Rock Discipline
I just got a copy of Petrucci's Rock Discipline.
Does any one else have this?
I am having major problems doing the chromatic drill thing, its really hard to see exactly what Petrucci is doing, even though he slowly demonstates it, and its taking me quite a while to get that drill faster.
Does anyone else share these sentiments?
Thanks
Does any one else have this?
I am having major problems doing the chromatic drill thing, its really hard to see exactly what Petrucci is doing, even though he slowly demonstates it, and its taking me quite a while to get that drill faster.
Does anyone else share these sentiments?
Thanks
Comments
I got it recently. Watched it once. Wasn't too thrilled with it. I like Doug Doppler's DVD much better. I don't remember the drill you're talking about, but I've got a chromatic speed drill that I made up a long time ago and use every day. I've seen some other people use it too.
You can use any string or strings you want. I start at the first fret and work my way to like the 15th fret or so. I use the 4 highest strings and alternate pick.
I start on the 4th string and pick frets 1, 2, 3, 4, then move to the 3rd string and do the same frets, then to the 2nd string...same frets, then first string...same frets. Then I move up one fret on the first string and pick 2, 3, 4, 5, then move to the 2nd string and pick the same frets...etc....over to the 4th string where I go down another fret and pick 3, 4, 5, 6. This process continues until I get to the 15th fret or so. You can stop where ever you want.
When I get to the 15th fret I go in reverse and work my way back to the beginning. I'll pick 15, 14, 13, 12 frets for each string and then move down a fret to 14, 13, 12, 11 and so on until I get back to where I started.
Start slow and work your way up. I play 2 notes per beat of a metronome. I start at 160bpm and go up from there. On a good day I can get up to about 200bpm, but it starts to sound messy.
To help gain fretboard speed - I remember Petrucci talking about this - going up in metronome speed, trying that and then dropping down in metronome speed does not help me increase my own speed. All it does for me is frustrate me more. What I've found that does help is doing this chromatic speed drill with just one string...any string...doesn't matter. Do the drill up and down the neck over and over until you're doing it perfect. Then add another string to the drill.
Good luck.
The 16th note one where he goes from B, and sounds like, when he plays it nice and fast, a whirlwind. The first one that he demonstrates.
I figured out what he is playing last night.
I can play fast, but not in control, and I am doing these exercises to improve my subdivisions and accuracy. The problem is I am having troubles getting over 120bpm in that exercise (not at all used to playing chromatics). And John revs up to 200 with ease..... :shock:
Here is a video that helped me alot. Yngwie is also a good teacher.
I mentioned to you before how much I liked Doug Dopplers DVD, so I won't repeat myself.
What I like is starting with one string. Legato up and back 4-notes....then decend the neck and come back up. This helps the hammer-on and pull-off. I start out chromatically...then start to stretch it out.
Doing the chromatic across the fretboard. I have to start out in pairs of strings. If I divide it up like this...I am finally able to do better when I connect them. Another thing, I like to do is slide my thumb across the back of the neck, instead of gripping the neck. Otherwise, I get into the habit of gripping like a blues scale too much.
I start at the 9th fret...because I like the fret spacing here the most. I have a much harder time below or above this position. Start out where you feel the most comfortable.
I hold my pick close to the tip and angle forward and down. Some guys flip to the flat side for greater speed. I can't get a clean attack that way, but for me...my picking is the hardest part. I can't get this mindless and still think about the notes. I have to think about the picking. So...because of that...I believe these Masters push the chromatic scales...so you can forget more about the notes. Maybe that is the point for these chromatic exercises. You really have to get your picking worked out.
I think many of us believe the frethand is where it is all at. Maybe so...eventually, but if you can't do the picking hand part...you are not ready for the frethand part.
Here is where I envy guitarists like Jeff Beck or Paul Gilbert.
Anyway..this is my take on the whole purpose for chromatic exercises. Think of it as more a picking hand evolution. What is speed without control?
Yes I have it and have progressed far quicker with it than I suspect I ever would without. From your description I assume you do not have the book the goes with the DVD.
Let me know if you have guitar pro on your pc (at least version 4) as I can send you something that will make the dvd infinitely clearer.
Gary
I have guitar pro 5, if you could send me that \"something\" i would be extremely grateful.
Thanks
1. First, warm up by keeping a consistent picking pattern on one string, one fret, at a fast tempo - set the metronome as fast as you can go and do 8th notes.
2. Same thing, triplets
3. Same thing, 16th notes
Then, starting slowly and speeding up as you perfect
4. Do a four-note chromatic pattern in the same position: 1234,1234,1234... on both low and high frets
5. Do some three-note chromatic patterns in one position:
123-432,123-432,123-432
123-234,123-234,123-234
6. Do a multi-string exercise along the lines of 4 and 5
7. Some open-string chromatic patterns will work. For instance, there's the Doug Marks 0213-2432, going up by one fret each time (except the 0); the Troy Stetina 15-14-12-11-12-11-8-7-5-3-2-3-0-0-0-0 each of the frets alternating with three open string hits (check out speed mechanics for lead guitar); etc.
8. Permutations of 4- and 6-note single-string patterns going up/down groups of string (from middle four to all six in my case) will help.