Jump starting your playing....

Christopher Chen · #1 01-19-2002, 11:22 AM

Hellos all...

As a guitarist I have been slacking a lot, I haven't been playing guitar at all. These days my playing sounds the same, you know the routine, almost regimental...same licks, same ole ****e. I need some tips from all of you knowlegable players here on jemsite. Any of you guys have any killer exercises, challenging or even weird to recommend me.

It really feels crappy for me to have neglected guitar so much, partying and doing so many other things, I've got 3 great guitars in their cases just waiting for some playing!

Tips, suggestions are always welcome.

Thanks!

Chris.

6828 · #2 01-21-2002, 08:46 PM

If the music your producing using a guitar sounds the same, then a few things could be holding you back. If your theory knowledge is falling behind your physical ability to play the guitar then you will feel certainly boxed in. If your theory knowledge is out stripping your playing then you just need to put in more time with your stringed friends.

If it's theory you need work on, I'd suggest you go through any lesson you can find online that you find interesting, and immediately apply it to your playing. Even if it's learning a new position for the Pentatonic scale than your used to.

No matter how much you know or don't know you can always find something new to yourself and explore it.

Tony

Jaden · #3 03-16-2006, 06:57 AM

Chris, I started playing late (17) but was seriously committed, I practised for at least 3 hours every evening after work and normally played for at least 5 hours a day on weekends.
I quit playing in about 2000 and started playing rugby again, this took its toll on my guitar playing (both mind and physical) as you can imagine but I started playing again about 4 months ago.
initially I found it very hard as practise time is harder to come by now I have a family but I resisted the temptation just to play easy stuff and drift through practice times with no proper structure.

I found that this worked for me.
re-learn scales - practise them all over the neck
learn a track you think will be hard for you ( I started with Joe Satch - always with me, always with you)
record some rock and bluesy backing tracks and play along to them to get the mind back into constructing a decent solo.
repeat.

Time to practice just "messing about" is really limited for me although I do like to do that. Its early days so learning other peoples stuff is really useful to me, you can dissect a particular lick and adapt it for youself.
personally speaking I lack a lot of theory, but as 6828 rightly says, you can restrict your playing if that goes unchanged. I let it go so far then I play catchup.

You didnt say how long you have been playing for, or whether you have lessons.
Lessons can be really useful, even if youre already a good player find a tutor who can teach you something new.
dont know if this will help you or not but, get away from the same old licks and learn something new, its harder but worth it mate.

right, ive finished rambling on now

Jaden.

elephantlugs · #4 03-16-2006, 08:44 AM

Get a DVD............there's loads of great tuition DVDs out there. I was particulary impressed with the Lick Library series, where artists such as Dave Kilminster and Stuart Bull teach you a few of their trademark licks or the trademark licks of other artists like Vai, Stach and EVH. The DVDs generally cost between £15 - £20 but are well worth it................you'd pay that for a couple of half hour lessons where i live and you can rewind and replay a guitar teacher

elephantlugs · #5 03-16-2006, 08:44 AM

Get a DVD............there's loads of great tuition DVDs out there. I was particulary impressed with the Lick Library series, where artists such as Dave Kilminster and Stuart Bull teach you a few of their trademark licks or the trademark licks of other artists like Vai, Stach and EVH. The DVDs generally cost between £15 - £20 but are well worth it................you'd pay that for a couple of half hour lessons where i live and you can rewind and replay a guitar teacher

mi2tom · #6 03-16-2006, 11:03 AM

I've never get to that point of feeling like I'm playing the same thing all the time cos I've already set my mind on improving everyday... Yeah we'll all tell you the same thing like try to listen to a different kind of music or get this or get that... But to me the best thing is get out and play with all kind of musician, mixed around, join them for gigs...In that way it will motivate you in your playing... Go out and watch other guitarist in your area, get inspired, get influence, watch more concert

Chris From Singapore. · #7 03-16-2006, 09:41 PM

LOL! This thread is 4 years old, posted by me under my old nickname, I can't retrieve that one because my old email address is now defunct.

Well at that point of time I was in the Army with no time to play.

But Thanks for the tips guys.

Lot's have changed since then. I've been really serious with my playing and all, amazing what difference 4 years make!

Here's a clip of me playing around with my new delay pedal.

http://d53.yousendit.com/F/3F3IHTQU5...ho%20blues.mp3

Hope you like it.

Chris.

carlos grijalva · #8 03-16-2006, 09:57 PM

nice playin'.

nickcoumbe · #9 03-17-2006, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris From Singapore.

LOL! This thread is 4 years old, posted by me under my old nickname, I can't retrieve that one because my old email address is now defunct.

Well at that point of time I was in the Army with no time to play.

But Thanks for the tips guys.

Lot's have changed since then. I've been really serious with my playing and all, amazing what difference 4 years make!

Here's a clip of me playing around with my new delay pedal.

http://d53.yousendit.com/F/3F3IHTQU5...ho%20blues.mp3

Hope you like it.

Chris.

Dude,

I hope that you are still partying though!

Chris From Singapore. · #10 03-17-2006, 05:30 AM

Guys thanks for the comments.

Nick as for the partying bit I've mostly given it up. Clubbing and drinking on saturday nights don't mix well with my band's jam sessions on sunday morning. I've been to a couple of jam sessions hungover...trust me it sucks donkey dick.

But man I miss the chicks at the clubs!

I think the way to jump start your playing is to basically break out of the rut you're in. I've always been playing the same old stuff, exercises, licks, solos or whatever. But on the other end I knew it for a fact that there was so much more that I wanted to be able to play. I stopped harping on the whole technique end of the spectrum trying to be the next rusty cooley. Instead I played simpler stuff, not really simpler stuff, but less shreddy stuff.

Songs which had lot's of groove going, licks which had more meaning and harmony to them. I started playing them and learning them.

The technique bit worked itself out when I started improvising.

Thanks for listening guys!

gu1tar · #11 03-18-2006, 03:42 AM

Chris, your playing was most excellent.

Was that a backing track you were playing to? Post it so we can all jam to it.

Chris From Singapore. · #12 03-18-2006, 11:53 AM

Yo man thanks for your comments, you're too kind.

The track was a backing track featured in guitar techniques magazine, here it is I've uploaded it but download it quick it will only be online for 7 days.

http://d23.yousendit.com/F/38S361LOV...ng%20Track.mp3

It's basically A minor, but you can throw in all sorts of other notes over them changes, I'm not really sure how to break it down in terms of modal playing, I'm just trying to play what I hear in my head.

Enjoy!

gu1tar · #13 03-18-2006, 03:27 PM

All right! Many thanks Chris!

Chris From Singapore. · #14 03-19-2006, 06:29 AM

You're most welcome, have fun with the track!

toneboy · #15 03-19-2006, 01:23 PM

Here are some things I found to break out a rut:
- Play along with a CD that is in a style you normally don't play. It may be slightly "uncomfortable" at first but you will learn new licks that you probably never would. This will also train your ear.
- Learn to play vocal melodies from songs (I've always like playing along with the Beatles and Queen)
- Learn solos that were played on other instruments (sax is always good). Sax players do intervalic leaps that some guitar players never do.
- Use a drum machine's presets and select rhythms for styles and time signatures you normally don't play in.
- Cut a few strings off or your guitar (yes, that's drastic) or don't play any notes on some strings (less drastic). This will get you to think of the fretboard in a different way.
- Tune your guitar to an open tuning. This will totally throw you off at first but you will come up with licks and chords you never could before.