Workout - Thu 30/7

Warm Up - 25 - Intermediate (73 reps @ 168 bpm)

Co-ordination - 24 - Intermediate (35 reps @ 120 bpm)

Ear Training - 13 - Advanced (35 reps @ 140 bpm)

Guitar used : Mexican Strat

Notes:

Felt a bit better at getting an Advanced rating on ET13, but it is something of an old favourite - so I suppose my fingers haven't forgotten how to do that one !!

Workout - Sun 26/7

Warm Up - 32 - Intermediate - 37 reps

Co-ordination - 23 - Intermediate - 8 reps

Ear Training - 25 - Intermediate - 22 reps

Guitar used : Mexican Strat

Notes :

Having not practiced properly for as long as I have, I shouldn't really complain about slipping back to intermediate for all exercises - especially since I would up with a couple that needed long stretches - but all the same - grrrrrrr ! Back to practicing properly, regularly !!

Blah Blah Blah

A test posting to make sure we can still get messages to this blog from the Newton, where all the workout times etc. are recorded !

--
Sent from Tony's Newton - the greatest gadget *ever* !

Workout Mon 23/3

Warm Up - 1 - advanced (75 reps)

Co-ordination - 1 - advanced (22 reps)

Ear Training - 3 - advanced (22 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Found it very hard to believe I got advanced On ET3, but checked the figures a couple of times! Very hard work for my left pinky, which began to rebel after a while. Feels like a bit of a come-down to bring the metronome down from 180BPM for WU1 to 100BPM for ET3, but hey - if that's what you've got to do...

Workout Thu 19/3

Warm Up - 17 - advanced (76 reps)

Co-ordination - 23 - intermediate (9 reps)

Ear Training - 8 - advanced (32 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Not bad tonight. Spirited effort at old pal CO23 resulted in a couple of near misses on Advanced rating (threshold is 11 reps) but never quite making it. Not to worry, a sight better and easier than last night's effort, that's for sure.

Workout Wed 18/3

Warm Up - 23 - intermediate (63 reps)

Co-ordination - 29 - advanced (41 reps)

Ear Training - 13 - advanced (31 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Tough evening. Bad day at work meant lots of tension that never really cleared, making WU23 especially something of a trial. The other exercises weren't much better to be honest, but some generous limits got me Advanced ratings, albeit only just! A definite beer night tonight.

Workout Tue 17/3

Warm Up - 25 - intermediate (75 reps)

Co-ordination - 12 - advanced (23 reps)

Ear Training - 10 - advanced (26 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Hmmm - first time for a while missing Advanced on the Warm Up. First time for a while dropping the metronome down to 110BPM (for ET10) and it took a couple of goes to get anywhere with a couple of them. Overall, quite hard work tonight!

Workout Mon 16/3

Warm Up - 20 - advanced (76 reps)

Co-ordination - 31 - intermediate (38 reps)

Ear Training - 2 - intermediate (15 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
After the easy life of the G202, back to the Mexican Strat :) CO31 and ET2 are old friends and I'm gradually getting better at them, but it's slow progress! Still at least it's progress!

Workout Sun 15/3

Warm Up - 26 - advanced (51 reps)

Co-ordination - 20 - advanced (38 reps)

Ear Training -

Guitar used - Roland G202

Notes:
Stopped after CO20 - got a bit distracted trying out the amp models and effects in Logic Express 8 :( Also remembered why I don't practice on the G202 that often - it's too easy! If I practice on it every other guitar I have will feel like it has an action measured in inches, not fractions !

Workout Mon - Thu 12/3

Bit of a catastrophe on the hands front. Grooming the dog, she decided to object and bite my left hand - resulting in a fairly painful second finger, not really suitable for guitar playing ! Getting better now though, so easing back into playing again...

Workout Sun 8/3

Warm Up - 36 - advanced (59 reps)

Co-ordination - 10 - advanced (23 reps)

Ear Training - 25 - intermediate (25 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Quite cold this evening, but didn't seem to have too much impact until ET25. First two exercises were quite straightforward though. No pinky pain in the left hand noticeable until after finishing, which is another plus.

Workout Sat 7/3

Warm Up -16 - advanced (71 reps)

Co-ordination - 12 - intermediate (20 reps)

Ear Training - 13 - advanced (35 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Not a bad run through tonight, although ET13 was as hard on my left pinky as ever! Not quite so much cramp or tension as the last few times I've played it though, so that's progress. Tried CO12 a couple of times, but couldn't quite bump it up into advanced territory - ah well, next time!

Workout Thu 26/2

Warm Up - 37 - intermediate (26/44 reps)

Co-ordination - 16 - intermediate (30 reps)

Ear Training - 30 - intermediate (18 reps)

Guitar used -Mexican Strat

Notes:
Hmmm! A 9 count on WU37 threw me a bit - second count is a second run through the exercise. First fine at CO16 - interesting exercise - must do it again soon. Too tempting to slip back into sweep picking for ET30, so reps are a bit inflated there. But at least very little pain in the left pinkie this time, so that's positive at least.

Workout Mon 23/2

Warm Up - 5 - intermediate (73 reps)

Co-ordination - 23 - advanced (12 reps)

Ear Training - 35 - beginner (8 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Pretty poor effort! Left pinkie started off bad and got progressively worse as the session went on. took 4 attempts to get anywhere with the WU, and things had got so bad that it was physically sore to even attempt the ET. Bugger. Think I've got a trapped nerve or something as I now seem to have pins and needles in my left hand arE arm since finishing...

Workout Fri 13/2

Warm Up - 3 - intermediate (57 reps)

Co-ordination - 7 - advanced (61 reps)

Ear Training - 13 - intermediate (25 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Distinctly average! ET13 resulting in cramped and sore left pinkie - must be doing me some good I suppose...

Workout Mon 2/2

Warm Up - 33 - advanced (64 reps)

Co-ordination - 23 - intermediate (23 reps)

Ear Training - 24 - intermediate (30 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Back for good ? Well, hopefully. After a lengthy layoff pleased to see that things hadn't gone completely to pot - indeed, only missed an advanced rating on ET24 by one rep, and CO23 wasn't far off either. Admittedly these were "old favourites", but still a sign that the hands haven't frozen up yet!

(Much later edit ... can't possibly have done CO23 this night, as the threshold for Advanced rating is 11 reps !! Still amazed I managed Advanced a couple of nights later though - I haven't managed it again since ! - 19/3/09)

Workout Mon 12/1

Warm Up - 16 - advanced (75 reps)

Co-ordination - 10 - advanced (just) (21 reps)

Ear Training - 10 - intermediate (20 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Done over two nights ! Still trying to ease ny way back into a regular schedule. Took ages to get to grips with ET10, but got there in the end - eventually :(

Workout Mon 5/1

Warm Up - 37 - intermediate (53 reps)

Co-ordination - 9 - intermediate (30 rcps)

Ear Training - 2 - intermediate (15 reps)

Guitar used - Mexican Strat

Notes:
Very cold hands tonight - couldn't get them to warm up at all. Most annoying. Tried ET2 again, slightly faster with more duff reps, but also two more good reps. Too cold to get my hands to do much more tonight, I think!

Workout Sun 4/1

Warm Up - 25 - advanced (89 reps)

Co-ordination - 24 - intermediate (41 reps)

Ear Training - 2 - intermediate (13 reps)

Guitar used - US Strat Plus

Notes:
Back in harness! A solid, if not terribly overwhelming return, although after nearly two weeks off that's to be expected. ET2 was an interesting new exercise which hopefully will be tried again soon, complete with its awkward position change.

Notes for 23/12 - 3/1

During the holiday period, when I'd hoped to spend some time learning some new pieces as well as spending a bit more time practicing, between the lurgy and what felt like a trapped nerve in my right elbow curtailed any serious practice. Still managed a few runs through exercises most days, but nothing as structured as a workout, sadly. Seem to be past the most irritating niggles from the elbow, so that's all good, thankfully. However, "Blood on the Rooftops" and "Horizons" survive unmolested for a little while longer !