Looking for some practice advice on Guitar.

[maroonandwhite]

I have been blown away by the amount of knowledge some of you guys have on home recording from my other thread. I am now hoping for some tips on my guitar playing/practice. I have read it's a common occurrence for a musician to "plateau" on his/her playing ability and that is just what I have done. I have been playing for ten years and can read a tab and learn a song fairly quickly( not so much on solos) but am really wanting to get to a level where I can improvise some lead stuff and really know what I am doing on the guitar rather than just learning chords and tabs. I have a hard time following along with books but can't find the time/money for private lessons. The fretboard logic book is what I have been using but am getting nowhere with it.

 

Can anyone give me any general tips as to what I should be focusing on or other avenues I can take? I know there is no substitute for practice I just don't know where to begin.

[gregintenn]

As a teenager, I took guitar lessons from a man in Hendersonville by the name of Lynn Peterson. I'm not sure if he's still in the business, but I cannot imagine anyone better to learn from. He taught my some different scales to run through, focusing first on clarity and accuracy, and then, while keeping that, increasing speed. They were really tought at first, but soon improved your playing abilities greatly. Wish I could remember more about them so I could be of some help to you.

[TGO David]

Learning scales is your best way to begin improvising solos and such.

[maroonandwhite]

I don't really have any problem learning the scale "forms" it's just piecing it all together that I am having trouble with. I think maybe I just need to sit down with a jam track or something and play till something clicks. I learn better by doing  haha.

[RichardR]

At the risk of sounding repeatative, scales .. switch them up, backward, forward, half-half, 2/3, 1/3, faster, slower, faster again backwards forwards, until it's just a natural progression & your ear will pick up sweet little licks here and there, pick those out, string them together and wahlah you have a sweet sounding original solo.

[JGunner]

Learning scales is your best way to begin improvising solos and such.

This x1000.

Let me preface this by saying I earned a masters degree in jazz studies from the university of new Orleans. I certainly don't know it all, but I think I have some good insight on this topic. I currently teach jazz guitar and bass lessons as well.

The other side of learning to improise is transcription. Copy by ear off of recordings cool ideas from other soloists. Use your knowledge of scales to understand why the licks work, and then expand these ideas to be your own. (add notes, change rhythms, learn the lick in a new key, change the lick from minor to major, find new chords the lick works on).

Play along tracks are great. I like to start students with one chord repeated for several measures -- it's the first step towards using lots of scales over lots of chords. iReal b is a great app for creating your own play alongs, although it is more geared toward jazz. You just type in the chords you want, and the app plays bass, piano, and drums in a style of rock, bossa, or swing( you can buy other styles).

In summary
1) practice scales
2) transcribe and digest other instrumentalist's licks
3) play alongs (start simple, pick one chord to solo over). (step 3 should combine elements of 1 and 2)

[peejman]

In my experience, lessons are the best way.  You'll never push yourself like a good instructor will.  I have the same time/money issues but I learned more taking lessons for a year than I did in the 15 or so before that.  We moved away from the teacher but I'd really like to get back into it. 

[1pointofview]

I have tried to learn to play for years.  what has helped me is jamming with folks (who have patience).  Youtube has helped me alot with learning simple songs and such.  once you get E, D, G, C, F down you pretty much can play a load of songs.  Learn how to play those basic cords and build off of it. I have been at it since Julyish of last year and getting better each week that I mess around.  Am I any good? no, not even close but I am getting better the more I play but I am learning the cheap way, on my own..

[UncleJak]

I learned by listening to 50s and 60s rock.  I love the guitar solos from that age.  I incorporated that style into bluegrass, blues, rock, or whatever.  My dad used to make fun of my quirky solo style, then after he heard it enough, he started to like it. 

I have the weirdest style I have ever heard, but it works for me.

My point (yes there is one): do whatwever you like to do and make it your own. :)

[maroonandwhite]

Lot's of good advice so far. Anyone have any good sites for play along tracks? The one JGunner mentioned looks nice but I'd like to have as many options as possible.

[mav]

I see a lot of people are recommending scales.  One thing I would caution against is focusing too much attention on scales and exercises.  Just like reading, they are fundamental, but too much can cause burnout.

 

I gave up the trumpet and picked up the guitar in college.  Joe Satriani was by far and away my favorite guitarist, and I wanted to be able to play his music.  There were days that I would practice 3 - 5 hours of nothing but scales and exercises trying to build up technique and speed in order to play his music.  I eventually got there, and could play lead right along with backing tracks, but what I didn't realize until it was too late was there to more music than just playing other people's stuff.  Unfortunately, I ended up quitting altogether.

 

Thankfully, I didn't get rid of all my guitars (still have three and my half stack).  Hopefully I will get the bug and start playing again.  One thing I would recommend, if it is possible, is trying to play with other people.

 

I have a great little book in my library that is put out by the Musicians Institute.  It is Guitar Soloing: The Contemporary Guide to Improvisation.  I don't know if it is still in print, but it is a great book.

[peejman]

My favorite play along was just with the cd's I had. I'd get the tab book stick the cd in and have at it. That was fun but I wasn't learning any of the fundamentals that help you improv and really become a better player. I could play lots of songs but little else.

[TrickyNicky]

More important than scales IMO is getting to know your chord shapes and how they move and work around the neck.

Also, highly recommend a good teacher, the progress you will make under the tutelage of a real proffesional is nothing short of amazing. Best investment you can make, even better than a new set of custom hand wound pickups. ;)

[gregintenn]

Bourbon tends to make my guitar playing soud better. :rock:

[Randall53]

This is it..take it or no..I took banjo lessons one time.  the instructor said, time in practice equals quality sound out.  There is no substitute for practice. I brushed it off. Then I learned my lesson.  Let me give you an example.  I was taking banjo lessons.  I could play the guitar, but wanted the banjo bad.  I practiced about 1 to 2 hours 4 or 5 times a week after work (I was in my early 30's).  The teacher had a get together on friday nights for students. I went one night but only played the guitar because I was comfortable with it in bluegrass and knew a lot of songs, not so with the banjo.  I had been taking banjo lessons for 6 months.  This 17 year old kid sat in the back and picked around on his banjo.  He wouldn't play loud and I had trouble hearing him.  During a break, when everyone else was outside, the instructor told me to come play a few with this kid.....This kid tore it up!!!! My jaw hit the floor. We played about 8 or 9 songs......He had been playing 4 months to my 6 months banjo wise.  But, he practiced a minimum of 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. He practiced more each week than I did on 3 weeks. Lesson is....there is NO substitute for practice. According to Earl Scruggs, it takes 1000 SUCCESSFUL practice licks to get a banjo lick down pat muscle memory wise.  Same for a guitar. We often hear the pro's play licks that are awesome.  Pink Floyd "Comfortably Numb"  or Lynyrd Skynyd "Free Bird"....they have played those songs thousands of times. They don't even have to think anymore while playing them.....

Edited March 30, 2013 by Randall53

[maroonandwhite]

More important than scales IMO is getting to know your chord shapes and how they move and work around the neck.

Also, highly recommend a good teacher, the progress you will make under the tutelage of a real proffesional is nothing short of amazing. Best investment you can make, even better than a new set of custom hand wound pickups. ;)

You mean those pickups aren't going to make me play better?? CRAP!

 

I did a lot of reading last night about how folks like to learn the fretboard and one guy recommended learning where one note is all over the fret board one note at a time (if that makes since). So basically start with E and learn where it is everywhere on the board. The play some scales off of it and once I get it down move to the next note. Sounds like a good "structured" way that would work well with my brain haha. I want so badly to take lessons but it just isn't in the cards at the moment. Not really a money issue as lessons are about $100 a month. All of the well known teachers in the area are booked up in my available time slots.

[mikegideon]

I'm not a player (played another instrument for years), but know quite a few. All the good ones play a lot. There's at least one real session player on TGO. I won't out him, but maybe he'll pipe up. If you have the drive and the time, one of the better packaged video courses can be real helpful. Like all true diciplines, if you're missing some fundamentals, you'll hit a wall in your development.

[Steelharp]

There is some incredible software called the "Amazing Slow Downer." It's $40, and it will be one of the best investments you can make. You can load any mp3 you have into it, and you can make the track as slow as you want, and it does not alter the pitch. (It has that function, too, if you have to learn it in a different key.) I bought it when I had to learn a complicated steel guitar part on a John Michael Montgomery record for an Opry performance. Huge help.

 

http://amazing-slow-downer.en.softonic.com/

Edited March 30, 2013 by Steelharp

[Steelharp]

There's at least one real session player on TGO. I won't out him, but maybe he'll pipe up.

There's more than one of us. I'm just the most vocal, lol.

[LowBb]

Set out your instrument where it's looking at you all the time and when you walk by and have a free minute pick it up. Keep it in your hands when ur watching the tube or what ever.

Scales and transcribe. Learn chords and voicings.

It's a life long endeavor. Don't feel like you have to learn it all in one month, or year. Practice one thing slow until you can master it. Just like gun training. That in turn will improve everything else you learn.

Take some lessons.

[mikegideon]

There's more than one of us. I'm just the most vocal, lol.

 

I wasn't counting you. You play those alien guitars :). Good steel players are pretty rare.

Edited March 30, 2013 by mikegideon

[Will Carry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZxPsP-xuIc

[mikegideon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xiGX8OhwaQ

[Krull]

G C D. You will be surprised at how many songs you can play with these three chords. Learn them

[Randall53]

There ain't no shortcuts.......to be world class...what does it take?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1078842/Practice-makes-perfect-Why-takes-10-000-hours-success-according-academic.html