How good of guitarists are you jemsiters?

[jaymond]

When I was 15 I was too busy sniffing round girls to practice....Perhaps thats why I now suck like a Dyson. Oh and I do use a metronome....As a bookend!!!!

J

[welshpete]

From what I have seen, a large number of guys on here kick major a$$ as far as playing is concerned.....

I, however, suck

Pete

[Petie]

I'm pretty amazing *LOL* Won a contest a few months ago. I really should update my mp3s on my site cos I recorded those four years ago when I was still coming to terms with a few things that really define my playing now (the solo in "The Sea" on my site is the closest thing on there to how I play now, except I can play cleanly now when I play fast).

I think it's healthy to be excited by your skills at 15. When you reach goals like that it pushes your playing further. Jeremy's thoughts echo my own: I can play pretty much anything I want now and if I can't I just work on it until I can. My dad taught me early on that there's nothing Joe Satriani has that I don't (apart from male pattern baldness). But after a while you'll realise that now that you can play anything you want by your heroes, it's time to start learning to play anything you want by yourself. But keep having fun playing guitar. We need more passionate musicians in this world.

[Rich]

For 25 years I've been trying to figure out the rythum part to Smoke On The Water, so far I've got -

A

Any help apreciated. TLA

[cerealk]

C is next I think

[markmcg]

Ah the good old comparison with other guitarists and what makes a guitarist 'good' .

Personally I think is a very unconstructive way to approach/play/live with the guitar. First and foremost you should play the guitar because you enjoy it, play for yourself, use it as a means for expressing yourself not as a tool to compete with others. It isn't some sort of race .

I admit when I was in my teens I felt like this and gauged my playing against others but that was probably more down to hormones . Age, length of time playing, how many notes you can cram into a bar just don't come into it. You play, you feel happy and if you're lucky make other people happy with your playing then that's all that matters .

Cheers
Mark.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by littlegreenman

Why do people that are young feel they need to share that? Mcrocklin was kickin ass at 11 years old, many classical players are intensely amazing at under 10. Wingie Manglebeen isn't exactly what I consider technically challenging music, it's just fast

Being honest, I can play anything I want, some stuff takes no effort, harder stuff takes alot of practice, but the bottom line is, if I WANT to learn it badly enough, I will. I could play really fast when I was 14, didn't mean I was good, I was fast, whoopie!!!! Now, I can sit down and play anything I want IF I practice enough, I can't sit down and sight read a Vai piece and play in real time, but if I take the time I'll learn it. I don't play many styles, but I'm sure if I truly wanted to, I could learn them, all it would take is PRACTICE.

It sounds like you practice guitar a fair bit, perhaps practicing a little humility would be a good step now


ps. This is not meant to be offensive, it is simply a statement based on you coming to a website with a TON of talent and guitar players that kick major ass (though most of them are going to come on this thread to say they suck) and here, age really doesn't count for much, anyone remember that Josh kid? (can't remember the name or his site) but he'd been 15 for a few years as I recall. Skill is skill, I don't care if you're 15 for 50. You practice enough, you'll be good

Peace

Right on jeremy! , ive just turned 16 , and when I was 15 i used to soemtimes send people my recordings who were alot older , and they'd be like "huh ?? , your lying..your too young to play as good as that " , total bullsh*t imo. obviously if your 10 or something your at a disavantage because your muscles arent developed , but when you get to 13/14 , it doesnt make a difference if your 15 or 50 , like you said.

[wilch]

so this is where everyone is posting!

Originally Posted by Anton

...but when you get to 13/14 , it doesnt make a difference if your 15 or 50 , like you said.

I thought you were talking about time signatures here . Dream Theater is making me see things

wil..

[caprile]

Originally Posted by Rich

For 25 years I've been trying to figure out the rythum part to Smoke On The Water, so far I've got -

A

Any help apreciated. TLA

isn't it G?

[guitarkatana]

6 years playing and, well, I'm far better than most(I hope). I'm very serious about what I do, and I want to make a living in music. Specifically, I want to write, record, sell, and perform my own music on my own label. That's gonna take a while , so I'm also going to play with bands, do studio work, teach private lessons, and get a part-time job or two to pay the bills.

[cerealk]

Originally Posted by Satch Boogie

Re: How good of guitarists are you jemsiters?

I am sitting here playing some ynvwie malmsteen and petrucci licks(im 15!) and I was just wondering how good all of you jemsiters are? How much time to you practice, and do you use a metranome? BE HONEST!!!

Would it be harsh to suggest that learning grammar, spelling and punctuation would also be worthwhile things to do at age 15

as well as playing fast?

[hanban]

I never heard so many "suck" in one thread ever

but remember one thing, if you play fast thats cool, but it got nothing to do with being "good".

thats very impressive you are playing YJM and patrucci at the age of 15, but you shouldnt judge your playing skills by checking how fast you can go up the neck.

Playing fast is an added bonus. working on bends, feel and phrase is alot more important.

play some albert collins, BB kind, SRV, knopfler, clapton etc.
you wont regret it

i find it VERY usefull to mix satriani /vai style practice with a lot of blues playing.


somtimes a perfect bend sounds better than 400 notes stuffed up together in a monster sweep.

[vaijem777]

Originally Posted by Satch Boogie

I am sitting here playing some ynvwie malmsteen and petrucci licks(im 15!) and I was just wondering how good all of you jemsiters are? How much time to you practice, and do you use a metranome? BE HONEST!!!

NOT to be disrespectful, but...I'd suggest finding better things to do with your time than attempting to judge how "good" other players are. Spend less time playing other people's music and more time developing your own style. You'll find that most people here aren't so full of themselves that they're going to say "I'm great! I can play just like Yngwie!" (or Petrucci, or Vai, etc.)". There are enough cookie-cutter clone guitarists in the world as it is...we don't need another.

Skill and technique are great things, but...originality and artistic expression have a bit more value.

[ShredStud]

While I do agree with what you guys are saying, keep in mind that this kid is only 15 and is relatively new to the forum. This isn't ValvulatorGP3 or whoever that guy was.

With that saying, I don't consider myself to be a crappy player, but I know I'm not the second coming of Steve Vai or John Petrucci either. I can get by in most styles and took up jazz last year. It's true that some people have a natural ability to play so well, but a large dynamic of why people get good is through dilligent practice, which I know has helped me in a big way. In the end, I just want to be happy playing guitar, regardless if people think I suck or not.

[vaijem777]

Exactly! Practice does make perfect...or at least closer to perfect. But...having fun and being happy with yourself is more important that being able to impress or woo others (unless of course, the "other" is a member of the opposite sex!)