playing technique

[JDC]

I've only been playing just over 2 years and I know my technique has got a lot better over time

I've started picking really light now, I think it's how the really good players make guitar look so effortless

I've still gotta get the hang of muting on fast sweeping downstrokes

so I was wondering, how you guys have changed and got better technique, so I can hit the next level in my playing :)

[_tom_]

Good vibrato and bending is what separates ok players from great players.

[MDV]

Asside from all the drills and techniques, the things that I've found improve my playing the most, by far, are:

Click

&

Recording

If you cant play it to a click and make a clean recording of it (for anything vaguely heavy, a double tracked one, minimun), you cant play it.

[Johnny Mac]

Asside from all the drills and techniques, the things that I've found improve my playing the most, by far, are:

Click

&

Recording

If you cant play it to a click and make a clean recording of it (for anything vaguely heavy, a double tracked one, minimun), you cant play it.

Or you could just copy and paste it!  

[gwEm]

not really a reply to your post, but some musings on it. i must say, although my technique has got alot better over time (i can play and sing without really thinking about it for example), i'm still pretty ashamed of the standard of my guitar playing :oops:

i used to have an extremely heavy handed touch, and broke low Es and As almost every week. i changed to size 11 strings and roller/graphtech bridges which seemed to help, but on reflection its my opinion that at the same time my picking got more consistant, although its still rather hard and emotional, and probably always will be.

i've tended to concentrate on improvisation and townshend style techniques, although i'd love to improve my shredding which is pretty much entry level standard.

obviously its all about the practise, but i'd rather concentrate writing new material. someday i still hope to be a half decent player.

[dave_mc]

Good vibrato and bending is what separates ok players from great players.

agreed wholeheartedly. that's basically my motto right there.

Obviously once you have that, you can then start working on your chops, but as long as you have good vibrato and bends (and obviously timing, lol, though it's debatable how good a vibrato you'd have if you have no timing...  :? ), you can kinda bluff your way, pretend you're being tasteful and holding back.  :lol:

[MDV]

Asside from all the drills and techniques, the things that I've found improve my playing the most, by far, are:

Click

&

Recording

If you cant play it to a click and make a clean recording of it (for anything vaguely heavy, a double tracked one, minimun), you cant play it.

Or you could just copy and paste it!  

NEVER!!!!!!! :twisted:   :lol:

[futuregun]

i started off as a bass player for a metal band, an its taken my ages to get outta the heavy handed string muting inaccuracy of it.i sucked at bass .
so guitar technique hasnt came easily to me, im nowhere near the level i want to be.but im very half arsed in my practice.
i think a metronome an simple cromatics have improved my techniqu alot.

and guitar hhero 2....my timings got alot better since playin it hahahh

[il˙ti]

Good vibrato and bending is what separates ok players from great players.

Agreed, but I just thought I'd follow up with some advice on how to get this.
I think that in order to be good at something you have to "meditate" on it, like Vai explains in his Martian Love Secrets. Once in awhile, sit with your guitar and play just one note for 10 minutes, half an hour, an hour, or more depending on your stamina. Keep vibrating that note in any way you know of, at any intensity, and at any tempo. You'll pretty quickly learn to absorb the different nuances and use them when a certain effect is wanted. The things that you practice should lead to something you'd actually want to use in your playing, so it might seem pointless to play the same lick, arpeggio, trill or vibrato for a long time, but it'll grow so much into your brain and fingers that it becomes natural and effortless for you. That's when you can use it.

[Twinfan]

I've started picking really light now, I think it's how the really good players make guitar look so effortless

Possibly, but everyone has their own style and I think it's important to keep that.  Why sound like everyone else?

I play heavy handed, slightly sloppy, with lots of attitude.  It's what makes me sound like me and I wouldn't want to change that, even if it meant I could sweep pick or whatever!

[indysmith]

I play heavy handed, slightly sloppy, with lots of attitude.  It's what makes me sound like me and I wouldn't want to change that, even if it meant I could sweep pick or whatever!

I play badly, out of time, with almost no talent at all. Love it 8)
I think that you should just spend some time thinking about how you want to sound when you play the guitar, and put a lot of effort into finding phrases and licks that sound that way.

[HTH AMPS]

You can play to a metronome, but that's f*ckin boring - put a record (sorry, CD) on a jam to that.

To see how good/bad your playing really is you should record it - you'd be surprised how different you sound played back  :o

 :twisted:

[Twinfan]

To see how good/bad your playing really is you should record it - you'd be surprised how different you sound played back

Totally agree.  It's a frightening experiece, especially with a full band drowning out your hearing...

[kevincurtis]

To see how good/bad your playing really is you should record it - you'd be surprised how different you sound played back

Totally agree.  It's a frightening experiece, especially with a full band drowning out your hearing...

I'm with you there - I just used to put on records I liked and play along, you get to hear great music and you will start to work bits out, I never wanted to know note for note, just the feel (probably too lazy!). It also helps you get tight if you dont play in a band...

K