Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts: Vol. 1

Power Workouts For Maximum Lead & Rhythm Guitar Gains

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

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Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts: Vol. 1

About this course

TrueFire Foundry courses are independently produced courses presented by a hand-picked selection of top-notch artists and educators from around the world. Filmed in the educator’s own studio, Foundry courses bring fresh educational concepts and very effective teaching methodologies to TrueFire Students. Chris Buono’s Foundry course, Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts will reveal power workouts for maximum lead and rhythm guitar gains.

Hello I'm Chris Buono — welcome to my TrueFire Foundry course, Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts, which I produced in my own studio.

Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts kicks off this ongoing series of Courses with eight unique challenges covering myriad styles for you to work with. In this first volume you will find Workouts that help develop hybrid picking, pentatonic scale neck vision, bending, octaves, sweep picking, sliding and a 16th note rhythm feel.

With this collection of single note and chordal studies that employ basic to advanced techniques you get a wide variety of skills to hone. Guitar Gym caters to chops building endeavors across the globe and gave life to the popular Guitar Gym Course Series. At the core of Guitar Gym is what I call "Workouts."

Workouts are specifically designed challenges that help develop your playing so you can become the monster you want to be. There are hundreds of them across five Levels of Skills such as Alternate Picking, Hybrid Picking, Legato, Tapping, Triads and more.

This Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts course is made up of a unique type of workout called "Weekly Workouts" where I design, produce and unleash a spontaneous challenge every week. While meant to be mildly difficult they're still playable, concise and fun to work with.

This is perfect for busier students who are on the go a lot and sometimes just want a bite-size morsel to chew on during a hectic week. As for those deep in the shed, Weekly Workouts provide them a change of pace and something fresh every week. They range from Skills already built into Guitar Gym to ones I'm developing for the 'Gym to ones I'm working on myself for my own recordings and gigs!

I'll open the video with a quick summary of what's to come. Then, I'll play the Workout at half speed. This performance will be followed by a detailed break down that leads right into me playing the Workout at the intended tempo I hope to see you work it up to. Guitar Pro files as well as a PDF files come with each Weekly Workout.

All you'll need is a metronome, your axe and the desire to get better. You can work at your own pace. If you need help establishing that pace - I got you covered. If you need advice on approaching the Workout - I'm on it. If you complete the Workout and want to expand on it - I'm all over it!

Ready to get started? Grab your guitar and let’s get dig in!

NOTE! Chris Buono organized the course into 8 weekly sections for those students that prefer to have a specified regimen of material across a specified time schedule. However, for those students who prefer to work at their own pace, or even skip around you are certainly encouraged to approach the course in that way as well.

What you'll learn

  • Master hybrid picking technique
  • Understand rhythmic variations
  • Understand how to create a consistent practice routine
  • Develop self-guided learning strategies
  • develop diverse guitar techniques
Release date: 12/01/2014 • 0h 52m runtime
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Sample lessons
Weekly Workout #7
Weekly Workout #7
Bending & Sliding | Ice Skating Lick

What's included

11 lessons • 8 charts

Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts
Welcome to the Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts series! These courses are made up of eight weekly challenges I give my online classroom students in the mighty Guitar Gym through TrueFire's Online Private Lessons program. To get the full gist of what's behind Weekly Workouts, let me give you a little background info...

Guitar Gym is my game-changing TrueFire Online Classroom that caters to chops building endeavors across the globe and gave life to the popular Guitar Gym Course Series. Guitar Gym has a lot to offer, but at the core is what I call "Workouts." Workouts are specifically designed challenges that help develop your playing so you can become the monster you want to be. There are hundreds of them across five Levels of Skills such as Alternate Picking, Hybrid Picking, Legato, Tapping, Triads. and more.

The Guitar Gym Weekly Workouts series are made up of a unique type of Workout from the Gym called "Weekly Workouts" where I design, produce, and unleash a spontaneous challenge every week for my Gym members. While Weekly Workouts are meant to be mildly challenging, the priority is to make them playable, concise, and fun to work with. This is perfect for my busier members who are on the go a lot and sometimes just want a bite-size morsel to chew on during a hectic week. As for members deep in the shed, Weekly Workouts provide a change of pace and something fresh every week. They range from skills already built into Guitar Gym to ones I'm developing for the Gym to ones I'm working on myself for my own recordings and gigs.

Here you'll find workouts that help develop hybrid picking, pentatonic scale neck vision, bending, octaves, sweep picking, sliding, and a 16th note rhythm feel. With this collection of single note and chordal studies that employ basic to advanced techniques, you get a wide variety of skills to hone. This all happens within a no pressure, flex time environment.

The setup of each Weekly Workout is consistent: I'll open with a quick summary of what's to come, then I'll play the Workout at half speed. This performance will be followed by a detailed break down that leads right into me playing the Workout at the intended tempo I hope to see you work it up to.

I provide a Guitar Pro file, as well as a PDF file with each Weekly Workout. From there all you need is a metronome, your axe, and the desire to get better.

If you're wanting to know more about me, click here to go to my website. While you're there, be sure to check out my various happenings and don't forget to sign up for my mailing list. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and SoundCloud as well as track me on Bandsintown using the links below.
Chris Buono | Facebook

Chris Buono | Instagram

Chris Buono | Twitter

Chris Buono | YouTube

Chris Buono | SoundCloud

Chris Buono | Bandsintown
How To Workout Weekly
Let's get your fingers playing the weekly workout at hand. Feel it out, get to know it, pick it apart, analyze it, and finally take control and learn it.
Weekly Workout #1
Here I'm going to give you slices of ideas from a project I'm working on for Jam Track Central. This lick uses a lot of hybrid picking across adjacent strings where I use not only my pick hand second finger (P2), but also the third (P3)! It's fun challenge for you experienced Guitar Gym: Hybrid Picking guys and something for those just getting into hybrid picking to work towards.

Have fun with it!
Weekly Workout #2
Here in the follow-up to our first weekly workout, I give you Part 2 of the lick that was explored last week. Still using a lot of hybrid picking across adjacent strings with both P2 and P3, the first half is a bit more linear than Part 1. However, the second half (Bar 2) goes back to Part 1's feel.
Weekly Workout #3
The idea in this weekly workout is to play the 5 pentatonic scale fingerings in a local, vertical position while they all center on a common tonal/root center. This way you're playing the five scales as the five modes that they are, which is:

Minor Pentatonic
Major Pentatonic
m7#5 Pentatonic
6/9sus4 Pentatonic
9sus4 Pentatonic

To help with this, I've provided you with a PDF of five local chords that correspond to each mode - look for it as page 2 of the PDF after the chart. I use chord visions to reference everything I play: scales, arpeggios and their resultant licks. It works like a charm!

The initial goal is to play this sequence in 1/8 notes at 100 BPM. Then, you're off to the scalular Stanley Cup, with 16th notes at 100 BPM!

Weekly Workout #4
In our fourth weekly workout, you'll find a lick to help you work on your bending technique. This is a skill you need to know, as it's one of those guitar defining techniques. This one in Dm or F - depending on how you hear it and/or apply it. It starts you off on the right foot with working on your bending intonation.
Weekly Workout #5
Armed with a gorgeous George Benson signature model Ibanez GB10, I present this horizontally active octave lick in Gm for Weekly Workout #5. Packed with slides, grace note slurs, and plenty of pick hand thumb action, this lick will open doors to a new playing technique while challenging your fret hand muting technique!

+ 4 more lessons

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Reviews

5 results

Peter I.

Verified buyer

03/30/15

Highly recommend Chris Buono's guitar gym-I've been in there for a while and his workouts have totally made me a better player-he is right there with feedback on your videos-his workouts are a challenging and rewarding-you can take your playing to the next level in the gym

Blayze W.

Verified buyer

03/29/15

I have been a Guitar Gym member for a while now. I can attest to Chris' exceptional instruction and attention to detail. He will help you reach the next level in your guitar playing. I have had the opportunity to work on these weekly workouts. These will give you a musically way to expand your technique. These workouts are not only excellent technique builders, but are also interesting musical phrases. They will open your ear (and fingers) to new and unique phrases that can greatly expand your vocabulary. You could not ask for a better way to build your chops!

Carlos P.

Verified buyer

07/12/14

I have been working on my technique in Chris’ Guitar Gym for 2 years. Chris’ dedication to his work with his students comes through on everything he does. He is detail oriented and organized. Expectations are clear. Questions are answered. I think of Chris as my personal trainer for guitar. The Guitar Gym name fits perfectly. In my assignment workouts, Chris pushes me hard to take my playing to the next level. When that level is reached Chris finds the next detail to work on. While he pushes me hard to refine each detail, he understands that we all have a life beyond music. For me that means I get to the assignments when I get to them. As soon as I post a video, Chris is there with a response. Even when a Hurricane wipes out his house, his response time is quick.

Charles C.

Verified buyer

07/11/14

I've had a chance to work a few of these in the Guitar Gym. I don't think this workshop is about learning licks, it's more about showing you what you can do with different techniques once your get your chops together. Like everything in the Guitar Gym these workouts are challenging and when you notice the techniques creeping into your everyday playing, you really feel like you're becoming a musician. Highly recommended, and a great way to figure out if you want to be a full time Guitar Gym Junkie like me.

Sam P.

Verified buyer

07/10/14

I have been in the Gym for many years and well here is my vision of it. Result Driven, Industry Relevant, Personal Guidance and Review, Accessible and Achievable, constant reviewing and fine tuning to get you an honest appraisal of where you are at and how to get your playing and musicianship where you want it to be. A reliable, and a personal approach to helping you achieve your goals by a mentor that knows how to connect and see your vision through your eyes.. Chris is so accessible I swear it feels like he lives in my neighbourhood, I am in Australia and he is in New Jersey USA !!! Chris will inspire you with his genuine and humble attention , he will listen to you and give you honest and constructive feedback, and he will allow you to be involved in your own time.. And finally the amount of detailed material comprised of workshop videos, exercises and proven routines to help you is just amazing and there for you 24\7 but you get the benefit and input from Chris on how to use it and make the most of it all. Get on it, it's a win win no brainer.. No worries mate !!

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