List your favorite "tricks" and productive ideas

[Robert]

What's your favorite tricks and productive ideas you use when playing and practicing?

Here are some of my ideas, not at all ranked in order of importance:

For me, number one would be transcribing cool stuff from other players. I like doing this with John Scofield and Charlie Parker, for example.

Number two would be sitting down and analyzing what I've transcribed and figuring out ways I can apply this knowledge to my own playing.

Number three would be my legato technique. I use it to create fast licks that are usually quite easy to play, because it's mostly pull-offs and hammer-ons.

Number four, using triads and arpeggios, for both soloing and for building chords. I'll take the dorian mode for example, and create 4 note chords from that scale and keep moving up through all the 7 notes, harmonizing the whole scale that way. It's fun and creates some interesting chords!

[P.J.]

A good workout for my right hand is playing "rockabilly octaves" up and down the neck using my pick and pinky to play the high and low "e" strings, respectively. Sounds great w/ a little tremelo and slapback echo. It is also a good way to start thinking about lines going up and down a string vs. across the strings in the usual postion playing fashion.

=-) PJ

[Jimi75]

Favourite trick on stage when I know that I have to fire up a burning solo is mixing fingerpicking and pick-picking to throw out some countrystyle licks.

Practicing tricks that work for me are playing "live" with for e.g. Jimi Hendrix, SRV or Joe Bonamassa on DVD. You have to get into the mood, make sure you got a nice sound, position yourself on front of the TV (with your guitar of course), make sure you got something to drink (beer works well) and some snacks for the breaks...I sometimes play entire gigs...it's like sessioning with the guys and you learn a lot! Keep that as a special, maybe once a quarter year.

Another trick that works for me is following the chords with arpeggios, I implement arps more and more in my playing and I find that they offer the opportunitiy to play very melodically. I love implementing the diminished arps in my play, man they give your solos a nice colour!

the most common trick I use is work with a practicing schedule and make sure you have a practicing log!

:AOK:

[Blaze]

Spend half an hour to 1 hour noodlin on big gage strings (11 to 12) before a gig to warm up ..Efficient..

[R_of_G]

Playing along to recorded music. It doesn't matter if I'm trying to learn to play a specific song the way the artist plays it or just playing along as an "extra player." Either way, it's immensely helpful to developing an idea of what works and what doesn't.

[Lev]

Learn songs from start to finish, not just the solo or a riff. Get used to playing songs all the way through, it helps your rhythm, timing and ability to switch between chords, riffs and solos seamlessly.

[Spudman]

Learn songs from start to finish, not just the solo or a riff. Get used to playing songs all the way through, it helps your rhythm, timing and ability to switch between chords, riffs and solos seamlessly.

+1 That's a great thing to get into the habit of doing.

I also like to play with the lights off. It forces me to "hear" what I'm doing. It creates a different connection with the brain than the visual connection (watching your hands).

[R_of_G]

I also like to play with the lights off. It forces me to "hear" what I'm doing. It creates a different connection with the brain than the visual connection (watching your hands).
Ditto on that one. I've practiced blindfolded as well. It's completely different to play when you have to rely on your ears without getting input from your eyes.