3 months in and my repetoire is:
Scales: Major, Pentatonic (first and 2nd pattern)
Open Chords: C (add9 etc.), D (sus2, sus4) Dm, E, Em, E7, G (add something lol), A, Am, B, Bm
Barre Chords: F, F#, B, plus a few others I've not yet memorised the names of
Power Chords: n/a, not a strong point at all, feels less awkward all the time though.
Theory: Working on intervals and chord progressions, still learning the note names on each string. I know a few shortcuts, like the octave 2x2 rule.
Resources: Lick Library (GnR, Metallica and Bon Jovi), Speed Mechanics (this ones gonna last), and Fretboard Roadmap.
Working on Songs:
GnR - Sweet Child of Mine (can play all of it except the last two solos at 70% speed)
Trouble - Coldplay (All of it, thank you justin!)
Bon Jovi - Wanted dead or alive (Intro upto chorus so far)
Metallica - One (just after first mini solo)
Of course I've been playing around with plenty other little riffs and such, concentrating more on clean playing and keeping the speed im playing at consistent. But I was desperate to find a song I can play all the way through, so I can see the improvement on one song.
After looking at many songs on www.JustinGuitar.com I saw that Coldplays Trouble was in there! Awesome. Then I saw it used a few barre chords and I was a little gutted. But since I'd learned most of the other open chords I went for it. An hour later I was grinning like a cheshire cat! One more day of practice and my barre chords are speeding up fine, in fact I feel like I want to go play that song for everyone I know.
I've also been mixing it up playing Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive because the intro arpeggiated walk down the treble strings sounds very cool for little effort. The verse strumming and little fills is also very easy. I'm amazed at how quickly, cleanly and cool I've got my guitar sounding. I've really been enthused by my steady and fast progress and now I'm practising something like 3-4 hours a day.
I did get a guitar teacher around 4 weeks ago, but felt a little robbed by price compared to content. He was impressed how much I'd learned in the short time I'd had my guitar, and I think it caught him off guard. He prompted me for another lesson last night, and I thought I'd give him another try but with firm targets (new full cool song, practise strumming patterns). If he doesnt deliver the goods, I'm just going to continue on my own. I feel im doing great!
I even had a moment yesterday that lasted 10-15 seconds where my hands were moving of their own accord and my fingers were being ever so gentle forming the chords. It was like I'd zoned out and my playing became beautifully easy. If only I could make that feeling last longer then I believe I could actually call myself a guitar player!
Apologies for length (fnar fnar)
your last paragraph explains one reason why I, and probably most of us, stay in this game.
your last paragraph explains one reason why I, and probably most of us, stay in this game.
It's both wonderful and scary at the same time when your fingers do the entire song on auto-pilot and if you think about it you mess up.
The more you know I think the faster you can learn even more because things hook together. This is why it might take Tommy Emmanual 10 seconds to learn and do what I can only do badly after 6 months!
Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)
things DO get easier the more you play....and yes...things hook up like a jigsaw puzzle!
but it is your ability to keep playing,no matter how disheartening things can be sometimes...that make the difference..
so for three months in your doing great by the sound of things 8)
I think it's fun going back to songs that I couldn't play a while ago, but all of a sudden can learn in just a few minutes. Yesterday I learned Led Zep's Thank You and it took me all of like two tries. (I did an accoustic solo version like Chris Cornell did that I found on You Tube) Other songs in the past happened that way. Angie, Wild Horses, etc, etc.
Oh, and I know you're aware of this already, but if you can play a barred F, than you can play a barred G, G#, A, A#, etc, etc. I'd play a lot more of 'em except that I get hand cramps. Doing something wrong, I'm sure. I'm fairly good with the E, EM and Am shaped chords (and some variations deviating from them), but I cannot stand an A shaped barre chord. I don't avoid them, I just hate the way they sound when I implement them. One day though.....
I liked your comment about getting lost in the music for 15 seconds. I get that way on a couple of tunes and my calm becomes threatened. A few examples would be like the last verse of a few songs, like "I Can't Get It Out Of My Head", a strummy version of "House Of The Rising Sun", "Ballad Of Curtis Loew", "Sweet Virginia", etc, etc. I'll start off reasonaby quiet and then get into a tune big time. A couple of minutes later I regain conciousness, look over at my who has obviously been staring at me...... it's musical freedom. I'm playing without hesitation or restraint. It's gotta be the best playing I do. Of course, every time I come out of it, I feel like John Cleese after he's killed another Swamp Castle party guest or two.
Oooops, I rambled again. :oops:
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
but it is your ability to keep playing,no matter how disheartening things can be sometimes...that make the difference..
That be me. I am a bit disheartened and keep on playing, hoping one day I will get it.
that be me. I am a bit disheartened and keep on playing, hoping one day I will get it.
hang in there buddy :D
Thanks for the replies. No sign of that auto-feeling again unfortunately. I'm also getting more grumpy when I cant spend time with my guitar. Heavily pregnant girlfriends wanting to go to the cinema and pay for a nice meal beforehand is just so inconsiderate! :twisted: If I had it my way i'd be playing it from the moment I get in from work til the moment I go to sleep, or get a blister doing barre chords. lol.
Anyone know any cool strummy songs that might be to my taste and level? I'll keep immersing myself in guitar and music knowledge until I get another Eureka moment :) :note2:
Given your current situation, why not Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse Of Reason? (read the lyrics) :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
JUST KIDDING!
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
That's quite an accomplishment for only 3 months.
good job!
muscle memory is a great thing, but be aware that musles can't distinguish between good and bad habits.
beware of going too quickly.
#4491....
I think there is such a thing as practicing too much.
It takes time to absorb new information and it takes time for it to filter from the superficial ya-I've-got-it down to really, really *knowing* the material.
Sometimes taking time away from the activity gives your system time to sort, filter and properly file the info. I find that I make much faster progress doing perhaps 2 10 minute sessions on a new move in a given day and repeating 3 days instead of practicing the same move for 60 minutes straight.
Same with learning flying. After an hour I'm exhausted. No more learning to be had. Come back in a day or two and I've learned it.
In a wierd case I've noticed that some info related to military service over 20 years ago got integrated in my brain overnight and I've awakened going "hey, THAT'S why we did it that way! I hadn't figured it out at the time."
Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)
I know what people are saying about going too fast. Thats definately a possibility, but I tend to play things normal speed - mistakes pauses and all - then slow it down til its fluid, then gradually move back out of my comfort level. I don't tend to spend hours and hours on one thing. I'll focus on something as practise, then go back through every riff, scale and chord I know before deciding where to focus next.
I learned Pretty Woman after 5 minutes getting the riff and chord progressions down. Its still just about committing the chords and progressions to memory so I can worry more about fingering them. Being able to play a song in that time is just fuelling my enthusiasm more and more. But I'm not just learning songs to forget, I'm learning them to incorporate into my practise time. I even amended the Pretty Woman tab so I play the bass note of each chord then the full chord alternatively, which gives the sound additional complexity and seems to sound better overall. I'm pretty sure that this can only be a good habit to get into! :mrgreen:
I'm very good at remembering lyrics to songs, so hopefully that ability will carry over and I can commit quite a bit to long term memory.
Just thought I'd give an update because I think I've progressed immensely again.
My hand can dart around the fretboard fingering any notes I want to if I'm doing some crazy improv or other, so my basic technique is much better.
My strumming has come on a fair bit, I can semi-consciously strum patterns, although some songs are harder than others.
My string bending is improving, but Sweet Child o Mine solos are still a callous wrecker!
Working on Songs:
GnR - Sweet Child of Mine
Metallica - One (took this to the beginning of the second solo, playing the whole thing a LOT cleaner and faster)
Songs I can play a decent version of
Animals - House of the Rising Sun *
Bon Jovi - Wanted dead or alive *
Beatles - Help! *
Roxette - Things will never be the same *
Roxette - Here comes the weekend *
Trouble - Coldplay *
Verve - Drugs dont work *
Quite a bit of improvement, now if I play my best songs to the best of my ability, people may actually mistake me for a guitar player! :lol:
Way to go! Keep it up, man. The best thing is that it looks as if you're having much fun. Happy times! 8)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Kroikey said:
"...I even had a moment yesterday that lasted 10-15 seconds where my hands were moving of their own accord and my fingers were being ever so gentle forming the chords. It was like I'd zoned out and my playing became beautifully easy. If only I could make that feeling last longer then I believe I could actually call myself a guitar player!..."
Love that feeling. My kids call it "the bubble".
Dad -playing his guitar
Kids- "dad..can you help me with..."
Kid1- "dad...dAd, DAD!'
Kid 2- "forget it, he's in his bubble"
:lol: It's like a drug.
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
