of Jamming
Learned some of "Tommorrow"
Songs Messed with: Yellowledbetter, Simple Man
A minor Mode1/Scale 80
BREAK
It dwells in me - 75
Mylick2.gp5
ftb - 135 bust
pentatonic tapping - fuck you 105.... need a new tapping practice thing, i hate this
Jamming Zombie
Break
Jamming Nutshell
Riffing in Drop D
Playing around

4 hours today total, maybe a little more, but today is cookin and doodlin baby.

Day 8

Two things can happen. One I can practice all night, or I can do this schedule and go out. It's Friday after all. The greats stayed at home and played all night. I don't know yet. I may pump myself up and make a solo night. I love Fade to Black, I may spend extra time tonight and concentrate on that solo.

Sweet Child O Mine Lick 2 70... owww??
Bminor Ap Lick 85
Zakk Wylde AP 85
Mode 1 AMINOR 75
Simple Man Learning /
5 String Sweep 90

Lots of Improv

3 Hours today.

Day 7

Warm up

Freebird Lick 3 95
Bminor Ap Lick 85
3 String Sweep 100
Holy Wars 130
Sweet Child O Mine Lick 1 90/100
Zakk Wylde AP 85
Correct Vibrato Technique ok
Fade to Black Fast Lick 135
Mode 1 AMINOR 80
Ashes of the Wake Riff 115
Pentatonic Tapping 110
5 String Sweep 90
Simple Man Learning check
Sweet Child O Mine Lick 2 80
Freebird Lick 1 105
It Dwells in me string skip AP 75
Cowboys From Hell 100

My wrist is really hurting. That schedule was 4 hours of practice with one short break. Now im going to jam for an hour or so to let everything "cook."

SEIS

Free Bird Fast Lick 95
Sweet Child O Mine lick 1 110
No More Tears AP 80
3 String Sweep 95
B Minor AP Lick 1 85
It Dwells In Me - 70
Holy Wars 130
Pentatonic Tapping 95
FtB Fast Lick 1 135
Mode 1 AP 80
5 String Sweep 80
Cowboys from Hell 100
Eruption Tapping Learning - check
Simple Man Learning - check
Ashes of the Wake Riff - Learning Check
Sweet Child of Mine End Solo Lick - yeah babbbbyyyyy. start around 60 bpm.
Hook riff - check learning
CORRECT VIBRATO TECHNIQUE PRACTICE! - Gay :|
Improv & Jamming - Nutshell Improv

5 Hours today.

Day 5

Tryin my best to stick to the plan. I like all these licks, and I need to remind myself of what's important.

So in order of importance (AS OF RIGHT NOW):
1. Alternate Picking
2. Economy (Sweep Arpeggios etc) + Legato
3. Metal Riffing style Standard and Drop
4. Other shit.

I'm not making theory a requirement right now because I believe that stuff comes naturally whether you try to learn it or not. I will continue this way.

Another thing I want to add is that I love slow blues phrasing too, except I don't TRY to do it, I always try to play fast. Soon I may need to be adding phrasing or something in there? Whatever I do, I will be practicing alot anyway. Here we go!


Free Bird Fast Lick - 80 bpm
Sweet Child O Mine lick 1 - 100
No More Tears AP - 80
3 String Sweep - 95 bpm
B Minor AP Lick 1 - 80 bpm
It Dwells In Me - Change picking pattern I think
Holy Wars - 130
Pentatonic Tapping - 90
FtB Fast Lick 1 - 130
Mode 1 AP - 75
Ap + String Skip - 95
5 String Sweep - *
Cowboys from Hell - check
Eruption Tapping Learning - yeeeeeea
Simple Man Learning - yeeeaaaahhh
45 mins to an hour of improv.

Honestly today still sucked. I think its because my improv is still shit. Everytime I fuck around I think I sound like a little kid playing. All that stuff I practice is sounding better, but its not cooked yet inside my mind, and hasn't translated very well into my improv. Time! Time is our greatest ally and most feared enemy. Wow that is a pretty gay quote I just made up (or stole subconciously).

4.2 Hours (to make up for that .4)!!

Fourthsies

A Minor Mode - 70 bpm
Bminor AP lick - 85 bpm
3 string minor shape sweep - 80 :(
scom - ugh

ok at this point, theres no use putting down the numbers. Everything is below par today. Nothing is working right. I'll put in my 3 hours of practice, as sub par as it is, and write today off as a crappy day. Chalk another one up for Monday, that bastard always gets the best of me.

- I covered the must do's, however crappy.

2 hours 40 minutes of practice.

fuck!

Thrice

Since this is all trial and error, and no one is looking at this besides me im going to try some new things. I don't like planning the time. As long as I spend atleast four hours doing this practice, and subsequent 2-3 hours playing/improvising I think i'll stick to my plan. I'm only adding 4 hours to my goal on the side, but that's ok. This blog will be deleted long before I reach 10,000 hours of practice (5-6 years? come on, I'll get in a routine that won't need this blog anymore by the 2000th hour) Anyways. The "***" means it needs to be everyday lick, the others can be interchanged as long as they pop up every once in a while. The order in which I do these is irrelevant too, I just want to make sure I do all them. I'll be posting the time I start/end/bpm on each for my own tracking.

a - Holy Wars - 130 is kinda sloppy
b - Mode 1 *** - 70 bpm
c - Bm AP Lick 1 ***
d - 5 String Sweep ***
e - Pentatonic Tapping xxx
f - It Dwells In Me Lick *** still learning this shit
g - 3 String Sweep
h - FtB Fast Lick - almost maxed this out
i - Free Bird Fast Lick xxx
j - Rhoads Lick xxx
k - Cowboys From Hell
l - No More Tears AP ***
m - Sweet Child of Mine fast lick *** - sloppy today
n - AP + String Skip lick *** - 100 bpm
o - Jump In The fire riff
p - Jump in the fire end solo

OK so I only practiced an hour today. Why? Because I'm a lazy fuck!

GET ON THE BALL ASSHOLE.

Day Dos

Today I'm going to narrow down the practice and spread it over more 20 minute intervals. start: 10:30 am

0:00 - 0:20 - Sweet Child O Mine lick 1 - 110 bpm
0:00 - 0:40 - No More Tears AP - 75 bpm
0:00 - 1:00 - 3 String Sweep - 95 bpm
1:00 - 1:20 - B Minor AP Lick 1 - 80 bpm

First Break

1:20 - 1:40 - It Dwells In Me - *
1:40 - 2:00 - Holy Wars - 125 bpm
2:00 - 2:20 - Mr Crowley Descending lick - 70 bpm (only 10 minutes because it hurts!!)
2:20 - 2:40 - Pentatonic Tapping - FUCK I hate tapping!
2:40 - 3:00 - FtB Fast Lick 1 - 120 bpm - Busted at 130
3:00 - 3:20 - The Four Horsemen riff - neat
3:20 - 3:40 - Mode 1 AP - 60 BPM - The stretch licks really really hurt my wrist ...(10 minutes only)

-second break

3:40 - 4:00 - Ap + String Skip - 100 bpm


**DID NOT COMPLETE*
/*4:00 - 4:20 - 5 String Sweep
4:20 - 4:40 - Cowboys from Hell
4:40 - 5:00 - Free Bird Fast Lick 1*/

4 Hours so far today. Hopefully, I'll attack some more when I get back from a lunch meeting.

Day 1?

This will be a schedule of 4 hours, and can be easily mix and matched with other licks in other places.

a:00 - a:10 = Bminor AP Lick 1 - 80 max bpm
a:10 - a:20 = Bminor 3 String Sweep - 85 MAYBE max bpm
a:20 - a:30 = No More Tears AP Lick - 75 MAYBE max bpm
a:30 - a:40 = 5 String Sweep G Maj? & Gm? (Research this) - Learning

a:40 - b:00 = It Dwells In Me Solo - learning (General)

b:00 - b:20 = Sweet Child o Mine fast pentatonic lick 1 - 90? max bpm
b:20 - b:35 = Mode 1(A Minor) 3nps AP lick - learning - First Part Down!!! HAH!
b:35 - b:50 = Pentatonic Tapping - learning (Part1) Omg that sounds terrible :(
b:50 - c:00 = FtB minor ascend - 140 max bpm
c:00 - c:20 = FtB Fast ending lick - learning / First half - 115 bpm

c:20 - c:40 = Alive - learning (General)


c:40 - c:50 = AP + String skip lick 1 - 95 bpm

---* 8:50 I'm taking a break because my wrist is very weak and sore right now *---

c:50 - d:00 = 3nps legato descend Mr. Crowley measure 113 - 50 ? max bpm
d:00 - d:10 = Freebird really fast lick Measure 91 - 82 max bpm
d:10 - d:20 = Freebird lick 2 measure 115-117 - 110 max bpm
d:20 - d:30 = Cowboys from Hell riff - 100 max bpm
d:30 - d:50 = Holy Wars riff - learning / Did not do.

Free time / improvising.

This post completes 4 hours. weeeeeeee

Licks & Explanations

Terms:
AP = Alternate Picking
BPM - Beats Per Minute

There's a lot of acronyms I made up because I'm lazy and don't want to type.

Licks:

"ZW AP 1" - I've been working on this lick for so long, I hate it. It's toward the end of the solo to the song "No More Tears" by Ozzy Ozbourne, and its Zakk Wylde's solo. It is extremely important that this be done with ALL ALTERNATE PICKING. The whole point of this lick is to develop AP chops, anyone can do that lick with legato. It gets its sound from the aggressiveness of the AP. There is 6 notes per beat on this lick, if you don't know what the 6 below the notes mean. Lick tempo in the song: 104

"It Dwells In Me" or "It Dwells In Me String Skip Lick" - something like that. I need to come up with definite names. This is one of Oli Herbert's licks from the awesome solo in the song "It Dwells in Me" (note: I don't give a shit about sentence structure and grammar anymore, don't judge me.) This too should be strict Alternate picking, even with the string skipping. For a quick example: on the second measure, the high e string is a down pick, then an up/down on the D and then an up on the G. If you are not used to this style, you should make it a point to slow it down and learn the correct way. Economy picking is great, but strict AP is another great tool you can put in your toolbox. Lick tempo in the song: 180

"Fade to Black Fast Lick" - this is the lick towards the end of the solo in the Metallica song "Fade to Black." This is lick you air guitar at parties (well parties cool enough to play Metallica.) It's not terribly hard. Lick tempo in the song: 140

More to come

Background

I hope no one finds this thing really, but this is my daily log for my guitar practice. Anyway:

I'm a 25 year old guitarist with roughly 3 years experience under my belt and I'm kind of tired of being mediocre. I'm sure many in my boat wish they would have picked up the guitar LONG ago. Well, I must make up for lost time with dedicated and precise practice.

Goals?

My main goal is to develop rock and metal lead chops, whatever that encompasses. Alternate picking, Legato, Sweep Picking, Tapping, Advanced Theory, the list goes on.
Chops shouldn't be ones main goal, but I believe that is what will take up most of my time. I think its important to be able to play with other people and song write and stuff, but as for now my technique is very poor in my opinion.

How to achieve the goal:

Unfortunately there's no clear cut way, all I can hope for is concentrated, dedicated, and precise practice. To put a number on it: I've heard the number 10,000 hours is a good hypothetical "Excellent Guitarist" cut off. However, I believe that if you spend most of those hours in front of the TV strumming along to some chords, you're not going to get where you want to be necessarily.

I will try my damnedest to get in 40 hours of practice a week, roughly 5 years of practice. Hey I have a job... If I was in highschool I would have just played 8 or 9 hours a day all through it... hell I didn't do anything else anyway. 40 x 52 x 5 = 10400.

I will study my favorite guitarists solos and licks, and occasionally post them on here. Maybe get a video camera and share some stuff on youtube.

Good luck to myself and to all others trying to improve.