What Are Your Weaknesses
Daniel Robinson
May 5 2008, 07:48 AM
Instructor
Posts: 560
Joined: 22-March 08
From: Normal, Illinois
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

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coffeeman
May 7 2008, 06:43 PM
Experienced Tone Seeker
Posts: 1.762
Joined: 15-September 07
From: Bogota,Colombia
My weakness is definitely timing. When I play with the metronome I can play very accurate , but when Im playing with a backing track I lose the track with the first note. So I decided to stop practicing with the metronome , and now I am only practicing over backing tracks. I guess that my band can't be a metronome. I would say I cant play fast too but thats just practicing.

Thanks Daniel.

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Daniel Robinson
May 9 2008, 01:54 AM
Instructor
Posts: 560
Joined: 22-March 08
From: Normal, Illinois
QUOTE (coffeeman @ May 7 2008, 01:43 PM) *
My weakness is definitely timing. When I play with the metronome I can play very accurate , but when Im playing with a backing track I lose the track with the first note. So I decided to stop practicing with the metronome , and now I am only practicing over backing tracks. I guess that my band can't be a metronome. I would say I cant play fast too but thats just practicing.

Thanks Daniel.



I can certainly understand this happening because sometimes hearing that metronome click is a crutch in some ways. To physically hear the beats.

When dealing with this particular problem you have to start to study rhythmic basics. In most instances you can take your cue from Bass drum if there is one. From a rhythmic standpoint in a basic 4/4 tempo the bass drum either plays on 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

This isnt a rule of thumb of course but you have to take notice of where the drums are hitting in the measure of a song. I would urge you to take a backing track that your using to practice with and put down the guitar and study the drums in the track your working on. Count out loud to find the measures, then listen to where each drum sound hits. Does the bass drum land on 1, i.e. the first beat in a measure. or does it fall elsewhere.

If your using a backing track from a fast song, that uses a double kick you have to figure out if its playing 8th notes..16th notes 32nd notes etc.

A metronome hits on every beat in the measure. Percussion in a song would be very boring if it just did that. Hit all the drums at once on each beat.

Accents of the percussion can give you hints too. Alot of times there will be an accent on 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 depending on the song.

Just take the time to find out where the measures are and start developing an internal counting system. I think sometimes...i could be wrong on this but pro players sometimes have things they do that are physically able to seen to keep the beat. Ever wonder why Angus Young hops around the way he does? Watch carefully you will see a pattern to his bouncing around. I always wondered if he does this to keep time.

Anyway just keep working at it you will get it it just takes time and work.

Daniel


QUOTE (besip @ May 7 2008, 01:56 PM) *
My weakness is playing over metronom actualy i'm have problem to listen the beep and play over metronom..specialy now i'm learn Rock solo from trond..and what i'm do i'm not play over metronom but i'm just lets play Trond video and play with him.

somethime i'm allso have little problem with 3 finger power chord..specialy when i'm play some note and then i'm have to switch to 3 finfer power chord

and right now i'm feel somethime creepiness on my right finger...i'm aslo visiting the gym but i'm not sure if the problem is from gym or from playing quitar...hope thats nothing big{hope just the finger and muscle is just tired}


Besip,

Learning to play with a metronome is good, but its not all there is don't take it too hard that you can't do it perfectly right away. It takes time to learn good rhythm habits. Playing along with trond is also helping you, but i would say make sure your not listening to just him. Unless you plan on taking Trond on stage with you someday tongue.gif

He is a very tight rhythm player as far as i am concerned so learning his lessons is an excellent first step to rhythm mastery.

As far as bar chords...the 3 finger power chord your talking about. Watch what notes your playing before changing to them start thinking about conservation of motion sometimes its better to change the fingers your fretting those notes with before doing the power chord, so that your hand is a better posistion to get to the chord as quick as possible.

This is an example, : lets say your going to end up on a 3 finger power chord on the A string 3rd fret...a C bar chord.

Your playing two notes before you hit that chord A on the D string 7th fret and the G on the D string 5th fret. Now you could use your ring finger and index finger to play those two notes then shift to the C bar chord, but wouldnt it make more sense to use your pinky and middle finger to play those two notes then hit the chord? This way your hand is already in place to hit the chord with very little movement.

Start thinking about how your fretting the notes before chord. Think about what fingering would be the easiest for you to make the transistion from the notes to the chords. You want to make the distance as easy as possible to set up where your going to land.

I hope i am not confusing you Besip if i am i am sorry.

Daniel


QUOTE (shellshock1911 @ May 8 2008, 05:11 PM) *
Total lack of creativity or ability in writing music whatsoever. No trying to make myself sound better than I am, but I know SOOOO many cover songs and tunes that whenever I try to make up something new, I accidentally play a lick from a song I know, and end up practicing/playing it for at least 2 hours, because I just love doing that.

I don't really have any technique problems, I've put forth the practice with all techniques to where I have them all pretty much mastered. I love practicing technique because it is progress I can see and is physical progress. I hate trying to write new music, learn how to improvise, try to write songs, or anything else like that because I can't see physical progress.

Good thing I don't plan on taking guitar past a hobby level, I think I will just stick to shred covers.



Well if your happy with where your playing is and your reaching your goals thats most excellent. Don't sell yourself short on creativity though, i know sometimes i think that i can't write either and then inspiration will come from nowhere and a song is born. I would completely understand if you didnt want to pursue any kind of writing, but if you ever do want take it to the next level please by all means ask any of us to help you get there.


Daniel

QUOTE (Stevie·Ray·Vaughn @ May 8 2008, 05:12 PM) *
Well Im becoming more and more happy with my writing abilities every day smile.gif
However, my alternate picking and sweeping are horendous sad.gif
Working on it though wink.gif



Excellent to hear Stevie,

As far as AP and sweeping, just keep working on it. If you have anything specific you need help with ask myself or any of the other instructors for advice. Keep rockin!

Daniel

QUOTE (Sam Hook @ May 8 2008, 05:26 PM) *
Downstroke picking is my main weakness at the moment. Anyone know any exercises to improve it?

Thanks. wink.gif



Downstroke picking is one of those skills that just comes with repitition because the execution of the technique is very simple but the endurance and speed is more a strengthening issue rather then memorizing a scale or picking pattern.

My suggestion to someone earlier was to develop an exercise for yourself it could be as simple as just downstroke picking 2 chords 4 downstrokes then switch...4 downstrokes then switch.

The goal here though is to speed up and increase endurance, play with a metronome and set the BPM near to your max down picking speed, now play this simple pattern for say 1 minute and 30 seconds. Now every day increase the BPM by 1 or 2 and increase the duration of your excersise by 20 seconds, what your doing here is slowly increasing your speed while also increasing your muscle endurance to do it. Make sure you warm up properly before doing an excersise like this and make sure to stretch afterwards. You want to keep you muscles limber and not stiffen up on you. Every few days take a day off to let your muscles recover then just continue the process till you reach the speed and endurance you need to play what your trying to play.


Daniel

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Posts in this topic
- Daniel Robinson   What Are Your Weaknesses   May 5 2008, 07:48 AM
- - kyldeee   I also have some problems with legato, and also sw...   May 5 2008, 08:28 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (kyldeee @ May 5 2008, 03:28 AM) I ...   May 5 2008, 08:31 AM
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- - kyldeee   QUOTE (Daniel Robinson @ May 5 2008, 08:3...   May 5 2008, 08:37 AM
- - Daniel Robinson   Maybe this advice can help you, without knowing ex...   May 5 2008, 09:07 AM
- - kyldeee   QUOTE (Daniel Robinson @ May 5 2008, 09:0...   May 5 2008, 09:10 AM
- - superize   I feel that my waekness lies in my legato and espa...   May 5 2008, 10:16 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (superize @ May 5 2008, 05:16 AM) I...   May 6 2008, 01:47 PM
|- - superize   QUOTE (Daniel Robinson @ May 6 2008, 02:4...   May 6 2008, 02:55 PM
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- - Ivan Milenkovic   I have many weaknesses, and the things I should wo...   May 5 2008, 10:19 AM
|- - Andrew Cockburn   Great topic! Alternate Picking technique for ...   May 5 2008, 12:53 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Ivan Milenkovic @ May 5 2008, 05:1...   May 6 2008, 02:41 PM
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- - iainsteward   This is a great topic, thanks Daniel!! I ...   May 5 2008, 01:00 PM
- - Trond Vold   One of my many weaknesses is that i'm complete...   May 5 2008, 01:17 PM
|- - Hammerin Hank   QUOTE (Trond Vold @ May 5 2008, 08:17 AM)...   May 19 2008, 08:45 PM
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- - chast   My weakness is playing guitar But my main problem...   May 5 2008, 01:22 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (chast @ May 5 2008, 08:22 AM) My w...   May 6 2008, 03:24 PM
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- - TreyDeschamp   Great Topic! I think my weakness is trying to...   May 5 2008, 01:25 PM
- - PlayAllDay   Oh dear - I don't have any weaknessess at all....   May 5 2008, 03:50 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (PlayAllDay @ May 5 2008, 10:50 AM)...   May 6 2008, 04:48 PM
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- - rokchik   Fantastic topic Daniel As for my weaknesses well...   May 5 2008, 04:17 PM
|- - Andrew Cockburn   QUOTE (rokchik @ May 5 2008, 11:17 AM) Fa...   May 5 2008, 06:27 PM
|- - rokchik   QUOTE (Andrew Cockburn @ May 5 2008, 02:2...   May 5 2008, 09:26 PM
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- - ZakkWylde   I have extreme rythm problems because I can't ...   May 5 2008, 04:27 PM
- - USAMAN   Endurance in downward picking...If I try to play m...   May 5 2008, 04:32 PM
- - Canis   I have a lot of weaknesses... But if I were to pic...   May 5 2008, 04:39 PM
- - audiopaal   I think I'm pretty average in most things, and...   May 5 2008, 04:59 PM
- - Siggum   Got many weaknesess, for example fast alternate pi...   May 5 2008, 05:18 PM
|- - Muris Varajic   Probably note choice...million dollars question I ...   May 6 2008, 03:29 PM
||- - OrganisedConfusion   QUOTE (Muris Varajic @ May 6 2008, 03:29 ...   May 6 2008, 03:31 PM
||- - Pizzoaro   I have a lot "unfinished" practice L...   Jun 29 2008, 11:44 PM
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|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Siggum @ May 5 2008, 12:18 PM) Got...   May 6 2008, 05:10 PM
|- - kjutte   My weakness is not having enough time to practise ...   Jun 29 2008, 08:33 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (kjutte @ Jun 29 2008, 03:33 PM) My...   Jul 6 2008, 01:45 PM
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- - Zizi Top   i think i have a lot of weakness when i go to vaca...   May 5 2008, 06:39 PM
- - DeepRoots   Hmm..weaknesses... I'd say my sweeping has go...   May 5 2008, 09:31 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (DeepRoots @ May 5 2008, 04:31 PM) ...   May 7 2008, 05:43 PM
|- - DeepRoots   Daniel, i'm seeing some of the best one-on-one...   May 7 2008, 05:43 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (DeepRoots @ May 7 2008, 12:43 PM) ...   May 9 2008, 12:52 AM
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- - Nick325   i would say my sweeping, 5 string more than 3 stri...   May 5 2008, 09:37 PM
- - Gus   Sweep picking, definitely... I gave it more than ...   May 6 2008, 01:50 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Gus @ May 5 2008, 08:50 PM) Sweep ...   May 7 2008, 06:14 PM
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- - Outlaw2112   Playing in front of people... I can play stuff per...   May 6 2008, 01:53 AM
- - The Uncreator   8 finger tapping, I have never progressed so slowl...   May 6 2008, 02:06 AM
|- - audiopaal   QUOTE (The Uncreator @ May 6 2008, 03:06 ...   May 6 2008, 07:41 AM
|- - DeepRoots   QUOTE (audiopaal @ May 6 2008, 07:41 AM) ...   May 6 2008, 07:46 AM
|- - audiopaal   QUOTE (DeepRoots @ May 6 2008, 08:46 AM) ...   May 6 2008, 08:08 AM
|- - DeepRoots   QUOTE (audiopaal @ May 6 2008, 08:08 AM) ...   May 6 2008, 08:22 AM
|- - Gus   QUOTE (audiopaal @ May 6 2008, 09:08 AM) ...   May 6 2008, 10:52 PM
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- - fatb0t   SWEEPING and legato are my weaknesses.... ---- For...   May 6 2008, 02:37 AM
- - Nemanja Filipovic   Great topic Daniel.My weakness is that I don't...   May 6 2008, 01:53 PM
- - OrganisedConfusion   I'm just superb all across the board My weak...   May 6 2008, 02:57 PM
- - Canis   Wow, thanks a lot Daniel   May 6 2008, 04:49 PM
- - rokchik   Thank you very much Daniel for your response Ama...   May 6 2008, 08:41 PM
- - ActiveX   Strumming; nice simple strumming on the acoustic.....   May 6 2008, 09:00 PM
- - Nobody   Well my main weakness is playing an other guitaris...   May 6 2008, 09:14 PM
- - PlayAllDay   Thanks very much for all the points you metion in ...   May 7 2008, 12:57 AM
- - Nobody   PAD, actually there are some very good lessons on ...   May 7 2008, 03:02 PM
|- - PlayAllDay   QUOTE (Nobody @ May 7 2008, 11:02 PM) PAD...   May 7 2008, 03:54 PM
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- - Alex87   my weakness on the guitar is picking. some days ar...   May 7 2008, 03:06 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Alex87 @ May 7 2008, 10:06 AM) my ...   May 7 2008, 06:20 PM
|- - Alex87   QUOTE (Daniel Robinson @ May 7 2008, 07:2...   May 18 2008, 05:33 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Alex87 @ May 18 2008, 12:33 PM) Hi...   May 20 2008, 09:29 AM
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- - Siggum   Thanks alot for your answer Daniel, that was some ...   May 7 2008, 06:15 PM
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- - besip   My weakness is playing over metronom actualy i...   May 7 2008, 06:56 PM
- - Andrew Cockburn   This is a great thread, and at Rokchik's sugge...   May 7 2008, 11:17 PM
- - Nick325   thanks for the advice daniel   May 7 2008, 11:25 PM
- - shellshock1911   Total lack of creativity or ability in writing mus...   May 8 2008, 10:11 PM
- - Stevie·Ray·Vaughn   Well Im becoming more and more happy with my writi...   May 8 2008, 10:12 PM
|- - shellshock1911   QUOTE (Stevie·Ray·Vaughn @ May 8 2008, 10...   May 8 2008, 10:19 PM
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- - Sam Hook   Downstroke picking is my main weakness at the mome...   May 8 2008, 10:26 PM
- - Eat-Sleep-andJam   Weaknesses. Well Ive always had a good vibrato, ...   May 9 2008, 01:04 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Eat-Sleep-andJam @ May 8 200...   May 9 2008, 02:29 AM
|- - Eat-Sleep-andJam   QUOTE (Daniel Robinson @ May 8 2008, 05:2...   May 9 2008, 02:48 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Eat-Sleep-andJam @ May 8 200...   May 10 2008, 08:43 AM
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- - audiopaal   Thanks a lot for the reply Daniel, and for doing t...   May 9 2008, 01:05 AM
- - FrankW   My main weakness is that I am lazy as hell.   May 13 2008, 12:45 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (FrankW @ May 12 2008, 07:45 PM) My...   May 14 2008, 12:55 PM
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- - besip   and couple more mine Weaknesses i'm all ready ...   May 13 2008, 06:24 AM
- - mattacuk   My distinct lack of Chordal knowledge! Some...   May 13 2008, 06:05 PM
- - at lights end   i can't play long AP runs. my hands seem to go...   May 18 2008, 05:39 PM
- - Outlaw2112   women....   May 18 2008, 05:44 PM
- - jacmoe   Excellent topic, Daniel! My weakness is tha...   Jun 13 2008, 09:12 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (jacmoe @ Jun 13 2008, 04:12 PM) Ex...   Jun 26 2008, 07:32 AM
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- - TreyDeschamp   I cant seem to make things up. of course i dont kn...   Jun 13 2008, 09:24 PM
- - Matt23   My main weakness is my pinky speed. It's stopp...   Jun 13 2008, 09:51 PM
- - Eat-Sleep-andJam   Another one of mine, Sticking to learning somethin...   Jun 13 2008, 09:55 PM
- - Gitarrero   My weakness is speed when playing solos. I`ve ...   Jun 27 2008, 09:16 AM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (Gitarrero @ Jun 27 2008, 04:16 AM)...   Jun 29 2008, 07:23 PM
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- - Mark.   My weakness is probably my picking hand dexterty, ...   Jun 29 2008, 09:26 PM
- - besip   NO.1 Theory!!!!!!! ...   Jun 29 2008, 11:13 PM
- - vintageplaya666   I have a few weeknesses. My little finger needs m...   Jun 29 2008, 11:38 PM
|- - Daniel Robinson   QUOTE (vintageplaya666 @ Jun 29 2008, 06...   Jul 6 2008, 02:39 PM
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- - SonofDestiny   My weakness is definately speed. Alternate picking...   Jun 30 2008, 09:11 AM
- - Lithuanian   Motivation... Sadly...   Jul 2 2008, 07:25 PM
- - Jesse   ... my hand synch definately:D My left hand is jus...   Jul 6 2008, 01:49 PM
- - Canis   My number one weakness now, is that I'm on hol...   Jul 6 2008, 01:53 PM
- - Rated Htr   Well, I have areas where I have less trainning, bu...   Jul 8 2008, 06:56 AM
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