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Post by grampalerxst on May 19, 2019 5:51:11 GMT -6
This just in: I still suck at guitar. But it was a better week than the last several. I added True Blue from BYCU to my slow looping play along itinerary. Been specifically focusing on the first three bars. As simple as that is, trying to get consistency on those bends still vexes me. We'll see if the looping along with the demo performance does the trick. Been doing the same with a collection of one bar phrases from a Keith Wyatt book. He's big on incorporating all the quarter-tone bends possible in blues tonality right from the start, and that's a challenge of a different sort. Still been working with Electric Gypsy, both the whole intro/A-section and the lick it contains in isolation. Starting to be able to keep up at 80-85%. Each little step up in tempo makes it a little harder to get all the notes, but also allows me to attempt it with a little more of the correct feel, and in some spots I can flow through with ease where I stumble at lower tempos. Alternating between higher and lower tempos seems to help with cleaning up problems that appear inherent to the slower tempos.
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Post by bluesbruce on May 19, 2019 7:13:21 GMT -6
Had a decent week of practice, mostly "Total Rock Guitar" still, but at least beginning to feel I've made some headway with my rock and roll playing! Have also thrown in a few blues tunes from the various books and courses I own.
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Post by Phil on May 19, 2019 7:45:24 GMT -6
It's hard to believe that another week has gone by already. Like Grampa, I still suck, but I suck less than I did a month ago.  I got in 9 hours over 6 days. I started on a very nice Bucky Pizzarelli solo for the Jazz standard "Moonglow." (I worked on his melody part last week.) It's transcribed from a video when Bucky was about 85 years old. The solo sounds very relaxed and laid back, not fast at all. They're playing the tune at 111 BPMs. Well, I gotta tell you, he's playing much faster than it appears. I can't keep up with an 85 year old man. Maybe I'll get it before I reach that age.  Anyway, this is the kind of Jazz I'm interested in playing. Very melodic and rhythmically varied with a variety of 8th notes, 1/4 notes, and triplets; not just a string of scalar sounding 8th notes that I hear so much in Jazz. I've started playing along with recordings much more than I have in the past. Specifically, along with Frank Vignola lessons. (I subscribe to his Truefire channel). That's helping a lot. |
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Post by grampalerxst on May 19, 2019 8:08:29 GMT -6
I've started playing along with recordings much more than I have in the past. Specifically, along with Frank Vignola lessons. (I subscribe to his Truefire channel). That's helping a lot. It still amazes me I went so long without developing that habit (playing along to imitate in detail what I'm learning versus using just a backing track) given it's sort of the default mode for people learning blues and rock guitar over the years. The tools that exist today to help me overcome my inherent slowness and inaccurate ear weren't there in the beginning, but they've been around for more/less 20 years now and I've only just begun exploiting them. Better late than never is the only thing I can tell myself in consolation. |
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Post by joachim on May 19, 2019 8:54:40 GMT -6
I started working on the solo part of "Making Changes". I am slowly starting to run of book, which is a pity because I am learning a lot right now.
I have transcribed more solo recently, all by Peter Green. I've deliberately picked different ones that seem to complement the stuff I am working on with John. I am beginning to recognize different ideas or licks from solo to solo; that's given me a lot of encouragement - also to realize how little you need to play to sound great.
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Post by jack1982 on May 19, 2019 8:58:42 GMT -6
Just another week of working on the song "Someone", as I've been doing for a month and a half now. I think I've got the entire thing memorized (at least after I play though it about 4 times I've got it all memorized lol). Still some fast bits in the main solo that I'll need to practice in isolation. I'd like to get it recorded by the end of the month - I was thinking of trying to do the entire song in one take, but at over 6 minutes...I doubt I could make it that long without a song-ruining mistake. Maybe I'll do it in sections. Hey Bruce, we've been hearing a lot about that Total Rock Guitar book you've been working on - sure would be cool to see a video And of course the usual "Hey Phil, get anything recorded yet this week year?!?!"  |
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Anyway, this is the kind of Jazz I'm interested in playing. Very melodic and rhythmically varied with a variety of 8th notes, 1/4 notes, and triplets; not just a string of scalar sounding 8th notes that I hear so much in Jazz. 
