The Guitar Thread - style/technique/skill

[006]

I never took a lesson, watched any instructional DVDs or bought any books. All I did was get a guitar, found out what tabs were and started learning other people's shit that I liked and wanted to be able to do. First it was easy stuff like Pantera and, the typical, Metallica. Then I found Steve Vai and Dream Theater, and later LTE. So I got into that and found that learning to play ridiculous leads would enable me to play virtually anything I wanted to, even if I didn't want to play shred music as my personal stuff. Practicing other people's music daily for about 6 months, and I don't mean to brag, coupled with what I think is just natural talent is what got me into being a better player than my friends that had been playing for years at the time. At 9 months I was playing DT stuff along to the CD regularly and then I started focusing on my own music and fast forward years later, here I am...able to play really anything I want to, but have no ideas and I'm a horrible song writer. However, what is interesting to me is that after all these years playing metal I have found something I really enjoy writing and playing - blues/rock. Lame, I know, but for some reason I actually have fun playing my b/r shit, so even though I can do sweeps and shred and all the other wank shit, I prefer to blues it up, lol.

Point being, though, is that it just took 9 months of locking myself in my room for days at a time sometimes and just playing guitar almost non-stop. That's the only thing that got me to where I wanted to be. Along the way I got to a point somewhere in there where I really wanted to play as clean as possible, so I focused on that a lot for a while. It's something I take pride in and a lot of friends comment on it. Again, don't mean to sound like I'm bragging or anything like that. It just takes practicing, as much as possible, even if it's boring as shit sometimes. Everything myself and others are saying is exactly what experienced players told me when I first started, and it wasn't what I wanted to hear and I was really disappointed...but the simple truth is that what we are telling you is exactly how it works.

~006

 

[Kazrog]

I highly recommend John Petrucci's "Rock Discipline" as well as all the Paul Gilbert videos. That will give you more than enough things to work on.

Also, learn songs by amazing guitarists. I still learn songs, lately I've been practicing some Scar Symmetry solos, as well as some Dream Theater and Vai stuff.

 

[siegfried]

I´m using some very simple (kick-hat-snare-hat) rhythms from EzDrummer instead of metronome for practicing at home. Seems more funny and you are more in context of music (well, if your genre isn´t click ´n ´cuts mixed with metal). Do you think that it is OK?

 

[Torniojaws]

It's important to do this shit with your hands very relaxed, otherwise you might induce some carpal tunnel symptons.

If you get wrist/hand pains, your playing technique is wrong! It's not about warming up to it, you should be able to the very fastest stuff you can without warming up and so that you do not get any pain/discomfort from it. If you get pain, then you need to improve your technique to suit your hand (the best techniques are not the same ones for all people!).

 

[James-Doolan]

All I did was get a guitar, found out what tabs were and started learning other people's shit that I liked and wanted to be able to do.
~006

Same here much more enjoyable and its also hugely benificial to your understanding of songwriting and song structure

 

[J the TyranT]

yeah. Im entirely self taught... so imagine my surprise when I know a guy [who teaches occasionally] who praised my technique... I figured my technique for shit... and Im sure there's still tweaks I've got to make... just not sure where they are, lol.

Ive always jammed along with other guitarists and tried to rip off what I could in the name of practice and scale hunting... lately its been Kiko Loureiro... although I quite honestly cant hang with him in the arpeggio department at ALL.

Some of these other ideas are pretty good though.

 

[scorpio01169]

yeah. Im entirely self taught... so imagine my surprise when I know a guy [who teaches occasionally] who praised my technique... I figured my technique for shit... and Im sure there's still tweaks I've got to make... just not sure where they are, lol.

Ive always jammed along with other guitarists and tried to rip off what I could in the name of practice and scale hunting... lately its been Kiko Loureiro... although I quite honestly cant hang with him in the arpeggio department at ALL.

Some of these other ideas are pretty good though.

just keep at it and you'll get it.

 

[Skinny Viking]

clarity is important. You can play as fast as you are able and it may sound ok with a lot of distortion because it hides your mistakes but if you really want to improve you technique, you should strive for clarity. Best way (for me) was always finding a slower solo spot on a song that I really dig and learn how to play it. It can just be a repetitive section or a long scale hopping run or whatever but find something that is moderately slow. Break out a metronome and set it just slightly faster than the tempo of the song. If you have a drum machine or can set up a loop at the tempo, that works a LOT better, more natural feeling. Now just start going through the lead spot and keep doing it for like maybe 10 minutes (don't stress over it ... being relaxed is more important). Keep doing this for the section and maybe several others for a couple days until you're just floating through the part while thinking about cartoons. THEN, when you think you're kicking its ass, break out an acoustic and do it. If you sound as clear and accurate with the acoustic playing the same parts, kick the tempo up on your met/machine/loop a few bpms, just to the point where you start fucking up what was very easy just a few minutes ago. Start over and whenever you hit that point of breezing through the sections, bust out the acoustic and check if you're really doing it well. By the time you've increased tempo several times and confirmed your technique by playing the same thing clearly on an acoustic, you'll not only be shredding your way through stuff effortlessly but you'll be developing your technique and strength at the same time. Its painstaking at best, but it works

Dude, keep in mind this is only 1 of about a million different things that can work for you ... much like your hated phrase of "natural talent", every player learns and progresses differently so what works immensely for one person may not be the best way for you to go.

If you do things this way, you can then just seek out various other forms of info (scale books, instr videos, etc) and apply the same learning technique to the new ideas you pull from those other sources. Hope it helps

Cheers!

 

[Emdprodukt]

I'm using a software called Guitar Speed Trainer for allmost a year now. I improved my speed about 40 bpm and play absolutely precisley at higher speeds now. Still improving. This will only work if you use it without lying to your self (I practice with clean guitars for example). It's motivating because you have a profile which shows you which techniques you can play at what speed and see how it's improving. The best thing is you can make your own drills and programm your own solos and play it... starting at lower speed, going up until you cannot play it anymore and go down to half the speed again and stay there for a few rows. You don't have to stop and make your metronome faster or anything. I thought that was really annoying. I love that software and use it like half an hour every day (I don't wanna be the fastest guitardude in the world... just wanna improve from year to year).

http://www.guitarspeed.com/

 

[grywolf627]

Dude, that looks really interesting. Thanks for the tip.

 

[J the TyranT]

clarity is important. You can play as fast as you are able and it may sound ok with a lot of distortion because it hides your mistakes but if you really want to improve you technique, you should strive for clarity. Best way (for me) was always finding a slower solo spot on a song that I really dig and learn how to play it. It can just be a repetitive section or a long scale hopping run or whatever but find something that is moderately slow. Break out a metronome and set it just slightly faster than the tempo of the song. If you have a drum machine or can set up a loop at the tempo, that works a LOT better, more natural feeling. Now just start going through the lead spot and keep doing it for like maybe 10 minutes (don't stress over it ... being relaxed is more important). Keep doing this for the section and maybe several others for a couple days until you're just floating through the part while thinking about cartoons. THEN, when you think you're kicking its ass, break out an acoustic and do it. If you sound as clear and accurate with the acoustic playing the same parts, kick the tempo up on your met/machine/loop a few bpms, just to the point where you start fucking up what was very easy just a few minutes ago. Start over and whenever you hit that point of breezing through the sections, bust out the acoustic and check if you're really doing it well. By the time you've increased tempo several times and confirmed your technique by playing the same thing clearly on an acoustic, you'll not only be shredding your way through stuff effortlessly but you'll be developing your technique and strength at the same time. Its painstaking at best, but it works

Dude, keep in mind this is only 1 of about a million different things that can work for you ... much like your hated phrase of "natural talent", every player learns and progresses differently so what works immensely for one person may not be the best way for you to go.

If you do things this way, you can then just seek out various other forms of info (scale books, instr videos, etc) and apply the same learning technique to the new ideas you pull from those other sources. Hope it helps

Cheers!

dunno where yer getting that Im against "natural talent"... that doesnt even make sense...

what Im saying is... to use this thread to discuss ways to progress... rather than simply saying Vai's "as good as he is cuz he's Vai"... it's better to say "one thing Vai does to play so clear is that he picks like...." etc etc.

 

[Skinny Viking]

I know its hard work, obviously... so dont waste yer timing saying this and that about natural talent.

Thats where I got it from ... and I didn't say you were against it, I was referencing that you don't like that PHRASE or wanted to hear that as a reason some are better than others

No need to be a dick, especially since I just tried to offer something constructive

 

[Djabthrash]

-stretch your body (arms, back) and hands/fingers before playing

-play along a click.

-play exercises / riffs at a very slow tempo, nail it perfectly, and write the tempo on a sheet (like 1-2-3-4 lick : 122, ... ; 1>4>1>4 hammer pull-off : 80...). The next day when you practice try to nail it a bit faster (for ex: the previous day you nailed some lick/riff/exercise at 80, 81, 82 BPM, today try to nail it at 82,83,84 BPM), and then update your sheet (write the new bpm you've reached).

-Different types of exercises : left hand fingers warm-up stuff : like 1>2>3>4, next string same shit... (check warm up video exercises on Ferrante power equipment media page, there are good ones from pro guitar players); right hand palm mute warm-up and long-term speed increasing also : downstrokes only; triplets; up and down strokes; very specific exercises to improve some technique you're not good at (tremolo riffing? bends ? hammer/pull-off ? tapping? legato ?...); riffs you try to nail.

-don't force yourself too much... if you start to fell painful, relax. If you keep on too much you're gonna fuck up your wrists/fingers for a couple of days, which is stupid.

Mentioning pain, if you get really painful (wrists, fingers, ...), except for the "i've not played for months so when i just grabbed my guitar and played for 10 hours straight and i feel like somebody has been cutting my fingertips with a razorblade" which is normal, it can mean your position/technique is WRONG. Try to think about that, and ask for advice to have an "healthier" playing technique.

-don't force yourself too much MENTALLY. When you get bored with stupid exercises, jam a bit on some riffs, with or without click. Seriously playing stupid licks/exercises for hours non-stop along the click can drive you crazy. When you feel great again, go back to the boring exercises

-for the "thumb up the neck" vs "classical way" thingie... i used to do the classical way but i felt it was not an absolute rule. So now when i warm-up i play one riff with the classical position, and then i play the same riff with the thumb going up the neck (better for bends and such).

-I also try to play some stuff sitting on my chair, and then i stand up to play the next stuff, and then sit again... (I guess i'm only guy on earth to do this )

-try to practice regularly... 3 times 3 hours a week is good to start with (3 hours is like : 15 mn warm-up, 45 mn various techniques exercises + jam breaks from time to time, 30 mn learning songs/riffs, the rest is whatever you want (playing your tunes, just jamming, recording your stuff, ...))

-don't do the practicing thing only cuz' it's gonna drive you mad : jam, write stuff, record your stuff, rehearse, play live, etc...

-when you jam, don't play tunes only in the same genre : i was mainly in brutal death metal/thrash metal/hardcore tunes before, and i've improved A LOT when i started to jam on more "rock-ish" stuff : Soundgarden, Down, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Cave In, ...

-videos are great to give you ideas of exercise and show you badass different styles of guitar playing, but don't fall in the "i spend more time watching guitar videos than actually practicing" trap.

-to practice cover songs, GUITAR PRO can be an awesome tool to work with.

 

[ArtGarceau]

ok....by a show of pluses....how many of you think natural talent plays a factor in how fast or how well you learn

+1 here

I disagree. I think it takes a certain type of person to dedicate their time to something that shows only gradual improvement.

I took lessons with David Shankle, and he told me that practicing good technique is what makes great guitar players. Also, in the book "This is your brain on music" the author, who is a neuro-scientist and musician, says that virtuosos are the result of thousands of hours of practice and not something you can be born with.

Ask any virtuoso how long they've been playing, how often they play(ed), and what their playing consists of. There will be lots of parallels.

When I met Dimebag I was a 13 year old guitar newb, and I asked him what I needed to do to get to the level he was at. He told me "Never be caught without a guitar in your hand unless you're drinkin' a beer...eventually you'll just get it." Hell...every room of his house had a guitar...even his bathroom which also housed a little 4-track.

 

[Justinschut]

play through all Paul Gilbert and Vinnie Moore vids (especially the Gilbert ones)

 

[Emdprodukt]

I disagree. I think it takes a certain type of person to dedicate their time to something that shows only gradual improvement.

I took lessons with David Shankle, and he told me that practicing good technique is what makes great guitar players. Also, in the book "This is your brain on music" the author, who is a neuro-scientist and musician, says that virtuosos are the result of thousands of hours of practice and not something you can be born with.

Exactly. They found out that nonmusicians have all the same amount of musical talent. It's just a matter of how much time you invest. And how good the methods are you're using. And of course if you have any disease that will stop you from getting really fast. They also found out that learning to play a music instrument at a higher age is the best way to keep your brain working... not like those grandmothers that start to fill out crossword puzzles, starring out of the window, shouting at young people. Ah... my dear grandmother. Always hated her

 

[Djabthrash]

I've never really used any video instruction. Here are some drills I learned from a friend who is an amazing metal guitarist. They are boring as fuck, but you will see improvement if you can force yourself to do it on a regular basis. This will require at least 1 hour EVERY DAY:

1. Buy a metronome. If you insist on playing loud, make sure you buy a metronome you can blast loud or plug headphones into.


2. Turn Metronome on and set it at 150. Look at the clock and play muted triplets on your low string for 10 minutes. x-x-x x-x-x x-x-x times infinity. Do not fucking stop unless the house is on fire. It should feel WAAAAY too slow and boring, but do it anyway


3. Take a break and stratch your hands.


4. Pick a scale (preferably a different one every day). If you don't know any scales, buy a book and learn either A-Minor (all the white keys on a piano) or A-Blues Pentatonic. Keep the metronome at the same tempo and play the scale like this: A B C B C D C D E D E F E F G F G A G A B until you hit the 24th fret, then start coming back down. Watch the clock. 10 minutes. Do not stop.


5. Take a break and stretch your hands.


6. Keep the metronome at the same ridiculously slow speed. Palm mute down stroke sixteenth notes for 10 minutes. Feel free to fret anywhere to help stay awake. Don't stop.


7. Take a break and stretch your hands


8. Pick a sweep pattern that spans all 6 strings. Buy a book or look on the internet if you don't know any. 10 fucking minutes. You know the routine. Same tempo. Yeah, I know it's painful to do it so slow. Do it anyway...


9. Take a break and stretch your hands


10. Same tempo of course. Tremelo pick your high E-string using sixteenth notes. Fret anywhere. 10 minutes.


Every day increase these tempos by 1 BPM. When you start reaching the 190 range you will find that some days you can not pick as fast as the previous day. It happens. Get over it and keep trying your best. When you finish these exercises, spend the rest of your day playing actual songs and NO DRILLS.

It's important to do this shit with your hands very relaxed, otherwise you might induce some carpal tunnel symptons. If you ever start to feel undeniable pain, stop immediately and rest for as many days as you need until the pain goes away. Then start again and try to be more relaxed and not tense while doing the excercises.

This might put a dent in your social life for a year or two. It might be worth it someday. :zombie:

+1

 

[006]

Mehhhhhhh I dunno man. I picked up guitar really quickly, which I thought was odd since my grandfather didn't care about music at all and my father dabbled with the acoustic once in a GREAT while, but never really got into it. However, on my mother's side all of my uncles and my grandfather had a band together or had bands on their own back in the day. I'm sorry but while practicing does make up for a lot of the hurdles, I would have to say that me being able to spank my friends that had been playing for 5 years already when I had only been playing for 6 months? I'll have to chalk that up to natural ability. And no, my friends did not suck at the time, the ones I'm referring to are very good players, and still are to this day...I'm just better

~006

 

[Metaltastic]

Ah... my dear grandmother. Always hated her

 

[Rupturemetal]

I still think thats the problem with music today. Everybody learns to play or practice everyone elses shit and then when they decide to write their own music it sounds like all the bands they practiced too.