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Posted by: Guitarman700 Jun 18 2007, 10:52 PM

Over the summer ive been going to a rock and roll summer camp. while im there another, more experienced guitarist tells me my playing is "mechanical" and "without feeling". It hurt. Im Depressed. What should i do?

Posted by: Pavel Jun 18 2007, 11:05 PM

Tell them to screw themselves, and enjoy the playing.

You can also practice at least a bit of it - not by playing but by listening to guys like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Satriani. I learned a lot from them and than one day i felt the guitar in my hands and head and that was it.

Don't feel down! It won't help! Better start working on it! If you have more question i'm always glad to help and suggest things so go ahead and ask them!

Posted by: AIB234 Jun 18 2007, 11:14 PM

You're not the only one in that rut. I am too.

I don't really have any advice to help because if I did I hopefully wouldn't be in the same boat... but know you're not alone.

Posted by: Owen Jun 18 2007, 11:23 PM

That type of things always confused me, how do you define feeling as something you can or cannot have especially where guitar is related. I mean, I suppose there is just the blurring out of notes, but do people just want something more melodic and less technical? Thats more style than feeling.

In any case, you've got to have determination to get to the point where your at anyway, determination is a strong feeling.

Posted by: Resurrection Jun 19 2007, 12:35 AM

Did this other guitarist tell you any details about what aspects of your playing sounded "mechanical" to him/her? Weak vibrato? Repetitive phrasing or scale runs? Lack of variety with tone or pick-up selection? This kind of general "you suck" advice is really counter productive unless this person also offered advice on what to work on to improve the situation.

At least take comfort from the fact that practically every famous and respected guitarist has been called "mechanical" or "repetitive" or "boring" by somebody at some time. Music is subjective, after all, and aren't opinions meant to be like a particular part of the anatomy?

I also second Pavels suggestion about listening to different guitarists and taking in musical styles that you maybe haven't listened to before. I would also suggest listening to great musicians who play instruments other than the guitar. Transferring musical styles from other instruments onto the guitar can sometimes lead to a whole new way of looking at, and playing, the instrument.

Hope you feel better soon

Posted by: Guitarman700 Jun 19 2007, 01:42 AM

I told What He said to my guitar teacher, and he said "you know What you call that? a blues player"
Hese a great friend and always makes me feel better.

Posted by: MickeM Jun 19 2007, 05:37 AM

That's ridicilous!!!! If they were good guitar players and secure with their own playing skills they wouldn't put you down.

You know, pointing out other peoples short comings is a good way of hiding your own.

Try to use their negative energy into your practice energy! If you want to show them... you can spot a weakness in their playing and do better! That should shut em up.
And may Steve Morse... ..the force be with you!

Posted by: fkalich Jun 19 2007, 07:07 AM

pavel had it right. tell him to kiss your *** and move on. opinions are like ********, everybody has got one.

Posted by: Lurgen Jun 19 2007, 07:35 AM

Meh, one person's view of "mechanical and without feeling" could be the rest of the world's view of "awesome and inspiring". He's entitled to his opinion, but he should keep it to himself.

My view on the difference between mechanical and personalised playing is pretty simple... you start out learning the individual notes. You basically play the tab. Then, one day you stop bothering thinking about the individual notes and just pump out the sound you're looking for. If you were to analyse it, you'd see lots of little variations each time you play it, but it would sound good either way. Neither approach is necessarily better than the other though.

Besides, you can't just start at the top. You have to work through the levels of skill. Just like he had to. No doubt there was a time once where he sounded like he was strangling a cat ;-)

Posted by: Marraboy Jun 19 2007, 09:09 AM

Dude I just had to reply to this...

If Kris wasn't such a mean forum mod I'd write more offensive stuff than Pavel suggested! Tell him to shove his guitar where the sun don't shine!!! In fact tell him to shove his guitar, his picks, his amp and all his effects pedals (because he probably has the best) where the sun don't shine!

I have a theory on this as I work in IT and I've spent loads of time on courses in my earlier days and it goes like this (particularly on Microsoft certification courses)...

There's usually a bunch of guys sitting in a corner before the first day of the course going on about how great Microsoft are and how th latest product is going to change the world. These guys wait until they are in the class and take pleasure in laughing when one of the new guys asks a 'basic' question, they also enjoy talking down to you because you are the new guy.

But here's the catch... after a few years (10 in fact) I find myself quite experienced and I feel that I have learned all the right stuff, haven't cut corners etc. And now I realise that these people still exist but they don't know half the stuff they claim to know - they do it because they are insecure about their own knowledge and it's easy to pick on somebody else who might be a beginner or who is taking their time to learn the correct way!

Feck, I go through my scales everyday like a robot!!! That's the way to learn isn't it? I don't jump around the room putting facial expressions and little kiss style dances in because I would lose concentration on the thing I am actually trying to practice!!!

Anyway, sorry about the rant... I hate smart arses!!!

For the record I got a bit down last week - I tried to play some easy riffs that I've been able to play for years but this time using the correct method (alternate picking) and I screwed it up! So I put my guitar down for the night, picked it up the following day, practiced my scales until the metronome was saying things to me and now I can play it with my eyes closed!!!

Don't get down dude!

JT

Posted by: FretDancer69 Jun 19 2007, 05:32 PM

I agree with that. Thats what i try to do most of the time. Use all those bad comments that genenerate anger into hours of practicing. I believe that comments and people like that are essential in a guitarist's life. It tests how strong you are and tests if you are really willing to be a great guitarist in spite of other people's comments. And thats a very important desition that we all know...only YOU can make.

Sorry for my bad english spelling.