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Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

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  • #31
    Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

    Yeah, looks like you've got the notes right. You've only got about 10 - 15% left to go now.

    Try slowing it down with a metronome until you're playing it exactly the way you want to play it with zero mistakes. Once you can get through the piece perfectly twice in a row, increase the speed of your metronome a couple bpm. Eventually you'll get to a point where you're making a mistake every other time you play the piece. Don't keep trying to force things at this point (I know, that's the natural reaction :P ) that will only train you to play it wrong. Drop the bpm of your metronome by 10 until you are getting it perfect again twice in a row and then start working up in speed. It's very important that you only move up in speed when you're playing it perfectly.

    You should have it down exactly right in a week or so of doing this for 15 - 20 minutes a day.
    Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

    Originally posted by Douglas Adams
    This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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    • #32
      Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

      Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
      Yeah, looks like you've got the notes right. You've only got about 10 - 15% left to go now.

      Try slowing it down with a metronome until you're playing it exactly the way you want to play it with zero mistakes. Once you can get through the piece perfectly twice in a row, increase the speed of your metronome a couple bpm. Eventually you'll get to a point where you're making a mistake every other time you play the piece. Don't keep trying to force things at this point (I know, that's the natural reaction :P ) that will only train you to play it wrong. Drop the bpm of your metronome by 10 until you are getting it perfect again twice in a row and then start working up in speed. It's very important that you only move up in speed when you're playing it perfectly.

      You should have it down exactly right in a week or so of doing this for 15 - 20 minutes a day.
      Will do this! That's the nice thing about guitarbackingtracks.com it's kind of convenient to slow down the song speed lol.

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      • #33
        Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

        Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
        Yeah, looks like you've got the notes right. You've only got about 10 - 15% left to go now.

        Try slowing it down with a metronome until you're playing it exactly the way you want to play it with zero mistakes. Once you can get through the piece perfectly twice in a row, increase the speed of your metronome a couple bpm. Eventually you'll get to a point where you're making a mistake every other time you play the piece. Don't keep trying to force things at this point (I know, that's the natural reaction :P ) that will only train you to play it wrong. Drop the bpm of your metronome by 10 until you are getting it perfect again twice in a row and then start working up in speed. It's very important that you only move up in speed when you're playing it perfectly.

        You should have it down exactly right in a week or so of doing this for 15 - 20 minutes a day.
        Hey GuitarStv quick question for you,

        So, while I'm practicing songs that I learn, is it ok for me to be down picking everything? It just feels more comfortable. When I practice my scales before songs I always alternate pick, but playing a full song it just feels more comfortable. Is that a bad thing?

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        • #34
          Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

          I'd slow everything down and use more efficient picking for everything. It is harder, but it is less likely to cause damage and pain down the road.
          Administrator of the SDUGF

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          • #35
            Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

            Originally posted by chillytouch View Post
            Hey GuitarStv quick question for you,

            So, while I'm practicing songs that I learn, is it ok for me to be down picking everything? It just feels more comfortable. When I practice my scales before songs I always alternate pick, but playing a full song it just feels more comfortable. Is that a bad thing?
            It's a bad thing if you want to develop smooth playing at speed. You're giving up 50% of your speed by ignoring half of the pick strokes available to you!


            There are different schools of thought regarding the best way to sound a note. Alternating picking vs economy picking vs legato all have pluses and minuses, but you'll find your fastest/most fluid playing in one of 'em. It's worth trying them all out, and specializing in at least one . . . learning an efficient way to sound notes is one of the most important ways you have to control your instrument. It will take a while (and may involve unlearning bad habits - always painful) but will pay dividends later on in your playing.
            Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

            Originally posted by Douglas Adams
            This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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            • #36
              Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

              Thanks guys. I'll try to practice that.

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              • #37
                Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

                I'm so close now! I can play 95% of the song now to speed! It's a ton of fun! It gives me so much motivation to practice. There is 1 tiny spot that is still giving me trouble (the bottom 2 measures). It's the only "Run" i guess you could say in the song.

                Click image for larger version

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                Something like this, is the best thing to do just drill it lower tempo over and over?

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                • #38
                  Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

                  Yes, it's good to practice slowly if you can't play it at speed. Also judging by your video you could focus on practicing much easier material. Like play to a metronome or backing track and just focus on your rhythm. Play scales and chords at quarter notes, 8th notes, 8th note triplets, 16th notes etc. Just try to get your rhythms exact. You'll sound better if you can play simpler material with correct rhythm than complex notes but no rhythm. One of the 1st songs that I learned with a simple riff and solo was Floyd The Barber by Nirvana. Both the rhythm parts and solo are really simple but really good! Just try to nail both the rhythm and the feel that goes with the energy of the song.



                  Floyd the Barber Tab by Nirvana. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
                  Last edited by Clint 55; 12-27-2019, 10:22 PM.
                  The things that you wanted
                  I bought them for you

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                  • #39
                    Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

                    Originally posted by Clint 55 View Post
                    Yes, it's good to practice slowly if you can't play it at speed. Also judging by your video you could focus on practicing much easier material. Like play to a metronome or backing track and just focus on your rhythm. Play scales and chords at quarter notes, 8th notes, 8th note triplets, 16th notes etc. Just try to get your rhythms exact. You'll sound better if you can play simpler material with correct rythm than complex notes but no rhythm. One of the 1st songs that I learned with a simple riff and solo was Floyd The Barber by Nirvana. Both the rhythm parts and solo are really simple but really good! Just try to nail both the rhythm and the feel that goes with the energy of the song.



                    https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/nirv...r-tab-s11404t0
                    Thanks for the advice. Yeah I understand. This was when I was really new to the song. My rhythm with it has gotten much better. But yeah easier stuff is helping too because I signed up for "guitar tricks" and I am doing their online classes. I just went through all their beginner courses and learned a lot. A bunch of it was rhythm too so I am still practicing that as well.

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                    • #40
                      Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

                      Progress ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlcOyxeJNq0 I know I still make lots of mistakes , but I feel like i'm definitely improving. At the 3:30 mark is that run I posted above. I am just playing it slowly to a metronome for practice, don't have it down though yet. Areas of advice welcome. I'm 95% sure I'm not doing vibrato correctly. I looked online at a couple tutorials so I am working on that as well as the bend accuracy.
                      Last edited by chillytouch; 01-04-2020, 08:28 PM.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Newer player - can you tell me some areas to focus on?

                        Sounds much better! For bends and vibrato one thing that helps me out a lot is really hooking my thumb firmly over the top of the neck. This way I've got a strong and stable position to counter the pushing on the string action that's happening from the fingers. It gives more control, which makes it easier to hit the right pitches. With bends it helps to play the note you're aiming for so it's clear in your mind, and then bend up to it as a check on your pitch accuracy. Do it enough times and you'll reliably hear it in your head as you're playing a piece.
                        Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                        Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                        This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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