www.shortscale.org

[Reece]

[taylornutt]

I learned guitar playing in some praise bands at church and college.

Nice thing about praise music is the chords patterns don't vary too much (G-C-D or E-A-B)and many songs are similar to each other.

I really feel the key is to keep learning new songs. Every new song I learn puts one more tool in my tool box. The internet is great for that.

The more songs you learn, the easier it is to put those riffs and chords together when you jam with others.

Jamming can be tough especially when you haven't jammed with someone before. It should get easier as you get to know the people you play with.
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J Mascis Jazzmaster | Baja Telecaster
AVRI Jaguar | 1967 Fender Coronado II |1977 Mullet-stang | 1973 Fender Bronco

[Bacchus]

[Reece]

Exact reason I wrote it that way.
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http://alligatr.co.uk/

[endsjustifymeans]

helps build callouses and improve wrist strength.
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[endsjustifymeans]

I don't know if this helps anyone in any way, but I've found this to be a great song to learn singing and playing at the same time.

http://www.911tabs.com/link/?3382465

Much to the chagrin of my wife...
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[Bacchus]

I completely forgot to do that other thing for you. I shall do it this evening.
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[SoylentGreenIsPeople]

I never practice. I play drone music, which requires almost no technical proficiency.
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Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.


-Macbeth

[Zack]

I know this thread is way old, but whatever. I was listening to the advantage today and I decided a decent way to improve chops is to learn old 8-bit songs. Specifically that goonies 2 one and ducktails the moon. I just practice by playing everyday, doesn't matter what I play.

[Reece]

[Zack]

gonna have a go at learning some of those this up coming week. I just want to be able to doodlie-doodlie do riffs people know when I sound check. Maybe taking a break from writing and sit around learning again will help me write some more songs.

edit: dude, i didn't even mention how awesome it is that you learned those. Awesome, I'll probably follow in yr footsteps on those songs eventually.

[SoylentGreenIsPeople]

[Zack]

FUNERAL DOOM DRONE?

WORMPHLEGM?


okay, seriously, I need to stop derailing threads. I'm going to bed, I'm like this train scooping up this other train, I can't help myselffffff.

[Reece]

[SoylentGreenIsPeople]

[Dave]

Bacchus_Paul for "bringer of larnin' science" shortscale award in 2010.

A little more 'left-brain' techniques I dick around with are those I call 'not-doing' (phrase lifted from airy fairy new age self help Carlos Casteneda books or something like that). The principle being is that you deliberately do things differently to normality and common sense by adding a restriction or changing the goalposts. Example might be to string guitar with only one string - Jam on one string until you have got really good at using only one string and been forced to develope new ways of dealing with a single string. Add another string: repeart until all 6 strings. It's a bit odd I grant but I find I get locked into repeating the same old shit and sometimes throwing a spanner in the works knocks me into something new.

A better, less abstract, example is the neck for my Sitar project - I've scalloped it really deep just for the hell of it and to actually experiment with that. I've had it strung up for a while and it's been cool to play and finger in a subtly different way. When I go back to normal guitar I've added a small dimension to things - a little more aware of the actual strings themselves I guess.

One last thing I've been mucking about with recently is playing the guitar without using the thumb on the back of the neck - fingering is gatting slightly more fluid when I go back to just playing 'normally' as the thumb tends to 'anchor' less.

Anyway guess that marks me out as a massive ponce but worrevah. To be honest I tend to do these things because they are more 'play' than study and means I can put off learning important scales and chord theory and hope to bluff that stuff if asked.

B_Paul or anyone else - if you have any good stuff for making theory stuff more like play I'd love to hear it: Specifically learning the notes on the board, scales and chords theory. I've always shyed away from that stuff and I know its a stupid limitation.
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[endsjustifymeans]

[onezero4u]

a few ideas:

take lessons

play with a variety of other players of different styles and skill levels

practice on an acoustic alot and when you make that sound good, youll make the electric sound great (and its easier to play)

slow your shit down, fast and technical is over rated imo...most ears appreciate simple and heart felt

play along to jam-backing tracks on youtube (with a few chords and pentatonic scale...your already on your way)
also favorite some youtube easy cover songs you like and backing tracks and add them to your daily regime...and youll notice an improvement in a few weeks or so and its a fun way to practice


good luck
zero
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Make short scale guitars not war

[pumpkin]

Here's what I do, whenever I hit the wrong note I punch myself in the cock.

[Dave]