Getting good at guitar and being creative--oil and water?!?

Comments

• philflood

  August 2006

  Learn to sing solfeggio. That is the process of looking at music and then being able to sing the scale tones (do re mi fa so la ti do) that go along with them. This will help you develop both a sense of relative pitch, so you will know the interval between one not and the next, and also develop a sense of analyzing rhythms so that you can translate the rhythm in your head to one on paper and then onto the fretboard.

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• grathan

  August 2006

  I would dedicate part of your practice time to doing some excerices that stretch your fingers limits. Steve Vai's 10 hour workout comes to mind.

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• thehootman

  August 2006

  I have a similar problem, but instead of my favorite tune, i begin to work on technique, rather than scales etc, so i really need to concentrate on note placement practise, to balance everything.

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• iliace

  August 2006

  Find some songs that have scale passages in them. I found that even if you learn scales up and down very well, you may still having difficulties turning around in certain part. In the context of a song you don't have that problem. I also find it most beneficial for me to practice rhythm parts that have single-note passages in them, so as to get sharper on switching \"playing modes\" so to speak, from fretting a chord to a scale pattern.
  
  Classical pieces are good for for scale passages and arpeggios, if arranged. I like taking Well-Tempered Clavier pieces and arranging top and bottom voice for bass and guitar, respectively.
  
  http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/dmin_tab_page1.tiff
  http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/dmin_tab_page2.tiff
  http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/dmin_tab_page3.tiff
  http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/dmin_tab_page4.tiff
  http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/dmin_tab_page5.tiff

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• partch

  August 2006

  jagesso,
  I'd say patience & time. No substitute for putting time in the Wood Shedd. I don't know how long you been playing?? But I can only speak for myself. It seems the more things I have in the toolbox the more my freedom, expression and phrasing seem to get better & just fit better with who I play with. So yes I would say knowing Scales,Chords, Apergios, Lead Patterns in CAGED Sequence up down the neck is crucial to being able to play with anyone or anything, and make few mistakes because you know soooooooooo much that fits and can be played over & with the Music. Hey I have along time to go myself!!! But as I get smother at these things It just gets better & better!!! Well worth the time at the Wood Shedd!!!!
  
  God Bless Jagesso!!!
  Partch
  
  P.S.
  Maybee try Fretboard Logic By Bill Edwards. Realy good stuff!! Not hard to follow with very little Music guitar theory. Cheap & can work thru it at own pace I've not even got thru SE book yet in about a year. But I continue to improve!! I'm deffinetly much better for studying and trying to master the material!! Even if it is at a slow pace!!! Just my 2 cents

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• WOGS858

  August 2006

  jagesso you need to practice scales---just kidding
  
  
  the best improve guitarist are able to hear whats going on in the song their playing-hear what they want to do (ine their head ) and play it . That takes work and I'm not there but I want to be ...maybe some day.
  
  I suppose for some who are gifted(not me)it's not very hard but for the rest of us it takes alot of work and plenty of experience improving over different kinds of music. Sometimes I like to turn on the radio and jam to different stations(especially jazz). I'd like to think it helps me in this area of timing and placement of notes.
  
  

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• jagesso

  August 2006

  Thanks for the quick responses!
  
  Iliace, I don't see anything when I click on those links. I tried both IE and Firefox. I am interested in seeing them.
  
  Philflood, I've also heard that singing every note you play (or your solfeggio approach) is a very effective way to achieve my goal. Maybe that's the step I'm missing--I need to go from my mind to my mouth, then to the fretboard. Time to triple up on sound-proofing materials and Coors.
  
  

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• Tal Rules

  August 2006

  Scales, theory, arpeggios, etc....
  Are just tools to have in your tool box...
  Tedious and boring at times, but necesarry to have the proper tools.
  Think about framing a house with only a tack hammer...
  Would be pretty hard..
  
  Same way with the guitar..
  Hard to build a solid solo without the proper tools to build with.
  The artistic part is how the carpenter uses his tools to put the house together..
  
  See Ya,
  Tal.. 8)

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
• Cobaltblooz

  August 2006

  I HATE scales as well...but I learned the modes and practiced them and eventually found some cool licks & patterns within them...so learn some with the intent of never using them verbatim...then FORGET them (it'll be good calistetics for your digits)...but my opinion on getting good is simply...PLAY...learn songs you enjoy...jam along to the radio (you only have a few minutes to figure out the notes before the song ends, a real challenge sometimes)...if you make a mistake trying to play something in your head, SLOW IT DOWN until you find the right notes.
  And ditto on what Philflood & Grathan said

  0 · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter