Scott Tennant’s Pumping Nylon: The Daily Warm-Up Routine

Welcome to Scott Tennant’s Daily Warm-Up Routine, the renowned sequence of exercises that forms the heart of his essential handbook, Pumping Nylon: The Classical Guitarist’s Technique Handbook.

Tennant, a world-class guitarist and founding member of the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ), designed this routine to be a holistic and efficient start to every practice session. It is far more than just a warm-up; it is a focused series of exercises intended to get both hands working together while improving specific technical skills.

Tennant’s core technique philosophy, based on “dynamic relaxation,” emphasizes:

Tension-Free Playing: Eliminating excess pressure in the hands and body to prevent injury and improve tone.
Finger Independence: Sharpening the dexterity and strength of each finger in both the left and right hands.
Efficiency: Using the minimal necessary energy to produce maximum results.

The videos below walk you through the exercises, which typically include patterns like Left-Hand Walking, Slurs (Hammer-ons and Pull-offs), and Fixed-Finger drills. Approach this routine slowly and mindfully—consistency is the key to unlocking the power of Pumping Nylon!