Warming up

[methyldopa]

How do you guys warm up before practicing and for how long?

I find it difficult warming up for more than 3 minutes, and I just usually play a bunch of chords and do some random legato.

[silent-storm]

I usually sing a few standards, or other songs, and accompany myself with chords that don't take much effort and I don't have to think about too much. After a few songs it starts getting more active and from that it kind of progresses into practicing more specifics.

[Holger Persch]

Hi,

My default warmup is Mike Campese's "Paganini Caprice #16 Part I" that can be found here: http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/92

Holger

[CaptainCaveman]

I usually start off with some Jazz chords in II-V-I progressions, gradually becoming more difficult. Then I run through some cromatic exercises, in open position, on single strings, and up and down the neck. Then I play some scale sequences. Both Diatonic, and Pentatonic, and then I end the warmup with some arpeggios. All this can be done In five minutes, but it can also be done for 30, for a more complete workout. It all depends on how much time I have.

[Julian]

i always do the stretches and shake like crazy, loosen things up, other than that, scales and such

[gersdal]

You'll find some ideas in the thread:
http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/...highlight=warm

[SostenutO]

i do the hanon excercies for piano

[forgottenking2]

I take a good 10 min to warm up. It's mainly chromatic stuff on a single string and across the fingerboard. Not considering the notes much but focusing on finger patterns. After 10 min of that I am quite ready to do whatever I need to do. Remember to keep it slow, a lot of students make the mistake of "warming up" with extremely dificult excercises and playing them at the top of their speed... that would be the equivalent of "warming up" by bench pressing 200 lbs (or more if you are a big guy stronger than me lol ) chances are you are going to get hurt. So keep in mind that a warm up should be a warm up not a speed race.

I hope this helps.

-Jorge

[Dark]

Hmmm i'm not really sure how to warm up, so i've just been slowly running through scales i'm learning at the time for 10 minutes (major scale and pentatonic minor so far), then throwing some chords around for another 10 minutes (Open major and minor, open sevenths and suspended 2nds and 4ths). That kind of loosens me up.

Then i'm ready for those b*stard barre chords

Dark