The Guitar Gym from Udemy

The Guitar Gym is a series of 16 'field-tested' exercises to perform on your guitar. It's designed to cover all the motions you will use to play almost anything and warm up your muscles. The aim being, to get your hands communicating and in sync.

In the same way an Athlete performs a warm up before they give for their best performance, it's important for guitarists to do the same. We want to get blood in our muscles, get a few movements covered and simple stretches performed before we go fully at it.

Guitar playing is such a wonderful and unique experience. Why would you not enhance that by looking after yourself and your hands? It's a fact that guitarists who perform these kind of routines play better, longer and later in life too.

By using these kind of exercise based guitar lessons, we can avoid, or certainly help with problems that can arise. From carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis to simple over use or muscle strains.

The course is relaxed and fun. All Tabs are shown on screen. You have HD video with close ups and myself "GuitarJoolz" at the wheel to guide you round any obstacles.

I challenge you to pick your guitar up, performs these routines and then measure your performance. I guarantee you will feel freer with enhanced performance.

Go for it.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Do your hands ache when you play chords, bends or big stretches on your guitar?
Has your speed stopped developing on the instrument?
Do you let yourself down playing tricky passages at gigs, practising or playing to friends?

Would you like a guitar warm-up and exercise routine, covering a multitude of movements?
Could you improve your alternate picking, string-crossing, dexterity, stamina, stretching and finger independence?
Do you want a professional routine that you can use in the real world. professionally or for fun?

Do your hands ache when you play chords, bends or big stretches on your guitar?
Has your speed stopped developing on the instrument?
Do you let yourself down playing tricky passages at gigs, practising or playing to friends?
Would you like a guitar warm-up and exercise routine, covering a multitude of movements?
Could you improve your alternate picking, string-crossing, dexterity, stamina, stretching and finger independence?
Do you want a professional routine that you can use in the real world. professionally or for fun?

Syllabus

Introduction

A short introduction to give you a feel of what's coming up.

Increased speed, better co-ordination between left and right hand. Finger strength and freedom of motion.

Using the Chromatic Scale correctly, shifting fretting hand positions and finger autonomy using the "Spider"

Some rather tricky stretching exercises here, used by classical guitarists, incorporating string skips with the picking hand. Also mirrored sweep picking routine.

A quick talk about the importance of string tracking, pick angle and gravity. Some more sweep picking and a cool little work out for both hand in the Harmonic Minor Scale.

Here we will use our Pentatonic Scale to perform some legato (hammer-ons/pull-offs), another picking exercise (one of my favourites) and a end section taking a quick look at bends and vibrato.

A last bonus lecture including some funky Dorian mode rhythm and a quick routine for stretching down.

Thankyou video and access to www.guitarjoolz.com

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Offers exercises that address common challenges guitarists face, such as hand aches, speed plateaus, and inconsistent performance, which can be frustrating for players of all levels

Provides a structured warm-up routine, similar to what athletes use, which can help guitarists prepare their muscles and improve coordination before playing

Includes exercises that may help prevent or alleviate common guitar-related issues like carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and muscle strains, promoting long-term playing health

Covers a range of techniques, including alternate picking, string-crossing, dexterity, stamina, stretching, and finger independence, which are essential for well-rounded guitar playing

Features a bonus lecture including funky Dorian mode rhythm and a quick routine for stretching down, which may be useful for guitarists interested in expanding their musical vocabulary

Requires access to a guitar, which may be a barrier for some prospective students who do not already own one or have access to one

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in The Guitar Gym with these activities:

Review Basic Guitar Chords

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Reinforce fundamental chord shapes and transitions to prepare for the exercises in the course.

Browse courses on Guitar Chords

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Practice common major and minor chords.
Work on smooth transitions between chords.
Use a metronome to improve timing.

Read 'Guitar Aerobics'

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Supplement the course with a structured set of exercises to improve technique.

View Guitar Aerobics: a 52-Week, One-Lick-per-day... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Guitar Aerobics'.
Follow the daily exercises in the book.
Incorporate exercises into your warm-up routine.

Practice Alternate Picking Exercises

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Improve alternate picking speed and accuracy, a crucial skill for many of the course exercises.

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Set a metronome to a comfortable tempo.
Practice alternate picking on a single string.
Gradually increase the tempo as you improve.
Apply alternate picking to scales and arpeggios.

Four other activities

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Study 'The Advancing Guitarist'

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Deepen your understanding of guitar concepts and techniques.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'The Advancing Guitarist'.
Study the concepts and techniques presented in the book.
Apply the concepts to your playing.

Record Your Progress

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Track your progress by recording yourself playing the exercises before, during, and after the course.

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Record yourself playing a specific exercise.
Repeat the recording weekly to track improvement.
Compare recordings to identify areas for improvement.

Compose a Short Guitar Solo

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Apply the techniques learned in the course to create a short guitar solo.

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Choose a backing track or chord progression.
Incorporate exercises from the course into your solo.
Record and refine your solo.

Help Others With Guitar Exercises

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Reinforce your understanding by helping other guitarists with the exercises.

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Find a guitarist who needs help with exercises.
Explain the exercises and provide guidance.
Offer feedback and encouragement.

Career center

Learners who complete The Guitar Gym will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Professional Guitarist

A professional guitarist performs live, records music, and may teach. The Guitar Gym helps a professional guitarist to improve coordination and prevent injury. The course’s exercises are a valuable tool for a professional guitarist who wants to improve dexterity and stamina, critical for long performance sessions. By emphasizing the importance of warm-ups to ensure peak performance and injury prevention, this course is highly beneficial for those who play professionally.

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Guitar Instructor

A guitar instructor specializes in teaching guitar technique, methods, and music theory to students at all skill levels. The Guitar Gym provides a comprehensive set of exercises that a guitar instructor can use both for personal development and to guide students. The course's emphasis on improving speed, coordination, and finger strength helps guitar instructors develop individualized routines for their students. The warm-up routines and exercises can be adapted by a guitar instructor to address specific issues like finger independence, stretching, and alternate picking, facilitating faster progress for their students.

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Touring Musician

A touring musician performs live shows in various locations. The Guitar Gym will be useful for a touring musician by helping them maintain their physical fitness and consistency of playing during long tours. The course, with its focus on improving dexterity and stamina, is highly relevant to the demands of playing repetitive sets, often in physically taxing conditions. The course’s exercises, which are designed to improve speed, coordination, and finger strength, may aid touring musicians on the road.

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Session Musician

Session musicians work in recording studios or live performance settings and are hired to play on a variety of projects. The Guitar Gym can enhance a session musician's readiness for a gig, helping them warm up and maintain peak performance. Session musicians need a high degree of dexterity and stamina, and the course's focus on finger independence, speed, and stretching helps build these essential skills. The practical exercises in the course ensure that session musicians enter recording sessions and live gigs feeling limber, coordinated, and capable of their best performance.

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Band Leader

A band leader manages a musical group, organizing rehearsals and performances. The Guitar Gym helps any band leader who also plays guitar. It helps them to maintain their own skills and understand the importance of warm ups and practice routines. A band leader who also plays guitar can use the course’s exercises to model best practices for their bandmates and encourage good habits around physical preparation and injury prevention. They can also better understand common challenges for guitarists.

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Music Teacher

A music teacher instructs students of all ages on musical instruments, vocal technique, and music theory. A course like The Guitar Gym helps a music teacher refine their own playing technique and develop effective practice routines that can be shared with their students. Specifically, the exercises in the course, designed to improve hand coordination and finger independence, can be integrated into lesson plans to help students overcome challenges. Music teachers can use their own improved technique, as well as the materials from this course, to better illustrate and explain challenging guitar techniques such as alternate picking, string-crossing, dexterity, and stretching.

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Songwriter

A songwriter composes original songs. While song writers may not always perform, a course like The Guitar Gym may help them to build a foundation on guitar. The exercises focused on finger dexterity may translate to a wider range of chords and patterns for use in their composes. Songwriters who have better finger strength may be able to write more complex songs. The course may be useful to a writer who wants to expand their abilities as a musician.

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Music Director

A music director oversees the musical aspects of a production, ensemble, or institution. While this role is not always related to instrument performance, The Guitar Gym is useful for a music director that plays guitar. The course provides exercises that can help a music director refine their technique. Understanding the importance of finger independence, stretching, and alternate picking can make them a better teacher, mentor, and leader to a team of musicians.

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Orchestral Musician

An orchestral musician performs as part of a classical music ensemble. Orchestral musicians who play guitar can benefit from The Guitar Gym by improving their technique and physical preparedness. The course offers exercises designed to improve speed, coordination, and finger strength which may assist in complex songs or difficult technique. The focus on warm-ups can ensure consistent performance during demanding orchestral rehearsals and performances.

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Music Therapist

Music therapists use music to help patients reach physical and emotional health goals. The Guitar Gym may be useful to increase their own skills on the instrument, but also helps a music therapist understand the process of learning and practicing guitar. This course helps understand how exercises that focus on speed, coordination and finger strength can help clients with motor skills and physical dexterity. The instructor will also learn to help patients develop practice routines that support their development.

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Music Arranger

A music arranger adapts existing musical compositions for different instruments or ensembles. While not directly involved in performance, a music arranger needs a deep understanding of musical instruments. The Guitar Gym may help a music arranger better understand the physical demands of playing guitar. Understanding the importance of finger independence, stretching, and alternate picking can inform their arrangements, enabling them to make practical adjustments. This course may provide valuable perspective for a music arranger.

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Music Producer

A music producer oversees the recording and production of musical tracks. While a music producer may spend time at the mixing board, it may be helpful for them to have a deeper understanding of how the muscles work when playing string instruments. The Guitar Gym, with its focus on coordination, finger strength, and dexterity may provide valuable insight in this respect. A music producer who has a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in playing an instrument might be able to better direct the musicians they work with.

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Music Critic

A music critic analyzes and evaluates musical performances and recordings. While they may not be performers themselves, learning about music theory and instrument technique may assist a music critic. The Guitar Gym may help a music critic to understand the physical complexities involved in playing guitar. This may inform their assessments and critiques of guitar performance. The critic may be able to focus on the subtleties of technique rather than the overall sound of a performance.

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Talent Agent

A talent agent represents musicians and other artists, finding work opportunities for them. While a talent agent doesn't play an instrument, The Guitar Gym may give them an understanding of the dedication and preparation that musicians go through. This course's focus on warm-up routines, dexterity, and finger strength, may provide a unique perspective for a talent agent, allowing them to better understand the demands of a musician's career. This may help them set priorities when they search for work opportunities for their clients.

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Audio Engineer

Audio engineers work with recording and mixing equipment to produce high-quality sound. While they may not themselves play an instrument, an understanding of the physical demands of music may be useful. This course may provide insights into the techniques and challenges that guitarists face, which can inform their approach to recording and mixing guitar tracks. Understanding the importance of finger dexterity and dynamics may be useful to an audio engineer.

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The Guitar Gym

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