Warm ups for Guitar

FwippaMan

Joined: Jun 28, 2019
Posts: 14
East Coast
United States

Posted on Jul 30 2019 07:58 PM

Hey guys... just wondering what some of you use to get your fingers moving and groovin... especially with tremolo picking... anything in particular thay you've picked up that really helps? Many Thanks, my friends

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revmike

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3801
North Atlantic
Canada

Posted on Jul 30 2019 08:34 PM

Before a show I will warm up by tremolo picking on various strings, and keep my right hand as relaxed as possible. I also solo over chord progressions, do some string bending, and play through some parts of some songs we will be playing. Ideally 20-30 minutes, but I’ll take whatever time I can get. Sometimes it is just hit the stage and go.

Rev

—

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

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shake_n_stomp

Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
Canada

Posted on Jul 30 2019 09:14 PM

Honestly, I do the dishes and just do some chores around the house. Seriously. If I warm up my muscles doing mundane, everyday physical things that are useful, I have been able to reduce/avoid repetitive stress aches from trem picking. And when I start playing, I build up to it over a 10min period. Economizing movement is a skill and you end up with a more even note attack and endurance. As much as I love to steal away a few mins of playing guitar before heading off to work, after 33 years of playing, I know that playing guitar with cold muscles is going to lead to tendonitis-type aches.

—

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada

Last edited: Jul 30, 2019 21:16:02

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stratdancer

Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
United States

Posted on Jul 31 2019 05:14 AM

If you do a lot of tremolo picking during a show you need to precondition the blood flow and oxygen to the arm. For me, if I haven't played in several hours I will do a flurry of trem picking until fatigue sets in then quit and rest it for ten minutes. Do some stretching and start the show with moderate trem songs at the most then slowly build your set to more aggressive songs. This allows the muscles and your adrenalin to build.

—

The Kahuna Kings

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447

https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases

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stratdancer

Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
United States

Posted on Jul 31 2019 05:19 AM

Also, since surf guitar is a very physical form of guitar playing, I think of it in athletic terms. Heavy "workouts" in the day or days leading up to show to keep picking and fingering hands loose then a few light workouts the day of the show. If I haven't been able to play leading up to a show then I make sure the night before gets a heavy session. It can take me up to an hour to shake all lethargy off and be loose, nimble and free from fatigue.

—

The Kahuna Kings

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447

https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases

Top

DeathTide

Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1374
New Orleans
United States

Posted on Jul 31 2019 08:54 AM

I always feel completely wiped out after a set - yes it is very physical for me! My legs are weak after a long practice! Those are great thoughts about doing dishes and other stuff before hand. I usually just do something similar to Stratdancer, maxing out and then resting a few times. Just madly tremelo picking all the strings and exercising the left hand.

I had major tendinitis in the late 90s. From thumb to thumb due to improper workstation when I was a video editor. Completely took out any hope of a job that uses computers, dealt with disability, insurance settlement, physical therapy, the whole thing. I still have pain when I use a keyboard but it's manageable for leisure. LUCKILY it didn't really affect my guitar playing. Sometimes when I feel pain while playing, I just keep playing and every time the pain goes away. Turmeric and trying to avoid stress has been the most helpful things - I notice very distinctly when I'm stressed out, my arms hurt. In fact, if my arms are hurting before playing, they're almost always not by the end!

—

Daniel Deathtide

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FwippaMan

Joined: Jun 28, 2019
Posts: 14
East Coast
United States

Posted on Aug 01 2019 05:00 PM

Thank you for all the sharing.. I am a Laborer, and some days I can be using my hands and arms for up to 8 hours at a time.. particularly if I an weed whacking a whole Cemetery or other large piece of land, after a few hours I can get numbness in my hand from the shaking and vibrating, as I'm sure anyone would...so when I come home, my hands are shot, and if I don't practice I feel behind the eight ball, or if I attempt the tremolo picking, I am just slow and off... on days like this, would you say it is best to just REST my hands, or should I keep on plugging away ...? OR, should I practice lightly?

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DeathTide

Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1374
New Orleans
United States

Posted on Aug 01 2019 06:16 PM

My uneducated guess is that you should not do anything that hurts. And - I think they make high- vibration gloves with extra padding?

I just had to dig a grave for my cat yesterday and my arms and hands are sore - and we have a show on Sat. Ah well.

If it hurts, stop doing it! If it’s a little uncomfortable, I’d say play until it hurts and then stop.

—

Daniel Deathtide

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ludobag

Joined: Jun 05, 2010
Posts: 620
at south of
France

Posted on Aug 02 2019 10:57 AM

like other warmp up before stage avoid crips during set , the 2 and 3 songs at the beguin of our set is very tired ones ,without warm up it is difficult for me ,i have the right arm and elbow very sollicited and without warm
up it is painfull

Last edited: Aug 02, 2019 10:57:53

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FwippaMan Joined: Jun 28, 2019 Posts: 14 East Coast	Posted on Jul 30 2019 07:58 PM Hey guys... just wondering what some of you use to get your fingers moving and groovin... especially with tremolo picking... anything in particular thay you've picked up that really helps? Many Thanks, my friends Top
revmike Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3801 North Atlantic	Posted on Jul 30 2019 08:34 PM Before a show I will warm up by tremolo picking on various strings, and keep my right hand as relaxed as possible. I also solo over chord progressions, do some string bending, and play through some parts of some songs we will be playing. Ideally 20-30 minutes, but I’ll take whatever time I can get. Sometimes it is just hit the stage and go. Rev — Canadian Surf http://www.urbansurfkings.com/ Top
shake_n_stomp Joined: Jan 09, 2014 Posts: 615 Vancouver BC	Posted on Jul 30 2019 09:14 PM Honestly, I do the dishes and just do some chores around the house. Seriously. If I warm up my muscles doing mundane, everyday physical things that are useful, I have been able to reduce/avoid repetitive stress aches from trem picking. And when I start playing, I build up to it over a 10min period. Economizing movement is a skill and you end up with a more even note attack and endurance. As much as I love to steal away a few mins of playing guitar before heading off to work, after 33 years of playing, I know that playing guitar with cold muscles is going to lead to tendonitis-type aches. — Lorne The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers Vancouver BC Canada Last edited: Jul 30, 2019 21:16:02 Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2533 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Jul 31 2019 05:14 AM If you do a lot of tremolo picking during a show you need to precondition the blood flow and oxygen to the arm. For me, if I haven't played in several hours I will do a flurry of trem picking until fatigue sets in then quit and rest it for ten minutes. Do some stretching and start the show with moderate trem songs at the most then slowly build your set to more aggressive songs. This allows the muscles and your adrenalin to build. — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2533 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Jul 31 2019 05:19 AM Also, since surf guitar is a very physical form of guitar playing, I think of it in athletic terms. Heavy "workouts" in the day or days leading up to show to keep picking and fingering hands loose then a few light workouts the day of the show. If I haven't been able to play leading up to a show then I make sure the night before gets a heavy session. It can take me up to an hour to shake all lethargy off and be loose, nimble and free from fatigue. — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
DeathTide Joined: Apr 13, 2018 Posts: 1374 New Orleans	Posted on Jul 31 2019 08:54 AM I always feel completely wiped out after a set - yes it is very physical for me! My legs are weak after a long practice! Those are great thoughts about doing dishes and other stuff before hand. I usually just do something similar to Stratdancer, maxing out and then resting a few times. Just madly tremelo picking all the strings and exercising the left hand. I had major tendinitis in the late 90s. From thumb to thumb due to improper workstation when I was a video editor. Completely took out any hope of a job that uses computers, dealt with disability, insurance settlement, physical therapy, the whole thing. I still have pain when I use a keyboard but it's manageable for leisure. LUCKILY it didn't really affect my guitar playing. Sometimes when I feel pain while playing, I just keep playing and every time the pain goes away. Turmeric and trying to avoid stress has been the most helpful things - I notice very distinctly when I'm stressed out, my arms hurt. In fact, if my arms are hurting before playing, they're almost always not by the end! — Daniel Deathtide Top
FwippaMan Joined: Jun 28, 2019 Posts: 14 East Coast	Posted on Aug 01 2019 05:00 PM Thank you for all the sharing.. I am a Laborer, and some days I can be using my hands and arms for up to 8 hours at a time.. particularly if I an weed whacking a whole Cemetery or other large piece of land, after a few hours I can get numbness in my hand from the shaking and vibrating, as I'm sure anyone would...so when I come home, my hands are shot, and if I don't practice I feel behind the eight ball, or if I attempt the tremolo picking, I am just slow and off... on days like this, would you say it is best to just REST my hands, or should I keep on plugging away ...? OR, should I practice lightly? Top
DeathTide Joined: Apr 13, 2018 Posts: 1374 New Orleans	Posted on Aug 01 2019 06:16 PM My uneducated guess is that you should not do anything that hurts. And - I think they make high- vibration gloves with extra padding? I just had to dig a grave for my cat yesterday and my arms and hands are sore - and we have a show on Sat. Ah well. If it hurts, stop doing it! If it’s a little uncomfortable, I’d say play until it hurts and then stop. — Daniel Deathtide Top
ludobag Joined: Jun 05, 2010 Posts: 620 at south of	Posted on Aug 02 2019 10:57 AM like other warmp up before stage avoid crips during set , the 2 and 3 songs at the beguin of our set is very tired ones ,without warm up it is difficult for me ,i have the right arm and elbow very sollicited and without warm up it is painfull Last edited: Aug 02, 2019 10:57:53 Top

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Warm ups for Guitar