Practice regime..

[stuckx]

if you're gonna do something boring and repetitive that eventually drain your dedication to learn guitar, at least learn a bodom lick like at the end of red eyes pt 2.

yea.. im playing guitar since 1 years and a half now and im better then some other guitar player in my town.. and they play since 4-5 years.. Why? it's easy

1 year and a half ago, i bought a Acoustic Guitar.. did i learn nirvana , metallica stuff? no! "Dude, I wanna play some FUCKIN BODOM SONG!"

That why i learned a lot of stuff pretty fast... When u play always what u CAN play, you're not going to be better.. you gotta stay at the same level!

well... thats my point...
sorry for the bad english again

 

[Serge...]

I agree with the lessons thing.
I never said they sucked, i jsut said i chose not to have them.
I can coordinate myself fine and i not as much practise strictly but i learned 90% of the shit i know, Techniques and stuff from learning other songs.
The First solo i learned was PAntera-Cowboys from Hell. BEfore that solo i couldn't pinch, stretch, alt pick fast or anything and so i worked on those becuase i needed them... now i do that song flawlessly (This was 3 years ago i learned it).
Lessons dont always equate to a better player, Look agt players like Wes Montgomery, they know fuck all theory, they play by ear and they play their asses off and rock.


I do however disagree with Lessons/theory =better player.

I know quite a lot of theory ( i have studied music for the past 3 years at the highest level my school offers and do a lot of shit at home too) but see, writing riffs that sound good is what counts not keeping it within a scale.
I have written many Atonal riffs that sound badass and can fit over chord progressions easily that are without ANY key Center(hence Atonal) and are not wiothin any scale.


If it sounds musical, its music regardless of all the technicalities.

Also, remember, music was made before modes were discovered....
Theory is not the Be all and End all of insturmental greatness, it jsut helps.

Yeah, some people end up getting good by themselves, but it's usually a lot faster with a teacher. When you get to a certain point, teacher or not, your talent just takes over and you can really see how good of a player you are. Still, guys like Wes Montgomery have a lot of talent, and that kinda stuff is one in a thousand. Your average guitar player is not going to have that kind of musical talent. He probably just wants to be able to play a Bodom song or something.

Oh, and sure I agree you can make good riffs without theory. Just look at Chuck Schuldiner and all the technical death metal players. I'm just saying, think of all the tools you'd personally be missing if you didn't take those theory classes. You wouldn't have half the potential as a player you do now, would you?

 

[Pita Bread]

If you've been playing the keys for a good amount of time (like me), you should have developed significant strength and dexerity in all your fingers. You probably won't have the control problems with your pinky and ring finger like some people do since piano regularly exercises those fingers. If you've been learning theory with the keys, then you're even better off.

If all that is true, then you should just learn the fundamental skills (chording, hammeron/pulloff, slides, sweep, vibrato, etc) and improvise like there's tomorrow so you can develop your own style.

Don't just stick to playing other band's songs, I've found that guitarists who start out with Metallica usually sound repetitive and unoriginal in their rhythm and lead playing.

 

[Fenrir13]

With me right now; I admit I am going back in slowly; doing basic stuff. It's frustrating especially since the hand doesn't work right but I just can't keep myself from playing it. I played before and it's coming back. Going lefty is going to be a bitch for me; but i know I can somehow do it. Since you play keys; you do have something to go on; especially what Pita said above with the finger control.

I dunno; I guess I am still a stickler for practicing on basic stuff at first before moving on; i dunno if it's the total 'right way' but then again, I always believe that whatever way fit the individual player the best is the 'right' way. Some things are shared(start slowly, etc...) but everyone learns at their own pace. The teacher I had for a few months gave me the basics and I just sort of took them and ran.

 

[EndlessWhore]

Does anyone have a problem doing this legato. I can't do it for the life of me. For example: hammering from 12 to 13 to 15 to 16. My ring finger and middle finger dont want to separate whatsoever, and they won't stretch at all. I cant do it, am i the only fuck that ever had this problem, or has this ever happened to you guys. Thanks.

 

[AlexiFollower]

ring and middle wont seperate no matter what if one is pressed down, cause both the bones are connected

should try this, lay your hand down, and bend your middle finger in, then try to lift your ring finger, impossible right, its cause they are connected, its the same thing as what you're trying to do

this really famous piano player tried this thing to seperate them and end up fucking his hand up really bad, and he couldnt ever play piano again

 

[-Gavin-]

Yeah, some people end up getting good by themselves, but it's usually a lot faster with a teacher. When you get to a certain point, teacher or not, your talent just takes over and you can really see how good of a player you are. Still, guys like Wes Montgomery have a lot of talent, and that kinda stuff is one in a thousand. Your average guitar player is not going to have that kind of musical talent. He probably just wants to be able to play a Bodom song or something.

Oh, and sure I agree you can make good riffs without theory. Just look at Chuck Schuldiner and all the technical death metal players. I'm just saying, think of all the tools you'd personally be missing if you didn't take those theory classes. You wouldn't have half the potential as a player you do now, would you?

I'll admit, a LOT of theroy has given me ideas but i dont EVER use scales apart from shred runs, i play what sounds good.
I admit, the renaissance/baroque/classical/20th centuary era theory i have studied has improved me alot.
Now i use Hemiolas, Acciacaturas, appogiaturas etc etc etc in my music now.
But scales are more sort of guidelines.
Now i'm not saying DONT ELARN THEORY.I know a lot of scales now and stuff but i still dont use them often, i like freedom.

And dude, i learned the basicas of guitar i one night.
Most open chords, hammers, pull offs, etc etc.
i just sat down with a book and id it till i gpot it right.
Now, with a teacher that would be £20 to learn Chords then £20 on each ornamentation.


Rip off i think.

 

[Serge...]

I'll admit, a LOT of theroy has given me ideas but i dont EVER use scales apart from shred runs, i play what sounds good.
I admit, the renaissance/baroque/classical/20th centuary era theory i have studied has improved me alot.
Now i use Hemiolas, Acciacaturas, appogiaturas etc etc etc in my music now.
But scales are more sort of guidelines.
Now i'm not saying DONT ELARN THEORY.I know a lot of scales now and stuff but i still dont use them often, i like freedom.

And dude, i learned the basicas of guitar i one night.
Most open chords, hammers, pull offs, etc etc.
i just sat down with a book and id it till i gpot it right.
Now, with a teacher that would be £20 to learn Chords then £20 on each ornamentation.


Rip off i think.

Yeah, it is pretty pricey. That's why I say, start guitar as a kid or a teenager so your parents could pay for the lessons. Just tell them it's a positive hobby that'll keep you off drugs.

 

[-Gavin-]

 

[Silver Incubus]

IF only the knew how much pot i now smoke because I'm in a band they would be worried

 

[Pita Bread]

Are you referring to the ring finger and the pinky? 'Cause my ring and middle fingers are perfectly fine...

It's the muscle that connects the ring finger and pinky, not bone.

The classical composer Schumann (sp?) was the one who tried to separate the muscle that connected the two fingers; he used a system of pulleys and levers... (sounds like medieval torture to me) and ended up injuring his hand.

 

[MagSec4]

Shit sorry I know this should be in off topic (accident)

Don't worry about it. It isn't doing any harm here. You can also appreciate positive feedback from musicians who frequent this forum exclusively and not the Off topic.

 

[AlexiFollower]

Are you referring to the ring finger and the pinky? 'Cause my ring and middle fingers are perfectly fine...

It's the muscle that connects the ring finger and pinky, not bone.

The classical composer Schumann (sp?) was the one who tried to separate the muscle that connected the two fingers; he used a system of pulleys and levers... (sounds like medieval torture to me) and ended up injuring his hand.

yeah that was his name

 

[EndlessWhore]

No, my problem lies in the ring and middle finger. When i try to do the full 4 finger hammers, my ring finger keeps on trying to come back towards my middle finger. It totally won't cooperate. That 12-13-15-16 hammer is pretty much impossible for me. Maybe i just have crummy guitar genetics or something.

 

[-Gavin-]

No, you jsut dont practise enough..


Get a metronome and set it at 60bpm.

One note a click
get it clean
then do 2 notes a click
then boost it to 130 and do one note a click, then go up in groups of 6bpm till you haver your goal tempo clean.