What Are Your Weaknesses Options

[Daniel Robinson]

Everyone always wants to be the best they can be, but as humans we tend to play to our strengths and ignore our weaknesses.

The same holds true for guitar playing, do you know what your weaknesses are as a player? I would assume most of you know where you are weak in your playing.

I would ask you all.

What are your weak spots in your playing and what can we do to help you overcome them?

Some weaknesses are relatively simple to correct, some are very difficult but until we admit to what we have to work on we will continue to ignore them and our goal of mastering the instrument will become very difficult and frustrating.


I will go first and tell you all that my legato technique is not what it should be, i tend to use my picking skills as a crutch in alot of circumstances. Don't get me wrong i can play legato but its not as smooth as i would like it to be so i have set aside time in my practicing schedule to really get down and dirty to put this problem area to rest.

I have started working on just strengthening my fingers doing trills and hammer on drills, to facilitate this i have also put 12's on my second guitar so i have to work harder to acheive the legato sound in the end i think i will make my fingers alot stronger. Even the last few days i have done this i have seen remarkable increase in finger strength.

Daniel

[kyldeee]

I also have some problems with legato, and also sweeping... I don't really practice them that much because I get frustrated when I don't get them right and then my motivation gets lower and I don't feel like playing anything I really should start with some basics I guess...

[Daniel Robinson]

I also have some problems with legato, and also sweeping... I don't really practice them that much because I get frustrated when I don't get them right and then my motivation gets lower and I don't feel like playing anything I really should start with some basics I guess...

What part of sweeping are you having difficulty with maybe we can help suggest ways to help you improve without pulling your hair out.


Daniel

[kyldeee]

What part of sweeping are you having difficulty with maybe we can help suggest ways to help you improve without pulling your hair out.


Daniel

Actually I don't have that much hair, so no worries about there I don't seem to have that big of problems sweeping with more strings, like 5 string sweeps, but when I play with 3 string sweeps I don't seem to get them right which is wierd 'cause you would assume that they are easier than 5 string patterns And I also have some problems with my palm muting, I don't seem to get them sound that clean as they should...

[Daniel Robinson]

Maybe this advice can help you, without knowing exactly whats falling apart for you its hard to say.


I had a similar problem when learning sweeps, i could do 5 and 6 string sweeps with ease but shorter spans like 3 or 4 strings it wasnt consistent at all. I really had to pay close attention to what was going wrong.

I realize that when i do 5 or 6 string sweeps there is alot more barring going on which means i was using more of the pads of my fingers for those sweeps the angle of my hand was such that it was easy. When trying to apply this on 3 string patterns i realized that barring the notes more with the pads of my fingers was really the culprit. When executing 3 string patterns its vital to use the very tips of your fingers for some reason on the smaller spacing of 3 strings if you bar more i.e. using more pad of your finger your actually dampening or muting the strings too much.

Also just take your time in the timing execution of the 3 string sweeps. You have trained your right hand to move across double that span, the muscle memory in your right hand wants to move more adjacent strings then just three so thats also probably part of the problem.

Maybe this will help let me know.

Daniel

[kyldeee]

Maybe this advice can help you, without knowing exactly whats falling apart for you its hard to say.


I had a similar problem when learning sweeps, i could do 5 and 6 string sweeps with ease but shorter spans like 3 or 4 strings it wasnt consistent at all. I really had to pay close attention to what was going wrong.

I realize that when i do 5 or 6 string sweeps there is alot more barring going on which means i was using more of the pads of my fingers for those sweeps the angle of my hand was such that it was easy. When trying to apply this on 3 string patterns i realized that barring the notes more with the pads of my fingers was really the culprit. When executing 3 string patterns its vital to use the very tips of your fingers for some reason on the smaller spacing of 3 strings if you bar more i.e. using more pad of your finger your actually dampening or muting the strings too much.

Also just take your time in the timing execution of the 3 string sweeps. You have trained your right hand to move across double that span, the muscle memory in your right hand wants to move more adjacent strings then just three so thats also probably part of the problem.

Maybe this will help let me know.

Daniel

Thanks, that's a great advice, I'll start working on it ASAP

[superize]

I feel that my waekness lies in my legato and espacially my pulloffs.... i cant get it to sound smooth when shifting strings i often make i little paus

[Ivan Milenkovic]

I have many weaknesses, and the things I should work more on atm are harmony constructions.

[Andrew Cockburn]

Great topic!

Alternate Picking technique for me - cleanliness and speed. My legato is reasonable and has improved a lot over the last year as I find it comes very naturally, and I practice it to the detriment of AP. With AP it is purely about practice time and discipline for me - I believe I have the mechanics right but I am skimping on the time and effort needed to build up speed in a smooth and controlled fashion!

[iainsteward]

This is a great topic, thanks Daniel!!

I have a few weaknesses in my playing that no matter how hard I try I cannot put right, the first is fast runs, if for example I am playing a 3nps sequence, I can play it very well up to a certain speed, then I just freeze and my fingers go into meltdown......I try going over and over it with a metronome at a slow speed, then try building up but it is taking me FOREVER to develop the speed I want, my goal in life is to play a few Malmsteen classics note for note perfect, but I am barely able to play them at anywhere near the right speed, its so frustrating!!

Secondly, a mixture of techniques....tapping and legato!! Not combining them, its just that the same problem arises with both techniques, I try and do them.....and playing slow, fine and sounding very clean!! When I speed them up it sounds sloppy and I can often hit wrong notes when tapping!!

The speed problem is the most boggling and annoying!! I can play slower stuff perfectly, and with good phrasing and vibrato then once I get up to a difficult speed I just cant seem to do it, I seem to get lost, and no matter how much practice speed is still elusive!!!

Any tips or help would be GREATLY appreciated!!
Thanks,
Iain!!

[Trond Vold]

One of my many weaknesses is that i'm completely and utterly useless with the whammy bar. I just cant operate that thing without it sounding drunk

Another one that annoys me is that i cant do sweep-tappings without making a bunch of unwanted noise. Well, my sweeping in general could use some work.

[chast]

My weakness is playing guitar
But my main problem is probably my vibrato and that I can't pick fast :/
And I nearly have no idea about theory
But these are weaknesses that just need some work.

[TreyDeschamp]

Great Topic!

I think my weakness is trying to play but not get mad and frustrated when I dont get something quickly.

This post has been edited by TreyDeschamp: May 5 2008, 01:26 PM

[PlayAllDay]

Oh dear - I don't have any weaknessess at all...

Seriously I do have some trouble performing a good first finger vibrato in the forearm twisting fashion. Have you any tips for that Daniel - I really think I just haven't put in enough hours yet for it to feel easy, but any extra info could help.

[rokchik]

Fantastic topic Daniel

As for my weaknesses well I think I may crash GMC if I list them all But some of what I've been trying to correct lately is my alternate picking - same as Andrew said the cleanliness and speed. I've noticed as well since I started recording myself that I tend to cut notes short, I don't let them ring so I've been working on that a lot the last few days and my vibrato is horrible, again something I noticed since I started recording. Those are just a few I've been trying to improve lately but the list goes on and on my friend.

rok

[ZakkWylde]

I have extreme rythm problems because I can't stand to use the metronome.

[USAMAN]

Endurance in downward picking...If I try to play master of pppets all down-picking my arm will explode.

Not being strict enough with my alternate picking....I cheat....alot.......

[Canis]

I have a lot of weaknesses... But if I were to pick one major one, I'd say it's playing along with a backing track.. I always play faster or slower then the backing track is made for. Example: I've "mastered" Marcus' Pentatonic Solo, but when I play along with the backing track, I'm never at the point I should be. Like in the middle there, the backing track get's faster, but I'm allready past that part or not yet there. Been looking at Kris' metronome lesson now and then to get some repetation on how to use the rhythm..

Other weaknesses is bending and vibrato.

[audiopaal]

I think I'm pretty average in most things, and the only thing I think I'm great at is rythm guitar..
I will work on playing solos to get better at that at the moment but there will always be thinks to get better at, even my rythm guitar playing so I don't see it as weaknesses, only problems to be solved

[Siggum]

Got many weaknesess, for example fast alternate picking with clean notes, arpeggios, vibrato and a bunch of theory.