Practice practice practice

[tugboat]

Hi all…been a looong time for those who may remember me from way back. Lot has changed…wife, kids, took up marathoning, career change…

Still have my Taylor GA4 acoustic, my Weber kit (plus a few upgraded odds and ends on the amp) 5F1 1 x 10 combo, my warmoth Tele, a from scratch made Korina Les Paul Special, and a PRS single cut SE with Zhangbuckers.

Recently started picking again and forgot how fun guitar is. Thankfully it’s kinda like riding a bike, I’m not starting from scratch. Still remember some songs and can play bits of some of the more advanced (for me) stuff I could ham fistedly get through before life kept my guitars on the wall for way too long (Before you accuse me, Clapton; Mean Old Frisco blues, Muddy Waters; I’m not talking, the Yardbirds).

But…realizing that both are intertwined, I do want to learn more guitar this time, not just more songs. So I’ve been trying to brush up on a bit of basic music theory lately. Trying to reign in my ADD so I finish learning songs before I start a new one, that was an old habit of mine. Not really learning full songs.

What does one do during practice sessions? I feel like some basics are likely needed. And where are some good resources for some basic theory and exercises for that theory? I know the YouTube dudes offer courses but not sure if they’re good or not.

[Offshore Angler]

Hi tug's, great to see you back - Welcome!

Best short answer that comes to mind: Pick a song, and then play with the recording from beginning to end without stopping.

I guess I need to first ask what are your goals? Theory is the basis of composition and improvisation. It's also the greatest shortcut there is for learning guitar parts because once you discover what the soloist is doing it's like having cheat codes - even if the original artist didn't understand it!

That said, it's not a substitute for ear training, dexterity and technique.

The best advice I can give anyone is to take lessons from a competent instructor. They can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and help you avoid the myriad bad habits that are sometimes almost impossible to break.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that most people are capable of playing the guitar very well, but unfortunately being self-taught they developed bad habits that torpedoed their progress.

Lately, when I have someone tell me their playing has "plateaued" and they seem "stuck in a rut" and can't improve I'm learning that this often means they have developed a bad habit that's holding them back. And we don't see it ourselves, we need to have someone point it out to us. Tiger Woods has a golf coach. Josh Allen has a QB coach. Even F1 drivers have mentors. Back in my pilot days I had to be evaluated periodically, usually by an instructor pilot who most likely had a lot less experience than me, but I valued their input because they were fresh eyes on my flying. And we were always learning and practicing and improving even though were supposedly the best at the top of our game.

I've also come to learn that the far-and-away biggest impediment to being a great player is ego. It's like wearing a blindfold.

I've heard very good things about TrueFire Guitar and even know some mighty fine working players who utilize if for keeping their playing focused.

Finally, timing is everything.

Chuck

[OldStrummer]

Pick a song, and then play with the recording from beginning to end without stopping.

I guess I need to first ask what are your goals? Theory is the basis of composition and improvisation. It's also the greatest shortcut there is for learning guitar parts because once you discover what the soloist is doing it's like having cheat codes - even if the original artist didn't understand it!

That said, it's not a substitute for dexterity and technique.

The best advice I can give anyone is to take lessons from a competent instructor. They can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and help you avoid the myriad bad habits that are sometimes almost impossible to break.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that most people are capable of playing the guitar very well, but unfortunately being self-taught they developed bad habits that torpedoed their progress.

Lately, when I have someone tell me their playing has "plateaued" and they seem "stuck in a rut" and can't improve I'm learning that they have developed a bad habit that's holding them back. And we don't see it ourselves, we need to have someone point it out to us. Even Tiger Woods has a golf coach. Josh Allen has a QB coach.

I've heard very good things about TrueFire Guitar and even know some mighty fine working players who utilize if for keeping their playing focused.

Finally, timing is everything.

Chuck

Lot's of terrific advice here! And I'm one of those "self-taught-with-bad-habits" guitarists. I took lessons from a Pat Martino-trained instructor. He was new at teaching and I was his only student. He had me doing scales and finger exercises which, while helpful, didn't move my playing forward, and he wasn't getting new students so he ended the instruction. I have found Brian Sherrill at ActiveMelody.com a great resource. His approach isn't rote repetition but bites of the apple to give folks ideas, licks and theory. He provides tabs and backing tracks to paid subscribers (I am one). He's helped me over the past year more than any other. And I've tried several (Justin, Marty, Blues Institute, etc.).

[tugboat]

Hi tug's, great to see you back - Welcome!

Best short answer that comes to mind: Pick a song, and then play with the recording from beginning to end without stopping.

I guess I need to first ask what are your goals? Theory is the basis of composition and improvisation. It's also the greatest shortcut there is for learning guitar parts because once you discover what the soloist is doing it's like having cheat codes - even if the original artist didn't understand it!

That said, it's not a substitute for ear training, dexterity and technique.

The best advice I can give anyone is to take lessons from a competent instructor. They can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and help you avoid the myriad bad habits that are sometimes almost impossible to break.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that most people are capable of playing the guitar very well, but unfortunately being self-taught they developed bad habits that torpedoed their progress.

Lately, when I have someone tell me their playing has "plateaued" and they seem "stuck in a rut" and can't improve I'm learning that this often means they have developed a bad habit that's holding them back. And we don't see it ourselves, we need to have someone point it out to us. Tiger Woods has a golf coach. Josh Allen has a QB coach. Even F1 drivers have mentors. Back in my pilot days I had to be evaluated periodically, usually by an instructor pilot who most likely had a lot less experience than me, but I valued their input because they were fresh eyes on my flying. And we were always learning and practicing and improving even though were supposedly the best at the top of our game.

I've also come to learn that the far-and-away biggest impediment to being a great player is ego. It's like wearing a blindfold.

I've heard very good things about TrueFire Guitar and even know some mighty fine working players who utilize if for keeping their playing focused.

Finally, timing is everything.

Chuck

Thank you Chuck! Lessons are one thing I’ve realized I need. I have no time during the week for lessons but after you posted I thought that maybe I could do Saturday lessons. I’ve inquired with a local music store. Right now online lessons are what I’m taking. I’m working through Paul Davids’ first course (started with the bare basics just in case) but am absolutely open to others. I’ve since heard of Trufire and I’m interested there too. May look into OldStrummer’s recommendations.

Part of the reason I’d like to try local is one of my goals is to play with people in some capacity. Jam occasionally, maybe gig occasionally. If I get local lessons maybe that would help more easily grease the skids to playing with others? I have no other real goals other than a “chop wood, carry water” mentality. i want to keep it fun and continue learning and refining my craft. It starts with some basic level of proficiency, but this time I’m determined not to let trying to achieve some sort of mastery (that I may never achieve) get in the way. But, I do need some sort of a base to go off of.

Which leads me to habits that I’ve seen, and I’ve already started to slip into. Funny that I come back to lessons I’ve learned in my running & marathoning but some things I’m starting to try to focus on:

1. Learning full songs. Including solo. This means not biting more off than I can chew. One solo that I’d recently been eyeing is “Communication Breakdown” because I’ve always been scared of it. I’ve been thinking that it’s not necessarily speed but technique and efficiency that pulls that solo off. But…I don’t think I’m quite ready for it yet. Which brings me to…
2. Play within your capability. Play cleanly and in rhythm and in time. Play consistently. Speed and efficiency will come naturally with experience.

So I think for now focusing on stuff like Tom Petty, the Stones, CCR, REM, etc… and playing them well will do me much better than hacking away at stuff currently out of my wheelhouse.

[Offshore Angler]

Cool.. You're going to learn that playing in a band is about hundred times more work than you anticipated but yes, playing with others is the secret.

Concentrate on finding the groove and living there - that's the secret to being useful in a band.

Saw the post about the Champ. Heck, I could play Royal Albert Hall with a Champ, that's plenty. Sounding like a rock star is really about having it mic'ed effectively and using the power of the sound system. Once you hear your Champ being driven back at you through 15" wedges and hear the thunder from the mains you'll never want to lift anything heavier again. I promise.

Chuck

[tugboat]

Cool.. You're going to learn that playing in a band is about hundred times more work than you anticipated but yes, playing with others is the secret.

Concentrate on finding the groove and living there - that's the secret to being useful in a band.

Saw the post about the Champ. Heck, I could play Royal Albert Hall with a Champ, that's plenty. Sounding like a rock star is really about having it mic'ed effectively and using the power of the sound system. Once you hear your Champ being driven back at you through 15" wedges and hear the thunder from the mains you'll never want to lift anything heavier again. I promise.

Chuck

Ha! That actually would be pretty cool. You actually jogged my memory; I saw one of those “rig rundown” videos with The Edge’s guitar tech (whom I actually have a pretty random and surprisingly close connection to) and he has about 5 different small tweed amps backstage with his bigger AC30’s and such, all miked up and rotated for different songs. I remembered a Deluxe and a Harvard specifically.

Right now I’ll take jamming in someone’s living room. �� Not sure a full regularly gigging band is in the cards right now (kids and marathons and such) but jams, heck yeah. And when the kids are older and hate our guts and peace out on weekends to hang out with friends, maybe that’s the time to really look into gigging.

And on the theory, I do want to “learn how to fish”. I know you don’t need to be a virtuoso improvisational jazz soloist to play blues and rock n roll but some basic grasp of theory I think would go a long way.