Is it possible to learn feel?

[Onslow]

Or is it something you have to naturally have? I can bang out chords and scales okay. I can even do vibrato and bends. Whoo. But when it comes to feel and say, phrasing out a chord in a bluesy or jazzy manner and giving it voice and identity, I cannot. I want to be able to "extend" chords out and create sort of a melodic passage within it and not just have it go *bing*. How can I learn musicality and feel? How can I learn how to communicate with my guitar instead of just physically playing it? Listening to a lot more Hendrix, and a lot of various jazz has opened my eyes to this.

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

No it can't be taught. Listen to constant onslaughts of old blues and 60s rock albums. That's were you'll learn the most about phrasing, arranging, and it'll get your mind into the "feel." Though I take lessons, they can only teach so much about leads aside from scale patterns. Bakc when I started, I could play the **** Minor Pentatonic scale all day long flawlessly, but I couldn't solo worth a crap. Nowadays, I can do pretty good. I started devouring Albert King, Hendrix, early Clapton (mainly), SRV, some Hubert Sumlin, and some Jimmy Page and it taught me more about soloing than lessons ever came close to. At the same time, my mind really came at terms with this kind of music and while I play stuff like those artists, I feel my music MUCH more.

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

You need your heart ripped from your chest and stepped on by some black high heels worn by the boy or girl of your choice!

It's all the head grass hopper. Perhaps a soul searching walk through the woods, desert, or over to the *****es house to tell him or her off.

[Yngwiestein]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Or is it something you have to naturally have? I can bang out chords and scales okay. I can even do vibrato and bends. Whoo. But when it comes to feel and say, phrasing out a chord in a bluesy or jazzy manner and giving it voice and identity, I cannot. I want to be able to "extend" chords out and create sort of a melodic passage within it and not just have it go *bing*. How can I learn musicality and feel? How can I learn how to communicate with my guitar instead of just physically playing it? Listening to a lot more Hendrix, and a lot of various jazz has opened my eyes to this.

I think everybody has music inside them. Phrasing, voice and identity you talk about all part of delivering the music in ur mind! U can't think this stuff up. It just happens to be the way it is because that's what the music dictates! Learn to express urself through ur instrument. All the rest comes naturally. The basics are everything! Basic theory and rhythm. The rest is all built on that.

Don't worry. It will come as u start expressing urself!

[wickedmartini]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

I think teaching can help bring it out and develop it but I also think that you either have it or you don't.

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

I think most people have music inside them but not all. Some people are literally born without a sense of humor. They're not cold or mean or unfeeling, they just don't get the concept of funny or laughs at all. Some people are that way with music, but they are rare. From there, obviously you have gradations of "how much" music each person has in them, and thus how much "feel".

Anyway, Onslow, the bad news is I don't think "feel" really can be taught. The good news is that in reading your post, it's clear that you recognize it when you hear it, which means that at least to some degree, you have it. It's just a matter of translating it to your hands.

[TimmyPage]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Feel cant be taught, but it can be learned, and practiced. Don't be afraid to just sit down and mess around at the guitar, and from the sound of what you want, you may want to look into grabbing some sort of Jazz theory or playing lessons, I had no clue how to turn the notes of a chord into a melodic piece until I got training in it.

[astrozombie]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

... I do pretty well and I've never taken lessons.

[Mincer]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

absolutely, it can be learned- just like someone can learn to be a great chef or carpenter if they have the drive. it is just a skill, really. Most guitarists just copy for the first few years, and this is how they learn.
However, feel doesnt mean 'great blues phrasing' or 'perfectly placed bends'.

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Nope!

[gnoj_LL]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

it takes practice. i think you can't learn it generally but it's still possible to "learn" it. like what i said, practice makes perfect =)

[Robbyk]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Its called growing in the new york ghetto, stealing your first guitar cause your family was on welfare. Going to school only to skip out to sit around with the old alcoholics playing blues. Growing up on music from the age of 6, falling in love with a plastic toy guitar cause it called out to you and sang a song ( although it was crap sounding).
The worst part of it all, was being white.

[TimmyPage]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Its called growing in the new york ghetto, stealing your first guitar cause your family was on welfare. Going to school only to skip out to sit around with the old alcoholics playing blues. Growing up on music from the age of 6, falling in love with a plastic toy guitar cause it called out to you and sang a song ( although it was crap sounding).
The worst part of it all, was being white.

Or going to a Music school for 20k a year and relearn everything you've ever known about picking technique and vibrato till you can nail any feel you want.

[Robbyk]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

Or going to a Music school for 20k a year and relearn everything you've ever known about picking technique and vibrato till you can nail any feel you want.

Yep if ya got it and it works out for you.

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: Is it possible to learn feel?

i usually just shut off my mind and play, i found this to work quite well, no way to play with feeling more than not thinking about it. When you think you try to do things, when you dont think whatever comes out comes out, and that is usually when my best stuff comes out, ever wonder why some bands are so much better live, they usually only include a few of their normal phrases for solos, but where they really shine is all the other stuff they play. I first discovered this when i started writing poems/songs i would just write or just sing and eventually i would have a song that sounded awesome to me.
so to recap...
just dont think about it