Guitar Class Warm-Ups

[nafmeadmin]

Does anyone know of any group guitar warm-ups? It’s my first year teaching guitar class (I’m at the high school level) and I really have more of a band background. I thought about doing some band warm-ups with my guitar classes, but long tones and such don’t translate very well to guitar…. Any suggestions for group warm-ups to do at the start of a class period? Currently, my students are able to read and play in the first position for 5/6 strings, can play C, G, G7, D, Dm, D7, and Am chords, and can play an A minor pentatonic scale if that helps.

[nafmeadmin]

For the left hand!I like to play I IV V7 I, and the scales of keys of the songs we are working on. For thr right rhythm exercises, strumming/PIMA patterns.

[nafmeadmin]

On each string play (in tab):
——————————————
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——————————————
——————————————
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-0-1-0-2-0-3-0-4-0-3-0-2-0-1-0–

[nafmeadmin]

Here’s another (in tab). Do it on each string. Play 1st as quarter notes. If your class is more advanced play 1st as quarter notes than as eighth notes (on the same string) and if your class can go for 16th notes!
—————————
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-0-1-2-3-4-3-2-1-0–

[nafmeadmin]

Here’s a fun way to play (in tab) an A chromatic scale (use L.H. fingers 1-2-3-4) :
——————————————————–1-2-3-4-5—–5-4-3-2————————————————————-
———————————————2-3-4-5——————————6-5-4-3————————————————–
———————————-2-3-4-5—————————————————-6-5-4-3—————————————
———————–3-4-5-6————————————————————————–7-6-5-4—————————-
————4-5-6-7————————————————————————————————-8-7-6-5—————-
-5-6-7-8———————————————————————————————————————–9-8-7-6-5–

On the 1st string play 1-2-3-4 and then slide your pinky to the 5th fret. On the way down use 4-3-2-1 and on the 6th string slide your 1st finger from the 6th fret to the 5th.

[nafmeadmin]

I do what is called the four finger exercise with my 6th grade guitar class. Starting in the 9th-12th frets on the first string and starting with the fourth finger on the 12th fret going backwards to the 9th fret (first finger). Then slide down one fret and repeat all the way the first four frets. (Only plucking the first string) Of course this can be done in many variations and it helps to strengthen the pinky.

[nafmeadmin]

Here’s an open chord progression that I use: C, G, D, A, E, B7, E7, Am, Em, F, Dm, C7, A7, D7, G7, C

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