Frustrated...

[Lord of Delusions]

Dammit! I haven't picked up my guitar in months. Wait, there was that time I rearranged the living room...Anyway, usually when this happens its only for a few weeks, maybe a month and then when I start playing again I get all inspired and maybe even pick up a little more technique. But latetly I think I have played about 3 hours in the past 6 months. Sucky.

The other thing is I keep creating all these songs in my head that I couldn't possibly physically play. Well I could probably scratch by most of it, but the solo stuff...no way. When I say songs, sometimes its single parts (drum lines, bass lines, guitar lines, and even lyrics that are only missing the rest of the music to support them.) and sometimes its entire arrangements that only need recorded. I have managed to capture a few of these nuggets of brilliance, but they are still in their most basic forms.

So what the hell do I do?

 

[RoboCaster]

Dammit! I haven't picked up my guitar in months. Wait, there was that time I rearranged the living room...Anyway, usually when this happens its only for a few weeks, maybe a month and then when I start playing again I get all inspired and maybe even pick up a little more technique. But latetly I think I have played about 3 hours in the past 6 months. Sucky.

The other thing is I keep creating all these songs in my head that I couldn't possibly physically play. Well I could probably scratch by most of it, but the solo stuff...no way. When I say songs, sometimes its single parts (drum lines, bass lines, guitar lines, and even lyrics that are only missing the rest of the music to support them.) and sometimes its entire arrangements that only need recorded. I have managed to capture a few of these nuggets of brilliance, but they are still in their most basic forms.

So what the hell do I do?

Well there just aint no easy way.. but it's all in the hours, dexterity comes with relaxation, but you must put the hours in on your tools and then just move them around and only think of the music not the tooling.

Or you can learn how to transcribe and write your music and they put on a computer, store it listen to it, massage it and enhance it until it's a complete song, in structure that is. I suppose there is software that will simulate instruments and you just provide it the transcription. Piano players write the music for entire orchestras and don't even know how to play the other instruments.

Speaking of frustrated, I’m always frustrated with sound quality of my components, placing good pedals in front a my processor helps, but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig, but my amp sounds so much better with the boxes before it and on crunch…

Anyway I got my MXR Mini Amp (clean gain booster) last night, oh yea! It really helps just right after the Keeley mod pedal, so that it can first do its job with intensity sensor low to high distortion gain response, then the MXR clean gain boost and then thirdly the EQ, oh yea!, can’t wait to get it on the amp.

 

[Lord of Delusions]

Well I know that if I start playing again and maybe take some lessons on how to do some things that would help, but my biggest problem is actually keeping the ideas solid. Its like trying to write down a dream after waking up. The longer it takes to jot it down, the less you remember. Maybe I should just save up and get a Matrix socket installed in the back of my head so I can just jack in and dump it while its hot.

 

[RoboCaster]

my biggest problem is actually keeping the ideas solid. Its like trying to write down a dream after waking up. The longer it takes to jot it down, the less you remember.

Here is what a guitar master told me; whistle it out, record it, and then if you want to write a solo within some melody, then whistle out your music, then transfer it to your solo and start working from there. That way you can play musical solos as was as mechanical shreds.

 

[Air Raid Siren]

Here is what a guitar master told me; whistle it out, record it, and then if you want to write a solo within some melody, then whistle out your music, then transfer it to your solo and start working from there. That way you can play musical solos as was as mechanical shreds.

I have to hum it cuz I can't whistle!
Sure wish I could hum in 3 part harmony!!!

 

[Lord of Delusions]

I have to hum it cuz I can't whistle!
Sure wish I could hum in 3 part harmony!!!

Yeah I can't whistle very well either. I can, but not in tune, or at least not without alot of practice. I can hum in tune to a point. It depends on the song I guess. Some of Chevelle's stuff is pretty easy for my to grasp, as well as SOAD. My own stuff? Rarely.

I've been playing for nearly 10 years and completely self taught. I think that may be the biggest source of my problem. I can't read music, only tabs. I can't hear a note by itself and recognize it or play it. If someone says "Play an E flat diminished 5th", I am lost. I can't tune my guitar without a tuner. I can tune it to itself, but have to go back and recheck to make sure it stays where I put it. You know, after reading what I just typed I am suprised I can play at all!

 

[RoboCaster]

I've been playing for nearly 10 years and completely self taught.

Get the DVD “Lean To Play Rippin Lead Guitar with Pauld Lidel”, it’s only $30.00, you can get a used one for $15.00. You will learn valuable skills, how to use pentatonics scales, vibrato, finger roll and phrasing, in fact in a couple of weeks you will say “Man I wish I would have know this all along.” Pentatonics are the key to ripping leads and you will see how to combine proper string bending, bending and rolling pentetonics, yea in fact you will be able to apply this knowledge immediately.

Nice thing about the DVD you can play each lesson over and over until you have muscle memory and then are ready for the next one, and you don’t have to pay for repeat sessions. You can watch a play along, in slow, then fast speeds.

In fact you can bypass reading music or TABS buy recognizing patterns, you learn to hear as well as learn to play.

You should read the reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ref=sr_1_3/102-5578212-2755302?v=glance&s=dvd

 

[RoboCaster]

Oh yea, and next Grass Hopper, I will tell you about the concept of the “Moving Hand”, yea! It’ll blow your mind; it’s pretty cool, and something profound, and wise in all its ways… hee, yep and when you’re using it, no one even understands what you’re doing, unless they too understand the “Moving Hand”.. Yep all the super guitar players use it.

Okay here is how it goes; you know you can use different picking styles, from highbred picking to slant picking. Well moving hand is the idea that you change you position from bridge to neck and constantly move all around, depending on the attack needed.

Basically use the pick slanted horizontal to the strings sometimes by the bridge in order to shred. Pick at a ten degree or more of an angle perpendicular to the string when you strum or arpeggiate for better accuracy, dexterity and tone; that way you can toss riffs out or strum by the neck for warmer tone and twangy notes. Never anchor your fingers on the body when picking or strumming unless you’re holding the guitar over your head.

The idea is to be all over the place while maintaining good discipline with the pick. Don't be stuck in one place and progressively change the wamth of a song; this will help your attack.

 

[Lord of Delusions]

I'll be checking for that dvd on ebay when I am done here. As far as picking goes, I already change my positions depending on what I am playing. I have all kinds of books, and about 8 years worth of guitar mags that I have read from. Scales, for some reason, are like nuclear physics to me. I have tried to learn, but it just doesn't gel.

Here is how I learn songs by ear: I find the lowest note played. Most of the time that is going to be played with an open low E string. I tune my guitar accordingly. Then if I am familiar enough with the musicians style, I can pick the rest apart fairly easily. When the solo's come along, I just flat can't keep up. (note* the only solo I have ever completly 100% nailed is Defaults "Wasting My Time"*)I find the notes eventually, but I don't have the dexterity to follow through. I've practiced speed and accuracy but unfortunatly my hands won't comply after more than a few minutes. This issue carries over to just about everything else I do. I work with my hands and at times I have a pretty good "kung foo grip", but after a while it will go away, usually my thumbs will totally give out. They have even curled up into the palm of my hand which then leaves me to pry them back out. When playing its my picking hand that will poop out first, resulting in me loosing control of the pick. Maybe I am slightly arthritic, I don't know. Maybe I need to start playing again and see what happens!

 

[RoboCaster]

I'll be checking for that dvd on ebay when I am done here. As far as picking goes, I already change my positions depending on what I am playing. I have all kinds of books, and about 8 years worth of guitar mags that I have read from. Scales, for some reason, are like nuclear physics to me. I have tried to learn, but it just doesn't gel.

Here is how I learn songs by ear: I find the lowest note played. Most of the time that is going to be played with an open low E string. I tune my guitar accordingly. Then if I am familiar enough with the musicians style, I can pick the rest apart fairly easily. When the solo's come along, I just flat can't keep up. (note* the only solo I have ever completly 100% nailed is Defaults "Wasting My Time"*)I find the notes eventually, but I don't have the dexterity to follow through. I've practiced speed and accuracy but unfortunatly my hands won't comply after more than a few minutes. This issue carries over to just about everything else I do. I work with my hands and at times I have a pretty good "kung foo grip", but after a while it will go away, usually my thumbs will totally give out. They have even curled up into the palm of my hand which then leaves me to pry them back out. When playing its my picking hand that will poop out first, resulting in me loosing control of the pick. Maybe I am slightly arthritic, I don't know. Maybe I need to start playing again and see what happens!

Yes the DVD will show you how to solo as patterns, and forget about note picking, it's easier to move patterns, but I think you should use a stiff pick and lighten up, because you will get tired if you dig in. When you learn how to hold your fretting hand in the Vibrato Squeeze position, you can finger then neck and hold the chords with a light touch. Light touch is what you want, and cleanliness. When you just play with patterns, then you tend to relax because you know where it’s going, but if you are note picking you may tend to try too hard; which is very common. Pentatonics are required, and are easy; you learn how to fill them in and extend outside. Minor, Major and Blues Pentatonics will change your world. It is the only way to understand the neck; understand it with boxes rather then thousands of notes.

 

[Lord of Delusions]

but I think you should use a stiff pick and lighten up, because you will get tired if you dig in.

I use yellow tortex pics. Not sure of the thickness, I don't seem to have any left that still have print on them. I do tend to dig in pretty hard sometimes. My thumb becomes the anchor that keeps the neck from trying to wrap around my backside.

 

[RoboCaster]

I use yellow tortex pics. Not sure of the thickness, I don't seem to have any left that still have print on them. I do tend to dig in pretty hard sometimes. My thumb becomes the anchor that keeps the neck from trying to wrap around my backside.

Yea move up to .80 some mm and then later you may try the 1.14 mm Tortex, but it only needs to be stiff; even the hard plastic ones are preferred by some, because of the click you get in the picking and a sharper scrape then tortex, but tortex tips last longer. Throw it way when the tip rounds off and keep it pure, becaue good tips equal sharper notes. I believe the yellow plectrum is flimsy, and that's a bad mistake. Relax your picking hand as part of every thing you concentrate on, but get the video and learn, pinch harmonics, highbred picking and Vibrato Squeeze, and then you will have some valuable tools in your pocket, and then you will understand why it’s important to palm the neck and be ready to insert lots of bends and vibratos while step laddering around your pentatonics, and even pieces of them.

 

[BichMaker]

Try the Dunlop Ultex picks! New material, they flex a lot less, and they don't wear out like the old ones. I used to use stainless steel picks that didn't flex at all, but they are "noisy", so I loved when these came out. Try some, they're cheap and work great!

 

[RoboCaster]

Try the Dunlop Ultex picks! New material, they flex a lot less, and they don't wear out like the old ones. I used to use stainless steel picks that didn't flex at all, but they are "noisy", so I loved when these came out. Try some, they're cheap and work great!

Hey thanks for the tip on the Ultex, they look pretty sweet. You know I too used to use a metal pick, and it was wicked, but it was grinding the plastic cover on the Blue lace sensor, so I realized that metal picks can damage your guitar.

 

[Lord of Delusions]

I had an aluminum pick once and hated it. I have had stiffer picks, but I am more comfortable with the yellow tortex. I used to buy different kinds/sizes of strings and picks all the time to see what I liked, and I must say Fender makes some crappy ones. Would you believe I actually melted one? My freind and I were messing around and I decided that I would see how fast I could pound out some chords. After about a minute I started feeling little bits of hot plastic hitting my face, and when I looked at the pick it was half gone! So much for that one!


btw: I can't seem to find that dvd you spoke of...

 

[BichMaker]

Aluminum sucks!! It's a soft metal and gets dinged and hosed easily... Stainless is the only way to go with a metal pick! Try the thinner ultex ones... can't hurt!

 

[Lord of Delusions]

You know, now that I think of it I did have an Ultex at one time. It was a promo pick and came in a little baggy with a card that had a pic of one of the guys from Sum 41. I liked that pic. I wonder what happened to it...Guitar Center is having a big sale this weekend. I should go shopping for some strings and picks.

 

[RoboCaster]

After about a minute I started feeling little bits of hot plastic hitting my face, and when I looked at the pick it was half gone!

btw: I can't seem to find that dvd you spoke of...

Yea those blue celluloid picks leave blue powder all over my white pick up covers, and the tips shred right off after an hour or two.

Below is the link to the DVD, you can only buy it from Amazon.com, and they have used copies for $15.00, and even at $30.00, the skills you gain are far more expensive with hour by hour lessons at the music store. Yes Paul has given over 10,000 lessons, and he has summarized a concise version of all that which he believes is important, and with what he shows you there is no reason you can't apply it to Rock n Roll or Blues Rock right away.

The nice thing is that you will learn to play by knowing the neck as opposed to reading music, but even playing by ear, you just get familiar with the neck eventually.

Here is the link, you have to click it, pasting it to the URL don't work:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ref=sr_1_3/102-5578212-2755302?v=glance&s=dvd

 

[RoboCaster]

Index was off.

 

[Lord of Delusions]

Well I dug my pedal out from under the china cabinet and played last night during the commercial breaks while watching Some Kind of Monster on VH1. I loosened my death grip and tried really hard not to play in the rut I usually do when I don't have a specific song in mind. It felt pretty good, even though I didn't play that much. I need to find a good used cheap 4 track I think...

I thank you guys for the wise words, and also for being constructive about it!