QUOTE (Rain @ Jun 5 2008, 07:48 PM)
Muris,
I just recently picked up guitar (and am a new member here) this past January and I have found myself playing the same sounds over and over again. I feel as if I'm locked into a few decent licks and can't really move beyond them.
What do you think I should practice to expand sound variation?
With the little research that I hvae successfully done, apparently learning the scales is a good thing to do - but doesn't that simply cause you to play the same licks (in this case being scales) over and over?
PS: Please note that one of the reasons I'm having this problem is because my amp only changes "clean" to "unclean" and can change only the Bass and Treble. I have an SP.10 amp and a Fender Starcaster. So, I am aware that once my gear has more buttons and knobs, I will have a better sound variation - even with the same licks.
I hope Muris is okay with me "shouting" out my opinion on things.
1) Scales will only limit you to play the exact scale unless you're very familiar with it and know your theory.
2) Okay, this is what helps me to develop new ideas and do melodic passages etc. This is how I do it and if Muris has another input it would help my playing as well so I'm really looking forward to it.
Learn your scales. When you learn a lick you really like, find out how it's played. Not the name of the notes, but the intervals relative to the root. Like, the fifth, sixth bend up to the seven and then pick octave of the root then a passage down to the seventh below the root and bend up to the root. Now, here's a lick you can use in every diatonic scale you know. Then do so, play it in every possible diatonic scale you know. Play it backwards, sidewards, inside out. Play it clean, distorted. Alternated, tapped, sweeped (if possible). Play it fast, play it slow. If it's done in C major, play the exact same notes but in it's related minor key. See the relation between the notes and the new root, play that in every scale you know. Take the lick and play it (if normally in C major) in G major, but with the exact same notes, maybe change the notes that differ from the old scale.
Sing a melody, pick out the notes by ear, play it on your guitar. Play it in as many positions and octaves as possible, in as many keys as possible. You can follow the proceedure which I described above.
This proceedure takes very very long time in the beginning, but it takes less and less time the more times you do it. + instead of learning one lick, you will learn like twenty licks and not exactly copy the other guitarist. We don't want a new Muris, because we already has one, and he's really good. We want you Rain, we want to listen to your licks, not hear you play Muris licks.
Hope I didn't offend you by posting an answer to a question that was for you, Muris.
// Ox
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