Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: .50 Caliber Bob on June 28, 2007, 09:50:56 PM
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Most people on this forum know their stuff, and from listening to several (pretty damn good) clips, can all play pretty well to boot!
I have the problem that I spend far too much time browsing forums online, researching the lastest gear that I want to buy, reading reviews of it all, pricing up the options, overdrive pedal A, or overdrive B, etc etc, that I hardly ever practise :-(
To date, practising guitar for me has just been for short term pleasure (ie, getting an immediate gain from learing a song I like, by reading tabs online/buying tab books)
What I would really like to be able to do, is to put in the hard yards, and become a fairly proficient guitarist.
Now I'm not talking shredding at 567 notes per second or anything, but I'd like to be able to string a half decent rock / blues solo together, and to be able to play most of the sort of music I like well (which as it goes, is fairly "mainstream" guitar rock tastes, Thin Lizzy, Free, The Eagles, Dire Straits, Guns and Roses, etc).
Basically I want to get to a level where I am content with my playing ability.
How did everyone get where they are today, and what do you recommend? I want to devise a practise routine of 30 minutes a day, but dont really know where to start.
Any input at all would be welcome!
Sorry to write such a long off topic post, but I spend to much time GASsing and not enough actually playing!
Mark
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Well just pick up your guitar more and you'll get into a new habit! :wink:
I try and practise techinques one day and then to learn more or put those techniques into practise just jam along with your cd collection, backing tracks and it will just fall into place. It's good to paly with other musicians too if you can find them. The problem is for me there are far to many guitarists and not enough bass players and drummers.
:band5:
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I have the problem that I spend far too much time browsing forums online, researching the lastest gear that I want to buy, reading reviews of it all, pricing up the options, overdrive pedal A, or overdrive B, etc etc, that I hardly ever practise :-(........., but I spend to much time GASsing and not enough actually playing!
Mark
haha man im in the exact same boat.ive fiddled with guitars for about 3yrs on an off now an im rubbish for the amount of time ive had a guitar but i could condense the actual time ive practised into a few months realistically.its a VERY hard habit to break.
ive just got sickened by ppl playin for a few yrs an blowin me away so i got john petruccis rock discipline dvd....i sort of jumped into the deep end.alot of its too hard for me ie all of it :?
but its given me some drive but th one thing i could advise you to get is a metronome...or use the online metronome like i do.its a godsend for me anyways.other than that im too cr@p to give proper advise.
more sympathy as im woeful for GAS!!!GAS!!!!!GGGGGAAAAAASSSSSS!!!!!!! :roll:
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One thing that really helped me was learning whole and half steps. I kinda figured it out before even reading up on theory, but when i came to learn all the boring stuff i found it a great help already being able to spot the notes in a key. Just play what sounds good to you, if i went over endless theory books i think i would get bored pretty soon, keep it creative.
Also watch a lot of guitar videos on youtube, just inspiration, it keeps me motivated.
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i assume you already know the full major scale and the pentatonic boxes... If not do - they're ESSENTIAL.
Find some exercises and practise them with the online metronome (high 5 futuregun!). Do fingering you're not used to, jam overr backing tracks, try to play with others; maybe even think about getting a teacher.
Who am i to talk? i suck!
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damn I have the same disease as .50 Caliber Bob
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i think we all do :? that's what we're doing here! lol
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Same here.
Once I move house, I'm forcing myself to start practising - even for an hour a night - on more advanced techniques to improve my soloing. I'm a solid player but I could solo a bit faster, that's my next progressive aim for myself.
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I would:
* Learn the pentatonic scale in all positions for one key (E for example). This can then be moved to any other key (e.g. up five frets for A)
* Learn the rhythm parts to songs you like
* Play along to tracks and then do your own improvised solos using the appropriate pentatonic scale
The above worked for me! Once you get that nailed, you can add in the pentatonic major scale, blues scale, double stops, bends, vibrato etc.
Most importantly (in my opinion) is to choose and play songs you like. When you can play a song you really love the satisfaction is immense. :D
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I could not recommend highly enough, getting a guitar teacher. I could never afford lessons in my teens, but now at the ripe age of 26, i've finally got myself one and its great. I am finally at peace with the instrument.
BTW your symptoms are common place.
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Seriously man, get Guitar Pro software (I think the latest version is 5). I managed to get hold of 56,000 tabs for it. You open up the tabs and it plays the tabs like MIDI soundfiles. You can alter the speed, transpose the song into different tunings. It's an amazing piece of software. It's changed the way I've learned guitar.
Oh, and learn your scales and modes and memorize which notes are where on the fretboard. I'm starting to learn this stuff and it really does help you identify which notes would sound good played over chords and stuff.
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I spend far too much time browsing forums but i make sure I practice aswell, I think a bit of knowledge goes a long way.. I mean i've been playing 16 years now so I've kinda got the "chops" and theory part down it's just a case of keeping on top of it and not letting it slip which It does from time to time..
Educate your self, pickup the guitar more and try become more obessed with your playing than your new pedal.
I know it's hard boys like their toys I mean i've tried a million things to make me play better and it simply just comes down to hard work. huff how much does that suck? :cry:
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Same :oops: :oops: :oops:
I have REALLY improved since getting a guitar teacher, and all the stuff about pentatonics, playing with other people and clicks are all things he's taught me, highly recommended.
I learned well for about a year and a half, when I spent at least an hour a day on guitar, then got nowhere for 6 months when I discovered this place, but my progress has picked up again since investing in lessons. they really are worth it!
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Metronome, metronome, metronome. The 3 Ms.
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I read the start of this thread and thought I must have written it myself, then had a memory lapse.
Wish I could help, but I am very much in the same boat.
I'm convinced finding a teacher is probably the best bet, but it must be hard to find the right one. And being limited to public transport, I don't really fancy lugging a gigbag round the seedy outskirts of London on evenings and weekends.
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In music as in life...timing is everything.
I've always found that a multi effects unit with a built in drum machine is a great tool to have around..even when you wander off from practicing your chops and start widdling....if its in time with a drum loop....it's worthwhile.
Also practicing scales etc with a totally different effects patch each time helps keep things fresh and can inspire new riffs....but yea too much GAS can seriously distract you from actually playing the things hah.
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I got classical spanish acoustic lessons for 2 years when I was 11 which gave me a really good grounding in the instrument. As soon as you master rhythm, timing and a basic ear for melody, you can build upon that.
I've never really learned scales/chord shapes (beyond the basic pentatonics and barres), I play everything by ear (can transcribe by ear, work out chord shapes by ear etc.) I'd say an ear for melody/harmony is arguably the most important thing to playing guitar, at least in a songwriting context.
There's another thing - write LOADS of your own songs! Learning to play other people's is fun and can obviously improve your technique, but nothing beats writing your own stuff for creativity and artistic improvement.
Next time you hear a song you love, try to work out little bits about it you like - that lovely little one-beat rest, the off-beat accents, the frantic stabbing of harmonic dischords over a standard scale bassline - and try to implement it in your songs. After a while you'll have so many ideas and influences you'll be writing hybrids of all your favourite bits into your tunes as second nature! (I keep writing riffs, then while listening through my music I suddenly go - hey! that's where I got that idea from! without even realising when I'd written it :lol: )
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Thanks for all the input guys, it's really good to see I'm not the only people in the same boat!
I got a new job yesterday, which means I am going to treat myself to a new set up (Fender Champ 600, Bad Monkey, Verbzilla, nothing too pricey and flash, but a good basic set up I feel, and a significant improvement on my spider II 75 watt!).
So the new set up should stave off the gas for a while, and I think I am going to go down the lessons route, at least to begin with, until I get into a comfortable practise routine of my own!
Lastly, does anyone have any book recommendations to learn a bit of basic guitar theory (just enough to get me going...)
Thanks!
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I've got an amazing book called "how to write songs on guitar" by Rikky Rooksby which I bought off amazon.
It not only covers the elements of basic theory on the guitar (chord shapes, scales) but also goes over some more advanced shapes and even chord arrangements for songwriting.
It's also got a really interesting section on how to get influences for songwriting and lyrics to get your creative juices flowing, and everything's really big and colourful! (Yes I'm a child and I like big colourful things :P)
Highly recommended (by me):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Write-Songs-Guitar-Playing/dp/0879306114/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-7113327-4619809?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183499935&sr=8-1
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I read the start of this thread and thought I must have written it myself, then had a memory lapse.
Wish I could help, but I am very much in the same boat.
I'm convinced finding a teacher is probably the best bet, but it must be hard to find the right one. And being limited to public transport, I don't really fancy lugging a gigbag round the seedy outskirts of London on evenings and weekends.
Philly, I remember you said you're SW London based, my teacher is based in Clapham Common (northside). I found him by accident after months of searching, He's a great guy + good value. PM me if you're interested. Or anyone else for that matter...
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Now this is a topic that I can relate to! I wonder if there's a record for the longest time spent farting around with guitars before actually deciding to learn to play them properly.
I bought my first guitar when I was 18, having farted around with a borrowed one for some time before that.
I have decided to knuckle (ahem) down to some proper learning.
I am 37.
To this end, and with your last request in mind, .50 Caliber Bob, I am using two books:
'10 minute Guitar Workout' by David Mead and
'Fretboard Roadmaps' by Fred Sokolow
The Mead book is the main one I'm concentrating on. The 'workout' of the title mainly consists of exercises designed to improve fingering skills, but it's about getting used to scales, too, and there's loads of other theory in there, not just the workout; The Roadmaps book is a slightly different approach to getting your head and fingers around the important stuff.
Between them I'm working out a practice program which so far I think is hugely enjoyable, at least, and what's more I seriously believe I'm learning something. Fact is, most of the books out there are utterly useless, so it's nice to find a couple that seem to have been written with some wit behind the method. I reckon that most people could come up with some good ways to practice by looking at one or both of these.
There again, everyone likes different teaching styles...
'Nuff rambling, hope that helps!
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Can anyone recommend any tutorial DVD's (for example) that would benefit me in my quest to play faster and more technical solos. I'm not talking ubermetal fast but just a bit better than I am now.
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Can anyone recommend any tutorial DVD's (for example) that would benefit me in my quest to play faster and more technical solos. I'm not talking ubermetal fast but just a bit better than I am now.
Doug Doppler guitar 411, I have it and its great. Starts off basic and builds up. Really opens up fretboard.
He's a nice guy too, having exchanged a few emails with him about his Ibanez collection, which is immense.
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Buy Guitar Techniques magazine - there is great tuition articles in there - I am still working through April 2002's copy!
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Can anyone recommend any tutorial DVD's (for example) that would benefit me in my quest to play faster and more technical solos. I'm not talking ubermetal fast but just a bit better than I am now.
Doug Doppler guitar 411, I have it and its great. Starts off basic and builds up. Really opens up fretboard.
He's a nice guy too, having exchanged a few emails with him about his Ibanez collection, which is immense.
Good call, cheers. I'll keep moi eyes open.