Maharzan - Mentored By Muris, UNUSED Options

[maharzan]

Hey Muris,

So, after a long wait, finally I have been able to be guided by you although you have been so helpful all these days. Thank you.

I will try to brief a few things about me and my playing here.


BACKGROUND

My name is Chandra Maharzan and am from Nepal as you may have already known by now. I am 31 years old (wow growing old now). I learnt the basic chords when I was 15 years through friends and since then just practicing on my own. I never owned a guitar until I was like 26. Gears are pretty expensive and I had to wait until I earned for myself. Yet I didn't have an amp so I had to wait for another 2 years. So, virtually, I was able to play on a gear for the last 3 years or so ON and OFF.

Playing guitar has mostly become a hobby and I haven't been able to practice every day not until I joined GMC anyway. Work / Priorities always set playing guitars aside. I do have an ON/OFF band (NISSIM - http://nissim.com.np), mainly a vocalist and we have been together since school days. We also have an album on our heads (mostly my composition) which was released free online. I did all the arrangements as well and mixing/vocals/bass was done in the studio. I have another 8-9 songs ready to be recorded. These are songs not instrumentals though.

I had bought a few videos by Kris at GMC few years back and I think GMC didn't exist. I never got time to go back to those videos though, only watched a few times and then that was it. I later somehow found about GMC (probably Google Search) and then I looked over few videos, especially yours and was determined to start doing 'something' with my guitar skills and thus instantly became a member. What was in my mind was to improve playing at speed so I can run some fast riffs on my compositions at times. I have given myself a year and then to at least come up with one good single instrumental track with some or all techniques like tapping, sweep, fast riffs, melody, etc. I know I am not being realistic though.


INFLUENCES

I like most compositions by Joe Satriani. Absolutely love this guy. I have tried to listed to Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson but I never listened to them twice mainly because either they are too fast or too technical. I do like For the Love of God by Vai though (to be frank I don't listen to music much, didn't have access to it as a child) But somehow have been managed to follow Joe Satriani a lot. Lately, I am trying to catch up with Andy Timmons after I found this name at a thread in GMC. Sounds pretty cool. I am not much into classic rock or blues. I do like ROCK mainly, some hard rock, alternative and grunge (not very heavy ones though).


CURRENT STATUS

Since I have joined GMC, I have noticed I have improved quite a bit. Mainly on vibrato and alternate picking. I have been practicing or done few RECs which mainly involves alternate picking. Interesting thing is when I was learning guitar (until 18 - for 3 damn years) I didn't know anything about alternate picking, isn't that funny? I always used to use down stroke and always found it hard to get some fast leads. I feel so stupid.

You might have already seen my RECs, those mainly define where I am right now. Since past 2 months or so I have been practicing your Mixolydian Soloing (Intermediate level) and Pinky Excercise by Piotr Kaczor but still finding it hard to get to the tempo.

Main problem: Sync. I have been getting there.

With the pinky excercise, my pinky used to hurt a lot but now it has overcome that (only hurts a little) and I think I can do a REC on that pretty soon.

While doing my REC, I have noticed myself that the fast riffs are out of timing. So since past few days I have also been practicing your Timing Excercise lesson. And as expected that last part is pretty fast.


PROBLEMS
Hand Sync at speed - AP
Vibrato (I think I resolved that about 90%)
Definitely Stamina, even though if I get it in sync for few bars, if the fast riff is pretty long, I am gone. My fingers just cannot hold the pick at the same position.


WHAT I NEED TO IMPROVE ON

All I know is AP. I have practised a lot when I was doing few Satch licks and they mainly involved legato, so I guess I am good at it (although you probably haven't seen anything on that).

I definitely need to work on Timing. Never practised on a metronome so that probably reflects it.

(Almost) Never done Tapping, Sweep picking.

I think I will call my strength as composition, AP, Legato.


WHAT I NEED TO ACHIEVE

As I mentioned before too, I need to become a good player that can play great slow melodies and sometimes run some fast licks as well, overall a better composer. I do understand I need to practice all the techniques that is there on the guitar, not necessary style (should come by itself as we practice).

I do not want to touch tapping or sweeping at the moment. I want to master one thing. Playing in sync at speed using alternate picking confidently and definitely improve the timing too. I want to be confident at listening to a backing track and fill it with faster (longer than just a bar) licks while improvising as well. Enough of just thinking and playing slow 2s and 4s. Time for triplets, 16s and 32s!!!

Am I asking too much?


VIDEOS









Here are the collabs I have done:

Latest (D Mixolydian) : https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&id=17524
NeoClassical for beginners: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&id=17248

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This post has been edited by Muris Varajic: Oct 23 2009, 04:32 PM

[maharzan]

Nope. I am pretty much stuck at just basic chords for rhythms. I did read the dominant and augmented chords (constructing 3 notes chord) but have almost forgot it. I don't have a good ear and unless I hear some guitars or real bass, its very hard for me to find the chords. I can only try to find basic major/minor chords.

Yep, I am using the speakers on my macbook pro which is very trebly and the saxophone takes it all. I hear the keys on the intro but for the song, its just vocals so hard to find out chords.

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Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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