Mick Goodrick, a legendary jazz guitarist and teacher, created an amazing practice routine to help guitarists get better control of the fretboard. If you want to improve your skills, boost your improvisation, and expand your musical knowledge, this routine is perfect for you.
Daily mick goodrick Guitar Practice Plan
This routine by Mick Goodrick follows a 30-day format. Each day of the month has specific exercises to work on, keeping your practice organized and effective.
Metronome Settings for Better Timing
One of the first exercises is called “Metro Ends.” This tells you what number the metronome should end on for that day. For example, if the routine says “2,” you should set the metronome to tempos like 62, 72, 92, or 102 BPM. This will help you stay in time and improve your rhythm.
Finger Combinations for Dexterity
A key part of this routine by Mick Goodrick is finger exercises. You will practice two, three, and four-finger groupings across the fretboard. Here’s an example of two-finger combinations starting with the first finger:
- 12
- 13
- 14
To do these exercises correctly, assign each finger to a fret:
- Finger 1 on the 1st fret
- Finger 2 on the 2nd fret
- Finger 3 on the 3rd fret
- Finger 4 on the 4th fret
These exercises should be played up and down on all strings. This will help make your fingers stronger and more independent.
Applying mick goodrick Exercises to the Guitar Fretboard
Mick Goodrick suggested practicing these exercises in different fretboard positions, especially in the open position (frets 1-4). However, you can also try playing them on just one string to challenge yourself in new ways.
Essential Scales for Guitarists by mick goodrick
Scales are an important part of guitar playing. Mick Goodrick’s routine includes these must-know scales:
- Chromatic
- Whole Tone
- Symmetrical Diminished
- Augmented
- Major
- Melodic Minor
- Harmonic Minor
- Harmonic Major
- Major Pentatonic
- Minor Pentatonic
To practice these scales, start on the lowest note in your position, go up to the highest note, then come back down. Use the metronome settings to keep your timing consistent.
Mastering Essential Triads by mick goodrick
Triads form the foundation of many songs. This routine focuses on four basic triads:
- Major
- Minor
- Augmented
- Diminished
Again, start from the lowest note in your position, go up, and then come back down. This will help you understand chord structures better and make your playing smoother.
7th Chord Arpeggios for Jazz Guitar
Seventh chord arpeggios are a big part of jazz playing. That’s why Mick Goodrick’s routine includes the following arpeggios:
- Maj7
- Maj7#5
- Maj7b5
- Min7
- Min7b5
- Min7#5
- Dom7
- Dom7#5
- Dom7b5
- Dom7sus4
- Min(maj7)
- Dim7
- Tonic Dim
Practicing these across the fretboard will help you see chord shapes more clearly and play solos with confidence.
Keys and Practice Order
The practice routine follows a logical order of keys, starting with C major (no accidentals) and gradually adding sharps and flats. This makes it easier to learn and remember key signatures while improving your ear for music.
Improvisation Challenge: Using the Routine in Real Music
Mick Goodrick always encouraged applying exercises to real music. One of his favorite challenges was to improvise over a jazz standard while staying in one position on the fretboard. During a lesson, we tried this with “Stella by Starlight”—it was tough, but it really helped me see how much control Mick had over the fretboard. His playing was effortless and inspiring!
Conclusion
By following this structured routine, you will improve your technique, fretboard knowledge, and improvisation skills. Mick Goodrick often joked that he could play a whole concert using just four frets—and he really could! If you stick with this
