Your Alternate Picking Exercise SUCKS! This Is Why You Suck At Guitar 17

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  • Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 2,2 тыс.

  • @BenEller
    @BenEller  6 лет назад +513

    Thanks everyone for watching! What do YOU suck at that i should cover on the next episode of TiWYSaG?

    • @blodder
      @blodder 6 лет назад +33

      Sounds silly but could you do a part on the metronome? For years I practiced without and last couple of months I try with metronome. Problem is that I play the notes with each tick and just speed up the metronome to go faster. I struggle with eight and sixteenth notes, not to mention how to play with metronome when you are not playing notes constantly... Really appreciated!

    • @shodus
      @shodus 6 лет назад +14

      Tremolo picking, please!

    • @johnnyboy1232
      @johnnyboy1232 6 лет назад +5

      Sweep pick with multiple notes on each string.... like let’s say you have 2 notes on your high E string, 1 note on the B, 2 notes on the G, 3 notes on the D, 1 note on the A, and 2 notes on the low E..... The problem is not my fretting hand it is my picking hand. The main issue about the picking is having to pause on a string with multiple note on it and then moving to the next using the sweeping technique...... Can you help me?

    • @CrackoorZ
      @CrackoorZ 6 лет назад +1

      This is a really good exercise for guitarists. You could do the same thing with scale and integrate the learning scales. I am practicing it with that. Have you got lessons on how to sweep?

    • @Jn1spion
      @Jn1spion 6 лет назад +10

      Legatos, How to get good sounding and consistent pull-offs and hammer-ons would be really useful

  • @guitarofdestiny
    @guitarofdestiny 5 лет назад +661

    Exercise:
    6:40 ascending
    8:47 descending
    12:19 variation

    • @basementmicrowave3989
      @basementmicrowave3989 4 года назад +13

      Underrated comment, thanks.

    • @-AdiKsOn-
      @-AdiKsOn- 4 года назад +6

      You are my hero
      No homo

    • @blizzbee
      @blizzbee 4 года назад +12

      This exercise sounds like an upset giant mosquito flying around in the room.

    • @mosadni
      @mosadni 4 года назад

      R&R has no P

    • @arnabghose5441
      @arnabghose5441 4 года назад +1

      thanks man

  • @traveandre8877
    @traveandre8877 5 лет назад +687

    I just tried the punisher for the first time and my hand packed up her things and left me

    • @Jonathan-L
      @Jonathan-L 4 года назад +63

      Think yourself lucky, things could have been worse. She could have taken your house and your last name as well!

    • @sinnisyt
      @sinnisyt 4 года назад +11

      I think you literally just described my biggest fears.
      Including my hand leaving me and not wanting my last name. Tha fuq.
      I FED YOU.

    • @barberologycollegeofbarber3366
      @barberologycollegeofbarber3366 4 года назад

      Jonathan L ooooooojooooooo

    • @barberologycollegeofbarber3366
      @barberologycollegeofbarber3366 4 года назад

      Jonathan L oojoooooooooooojooooojotttrtt

    • @JPJamster
      @JPJamster 4 года назад +4

      LOL, try the spider exercise as well haha

  • @seelvus7771
    @seelvus7771 4 года назад +234

    I’ve been playing for 7 years and I’ve always struggled with alternate picking.
    I watched this video along with the chunking one, and it all finally clicked and I am making massive gains within hours.
    I cannot thank you enough Ben, your channel is a treasure.

    • @bobravenscraft5376
      @bobravenscraft5376 4 года назад +5

      Alternate picking should be second nature. Keep it up its as easy as breathing. Peace

    • @anjanakottaiveedu6416
      @anjanakottaiveedu6416 4 года назад +5

      Omg same. When I was first learning I hated it so never practiced. Now 10 years late I really regret it

    • @paulcasilio1119
      @paulcasilio1119 4 года назад +1

      AzzalFox hang in there. Honestly, repetition and patience will make all the difference.

    • @shredit_nyc
      @shredit_nyc 4 года назад +3

      Can you share the title of the "chunking one"? Very curious. Thanks!

    • @gamingseason4252
      @gamingseason4252 4 года назад

      You ain’t gotta lie to kiss ass bro

  • @FreddyonAcid
    @FreddyonAcid 4 года назад +106

    Uncle Ben is officially my unofficial guitar instructor, officially.

  • @DanDelVecchio
    @DanDelVecchio 5 лет назад +15

    As a guitar teacher myself, I greatly benefited from this. Never ever too late to stop learning new things. Well done.

  • @n8milliken
    @n8milliken 6 лет назад +183

    Shows us a practice exercise... plays the riff Slayer has been trying to compose for thirty years.

  • @DavidDiMuzio
    @DavidDiMuzio 5 лет назад +113

    ...so that's why my legs are still skinny!

  • @Cam-yp7cn
    @Cam-yp7cn 6 лет назад +502

    I definitely wanna get 2 birds stoned at once. I’m not the best at book learnin but I got my grade 10.

    • @sethride9042
      @sethride9042 6 лет назад +7

      Cameron Fisher you think season 12 was the last season

    • @danielgrohl6971
      @danielgrohl6971 6 лет назад +4

      i would much rather be Uncle Bens 49 year old kid than pick like a step dad for all my days to get the respect of my real dad when attempting to do something harder than Chinese algebra ;)

    • @fullmetalmma
      @fullmetalmma 6 лет назад +22

      the fukn way she goes

    • @AlanJWatkins
      @AlanJWatkins 6 лет назад +11

      my fav rickyism

    • @outallnightTV
      @outallnightTV 6 лет назад +11

      Time to turnips in heat boys

  • @mathewkyser3903
    @mathewkyser3903 4 года назад +34

    I think this exercise has really impacted my playing. Over the past year my alternate picking has transformed from something my stepdad would not approve of to something that may bring my biological-stepdad back from the corner store. Once I get sweeping down I may actually be able to nail some of those intense Dethklok songs. Thanks Uncle Ben.

  • @woolgum
    @woolgum 5 лет назад +334

    I usually practice unplugged while watching series or movies.

    • @Nomadicsage1
      @Nomadicsage1 5 лет назад +40

      I do the same thing,kills the monotony of picking exercises.

    • @stoOberp
      @stoOberp 5 лет назад +26

      you should be concentrating on the muscles your using, but practice is still practice

    • @benparsons4979
      @benparsons4979 5 лет назад +20

      @@stoOberp it should become muscle memory after a while

    • @stoOberp
      @stoOberp 5 лет назад +50

      @@benparsons4979 it will become muslce memory alot faster if you dont watch TV Haha

    • @dalvoenriquescarpa
      @dalvoenriquescarpa 5 лет назад

      me too!

  • @waltersmetak
    @waltersmetak 6 лет назад +205

    This can easily drive one to the edge of insanity in no time.....

    • @snogglemonkey
      @snogglemonkey 6 лет назад +21

      I hear you ! It's about as melodic as a car crash...heheheh

    • @naycnay
      @naycnay 6 лет назад +12

      Add some delay and a phaser. That'll help.

    • @danilobatista1329
      @danilobatista1329 5 лет назад +6

      Yep, ! but keeping Focus you achieve ZEN
      That's the challenge, and thats where practice growth happens.

  • @AndriyVasylenko
    @AndriyVasylenko 6 лет назад +146

    This is also a great combo exercise for 2-finger bass technique. “Index or middle finger” is similar to “up or down” problem. I call the skill of moving easy in all direction “symmetry”. Been practicing “The Punisher” (damn, such a cool name) in different variations for several years, and it keeps my hands in shape, especially when I can’t practice a lot (well, it’s always now). Thanks for the video, Uncle Ben!

    • @RadityoPramAdi
      @RadityoPramAdi 6 лет назад +1

      I see your point! I will try this.

    • @Cthulhu_Awaken
      @Cthulhu_Awaken 6 лет назад +1

      Andriy Vasylenko I've always wondered if there's a channel like yours but about guitar. I think Ben is fine, but sometimes also too specific and covers stuff a beginner like me can't relate yet.

    • @recipoldinasty
      @recipoldinasty 5 лет назад +3

      Andriy Vasylenko hi frrrriend

    • @bryanlettow4389
      @bryanlettow4389 5 лет назад

      Love your videos!

  • @surfdigby
    @surfdigby 6 лет назад +58

    Been using this picking pattern as a warm up for years, and I usually follow it up with this one.
    A ---------------1--------------2---------------3---------------4-
    E ---1-2-3-4----2-3-4--1----3-4--1-2-----4--1-2-3-----After this "set", move it up to the A and D strings, and then the D and G strings, and so on. To descend, just play the thing in reverse.

    • @marcelsenkowski8566
      @marcelsenkowski8566 5 лет назад

      Amazing! Thanks man!

    • @digitos000
      @digitos000 5 лет назад

      That's a great warm up for the hand that goes on the fretboard thank you!!!

  • @spivvo
    @spivvo 5 лет назад +39

    Reverse Cow Girl :).... I;m 54, this stuff is brilliant.... just quit my job so I can do more of this stuff!

  • @mikekovacevic9337
    @mikekovacevic9337 4 года назад +20

    I actually came up with that exact same exercise when I was visiting in Serbia back in 1993. Except I named it the confusion breaker because of its complex pattern. I used it for a long time as a warm up. What a coincidence! Lol

  • @loweffortproductions1985
    @loweffortproductions1985 6 лет назад +71

    I like the Punisher because not only is it extremely useful to practice, but the dissonant melody is a lot more intresting than just straight chromatic.

    • @clarkfeeley1959
      @clarkfeeley1959 5 лет назад +2

      It's not chromatic, he's missing a note on every string change except G to B.
      It's also a complete waste of time.

    • @matthewboyea
      @matthewboyea 5 лет назад +6

      @@clarkfeeley1959 i wouldnt say its useless, maybe for you, but its really good for separating the fingers, and also good for practicing string skipping and alternate picking (obv). and it is technically chromatic, cuz the notes dont follow a scale and they are in ascending order (doesnt matter if he skips a note except g to b).

    • @clemclemson9259
      @clemclemson9259 Год назад +1

      @@clarkfeeley1959 he said its more intersting than just chromatic bro not that is was chromatic LMAO-

  • @MrMetalhorse
    @MrMetalhorse 6 лет назад +556

    I feel so bad for you Uncle Ben.
    You had to practice those crappy exercises for hours back in the day.
    Us kids are lucky to be born in a time where we can have Uncle Ben and Master Troy Grady to give us the secret to shred awesomeness.

    • @BenEller
      @BenEller  6 лет назад +102

      Mr. Metalhorse hahaha I suffered so you don’t have to!!!

    • @serph2951
      @serph2951 6 лет назад +1

      True

    • @vlt873
      @vlt873 6 лет назад +22

      Ben Eller guitar Jesus

    • @furryz666
      @furryz666 6 лет назад +10

      Dude I’m so sick of Troy Grady I’m 55 and have met many stylists that play with great speed and articulation I often show struggling pickers that you can plat this stuff flat picking thumb and forefinger, thumb and middle finger, thumb and 3rd or 4th even holding the pick between any 2 fingers and fanning, no pick legato, hybrid, round picks, coins, palm mounting at the bridge, finger mounting like Michael Angelo Batio, no mount float, whatever, I once used the “stylus” pick for over a year it was probably the time of my cleanest and fastest playing and there was 0 tilt or goofy rules you just do it till it sounds like a balloon in the spokes of your bike to quote Paul Gilbert

    • @MrMetalhorse
      @MrMetalhorse 6 лет назад +1

      Furryz I'd like to see that.
      I bet that we would be able to see that you don't actually use a flat picking angle when you shred you just think you do. The movements are necessary man.

  • @TimothyPage06
    @TimothyPage06 6 лет назад +22

    The one thing that really struck me the most in this video is how you brought up practicing with distortion. I always remember the 'rule' when I started guitar was 'always practice clean, the distortion will cover up your playing!". Let me tell you, I played only jazz for close to a decade, I didn't even buy a gain pedal until about 3 years ago, and what struck me first was that I sounded TERRIBLE the moment I turned it on. Like a decade of clean, practiced picking went out the window and I was baring every technical deficiency I had to the world.

    • @MartinDee2000
      @MartinDee2000 5 лет назад +2

      So you're saying the exercises you played clean for a decade sounded fine, but when you bought the gain pedal it made you realize what? That you actually play sloppy? And somehow the distorted sound made that apparent? Have I got that right?

    • @truedarklander
      @truedarklander 4 года назад +1

      @@MartinDee2000 yes

    • @FacePomagranate
      @FacePomagranate 4 года назад

      If you really think about it, distortion will bring out more imperfections than it will hide. Distortion compresses your sound, so quiet mistakes get louder, plus it amplifies non-linearly, meaning unwanted frequencies will be created anytime there's a stray open string or harmonic ringing out.

    • @derekcampbell4209
      @derekcampbell4209 10 месяцев назад

      Same here! I played mainly cleans and lately have been getting into a lot of metal guitar. And there’s just minor little things that having high gain has made me realize I do. Just little sloppy imperfections I wouldn’t hear when playing clean. But I like the “think AC/DC” tone. Not to distorted. Not to clean.

  • @djtokin3621
    @djtokin3621 6 месяцев назад +1

    I watched this video 6 years ago and it changed my playing for ever, this exercise is truly one of the best Ive ever praticed

    • @BenEller
      @BenEller  6 месяцев назад

      I’m so happy to hear that. Cheers!

  • @weightoawesome3455
    @weightoawesome3455 Год назад +3

    “2 birds stoned at once.” Lol dude I was laughing so hard when you said that. Love you brother!

  • @TobyKBTY
    @TobyKBTY 6 лет назад +69

    ....I was literally doing the typical chromatic exercise a few moments ago when I decided to practice while watching your video. Ah well, time to reaffirm how much I suck with good ol' Uncle Ben! :D

  • @SCBiscuit13
    @SCBiscuit13 6 лет назад +55

    Thanks Uncle Ben for reminding me again why I suck at guitar.

  • @devc358437
    @devc358437 6 лет назад +59

    Two birds stoned at once. And doing the piledriver and reverse cowgirl had me dying. Love your videos

    • @adamprovo5964
      @adamprovo5964 5 лет назад

      Trailer Park Boys made that saying popular. Hilarious.

  • @fredsanford2952
    @fredsanford2952 3 года назад +4

    The four notes per string exercise is still a great exercise and I use it with my students, but it's not for building speed in your picking hand. (At least it shouldn't be.) The point of the exercise is to create perfect LH/RH synchronization. Developing this technique with a metronome makes chord changes, jumping in and back out of solos, etc., much smoother and gives you a sense of spare time / space between changes.

  • @mikeriesco6174
    @mikeriesco6174 5 лет назад +2

    Great exercise! But 1 suggestion -- when I hear your new pattern, I hear it in 5's, not in 4's (12345 - 12345 - 12345...). I think it'd be easier for students to understand it if you teach it that way - after you hit the "5", you then go down to a new starting (low) note and repeat the pattern of 5, but 1/2-step higher - and so on. Just a thought -- great lesson!

  • @Xtrememan512
    @Xtrememan512 6 лет назад +11

    The "Never ending story" song low key in the background, nice work! Quite ironic as well, as we guitarplayers always will find new ways to practice, complain, practice again. It's a never ending story! Cheers

  • @Tanglangfa
    @Tanglangfa 6 лет назад +88

    You can kill three birds by doing this with actual scales/modes. And again with chord tones. Nice exercise!

  • @funnyolsgaming1819
    @funnyolsgaming1819 5 лет назад +162

    That gym reference hit way too hard.

    • @hhattingh
      @hhattingh 5 лет назад +10

      Everyday is chest and arms day bru

    • @yeetspageet5679
      @yeetspageet5679 5 лет назад +19

      hph081000 The Brofessor just confirmed that every day is in-fact armday.

    • @asdfghjkldfghjhgcgyuigfyui9792
      @asdfghjkldfghjhgcgyuigfyui9792 5 лет назад +1

      not me. I have massive legs

    • @adls04
      @adls04 5 лет назад

      Ypu arent reading the swoly bible

    • @spartacus09ful
      @spartacus09ful 4 года назад

      Don't forget leg day johnny bravo

  • @Nightwalk444
    @Nightwalk444 5 лет назад +289

    "chromatic 4 string exercise your step-dad showed you" lmao

    • @dobermandude2522
      @dobermandude2522 5 лет назад +1

      No it was my Grand dad....LOL!

    • @fiachoconnor
      @fiachoconnor 4 года назад +10

      Later he's say "if you want your real dad to respect you again...." f**kin hilarious

    • @szymonbalcer
      @szymonbalcer 4 года назад +1

      But John Petrucci showed it to me :((

    • @jamiebakos816
      @jamiebakos816 4 года назад

      THE river shen? Its an honor, sir!

    • @behindthen0thing525
      @behindthen0thing525 3 года назад

      @@szymonbalcer he's a hack!

  • @dillavou444
    @dillavou444 6 лет назад +351

    I hate you for this. Thank you.

    • @Gottiline_Ace
      @Gottiline_Ace 5 лет назад +5

      He saved me a whole lot of brain cells and hours of coming up with my own little "exercise" to get me to the next level. They are definitely PUNISHERS!!! LOL

  • @danielhughes3758
    @danielhughes3758 6 лет назад +8

    GREAT metaphor with the gym there. This definitely explains my lack of technical improvement lately.

  • @Dzyndzyryndzy
    @Dzyndzyryndzy 6 лет назад +4

    Great stuff dude! I've also tried an exercise by Steve morse: do the chromatic, but use only 3 positions/fingers instead of 4. That breaks the symmetry and makes you once start from a downstroke and another string with an upstroke. Once again: great content, uncle!

  • @gstube1
    @gstube1 5 лет назад +75

    Originally part of Steve Vai's 8 hour practice routine!

    • @KingTabor
      @KingTabor 5 лет назад +1

      gstube1 indeed

    • @breadyegg
      @breadyegg 4 года назад +1

      boy, that is going back a bit

    • @richiekmusic-nottinghamgui6045
      @richiekmusic-nottinghamgui6045 4 года назад

      @@breadyegg Guitar World c1990.....or thereabouts

    • @SheaRecordmetal
      @SheaRecordmetal 4 года назад +1

      Yup. I remember that. I have a book of tabs i printed out 15 years ago. VAI’s 10 hour workout is in there. This was the first exercise if i recall.

  • @AndyPanda9
    @AndyPanda9 5 лет назад +14

    This is really a helpful exercise. I've been working on the punisher where you skip over a string and it's really a great workout. In fact it has an added bonus - - I have annoying neighbors who like to hang out right next to my house and they yell and scream and annoy the hell out of me. I just turn up my amp a little and 5 minutes of that string skipping exercise gets them to go somewhere else! Thanks for such a useful exercise!

    • @zenvideoscanada5245
      @zenvideoscanada5245 5 лет назад

      LMAO@ 5 minutes of that string skipping exercise gets them to go somewhere else! That's funny :)

  • @BlitzFireSaber
    @BlitzFireSaber 6 лет назад +13

    About time you made more video's on this series, I've learned alot, keep up the great work.

  • @ChainsawChristmas
    @ChainsawChristmas 6 лет назад +76

    I think the expression "Practice makes perfect" is deceiving. "Perfect practice makes perfect" is more accurate IMO.

    • @abstractheory1
      @abstractheory1 5 лет назад +5

      So profound and deep. You’re blowin’ minds, kid.

    • @FuzzCHRISYFuzz
      @FuzzCHRISYFuzz 5 лет назад

      I made that up 😒

    • @squeece
      @squeece 5 лет назад +1

      My orchestra teacher in school always used to tell me that lol. Practice doesn't make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect.

    • @xx-knight-xx2119
      @xx-knight-xx2119 5 лет назад +4

      My band director used to say all the time "practice makes habit." So you can practice and pick up bad habits that have to be undone later.

    • @yourbeardispatchyaf
      @yourbeardispatchyaf 4 года назад +1

      Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.

  • @axeofcreation
    @axeofcreation 6 лет назад +123

    You and me both. Damn you, Petrucci!

    • @UrbanPlumbers
      @UrbanPlumbers 6 лет назад +10

      Rock Discipline - got a feeling it was all done on purpose ;) Hold the suckers back.

    • @guitarnoob4568
      @guitarnoob4568 6 лет назад +22

      To be fair, rock discipline did cover quite a lot of string changing and skipping picking exercises

    • @vinlander8484
      @vinlander8484 6 лет назад

      the speed bursts helped me though

    • @m15t3r_n8
      @m15t3r_n8 6 лет назад +2

      The major arpeggio exercise, hitting the same note multiple times that was just after the chromatic excersize on RD was a way better picking excersize... if you had just watched the whole video...
      Edit: Example 4; about 17 minutes into the video, great exercise.
      I'm still gonna blast my digits with "THE PUNISHER" tho, looks sweet.
      Another great exercise for string-skipping alternate picking is Jeff Waters' Spiderwalk excersize... what a finger destroyer
      ruclips.net/video/vrErZdZaGpw/видео.html

  • @AashmanThakur
    @AashmanThakur 4 года назад +70

    This Guy Just Directly Told Me That I Suck.

  • @Guithulhu
    @Guithulhu 5 лет назад +38

    The reverse cowgirl part is still uncomfortable. Makes my capo tired.

  • @mutantkoffee
    @mutantkoffee 6 лет назад +73

    Gracias Tio Ben.

    • @BenEller
      @BenEller  6 лет назад +37

      LycanElite de nada!

    • @lautix
      @lautix 5 лет назад

      Hablas español? Jaja

    • @MoztrOsauriO
      @MoztrOsauriO 5 лет назад

      Ben Eller made a spanish tuto

    • @franagustin3094
      @franagustin3094 5 лет назад

      @@BenEller Sos un capo che

  • @ThompsonOG
    @ThompsonOG 6 лет назад +6

    Cool idea man, I've never looked at it from this perspective, makes a lot of sense

  • @MAGAMAN
    @MAGAMAN 6 лет назад +21

    I've always wondered why people practice things they will never play in a song. It's like practicing soccer when you want to get good at baseball.
    To practice, you should practice with actual scales. Pick a key and start with open low E and work your way up in whatever pattern you chose until you hit the high E string, then go back down. Next move to F or F# depending on the key you are playing in. You can do all sorts of patterns, including string skipping, playing 4 notes per string (E,F,G,A on the E string, then B,C,D,E on the a string, etc.), play the notes backwards while going up the neck, or strings (a,g,f,e then b,a,g,f, then c,b,a,g, etc.) use weird fretting patterns such as shown in this video, play in 3, 4, 5 and 6 note patterns (e,f,g,a, f,g,a,b then e,f,g,a,b, f,g,a,b,c, then e,f,g,a,b,c, f,g,a,b,c,d, etc.).
    One of the best things you can do while learning a solo is pick all the parts that are very hard and make finger exercise out of them. Pick small parts that are extremely difficult to play and play them over and over until they become easy. Mr. Scary is a great example of this. He said that opening part was very difficult for him, so to get better at it, play that part over and over until it is no longer difficult.
    If you practice playing things you never want to play, you will get really good at playing things you never want to play. Practice playing things you want to play and you will get good at playing the things you want to play.

    • @tonysouthdakotaha8728
      @tonysouthdakotaha8728 6 лет назад

      MAGA MAN
      Awesome advice. Hail!

    • @bryanlettow4389
      @bryanlettow4389 5 лет назад +1

      Reminds me of what Guthrie Govan says

    • @aryapanjidwiputra554
      @aryapanjidwiputra554 4 года назад

      Indeed, very effective. I used sidewinder accoustic solo for exercise when i started playing guitar, quite good improvement

  • @tedhinklater3203
    @tedhinklater3203 4 года назад +1

    hey man I've been doing that petrucci chromatic exercise for like 12 years and never even realised I was only working the V and never the Λ - thank you so much it's lessons like this that are game-changers!

  • @lxf9914
    @lxf9914 4 года назад

    Yes best picking exercise I've found! Thank you. If you get good enough also try the varieties combining finger independence of the left hand with this right hand pick motion:
    |-1-2-3-4--1-2-4-3--1-3-2-4--1-3-4-2--1-4-2-3--1-4-3-2----| this set all starts on the 1st finger
    |-2-1-3-4--2-1-4-3--2-3-1-4--2-3-4-1--2-4-1-3--2-4-3-1----| this set all starts on the 2nd finger
    |-3-1-2-4--3-1-4-2--3-2-1-4--3-2-4-1--3-4-1-2--3-4-2-1----| this set starts with the ring finger
    |-4-1-2-3--4-1-3-2--4-2-1-3--4-2-3-1--4-3-1-2--4-3-2-1----| this set starts with the pinkey finger
    Each set for the punisher pick pattern AND string skipping! Add a metronome for fun! And for another level up do so in triplet feel :)
    So that's:
    level 1 the punisher ascending
    level 2 the punisher desending
    level 3 string skipping
    level 4 variations of finger independence
    level 5 variations with string skipping
    level 6 up metronome
    level 7 triplet feel!

  • @jsk8et
    @jsk8et 6 лет назад +6

    That punisher thing is a lot like an exercise Guitar World published from Steve Vai's legendary 8 hour practice regimens. Great type of exercise for sure and worthwhile to share! Now I need to go do it again...

  • @Metalltool
    @Metalltool 6 лет назад +13

    It sounds even more crap than the regular chromatic exercise, but it makes so much sense and I can really tell this'll work! Thanks dude, much apreciated

    • @Aaron-oq9qg
      @Aaron-oq9qg 6 лет назад +3

      I think it sounds kinda sinister.

  • @bobsullivan5714
    @bobsullivan5714 5 лет назад +7

    Are you sure I suck at guitar? I mean, i have never played a guitar. Who knows, I might be great! Can I borrow your guitar?
    *Actually:*
    Your video makes a good point. Muscle memory learning CAN work against us depending on what repetitions we are chosing....

  • @BluStrat22
    @BluStrat22 5 лет назад +2

    Hi Ben! Wanted to say thanks for this. I have been playing 30 years, and have always been more of a left hand fretting player...lots of legato. Efficient picking has always been a bug-a-boo for me. Recently I decided to try and focus on getting better at it, and your vid here really opened a big door. Just an hour or so into it and I already can feel a big difference. thanks so much for your extremely helpful insight!!!

  • @danarchey8679
    @danarchey8679 3 года назад +1

    Good exercise but you could still spend a lot of time on it. But I have found bigger gains working on speed with one string...then two..then three and so on until you master speed itself it becomes just as big of a hurdle. Thoughts?

  • @TobyKBTY
    @TobyKBTY 6 лет назад +19

    Holy hell the ascending version of this is tricky as hell. This'll be a GREAT exercise to get down!

    • @Wren6991
      @Wren6991 6 лет назад +1

      Toby K. If you start on a downstroke, The Punisher is inside-picking on the ascent, and outside-picking on the descent, which might be why ascending is harder. You can experiment with starting this exercise on an upstroke, and confirm that descending becomes harder :)

  • @jansley13
    @jansley13 5 лет назад +3

    I have started to notice some improvements in my playing already w only a few days subscribed. Appreciate your channel. Thank you

  • @mohamedsarhan4215
    @mohamedsarhan4215 5 лет назад +6

    Thanks a lot for this incredible exercise. I’m Mo from egypt

  • @jollyvoqar195
    @jollyvoqar195 4 года назад

    That chromatic thing is awesome.
    As a warm up exercise you do for a few minutes before you actually start playing. At least for me it is, with a few variations, since I'm old and the day of picking up a guitar anytime and playing anything are behind me.

  • @dashking5059
    @dashking5059 4 года назад +1

    I'm intermediate player and I
    struggle covering Petrucci Solo's at full speed. I'm adding this exercise to my daily routine and hope this helps me nail all those solos. Thank you

  • @paimannamazi3064
    @paimannamazi3064 5 лет назад +11

    Yes I have a dilemma since I was 14, and now I'm 54 years old LOL I took private lessons once a week in the back of a guitar shop in Queens New York in the late seventies.
    I stopped taking the lessons once I reach the circle of fifths because I just could not understand how the application did its job. And I'm not exaggerating, till this day with the Advent of the internet, I still can't find anyone who could give me a satisfactory explanation.
    It's ironic because every lesson prior to that went just fine, maybe I had some trouble with this one or whatever but I eventually learned the part...and in this case it isn't true.
    I kind of get the idea of it but the part again, once again, no one has shown me how to apply it to Any Given song, I Don't Care What song you choose, I don't care what backing track you choose I don't care what Rhythm key whatever you use, just show me how it's used in a song and I'll personally fly to your place just to shake your hand. LOL

    • @kidsworldstorytime4885
      @kidsworldstorytime4885 5 лет назад

      What’s the circle of 5ths?

    • @ashleysteen5678
      @ashleysteen5678 5 лет назад +6

      The circle of fifths is actually good for harmonizing your riffs and music. The best way to visualize it, buy or draw a piano keyboard the notes on a keyboard is linear and not fluid like a guitar. Now start on the note of c, go five notes up you land on g. C chord is comprise of three notes, c e g. C is the root and g is the emphasizes. E is the note that blends them, the harmonizer. To find a chord on a piano the formula is starting on the c note go up three keys to e and two to g. You would say this formula, 1 2 3 play, (e note), 1 2 play, (g note). So if you're playing a riff in c and want to jump up to enrich the riff, you would go to g. The circle of fifths is to help you to learn chords, and compose music. Now look at the c note on the wheel of fifths, it's opposite is f#. So if I was composing a song and there was a chord jump from c to f#, I would want to transition from c chord to possible the a chord and go to f#. Honestly the guitar is a very fluid instrument, and even knowing a great deal of music theory, it gets confusing for me, because the notes are so fluid and honestly they are infinite, that is why there's mostly one way to play a piano but so many techniques to a guitar. If I was to teach the circle of fifths I would do it on a piano and not the guitar. I just started a month ago and I used the technique of finding chords on a piano to help me find them on the guitar and I'm realising why people feel it is so hard, the infinite ways to play a chord is undaunting. But to answer your question everytime you hear a chord played it is because it follows the rule of fifths. If you really want to learn it get a piano or a cheap keyboard, play it out first on there and then, when you play your guitar you will see the correlation to the strings. That's the best way I can explain it. Get a keyboard and look at the notes you are playing and when it hits you, man you will open up that axe, and play like you sold your soul at the crossroads. You will play and blend riffs like you are meant to. Like I said though it took a month just playing chords, no songs, three hours a day and then I dragged out my keyboard, because I was so mad at not figuring out how to blend the chords, and in two hours at staring at the guitar, getting mad, I started back to square one and asked, this question, what do it have in common? Then I figured out the sweet chords and how to blend in two days. It's not easy, it's how you look at it and what do you ask of it. Just get a keyboard, that's the important part to seeing it though.

  • @SKiNGE88
    @SKiNGE88 5 лет назад +3

    So brilliant. I can feel it working already 😁👍

  • @professorchurros3199
    @professorchurros3199 4 года назад +5

    tried the punisher down and was like oh ok that's pretty easy, tried back up... nope

  • @fredfunf3456
    @fredfunf3456 4 года назад

    I wrote out all the various finger combinations many years ago 1234 1324 1243 etc . I open the notebook pick one and work through it like you do in the punisher with string skipping etc. Great warm ups. You can be creative with this across the strings too by turning into chords. This can be used as a compositional device as you can come up with original sounds that you just wouldn't have come up with in your usual approach. I also try and come up with licks using this approach and try and resolve them around chords. These exercises are slammed by a lot of musicians but can be very fruitful indeed and i believe Holdsworth had a similar approach to patterns on the fretboard.

  • @gordonmcewen2661
    @gordonmcewen2661 5 лет назад +1

    There is a very good reason for practising the 4-notes-on-each-string-downwards - You'll soon master the solo in 'Rock Around The Clock', a very important party or pub gig number.

  • @Sixxiron
    @Sixxiron 4 года назад +8

    “The reverse cowgirl” I’m DEAD!!!

  • @jlsdust
    @jlsdust 5 лет назад +9

    "harder than Chinese algebra" lol... Being working on economy picking speed. This are Great exercises.

  • @Sodacake
    @Sodacake 6 лет назад +6

    That Punisher riff really reminds me of Erotomania.

  • @mikemilone9138
    @mikemilone9138 5 лет назад +1

    Only been playing for a few weeks, and EVEEEERY OOOOONE told me to practice the simple run. This is 1000% better. Definitely changing my warm up to this.

  • @nospam1583
    @nospam1583 4 года назад +1

    Great exercise for warm up and stretch but with so many picking variables, I always found that I gained the most progress by muscling through and learning a variety of my favorite riffs.

  • @Moozart
    @Moozart 6 лет назад +4

    Thanks, Uncle Ben! You're the best.

  • @drockvaashon1
    @drockvaashon1 6 лет назад +79

    "Or you can get two birds stoned at once." Ha!

    • @tasosdiaforetico7377
      @tasosdiaforetico7377 4 года назад

      It was great I know it in Chinese. Useful proverb. As a guitar teacher I have too say this is a great lesson. So we'll explained

    • @californiamonster8877
      @californiamonster8877 4 года назад +3

      Trailer park boys Randy

    • @newthrash1221
      @newthrash1221 4 года назад +5

      Max Pinto
      It’s from trailer park boys.
      Ricky says it, not randy.

    • @stevet.4974
      @stevet.4974 4 года назад

      I caught that too

    • @zenistermister9695
      @zenistermister9695 4 года назад +3

      It's a Rickyism. TPB! 🤘

  • @stevenaustin4591
    @stevenaustin4591 5 лет назад +10

    alternatively you can just play 3 note per string scales, you'll get your alternating picking both starting on up, and down, and you'll also have useful notes depending on what key you'll play in.

    • @antdujar
      @antdujar 5 лет назад

      Agreed.

    • @balrogDCLXVI
      @balrogDCLXVI 4 года назад

      Right, and you can do that at a reasonable speed quite soon, while this exercise can take hours to master on the fret hand

  • @vatsaakhil
    @vatsaakhil 5 лет назад +1

    Punisher exercise has made me improve a lot! It's the number one exercise that helped me get better at alternate picking, thanks Uncle Ben!

  • @Zanzibarbarian88
    @Zanzibarbarian88 5 лет назад

    A string skipping exercise I like is playing the notes of a barre chord, one at a time, starting from the low E and string-skipping up. So for example, A note (on low E, position 5), A note (D string), E note (A string), C# (G string), A (D string), E (B string), C# (G string), A (high E), followed by C# on the high E string. Then follow the same pattern downwards (C#, E, A, C#, E, A, A). Then to make it harder, do two notes at a time (e.g. AA, AA, EE, C#C#, etc.), then three notes at a time (which forces you to do both downstroke -> string skip AND upstroke -> string skip), then four notes at time. Shit's killer on your picking muscles.

  • @chadmwest
    @chadmwest 6 лет назад +15

    "Get two birds stoned at once," lol.

  • @MartinRodriguez-fk5jk
    @MartinRodriguez-fk5jk 5 лет назад +19

    I've got the ultimate punisher, first you go to the string below, then u skip 1 string, then u skip 2 strings, until you do it in the low E n jump to de high E!!!

    • @johncarlonagulada6855
      @johncarlonagulada6855 5 лет назад

      😲

    • @benitov6471
      @benitov6471 5 лет назад +21

      Then you get a double neck guitar and jump between necks!

    • @MartinRodriguez-fk5jk
      @MartinRodriguez-fk5jk 5 лет назад

      @@benitov6471 That's the spirit! 🤘

    • @chrisbrewer7149
      @chrisbrewer7149 4 года назад

      My brother showed me that too . I think it's easier to remember also .

    • @blizzbee
      @blizzbee 4 года назад

      You don't master it untill you play it at 300BPM sixteenth note

  • @RetroHaul
    @RetroHaul 5 лет назад +18

    I see Steve Vai and Frank Zappa on the wall, i approve

  • @joshualoveless20
    @joshualoveless20 5 лет назад +1

    Amen Brother! I've been struggling to break myself of this habbit.
    I'll apply your exercise and hope for the best, I recommend doing any finger streaching or picking exercise on an Acoustic guitar at first, until you have it memorized. Then when you play it on an electric it will be that much easier.
    Keep on Rocking in the Free World!

  • @Doggy-B
    @Doggy-B 5 лет назад +1

    After watching your video on hand synchronisation yesterday and making substantial gains during my practice session I have watched this video today and I am able to attempt the punisher almost instantly without fail (modest tempo) 👌🤘😎

  • @oisinmcphillips2090
    @oisinmcphillips2090 6 лет назад +13

    it is back, excellent

  • @marielove5606
    @marielove5606 6 лет назад +4

    Yes! I knew something was amiss in my life! It was Uncle Ben telling me I suck!

  • @inewsome4323
    @inewsome4323 5 лет назад +44

    Ah love the rickyism
    Get 2 birds stoned at once 😂

    • @larswalther1902
      @larswalther1902 5 лет назад +5

      Lol I'm disappointed no one else in this comments section has mentioned it. One of the best shows I've ever watched. And re-watched, re-re-watched etc) 😂

    • @inewsome4323
      @inewsome4323 5 лет назад +1

      @@larswalther1902 and rewatched and rewatched 😂

    • @bobbyincidemetal
      @bobbyincidemetal 4 года назад +1

      It was great.

    • @stephengreico2810
      @stephengreico2810 4 года назад +1

      Why have a couple of shit branches when you can have the whole shit trolly?

    • @Galactic613
      @Galactic613 3 года назад

      Stephen Greico nice shit analogy rick

  • @jamesmccormick875
    @jamesmccormick875 3 года назад

    I completely agree with you about the tone/ amount of distortion you use when practicing these types of exercises. It makes a giant difference.

  • @bigtsshackfestival9563
    @bigtsshackfestival9563 5 лет назад

    I’m a tele guy and not big on metal ....... but I absolutely loved this lesson. Soooo true man. Dude is dead on and a really smart player. Kick ass lessons man. I got that sub. . Thanks main !!!

  • @HarlanHarvey76
    @HarlanHarvey76 5 лет назад +3

    Need a string skipping alternate picking practice routine....oops.. there it is..thx
    I always learned to practice properly at the speed you can run but take a minute to practice blazing beyond your ability everyday too. You will start surprising yourself.

    • @Nomadicsage1
      @Nomadicsage1 5 лет назад

      I agree,always try to rip for a few exercises even if it sounds sloppy. I didn't develop speed until I started pushing my speed.

  • @EvandroEstima
    @EvandroEstima 4 года назад +6

    Best alt picking exercise: flight of the Bumblebee

  • @knyggaplease1222
    @knyggaplease1222 4 года назад +12

    Practice makes permanent, my dude.
    Only perfect practice makes perfect.
    Sh!t practice yields eternal excrement.
    Anyway, thanks for this. Maybe I'll finally git gud now.

  • @Simotin
    @Simotin 4 года назад +1

    I just yesterday thought about starting it with up stroke! Nice to hear that there are real benefits to it.
    Gotta nail those Gothenburg-style riffs someday

  • @sellandinho
    @sellandinho 5 лет назад

    This video is over 1 year old, but I found it just now, and I will certainly be using that "modified" spider excercise instead of the old one I've been using. Thank you for showing!

  • @bestboy897
    @bestboy897 6 лет назад +135

    This exercise is harder than my stepdad

    • @paulbeahm3891
      @paulbeahm3891 5 лет назад +1

      69 likes

    • @somos6430
      @somos6430 5 лет назад +1

      @DeSalvo 😂😂😂

    • @jackbenson8228
      @jackbenson8228 3 года назад

      @Charles X coming form a guy who says YALL, that's pretty hilarious

  • @rosshealea
    @rosshealea 5 лет назад +3

    Is that the ghost of "neverending story" I hear tastefully in the background??!!

  • @AndreiGrozea
    @AndreiGrozea 6 лет назад +13

    my brain hurts
    edit: it doesn't hurt anymore. practicing is wonderful.

  • @jasonstallworth
    @jasonstallworth 5 лет назад

    Solid lesson man! Those boring routines are ok for warming up but we have to expand far beyond that

  • @joehessey7556
    @joehessey7556 5 лет назад +1

    Thank you. I appreciate the time you put in to these videos. I have been doing the 1234 chromatic for a while now, and noticed a drop off of progress for a while and just figured i needed to put more time in the same warm up exercise. This helped big time when I found it, and a couple of people I know found it useful as well. Thanks again.

  • @DiligentDopamineDude
    @DiligentDopamineDude 4 года назад +10

    I want my real dad to respect me so I’m going to start doing this.

  • @michaelklym7043
    @michaelklym7043 5 лет назад +5

    So when he's playing his recommended exercise, when he finishes the higher string with an upstroke, he will play the lower string with a downstroke.
    Shouldn't he play an upstroke here as well to save energy/lower distance needed?

    • @stephengreico2810
      @stephengreico2810 5 лет назад +1

      That’s a good question...I would think the same thing

    • @stephengreico2810
      @stephengreico2810 5 лет назад +2

      Tommy Jenkins but wouldn’t you always want to Economy pick?

    • @michaelklym7043
      @michaelklym7043 5 лет назад

      @@stephengreico2810 I agree I always economy pick

    • @RainbowKrash
      @RainbowKrash 5 лет назад +1

      @@stephengreico2810 You should be able to do it all proficiently really, if you only economy picked then when it comes to string skipping techniques for example you'll be at a loss. Why only learn what you think you'll need instead of learning it all proficiently and being able to use whatever you need as the moment demands, yknow

  • @musicprallim3455
    @musicprallim3455 5 лет назад +5

    Lesson starts from 6:43

  • @logik4264
    @logik4264 4 года назад

    I'm revisiting guitar playing after 5 years break, have alot of work to make up. This channel is a bliss! Thanks!

  • @_jovian
    @_jovian 7 месяцев назад

    thanks man, this is much better than other variations that I've seen on the tubes, and it has done wonders for my reverse cowgirl.

  • @bengarciamusic4life
    @bengarciamusic4life 5 лет назад +3

    I can't believe I never had any friends dope enough to introduce me correctly to Metal. I've been a professional blues/jazz guitarist for awhile and nobody even thinks I know what metal is. I'm going to prove them wrong. This exercise is killer man. I can't believe how difficult it actually is. I did it for like 20 mins and immediately recognized a positive response.

  • @rumbachumba330
    @rumbachumba330 6 лет назад +4

    Another thing I've seen that's helped me was Martin Miller talking about speed, where he says to just go faster than you think you can and keep trying till you get it, helps with what you've talked about before, chunking.

    • @7thString84
      @7thString84 6 лет назад +2

      Hehe, I was thinking about this, too. But the main intention of that lesson is, that you really should calculate things down to an idiot-level. To practise the pure, isolated problem. And then of course in a speed, where you almost can't do it cleanly anymore to push yourself. But notice: practising technical problems very isolated is the best thing you could ever do to get better!

    • @rumbachumba330
      @rumbachumba330 6 лет назад +2

      yeah not saying this lesson doesn't work, absolutely you need to go slow first, engrain those movements into your muscle memory, but once you've got it, its time to push, because you're not going to get to 160 bpm thinking about every little detail you'll have to let your muscle memory and chunking do the work. I agree with you and appreciate your input and Uncle Ben's work!

  • @illquasar
    @illquasar 6 лет назад +6

    “So your real dad will respect you” lmao!!!

  • @brunobailly7013
    @brunobailly7013 4 года назад +2

    I felt this exercise was more "punishing" for my left hand than my right hand. Honestly, I didn't feel it improved my alternate picking AT ALL. But it clearly is a great left hand exercise! Thanks very much

    • @brunobailly7013
      @brunobailly7013 4 года назад

      I use a similar exercice than what you're describing here but with a "spider" pattern or "revolving stairs" pattern (a better way to describe it). It's hard at first and the left fingers get kind of mixed-up but once you've practiced it a few times at a slow tempo and got the pattern in your head, it becomes a routine, it's a good and useful warm-up exercice. I've tried it on the 1st string and 2nd string and it gets harder and harder as you move away from the 1st string... Doing it with the 1st and the 6th strings is one of the hardest things I've ever done on a guitar. Anyway... Thanks for the "guitar aerobics" mentionning. I never knew such a book existed. I've been compiling all sorts of exercices on a little notebook I've had since 1996... It would have saved me some time if I'd known such a book existed lol.

  • @josephhuffman2757
    @josephhuffman2757 4 года назад +2

    I will start practicing this when I get home from work today!