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Posted by: sigma7 Apr 6 2009, 08:52 PM

Hey GMC! I want to ask around, even inbstuctors, on what exactly I should take out of lessons. How do you know exactly when a lesson is fully learned?

For example, use the same chord pattern u took from the lesson for ur own song etc.

Could be dumb but i feel like im missing something because when Im done with a lesson, I try to replicate it somewhat in a different way and it sounds stupid

Posted by: JVM Apr 6 2009, 09:08 PM

Main goal I think is to understand the theory behind it, and implement some of the base ideas, for example, to study not just the runs etc and what scale they are in, but why they sound good, the interval relationships, maybe a lick you haven't seen before, or if it's a chord progression, maybe try moving the key around but keep the pattern consistent

Posted by: Muris Varajic Apr 6 2009, 09:40 PM

Well I think lesson is fully learned when you can play it at full tempo
without much effort and with all flavors such as vibrato, dynamic, expression etc.

But the whole idea of lessons and everything you play in general
is to spread your views with more licks, theory knowledge etc.

Now, you can take same progression for your song
but progression is usually nothing without nice melody line,
except if it some very authentic and remarkable progression, easy to remember.

And if your own take on same progression sounds "stupid" ( quoting you )
then you obviously need to learn more, gain more experience,
expand your improvisation abilities and there is no better way to get there
but to learn new licks every day and use them in your own playing.

Btw, how long you've been playing so far?

Posted by: sigma7 Apr 6 2009, 10:53 PM

seriously, i started playing for about 1,5 years minus 3 months leave for carpal tunnel and tendinitis and now another 3-6 months leave for tendinitis but i have been studying theory like crazy and know as much as a guitar teacher I no proud of it

also, ive been devoting long hours to guitar haha but mainly noodling,

i can play the entire lesson without messing up but i dont really add the flavors as much as I should because i get nervous when recording haha

for the entire time, ive been only taught by GMC and books, everything else is picked up by ear or self experience

Posted by: Muris Varajic Apr 6 2009, 10:58 PM

Sorry to hear about problems tho,
1,5 years is early beginning imo, no need to be scared,
work hard and you'll get some very nice results quite soon.

Posted by: Ramiro Delforte Apr 6 2009, 11:39 PM

I always thing for my lessons to be analitical in a way the student can re-create the same thing but in his/her own way.
If I'm doing a lesson about Additive Composition I try to transmit the way I've done that in order that the viewer could make a composition in that style.
If I'm making a lesson about some improvisational concept I try to give the systematic practice to incorporate that concept in order to then improvize.

So the best way to learn a lesson I think it would be if later the student make a solo over the backing track of the lesson or if he makes a new composition that takes the same principles of the lesson I've made.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 7 2009, 12:08 AM

Since your fingers are sensitive it may be a good idea to take it easy and step by step. Doing lessons 100% is good, but you should probably do with the lessons whatever you feel like it. If you are struggling to play lesson @ 100% tempo, then put that lesson aside, and continue further. Later on you can possibly come back to that lesson and play it with ease.

Just want to recommend that you do regular warm up sessions before you take a metronome to practice. If you don't do regular warmups at least try to play something slow in the first 30 minutes of your workouts to get your muscles moving properly before continuing to more faster/advanced stuff.

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Apr 7 2009, 06:45 AM

Besides learning lesson exactly as it is, you can basically look deeper into it and analyze harmony melody and rhythm.

I recommend you create a challenge for yourself and for every lesson that you learn try to recreate a lesson of your own in that similar style. That should show you how good or bad you got somebody's lesson or style down !