I need to rethink my playing entirely

[Pierre]

All I've ever been playing is Blues, Metal Punk... I don't know any scales but the Pentas, Minor modes and a Dorian, which I never use. That and I'd have no clue how to anyway, modes for me are just scales. I don't know any music theory, never had a music lesson.

So I need a change of direction. I've never learnt a song proper in months, if not longer. These days I just play and noodle around so I'm not progressing much.

I need to learn something different. Something I'd heard, not too complicated, but that'd take me to another direction. Probably something acoustic, picked. Just basic, but which would make me think differently..?

Anyway I'm out of ideas. I've been playing along Jam Man by Chet Atkins for a bit but that's...er... too basic. I was thinking about trying Robert Johnson's 32-20 Blues but that's too advanced for me. But even though it's Blues it's still different from how I've been approaching it before.

Keep in mind, I'm still a relative noob, I've been playing for 4 years but never really practiced or learnt techniques that seriously. Just played.

Any ideas...? Thanks guys.

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Beatles songs. They're a lot more complicated than people think but not too difficult for someone with 4 years.

[mojoman]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Here is a Music Theory Thread I Started on another forum that has all the basics you need to know, explained very simply and then it goes into scales, riffs, modes etc. if you want to check it out???

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/guit...nt-afraid.html

[mudpuppy]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

I think we've all gotten in a rut at one time or another. One good way to broaden your horizons is to get a beginning jazz method book. Something along the lines of Jazz Guitar by Jeff Schroedl or The Total Jazz Guitarist by Jody Fisher. These will provide a fairly gentle introduction to some more advanced theory. Even if you have zero desire to become a jazz guitarist, they will help make your playing more harmonically interesting, regardless of the genre you're into.

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Here is a Music Theory Thread I Started on another forum that has all the basics you need to know, explained very simply and then it goes into scales, riffs, modes etc. if you want to check it out???

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/guit...nt-afraid.html

Nice thread.

[Ninja Monkey]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Beatles songs. They're a lot more complicated than people think but not too difficult for someone with 4 years.

+1

And being able to play Yesterday always goes over well with the ladies.

[Chas]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Try some alt. tunings. When I hit a rut it seems to help.

[super rad stuff]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

I think we've all gotten in a rut at one time or another. One good way to broaden your horizons is to get a beginning jazz method book. Something along the lines of Jazz Guitar by Jeff Schroedl or The Total Jazz Guitarist by Jody Fisher. These will provide a fairly gentle introduction to some more advanced theory. Even if you have zero desire to become a jazz guitarist, they will help make your playing more harmonically interesting, regardless of the genre you're into.

i think i may do this, i'm getting to be the same as pierre at this point

[ibanezrocks]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

I've found myself in a similar situation before. It sounds like you're not too far off from learning all the most commonly used scales. However, its not just the scales you know but how you use them. Any idiot can play power chords in some progression containing I, III, IV, and V and write something that would pass for a pop song. An exercise that doesn't require learning theory from a book is making up a song with what you know and forcing yourself to play notes that, while in the scale, you'd normally not choose those notes (relative to the note you played before of course). You're bound to come up with something new this way - its far too easy to get stuck in a very limiting and predictable pattern.

Learn the scales if you have time. Try to keep the above advice in mind when writing songs with those newly learned scales though, and don't limit yourself too quickly to what patterns will or will not work.

[Pierre]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Here is a Music Theory Thread I Started on another forum that has all the basics you need to know, explained very simply and then it goes into scales, riffs, modes etc. if you want to check it out???

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/guit...nt-afraid.html

Thanks mojoman! I actually can answer the quizz at the end of the thread already so I guess not THAT basic it was good to refresh though, I've not done this stuff since I sat down on my own for a full day three years ago and figured out all the major scale modes.

Thanks for the tips y'all. There are three approaches to what I'll do:

I've been working on some Gipsy stuff for a while now. I'll keep this up and up the tempo a bit. I have a book with classic acoustic tunes and one for more Django-ish jazz.

I'll practice country licks. Chicken picking, finger picking, different melody ideas etc...

I'll keep on working on Blues but try it with the major pentatonic scale. Still where it leads me.

I think if I manage to keep a good balance of those three things together I'll manage to get out of my current Blues rut and move on, hopefully.

Thanks!

[mojoman]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

Thanks mojoman! I actually can answer the quizz at the end of the thread already so I guess not THAT basic it was good to refresh though, I've not done this stuff since I sat down on my own for a full day three years ago and figured out all the major scale modes.

Thanks for the tips y'all. There are three approaches to what I'll do:

I've been working on some Gipsy stuff for a while now. I'll keep this up and up the tempo a bit. I have a book with classic acoustic tunes and one for more Django-ish jazz.

I'll practice country licks. Chicken picking, finger picking, different melody ideas etc...

I'll keep on working on Blues but try it with the major pentatonic scale. Still where it leads me.

I think if I manage to keep a good balance of those three things together I'll manage to get out of my current Blues rut and move on, hopefully.

Thanks!

Hey that's great, a little bit of Music Theory can go a long way IMO. I am a blues based rocker my self and it is easy to get in a rut.

Nice to hear you exploring different styles, I kinda did the same thing when I got bored or felt stagnant.

I would finger pick or bust out the slide in open G. Also learning new songs is another good way to keep things fresh. Joe Bonamassa's double live CD got me going again, I learned a bunch of stuff off of that. His version of ZZ Tops "Just Got Paid" is pretty fun to play.

Rock On Bro!

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: I need to rethink my playing entirely

P,

I can't seem to understand where you're trying to get with your playing. I can throw in players licks that have inspired me but it might not do you any good.


In my case - I had to realize what are the things that I can use/do and grow from there to where I want to be.