Warm-Up Time: 11 Exercises That Will Help You Play Even Better

One thing I constantly emphasize during my lessons is that a proper warmup is an absolute must. Think about it: you wouldn’t sprint a 100-meter dash or lift heavy weights without stretching first, right? The exact same rule applies to the guitar. Best of all, a dedicated warmup routine won’t just protect your hands—it will actually make you play better than ever.

Sounds like a win? Let’s get into it.

If you can commit just 5 to 10 minutes to a few of the routines outlined in this excellent Guitar Player article before you practice or step on stage for a gig, I promise you will play better. Both your hands and your mind will be dialed in and ready to rock.

The article features several of my personal favorite warmup routines alongside a couple of great new ones I’ve recently discovered. Personally, I absolutely love numbers 6 and 11!

To get the absolute most out of these exercises, I recommend approaching them in four deliberate steps:

1. Start in Free Time: Practice the patterns slowly without any time constraints first. Focus purely on understanding the mechanics of the movement and what the exercise is trying to teach your fingers.

2. Find Your Baseline: Set your metronome to a slow, comfortable tempo where you can execute the exercise flawlessly. (No metronome handy? Fire up this YouTube backing track drummer instead…)

3. Push the Limit: Once you have it down, click the tempo up. Be honest with yourself here! If you’re hitting about 90% of the notes cleanly, you’re in the sweet spot. Bump the speed up a little more—it should feel challenging.

4. Course Correct: If the wheels start falling off and you’re making mistakes, pause and repeat at that speed. If it’s still too sloppy, drop the tempo back down and rebuild your accuracy. Once you’ve nailed it, challenge yourself by moving the tempo back up.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy these exercises! Just remember: alongside the burgers, pizzas, and fries of the guitar world, you still need to eat your greens.

Yes, warmups are the vegetables of guitar playing. Think of them as your musical broccoli or Brussels sprouts—maybe not what you crave first thing, but exactly what keeps you strong.

Anyway, I’m off to practice what I preach and run through a few exercises myself.

Cheers,

Simon

Source: Warm-Up Time: 11 Exercises That Will Help You Play Even Better via GuitarPlayer.com