The ACPG 30 Day Guitar Technique Challenge: Day 1 | Spider

[@robertdocking]

And so it begins! Harder than dry january....

[@Arauder1]

I use this as part of my daily ‘warm up’ routine, starting at the nut up to the 12th fret. With 80 year old fingers, it helps loosen them up.

[@Billy-ho5ms]

Awesome warmup and I learned from Frank Vignola to try and name the notes in your head also as you go. Not to stress on it but once in awhile recognize the notes

[@andycrowley]

This is great Adrian! Looking forward to checking out the rest of the course, always great to have a technique check up! 🎸💪🎵

[@acpg]

Cheers Andy!

[@lesshirt4997]

Thanks Adrian. As a recent subscriber I look forward to the challenges over the rest of the month. Probably like a lot of people, I picked up a guitar as a teenager, 50 years ago. In those days, unless your folks had money, lessons were out of.the question and obviously no KZbin, so you had to rely on friends who knew more than you did. We had no idea about scales or keys, just played lots of open chords and a few finger exercises. Muscle memory is an amazing thing :- picking up a guitar again a couple of years ago, I found I could still remember and play a finger exercise "tune" on the G, D, A and lower E strings, and after a few goes, play it quite fast, almost 50 years later. 😮 Look forward to the next videos. 👍

[@DrewTurock]

This is exactly what I play any time I'm at a guitar store and seriously considering buying a guitar! This is a great check to make sure that there's no badly buzzing notes anywhere on the fretboard.

[@cherdrol]

Same🎉

[@guithawk-ij8is]

Me too. That and check intonation with harmonics.

[@samuelgonzalez558]

I play stairways to heaven

[@Someone-lc6dc]

I'm excited for this one. Why? I'm really tired of random disconnected guitar lessons/videos that my YT feed is full of, so seeing a 30-day long challenge tickles my fancy. (Would be lovely to see another one but on music theory, too.)

[@PT_English]

Absolutely. My response to the CONFUSION is - I am going to work through my childhood albums and relearn everything at a rate of a song a day for a year. The list: ZZTop (DONE), The Who (todays song is Underture), The Kinks, Small Faces, The Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers with Eric Pete Mick, Stones with Mick, The Doors, Cream, Blind Faith, Hendrix, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Free, Freddie King, Led Zep, Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck, Albert King, BB King, Mountain, Love Sculpture, Gary Moore (oh yeah), Rory, Tin Lizzy, Umble Pie, Johnny Winter, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Clapton as Derek and solo, Focus and Be Bop Deluxe. I may even start my own channel to add the CARNAGE.

[@alanrenshaw5497]

Glad I've found this series. Thanks Adrian 👍

[@ukmom44]

Thanks Adrian. Great idea and I’m excited to follow along. After hitting the intermediate plateau in my late teens, I put the guitar down and only restarted playing a couple of years ago. I’m addicted again and much of that has been driven by the your lessons which have been an inspiration. I’m even playing the Johnny Marr parts that you’ve posted. I never thought that would be possible. Thanks so much!!

[@acpg]

That's so good to hear, and very pleased you're finding my lessons helpful!

[@hubinho3038]

Danke!

[@iwobbly9374]

Thanks Adrian, watched your channel for years as I love looking at how you break down songs. Unfortunately I like listening and watching rather than learning and playing, other than teenage kicks. I shall follow you through this 10 minute a day practice, let’s see how far I get after 40 years of owning a guitar, not being able to play song but being able to do bar cords. Not knowing the fret board or being able to name the strings. But I love strumming and putting sounds together as it de stresses me, basically it is my safe version of worry beads although I do get a little frustrated with my limited set of tunes and bass runs. Thanks again for all the great music you cover.

[@PT_English]

Starts 1:20. It reminds me of the music in 'The Man Who Fell To Earth'

[@DevinRyanVitek]

Fantastic, it's one thing to play and riff- it's even better when you can better your technique

[@mojofuzz5634]

Thanks, Adrian. 👍. Always the first thing I play (after a G chord 😉) when I pick up my guitar to lose the fingers - and then some variations - note order / string skipping / etc. Always more fluid after a few minutes of this. Looking forward to day 2.

[@williamdevlin366]

Ok dude, I saw your video yesterday & here you are today. I subscribed & will be doing this as often as I can. Happy New Year from NC!!! Thank you!!!

[@aaroncorr486]

I used to do this a lot, starting on the high e string…1234 then move up one same again until you hit 12 then back down to 1, move up repeat on all the other strings….when I got good at it I made a rule that if I made a mistake more than 5 times, I had to go back to the start…as many times as it took to complete all strings across 12 frets….a great way to focus the mind on the task at hand.

[@DavidAustin-p5f]

Excellent way to start the new year! Thanks

[@yontonmehler]

Alright. Thanks for the motivation! I’m along for the ride.

[@mattdevol3339]

This is my New Year’s resolution. Following Adrien’s 30 day challenge. Thank you!

[@jamesr5443]

Thank you Adrian, I am intrigued to follow your 30 day challenge and will be practicing with you from South Africa, and seeing its effect on my playing. This is a great start! 👏

[@Steven-u5w]

This is an excellent exercise from years ago and I still play about with this from time to time. Excellent to get your fingers moving individually. One at a time separately. Wondered wonderful to fly all around the fretboard explore experiment improvise to hearts content God bless

[@boomerdell]

Way to get us going, Adrian, thank you!🙏🏽

[@el0blaino]

Great exercise and great idea for a series!

[@codyrico23]

Can’t wait to get started with this! Thanks Adrian. Also I’d love to see you take a look at the Billy Bragg song Greetings to the New Brunette

[@marquisdecarabas1312]

A great exersice to start with. I play guitar since 20 years but i often dont have the time for "real" practice. So i think this 30 days can push me a little bit. I see it as a little challenge for my self to realy sit down every day. I also think this is a great way to work against my "flying pinky" like i call it. My pinky always trys to "fly away" while playing.😂 Thank you Mr. Adrian. 🍀✌🏻

[@hillers54]

Looking forward to following the series 🎸🎸🎸

[@cherdrol]

Great teacher. Thank you.

[@ianwalsh9552]

This is a great idea, and I'm going to follow this course for sure.

[@acpg]

Great good luck with it Ian!

[@RishPanjeetJr]

This’ll be fun. I’ll even do the stuff that I think “oh, that’s easy!” After a month we should be right ship shape I figure!

[@jethroburns]

I hope you include some exercises for the picking hand, please, which is my weak point, even though I am an intermediary-ish player.

[@FilmFlam]

I'm in. Thank you, Adrian.

[@sirtogii5216]

To force the fingers to move independently I use the version where only one finger is allowed to move, the rest stay in position until it's their turn. Still find it really tough but it has helped making it easier to embellish chords etc.

[@acpg]

Yes, that's a good and slightly more challenging variation, like it!

[@vw9659]

Actually finger anatomy makes that a largely pointless exercise. Finger independence is impossible where fingers share muscles, tendons, and nerve supply, which many do. The hand is not designed to hold one finger in place while moving another. That's why you never see anyone get very good at that version of the spider - it's anatomically impossible. And therefore a waste of time. On top of that, there are no examples in real playing where you are required to do that - hold down fingers in a straight row while moving only one. Common chord embellishments employ single fingers where anatomical limitations are less. So just practice those movements, in actual chords. Beyond that you are practicing skills that are anatomically impossible and basically irrelevant. Since motor learning is specific, you need to practice the actual skills you will use.

[@sirtogii5216]

@@vw9659 I wish somebody could tell Hendrix and Frusciante that so my little pinky finger didn't have to move about trying to embellish chords that are being held by the rest of the gang ;-)

[@AndrewAHayes]

My dad taught me to play and initially taught me to fret the notes from the centre of the fret space, in order to build finger strength, I did play bar chords on the fret though, playing them on the fret space was too painful!

[@Chimp_No_1]

Great start ! Thank you !

[@lustreboy]

nice start. I was surprised that I could actually do it at 100 bpm, with only as couple of fluffs. gonna try 101 bpm now ;) cheers!

[@simonrobson5844]

B-O-R-I-S the S-P-I-D-E-R 👍🏿

[@Mark70609]

I have previously practiced this exercise. I think I also reversed it so I was playing descending on the string but ascending string wise. Playing two strings and moving up the fretboard was another exercise.

[@GS-uy4xo]

Good warm up exercise for sure - (I add in the missing chromatic note with a stretch at some point). You've always had some great content - Thanks Be Happy and Healthy in '25

[@acpg]

Yes indeed, for the full chromatic scale just add in that missing note for a good variation on the basic exercise.

[@edpetrikk2027]

Sounds like a plan to me 👍 I’m in 😊

[@cherdrol]

Anyone know of somebody doing this for bass?

[@christophertaft4444]

I am using my bass guitar to work through as many of the challenges as possible. Day 1 and 2 are both transferrable. I am guessing Adrian will be getting into 6-string specifics soon enough though.

[@LLewis-vu9qf]

A good exercise. But I look at those long fingers and the electric guitar which I bet has a narrow nut width and flat back. Then I look at my short, stubby fingers and crossover acoustic guitar with (probably) a slightly wider nut width and not-quite-flat back. Takes a bit more effort, but I seem to be making progress with this exercise. 😊 Guess I'll have to keep at it. 🤞😉

[@derelictconfusion9498]

Finally I can play something!Love those skinny fingers!

[@andrewhenderson9474]

Brilliant Lesson mate.🙏

[@acpg]

Cheers Andrew!

[@drcobra-dc6uy]

very good it will improve your playing a lot just keep practising!

[@amoebacakes]

- Thanks

[@steveclose9330]

Nice one!

[@Foofang65]

For sure. A excellent technique. I need to download a metronome app.

[@acpg]

Yes do it, metronome is pretty essential for this one!

[@patpatisserie4245]

I struggle to stop my little finger (pinky) waggling around, especially on the descents. Any tips?

[@klangobjekt]

You have to work around it. Everyone has this problem because the ring finger and pinky share the same tendon. You can try to play without using the pinky. I try to avoid using the pinky especially on keyboard.

[@kbelltv]

Day 1 ☑️

[@fabiopunk1661]

thanks Adrian, I knew other versions of the spiders, a bit more involved - like the "diagonal" spider

[@monsieurgarage]

that was day one. wouldn't be smart to start with something too hard

[@cerclesvicieux]

I will do this, but go up or down a half step on every other string.

[@OriginalMixedUpKid]

Im here✋️ 15 minutes done.😇

[@scottsmith3679]

Challenge accepted, sir.

[@MrTabasham1990]

I always warm up with a spider walk.

[@TomTom-kv5nf]

❤❤❤

[@guithawk-ij8is]

Been playing almost 50 years, teaching professionally for decades, and I still warm up with this exercise and variations. Also one of the first exercises I teach to develop picking coordination. Absolutely drives my wife crazy when I do this.

[@darrenofdrivers]

So this one for 10 mins today and tomorrow’s for 10 mins tomorrow? (Seems like a stupid question)

[@acpg]

Yes, the basic idea is to have a different exercise each day to work on for 10 or so minutes. Obviously that's not going to be enough to really get into and master each exercise, and you might want to return to your favourites on a more regular basis in the future. But above all it's about just showing up, putting the time in and establishing a regular practice habit.

[@darrenofdrivers]

@ I’m all over it- thank you

[@andylobs123]

Thanks for the video - this is a series i will definitely try and follow all the way till then end. However i have a quick question - Whenever ive tried this i always have a floating thumb on the back of the neck. Should it be floating, should it be anchored half way down the back of the neck and never move or should it be flexible and move with the fingers of my fretting hand as needed? Also why am i struggling to get my wrist (and therefore my fingers on the fretboard) straight? I'm at an angle constantly - is it because of poor posture? It hurts my wrist when i try and force it straight.

[@ricopedrajrs]

Hands tired, accuracy better. Cheers!

[@bwt6885]

Dude just get into it, nice and snappy, less chatty!