Hi there!
I have a couple of questions. I've been playing the guitar for 7 1/2 years now. I would greatly appreciate if anyone can help me out.
I've been trying to play the really fast riff in the beginning of "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey for a couple months now....But I still can't get it to sound like the recording. I want it to be perfect. I got the muted part of the riff down, but I can't seem to get the part that's not muted. I'm fast, but not fast enough. I just need to get a little faster for it to sound correct. When I alternate pick (or play a solo), my picking hand usually rests on the strings. My question is.....Is this what's slowing me down? Is this a bad habit (my picking hand resting on the strings while I play)? Should I lift my hand off the strings while I play or am I fine? If I lift my hand off the strings while I play, will this improve my speed or not? If so, by how much (alot or little) will my speed improve?
And also, I've been trying to play the solo to "Any Way You Want It", also by Journey. I can't get this solo down either....I'm just slow. Any tips on playing solos?
Thanks!
Yours Truly,
Michelle
P.S. At what level do you think the beginning riff of "Don't Stop Believin'" and the solo to "Anyway You Want It" is (Intermediate or Advanced) ?
NEAL SCHON = AWSOME GUITARIST!!!!
Hey,
I would have to say the best way to be able to play your solos, is to practice more. If you don't have one, go out and buy a metronome and play some scales up and down using down up picking/alternate picking the whole time. I tried to learn a lick in the solo to Good Times, Bad Times by Led Zeppelin that was pretty fast and i couldn't play it for awhile, but then after trying it for awhile after i had been practicing alot i found i could play it. So PRACTICE is my answer to your delemma, because yeah the idea of practicing sucks but if you want to get better there's ways of making it fun....
Thanks furious_b!!!! I think that's what I need more of.....practice...
But when I play, I usually have my arm rested on the strings....should I take my hand of the strings or am I fine?
i'm not exactly sure what you mean by "resting your arm on the strings" but i wouldn't think that was the problem. Since you that's basically what you do to palm mute... but to be able to play up tempo, or complicated lines pratice is essential. Here's what i'd do:
Pick a few certain licks or parts of solos that you would want to learn, only do a few harder licks rather than learning to play a whole solo... baby steps... Then after you know how to play the lick,(i.e. you can play it, just not as fast as you want to) Don't play it for a week or two, and spend 10 - 15 minutes once a day playing sales, play them up and down using alternate picking, down up down up, if you have a metronome use it, if not, it's a great tool for practice. After doing this for awhile try the lines you picked out before and try to play them, You'll probably find that it is much easier. Good luck
I'll try it! Thanks for the help!! I greatly appreciate it.
I tend to rest my palm against my strings also, especially with harder rock passage since there seems to be so much muting required.
Keep up the alternate picking. Maybe try some alt picking excersises and continue to slowly build up their speed.
As for Neal Schon (spelling, sorry), well I'd bet that he did his fair share of practicing his alt picking and also felt he wasn't fast enough early on. but he did kick Carlos Santana's butt (imho).
check out my website for good recording/playing info
but he did kick Carlos Santana's butt (imho).
He sure did!!!:D
