Help me be a better player

[Adam_Liebman]

Hey, all. I'm really striving to be the best player I can be. Theory, feel, technique, etc...

Please watch this video and share any criticism at all.

http://bit.ly/1oCO2Xq

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Help me be a better player

My first thought would be to not use your playing for contests. That just seems like playing for the wrong reasons, to me. Theory you can learn. Technique you can learn. Feel comes from you. If you're distracting yourself by trying to please others too much or win contests, without realizing it, you will be chasing the wrong feel, one that is not most natural for you. Feel will come in isolation with just you and the music you really like, sans others' opinions. Why did you pick up a guitar in the first place? Always chase that.

 

[koshikas]

Re: Help me be a better player

My first thought would be to not use your playing for contests. That just seems like playing for the wrong reasons, to me. Theory you can learn. Technique you can learn. Feel comes from you. If you're distracting yourself by trying to please others too much or win contests, without realizing it, you will be chasing the wrong feel, one that is not most natural for you. Feel will come in isolation with just you and the music you really like, sans others' opinions. Why did you pick up a guitar in the first place? Always chase that.

:bowdown:

 

[Mathías Gabriel Rock]

Re: Help me be a better player

Guitar playing, instrument playing in general or song/music writting are some of those things that nobody can teach you. The most important ingredient is you: Your own feel, your patience, the way you face practicing and how you let yourself express through your instrument or paper. The rest is easily found on the internet (theory, exercises, old records you can listen to), and there are academys in every town where you can learn from others' experience to build your own personal style.

Don't copy, learn and create. You can do it kid. Be your hero first, and then one day you might be ours.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Help me be a better player

Looks like you've got it down! Leads sounded great. Not sure what's up with the backing track but it reminded me of a Casio keyboard beat. I say if you're going to do some sick leads match it with some killer rhythms.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Help me be a better player

Truthfully?

That solo is pretty meh ... it's incredibly regimented, and there is ZERO flow from one set of ideas to the next. A couple of the faster runs are of dubious key center, also ... don't know if that's intentional or not.

I would prefer something less technical, more lyrical/melodic, and something that sounds like it has a beginning, middle and end, even if there are 'mistakes'.

My advice would be to listen to less Michael Romeo and more Alex Lifeson.

 

[Adam_Liebman]

Re: Help me be a better player

"My first thought would be to not use your playing for contests. That just seems like playing for the wrong reasons, to me. Theory you can learn. Technique you can learn. Feel comes from you. If you're distracting yourself by trying to please others too much or win contests, without realizing it, you will be chasing the wrong feel, one that is not most natural for you. Feel will come in isolation with just you and the music you really like, sans others' opinions. Why did you pick up a guitar in the first place? Always chase that."

That's probably the most useful comment here, mostly because I'm not sure I fully see where you're coming from. Why not for contests? I felt that doing that helped me learn how to construct a better solo, how to play something that encourages me to push my boundaries, and help me see what I need to work on. If the incentive for doing that is a shiny new guitar, then why not?

I'd really like you to follow up

 

[Aceman]

Re: Help me be a better player

Because at the end of the day, music is not a contest. There is no "win" there is just music. And TRYING to win will get you away from the very thing that is essential; Playing MUSIC from the HEART.

Play what you feel, play what you love, play it with whatever technique you need to make that sound. If it is pleasing to YOU - you win. If everyone else likes it, it is a bonus for not only you but them.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help me be a better player

Well...listen to other stuff than other guitarplayers and the small worlds they tend to create!
And music is no competition, it is a lifelong thing, that will never have a destination as it is!
Dig into other musical stuff.....it is all the same with different sounds, open ears and an mind will take you places.....
And do stuff that is you, please yourself, but with others fit in, and still be you somehow

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Help me be a better player

Rule #1: Always listen politely but never take seriously anyone's any opinion about anything. Including this one!

It works outside the fretboard, too.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Help me be a better player

"My first thought would be to not use your playing for contests. That just seems like playing for the wrong reasons, to me. Theory you can learn. Technique you can learn. Feel comes from you. If you're distracting yourself by trying to please others too much or win contests, without realizing it, you will be chasing the wrong feel, one that is not most natural for you. Feel will come in isolation with just you and the music you really like, sans others' opinions. Why did you pick up a guitar in the first place? Always chase that."

That's probably the most useful comment here, mostly because I'm not sure I fully see where you're coming from. Why not for contests? I felt that doing that helped me learn how to construct a better solo, how to play something that encourages me to push my boundaries, and help me see what I need to work on. If the incentive for doing that is a shiny new guitar, then why not?

I'd really like you to follow up

The contest gave you incentive, and made you work on technique and think about your solo structure and approach. There is nothing wrong with that and those things are important. But your request was, "Help make me a better player", so the things I said I believe are more important simply because they are most overlooked by guys trying to improve.

I entered a songwriting contest about 2 years ago and it pushed me, I worked hard to make the deadline, I think the piece of music I made up was better than it would have been had I not felt the pressure, but trying to do too much to meet the deadline the resulting production ranks among the worst I've done, I did learn things about myself and what I need to do to produce. But I could not keep that up and if I worked that way all the time, it wouldn't be me. I would have lost myself, I would have lost my identity and what appeals to others in my music - me being myself, honestly.

I probably should have said, "Go ahead and enter contests because you will learn and grow, but I would give equal or greater weight to these other things..."