# This dude needs help stream lining his practice routine



## Dionysus (Aug 30, 2011)

Hello everyone, 

I have been playing guitar for a couple years now but am not able to do what I am interested in doing with my instrument: song writing. I have memorized the major scale, natural minor, and have figured out how to harmonize those chord scales; however, I cannot seem to apply what I know in a viable way. Don't get me wrong, I understand 1,4,5 progressions, 2,5,1 progressions and am able to work in a 6th and 3rd degree from time to time but I am really getting frustrated with only having certain "colours" available to me. Please help me sort this issue out.


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## cwittler (May 17, 2011)

Have a go at this...

http://www.compassrosemusic.com/contents.html


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Some exercises from me that you can do to kick-start yourself:

1. Listen to lots of different music. Make your focus enjoyment rather than analytical research.

2. Rewrite someone else's song. Preferably, change the feel of it completely. Like THIS. Sometimes I'll do this for fun and end up parodying a song I don't even like.

3. Start with a beat. Play percussively and get a rhythm going without any clear notes. Then add a couple notes. Build on that.

4. Reverse your habits. E.g., play lead guitar on the bottom two strings (the thickest ones) and rhythm riffs on the top two strings.

5. Play someone else's song, but change where the chords are played. How many different inversions can you find?

6. Experiment with drone notes. See if you can play a whole chord progression with the same one or two strings droning out over each chord.

7. Think of a riff in your head and then try to play it. 

8. Think of a more difficult riff and try to play it. Make it as hard for yourself as possible. 

9. Learn something foreign to you, like flamenco if you play blues--or vice versa. Then try to combine the two styles in one song, simultaneously.

10. Play emotion. Try to play something that any listener would be able to hear and interpret how you felt when you wrote it. Then rewrite other people's songs and change the happy ones to sad and the other way around.


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