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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Guitar Jam Vs Practice Timing

Posted by: digitalminotaur Apr 3 2011, 05:59 PM

Hi,

I have really good time in both practice and Jam with strumming. And, when I practice playing along with guitar pro, or with a metronome single note licks it is all in time. However, if I play single note licks while jamming with friends, I also seem unable to reproduce the same speed and/or keep in time. How do I fix this problem? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Apr 3 2011, 07:47 PM

hey man

I think you should first try and understand how to incorporate the licks into a musical context (in respect to the rhythm and the harmony) you shall build confidence and above all understand what you are playing and make it fit in.

It is useless to reproduce licks if you do not manage to find a place for them in a musical idea and make them sound fluid and natural.

My advice would be - start playing simple ones, first learn how they are built and then execute them correctly and start interpreting them.

After that, see what notes are used in those licks - over what chords can you play them?

This is a good start in my opinion - and don't forget: try to make those licks sound as original as possible - nothing is pinpointed anywhere that's the awesome thing with music - it can shapeshift in any way you desire

best of luck mate!

Cosmin

Posted by: digitalminotaur Apr 4 2011, 12:58 AM

Thanks. Thats pretty much what I have started to do. For instance, I have my friends play the 12 bar blues in power chord form over G, C, and D. Then I try to solo on top of it. Problem is when I practice the licks they are at the right tempo, but when I jam with my friends, the timing slips really bad.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Apr 4 2011, 08:46 AM

This may seem like an obvious question, but are you sitting down when you practice, and then standing up when you play with friends? If so, this could be part of the issue. The angle of play when you sit is often different than when standing. Typically, I've seen new players hunch over the guitar a bit when sitting to practice, then gun sling it around their knees when jamming with friends. This changes everything. The angle of the wrist, the distance, everything.

Ideally, your sitting and standing positions should keep your guitar in roughly the same place. So sit down, find a comfy spot and then simply hold the guitar to preven it from changing angle, or distance from your body and stand up. Wherever the guitar hits you is probably close to where your strap should be set.

Hope this helps.

Todd

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 4 2011, 04:56 PM

Try to tap your foot while playing with friends. This will help. This creates natural metronome, and you will always know where you are within a bar.

Also, make sure you friends keep a steady rhythm, or else you will be in trouble

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Apr 4 2011, 10:28 PM

Aside from everything that has already been said, remember to also just have fun with the guitar, man. Give it time and it'll all come to you like nothing.

Posted by: digitalminotaur Apr 10 2011, 02:06 AM

Thanks for all the responses. Seems all of the above were part of the problem. Things are much better now.