Instructor Posts: 8.109
Joined: 13-September 08
From: Nis, Serbia
Denis,
Feel free to tell me as many things as possible about your playing and knowledge. Audio and/or video of your playing could also help. I am looking for specific goals (short and long term) so that I could create proper plan for you
Learning Roadie Posts: 157
Joined: 27-May 09
From: Zagreb
Hello Pedja,
Sorry for getting back to you so late!
My name is Denis and I'am a 25 years old guitar player living in Zagreb (born in Tuzla ). I played guitar for 1,5 years during high school and stopped after getting into college.(Very, very stupid mistake!) After a 4 years break I decided to pick it up again and been playing since then for 2,5 years but taking it much more serious. During high school I played mostly some chords, classical picking pieces...nothing too technically demanding. Now I'm working and try to find time as much as possible for guitar besides my other obligations.
Technique:
I mostly use alternate picking. Never really pushed legato, and somehow I can't stick to the same routine more than 3 weeks for the sweeping excercises. I really enjoy playing more complex stuff but if it has a melody or is a complete piece. Here are some things I keep practicing:
I have been practicing this picking part for more than a year now and it gets a little bit frustrating ...130bpm is the speed which at which I can normaly nail it. Mostly on weekends I sit down and practice it for more than an hour and I can push it up to 138 bpm. But I feel like I'm spending to much time on it and not learning new stuff. It's knda like a opsession.
There are also som pieces like Bandinerie which i keep practicing but don't have vid of them.
Theory I know the theory behind the modes and chord construction. But I haven't really used it a lot.
I managed to break out of the BOX thinking it in my last MTP with Emir where I learned the CAGED system. But I feel the thing I missed is really hitting the right notes in these shapes to get a for ex. Dorian, mixolidian etc. sound. So I know know the sahpes but I'm not shure how to emphasise the mode.
I understand how chords are built, and harmonised with the 7th degree but lack of of knowledge which chords to use to get a particular Mode. I think this gives me aproblem when I write a piece that I just use a few chors and get a very limited melody - that's how i explain it
I am a lot into traditional balkan music, sevdah, macedonian traditional and wolud like to head also in that direction regarding theory and playing.
Routine Could need some advice about that. I mostly try to play and improve some lessons, some classical melodies I learned. Not much focusing on doing some real technical stuff like 1-2-3-4 because it gets boring after a couple of days. Now i feel I'm stuck in a rut beacause i keep practicing the same old things not learning something new beacause of fear not to forget what I've learned and also beacuse I think that the new things will take me to much time and that I'm nowhere in the end- STUPID I KNOW!!
Weak points/ what I'd like to improve
-much better knowledge of how to use modes and really get the max out of them -shifting beteween tonalities -sweeping - speed while alternate picking (I gues it comes with time)
What I like to play and listen to
- I really like to play classical/ neoclassical melodies arranged for electric guitar.
-I used to listen a lot to metal (Pantera, The Haunted, Machine etc.) but the years have finally got to me and I really enjoy sevdah alot So I would like to know some theory behind it also - the changes from minor to major and scales (I mostly use the ''harmonic'' scales). I try to incorporate it into my band where we play some metal with 'narodni' vocals
That would be it...it's kinda hard to analyze oneself so please ask if you have some more questions....that woud be much easier
*One more thing, I am tuned one whole note lower to D because we use that tuning in the band. I hope that's no problem ...I don't like retuning it to E because I have a floating bridge and it's a pain retuning it.*
GMC Forum > Discussion Boards > VINTAGE GMC > Community Activities and Tutorials > Ask an Instructor > More instructors > Pedja Simovic > MTP (Pedja)
