How do you not get stuck at playing guitar?

[dave_mc]

Well it depends about what we are talking here. Are we talking about Blues or Shredding? I never needed a metronome for fast blues or solos like from metallica, GnR, Pantera and so on. But when I started to REALLY shred, means not noodling only some pentatonics and blues scale, I had to use a metronome cause it was just sloppy and not clean, and I never got that fast. I started with the metronome at a super easy tempo up to 250 BPM. If you are able to shred on really fast tempo without practicing with a metronome, then you're eithernot from this planet or you just think you are playing that clean and fast.

Like I said, I never used to practice with a metronome, but more because there was no need for it, rather than I was lazy or something else. I just got to the point where I realized that I'm not not getting any faster and the stuff that I play fast was like mentioned fast bluesy stuff and solos like AC/DC, Metallica some Megadeth etc.

I did play along A LOT and always learned new songs and solos, but I got to the point where I didn't want to learn that stuff note by note anymore or cover stuff.

It really depends on what you are playing and of what speed we're talking about here. If I was a Jazz guitarist I wouldn't loose a second thin king about getting a metronome, but rather a drummer.

I generally play that type of 80s stuff you mentioned- hair metal and the like. Lots of people would consider that shreddy, but from what you're saying I'm guessing you mean the really, really hardcore shred stuff and I don't really play that stuff, admittedly. But I've definitely heard people before saying things like, "You won't be in time *at all* if you don't use a metronome [regardless of music style]," which I don't agree with. That doesn't seem to be what you're saying, though, so :drink:

[Jamie]

I have always struggled to map out the fretboard until my guitar teacher taught me a great way of visualising everything. My playing has come on tremendously since learning the fretboard as I am now free from the same old box shapes I was always stuck in. I would highly recommend becoming 100% familiar with every fret on the board (that is if you aren't already...)

[Skilpad]

I made a huge step when starting to improvise with my eyes on different scales.
I tried to stay on one scale, then on another one... Also, I tried to do chords with no more rules than "staying on the scale" (so nothing about intervals), to go away from the most used ones.
At a point, I could start doing cool stuff without looking at the scales, and leaving them somtimes. 

[Mythic]

Well it depends about what we are talking here. Are we talking about Blues or Shredding? I never needed a metronome for fast blues or solos like from metallica, GnR, Pantera and so on. But when I started to REALLY shred, means not noodling only some pentatonics and blues scale, I had to use a metronome cause it was just sloppy and not clean, and I never got that fast. I started with the metronome at a super easy tempo up to 250 BPM. If you are able to shred on really fast tempo without practicing with a metronome, then you're eithernot from this planet or you just think you are playing that clean and fast.

Like I said, I never used to practice with a metronome, but more because there was no need for it, rather than I was lazy or something else. I just got to the point where I realized that I'm not not getting any faster and the stuff that I play fast was like mentioned fast bluesy stuff and solos like AC/DC, Metallica some Megadeth etc.

I did play along A LOT and always learned new songs and solos, but I got to the point where I didn't want to learn that stuff note by note anymore or cover stuff.

It really depends on what you are playing and of what speed we're talking about here. If I was a Jazz guitarist I wouldn't loose a second thin king about getting a metronome, but rather a drummer.

I generally play that type of 80s stuff you mentioned- hair metal and the like. Lots of people would consider that shreddy, but from what you're saying I'm guessing you mean the really, really hardcore shred stuff and I don't really play that stuff, admittedly. But I've definitely heard people before saying things like, "You won't be in time *at all* if you don't use a metronome [regardless of music style]," which I don't agree with. That doesn't seem to be what you're saying, though, so :drink:

well yeah I am talking about that real fast stuff, but I'm not saying that I can play all that stuff, just for the record. I started off with that kind of 80's shredding too and never used a metronome. Maybe I should have, cause that thing made my playing better 70% and actually it made me pop even more out from the guitar players around me. Just because no one is using a metronome and it seems like nobody knows what the metronome is able. People who don't want to use it cause it's maybe necessary anyway call it a super boring way to keep the beat. Actually, when you play a bit faster stuff, it makes you sound cleaner and faster! I listened to that stuff and was like $%&# that is SO fast, but then realized it's actually insanely clean played and that makes it even sound faster. I don't think you can get really fast without a metronome, cause without it you just play certain licks or solos real fast and if you try getting a bit faster you're stuck. At least that was the case with me. All the "stars" advice to use a metronome for a reason I guess.

[Mythic]

I have always struggled to map out the fretboard until my guitar teacher taught me a great way of visualising everything. My playing has come on tremendously since learning the fretboard as I am now free from the same old box shapes I was always stuck in. I would highly recommend becoming 100% familiar with every fret on the board (that is if you aren't already...)

That's actually something I really wanna do! Just look at the fretboard a different way! Do you know any lectures covering that kind of stuff?

[Mythic]

I made a huge step when starting to improvise with my eyes on different scales.
I tried to stay on one scale, then on another one... Also, I tried to do chords with no more rules than "staying on the scale" (so nothing about intervals), to go away from the most used ones.
At a point, I could start doing cool stuff without looking at the scales, and leaving them somtimes.

I am actually doing this since some time and I just ordered the " little black book of scales". I am sick of all those scales in the net and really want to have them all at one place and be sure those are the right ones!

I think learning scales that good that you can improvise with them and use them for your writing, soloing .... is one of the best things to do and that's what I'm trying to right now. For example, almost everybody can improvise over the blues scale. If you can improvise that easy with other scales and patterns I think you're really good to go writing solos. ( even alexi laiho says that when he writes a solo he just loops the rhythm guitar and jams over it and picks stuff out he liked, and there are probably many more guitarists doing it that way)

[Kiichi]

I have always struggled to map out the fretboard until my guitar teacher taught me a great way of visualising everything. My playing has come on tremendously since learning the fretboard as I am now free from the same old box shapes I was always stuck in. I would highly recommend becoming 100% familiar with every fret on the board (that is if you aren't already...)

That's actually something I really wanna do! Just look at the fretboard a different way! Do you know any lectures covering that kind of stuff?

One thing that can be cool is going from the normal approach of soloing which is very much vertical to overly horizontal. Meaning try to play single string solos. That way you look at the fretboard differently and have to use sliding and legato more to make it interresting. Makes you look at things differently I feel.
When you then go back to the regular scale style soloing which is more vertical youŽll likely mix it up more.

[Telerocker]

A looper is definitely a helpful tool and can inspire to play different solo's over the same theme.
Lately I try to play less notes and emphasize the keynotes in a melodic solo.
Besides that, my coverband prevents me being a lazy player as our bandleader sents every week new songs to rehearse. You learn a lot that way.

[dave_mc]

Grr the quote thing's not working again :lol:

"well yeah I am talking about that real fast stuff, but I'm not saying that I can play all that stuff, just for the record. I started off with that kind of 80's shredding too and never used a metronome. Maybe I should have, cause that thing made my playing better 70% and actually it made me pop even more out from the guitar players around me. Just because no one is using a metronome and it seems like nobody knows what the metronome is able. People who don't want to use it cause it's maybe necessary anyway call it a super boring way to keep the beat. Actually, when you play a bit faster stuff, it makes you sound cleaner and faster! I listened to that stuff and was like $%&# that is SO fast, but then realized it's actually insanely clean played and that makes it even sound faster. I don't think you can get really fast without a metronome, cause without it you just play certain licks or solos real fast and if you try getting a bit faster you're stuck. At least that was the case with me. All the "stars" advice to use a metronome for a reason I guess. "

Sounds good. I might have to give it a try. :drink: