NurseDad's Blues You Can Use Progress Log

Nursedad,

I have to say that you've made some noticeable improvements in timing. Still needs work, but the important thing is that you're moving in the right direction.

I have 2 questions for you:

1). Are you practicing consistently?

2). Are you getting the studies down before you attempt to play over a backing track?

It's been said, and continues to be said, by the best guitar teachers on-line that 20-30 minutes per day of consistent daily practice will result in more progress than not playing all week and practicing 3-4 hours on Saturday afternoon. Obviously, more time spent practicing will result in faster progress, but every adult has other responsibilities and their time is limited. However, consistency seems to be the key. I'm not saying you're doing this because I don't know, but if you are it's something to think about.

When I asked if you are getting the studies down before playing over a backing track this is what what I mean - can you play the melody in your head and visualize your fingers playing each note on the fretboard? You should be able to do this when you're laying in bed before you fall asleep, while driving alone, or standing in line at the bank. Some people call this practicing without an instrument in your hands. I can tell you from personal experience that it helps.

My first impression of most of your previous uploads was that you were trying to play something that you still weren't comfortable with, or that you were struggling to play something faster than your capabilities allowed. I don't want to come across as some kind of pain in the ass know-it-all. There are plenty of examples posted of me trying to play something faster than I was comfortable with and ready for. Over the last few weeks I've come to grips with the fact that I need to slow down and not speed up until I can play a study well slowly.

All the best on-line teachers including John Ganapes say the same thing. Play slowly and precisely. Work on speed later. That's easier said than done. We all want to progress fast and get on to the next study or try something from one of the dozens of books and courses we all have or a cool lick from a youtube video.

I'm going to make a radical suggestion - forget the backing tracks for a while. Follow the suggestions already made. Especially the ones about learning these studies in small chunks. Those "chunks" may be as small as 1/2 a measure if it's a difficult little lick. Don't move on to the rest of the study until you can play whatever chunk you are working on along with the slow version. If the slow version of the study is too fast then slow it down even more.

Once you can play through the whole study along with the slow version, even if you have to slow it down more, then play it by yourself with a metronome. I just started playing with a metronome regularly a few weeks ago and it is helping. Here's an on-line one that I like a.bestmetronome.com/

It's not easy playing along with a metronome if you haven't done it before, but you'll soon get the hang of it. The advantage is that you won't have any distractions from other instruments. You'll just have the pulse of the tune to pay attention to. Set the metronome as slow as you need it to be and don't speed it up until you are ready. Just be sure you have one that clicks and doesn't have that annoying beeping sound.

Once you can play along with a metronome at full tempo, or close to it, then try playing with a backing track. When you do, play close attention to the drums and listen for the chord changes. Of course, do all the counting stuff that's been recommended too. It all helps.

Like I said before, almost every good teacher says to practice a new tune slowly. I just read the other day where a guitar teacher recommended practicing at a slower tempo even the songs you already know. He didn't say how slow, but I going with about 80% of full tempo. He said that this is how to improve your accuracy, and that practicing slowly gives you time to concentrate on the nuances that make a bunch of notes sound like music. Obviously, you'll have to force yourself to play faster at some point or you'll never be able to play faster, but that shouldn't be where you spend the most time practicing. The bulk of your practice time should be spent playing slowly focusing on timing and accuracy.

Sorry for the long post, but every now and then I like to write things down. It's a way for me to consolidate my thoughts. It probably helps me more than it helps anybody who reads it.

Keep at it and don't give up.

BTW, I didn't think your bends were too bad. They are definitely getting close, but timing is way more important then bends.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I do learn the tunes in small chunks which helps with technical issues but does not help with timing. I practice at least an hour a day 6 to 7 days a week and I don't even try to play with the backing track until I can play it all the way through slowly then with the original version play along at 80% then at 90% then at full tempo it's when I switch to the downloadable versions I seem to have trouble.

It has to be difficult for people to understand the issues some of us have with timing I literally can not hear an issue even after someone tells me it is off a bit, but I can not clap my hands to a beat at all never have been able to.

I got to the point where I was ready to chuck it all but I love it so I have decided to just keep learning new techniques and concepts and keep moving forward and hope that someday my inner metronome will wake up. I am working very slowly through the book Rhythmic Lead Guitar. Maybe someday I will go back and play these in time. Of course to my ear they are in time now so will I even hear a difference ? LOL

That totally blows my image of you Tbone 

Nursedad, if you can't clap your hands in time with a song, I think Phil's suggestion about practicing with a metronome might be the way to go.  That way you're ONLY hearing the beats you should clap your hands to, and you can synchronize your playing to that without the distraction of the other instruments.  You've got to feel that fundamental 1-2-3-4 drumbeat because that's the framework upon which everything else is built upon.

I've not been in that situation, but the other day while listening to a bass and drum track that Jack sent me I started thinking about how important the bass and drums really are. I thought, "Man, these guys can't ever make a mistake, because if they do everybody is thrown off. The lead can just skip a few notes and push on, but not the rhythm section."

I always thought that latency was part of your problem. Look at my comments on your early uploads.

ND, can you tell us what your recording set up is? That is, are you using a USB interface? are you plugging directly into it? Are you using amp modeling software? what DAW software? I don't think Audacity itself would introduce latency, but if you're using it along with modeling software or an interface (especially without ASIO drivers) that could be a source of latency.

Bruce

I agree - doesn't sound like you should have much latency in your setup. When you're recording like this, do you hear the guitar out of the amp and your backing track out of computer speakers? or can you hear both (guitar and backing track) out of the computer speakers?

Bruce

Can you appreciate any latency - when you play a note on the guitar, is there any appreciable delay before you hear it from the amp or headphones? Of course, that wouldn't necessarily rule out some latency in your recording, as you're probably hearing the guitar signal before it is routed to your computer. Is there any way to turn off the "direct" guitar sound from the amp, and only hear what you're playing by monitoring the signal from the computer - maybe a headphone jack on the computer? Recording latency can be a real bear to try to track down.

Bruce

OK humor me , please, and give this try a listen.

Bends Slides and Shifts