Forced motivation

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undeadstrife

New member
Okay guys I am tired of just sitting around making no progress on my guitar playing. I'd say i'm low level intermediate in my skill level. More of a example is I can play all of Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold besides the second half of the solo. Starting at the sliding/tremelo picked part.

What songs would you guys recommend to start working on my skills. I mainly play rock/metal. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
 
Re: Forced motivation

You can't force motivation...so just keep that in mind.

Pick songs YOU like. Having you learn songs I like won't motivate you at all. Learn some of your favourite tunes...and don't just be able to play the notes, learn HOW the notes are being played, LISTEN. Go to that next level. Refine.

You also need to do more than just learn songs, focus on a technique or two you want to learn/ improve upon and create short practice regimens based of that. For ex. Want to improve your alternate picking? Have a solid 5-10 exercises of varying note groups (i.e. 16th notes, sixtuplets, all on one string, 3 notes per string, 2 notes per string etc.) and create a 10min regimen based off that, then bust out the metronome.

Also, record yourself playing that Avenged song and we can give some more constructive feedback
 
Re: Forced motivation

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into recording at least what I can. I can only record on my phone at the moment til I get my recording set up started.

Also I am not really trying to force it, I just do better when I have a goal to accomplish and I don't mean like "my goal is to get better" I need a structure but have a huge problem making one. Also I wish I could find someone who would be willing to teach or just jam because it helps me play, but I have a huge problem finding someone in Charleston WV.
 
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Re: Forced motivation

Just all around general playing. I want to work on being able to solo and getting up my speed mainly right now.
 
Re: Forced motivation

There's nothing wrong with not being inspired all the time. That's normal. You can and should still work on stuff. I agree with Kamanda that us giving you entire difficult songs for you to work on isn't the best idea because you want to practice and integrate tunes and ideas that YOU like. Do you have basic theory worked out? Work on the chords of the harmonized major scale. I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, dim vii. See how the chords in the songs you know relate theory wise. Once you know that you can expand on that and make up your own stuff.

Same thing for leads. Do you know the pentatonic scale all over the neck? https://www.cyberfret.com/scales/minor-pentatonic/images/sc_min_pent_big_picture.gif
The pentatonic scale is the basis for soloing on guitar. Once you have command of it, you can add other scales to get different sounds. Get command of a few riffs in the songs you know, see how they relate to the theory and expand on them yourself.

Nothing wrong with not being inspired all the time. All the great musicians and songwriters know how to use their inspiration when they have it and also how to isolate things intellectually and just practice.
 
Re: Forced motivation

I know basically nothing about theory. Most of my knowledge base comes from a old friend when he needed a rhythm player. He started teaching me. I know the pentatonic scale starting on the 5th fret and the a major scale. I just never really knew where to start with theory or other things. I've tried lessons i've found online but they don't really work for me.
 
Re: Forced motivation

Well the only way to get fluent in music is by taking lessons. Unless you're a savant (noone is). Otherwise it will take forever for everything to make sense. We can help you with some stuff though.

The most basic way to solo is by using pentatonic over the same key of the song. Here's a pretty good video demonstrating that and also of the concept of using the chords of the key.

 
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Re: Forced motivation

I would love to take lessons but money is a major issue with that. I would love to have someone who could teach me what I need to know and show me how i'm doing things wrong. I'd even do it over skype if I had the opportunity to.
 
Re: Forced motivation

For most rock/metal based music, the theory that is required to understand it and compose it isn't too complicated. When you start getting into other musical styles it starts to seem like a manufactured attempt to describe and analyze randomness, as the relationships tonal music establish become more diluted and unrelated.

The first thing you should focus on is how the neck is linked up, and the fundamental relationships that exist with in it. That alone will probably only take you a couple of hours to fully grasp and open up so many new doors.
 
Re: Forced motivation

You could learn a crap ton for cheap in a basic musicianship/theory class at the local junior college, and also make some music buddies who could show you stuff.

In the meantime, we can help you with some things. Do you want to start with soloing? Give that video I posted a shot. And also LEARN THE NOTES. It's called the chromatic scale, the alphabet for music. Then learn where they are on the guitar.

Chromatic scale (THE NOTES): https://www.google.com/search?q=mos...j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=chromatic+scale

The notes on guitar: https://www.guitarcontrol.com/images/blog/Fret_Chromatic.jpg


Edit in response to your last post: Youtube up a storm. There are so many lessons on basic theory as well as how it applies to the guitar.
 
Re: Forced motivation

I'd suggest lessons. Learning songs is fun and you can certainly learn some stuff but there's nothing like lessons to improve you're overall musicianship.
TBH, when people tell me they can play "such and such" song, I'm always thinking "big f'in deal...so can't any monkey that puts enough time in"
 
Re: Forced motivation

AS stated above I would love lessons but I do not have the money for them. I wish I did.

As far as the chromatic scale, I will look further into it when I get home. I can't see youtube videos while I am at work but thank you for the information.
 
Re: Forced motivation

It seems like this is a topic that has been coming up a lot lately. I can post a primer for you that will help you visualize the relationships a little easier. We'll start with how the neck is linked up diatonically, since shape recognition is usually the easiest. We will work with 3 fundamental key signatures Gmaj/e min, Cmaj/a min, and Fmaj/d min, since all three are only separated from each other by one accidental (sharp or flat) which makes them strongly related, and surprise! The three most heavily used guitar friendly keys. Ideally you are going to want to understand how the notes work on top of the chords you have laid down, and other modal aspects but that doesn't have to happen yet.
 
Re: Forced motivation

Listen to Joey Voltage. Do some of our lessons and some youtube lessons then check in with us. We'll get you advancing, just you wait.
 
Re: Forced motivation

Also...join a band. With people that are slightly better than you. Even if there is never an intention to play a gig. You learn so much about the interaction of different instruments, and you set goals as a band for the next rehearsal (let's learn this song!). It is fun, and a great way to improve many aspects of your playing at once.
 
Re: Forced motivation

Have a car? I drive to a different city in order for my band to rehearse...3/4 of us drive over an hour
 
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