Approaching A Lesson Options

[carminemarotta]

Hi
I need an help on how to approach the lessons. For example. I am studying an old lesson, D Gilmour style by David Walliman. He uses the B minor pentatonic scale in three different positions. Before all should I look at the scales carefully and start playing only after I mastered them? Or should I check the techniques involved (in this case bends?). Of course it will depend on what I want to achieve with the lesson, in my case is to learn Gilmour style in order to play his solos: how would you proceed?

Thanks in advance
Carmine

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[Marek Rojewski]

It is always good idea to know in what positions the lick "is". I learned many GMC lessons without checking scale positions, and because of that it is hard to use those licks over other backingtracks etc. So better take some time to analyze learned licks;)

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

You can use any method that you prefer actually. Learning patterns in parallel with the actual lesson is slower and harder way to go, but it will pay off in the long run, because you will use the pattern later on. However, don't forget to enjoy the lesson. If you feel that scales are too much for you at this moment - skip them! You will have plenty time later on for them.

My advise is to learn the lesson slowly, and try to learn at least one position. This will make things easier later.

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[Bogdan Radovic]

Hi
I need an help on how to approach the lessons. For example. I am studying an old lesson, D Gilmour style by David Walliman. He uses the B minor pentatonic scale in three different positions. Before all should I look at the scales carefully and start playing only after I mastered them? Or should I check the techniques involved (in this case bends?). Of course it will depend on what I want to achieve with the lesson, in my case is to learn Gilmour style in order to play his solos: how would you proceed?

Thanks in advance
Carmine

Hi there,

this is a great question!
You should do everything you mentioned.
This is how I would recommend approaching any lesson.
Check out the material first. See which scales are used. Try to learn the boxes (theory) behind them.
Then see if lesson has any special techniques you are having problems with (bending, vibrato). If so, try practicing only those techniques with some of exercise lessons on GMC.
At the same time, you should have already started learning the lesson note for note.
Try to analyze which scale boxes did you use, which intervals/chord tones did you use in the licks you liked (in relation to backing track).
To get even more results - once you master the lesson, you should try to improvise your OWN version of the solo against the same backing track. Feel free to re-use the licks from the original lesson that you liked playing.
The idea of each of these solo lessons on GMC is to teach you how you can improvise your OWN solo in the same style.

The more you start thinking about the scales you used, the more licks you learn - you'll feel much more comfortable improvising in different styles.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Hi there,

this is a great question!
You should do everything you mentioned.
This is how I would recommend approaching any lesson.
Check out the material first. See which scales are used. Try to learn the boxes (theory) behind them.
Then see if lesson has any special techniques you are having problems with (bending, vibrato). If so, try practicing only those techniques with some of exercise lessons on GMC.
At the same time, you should have already started learning the lesson note for note.
Try to analyze which scale boxes did you use, which intervals/chord tones did you use in the licks you liked (in relation to backing track).
To get even more results - once you master the lesson, you should try to improvise your OWN version of the solo against the same backing track. Feel free to re-use the licks from the original lesson that you liked playing.
The idea of each of these solo lessons on GMC is to teach you how you can improvise your OWN solo in the same style.

The more you start thinking about the scales you used, the more licks you learn - you'll feel much more comfortable improvising in different styles.

Very well written Bogdan i might add that trying to listen to the intervals and the sound of a particular scale, will eventually take you to that point where you will be able to 'hear' the music in your head that's where you want to go I think

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[carminemarotta]

Hi there,

this is a great question!
You should do everything you mentioned.
This is how I would recommend approaching any lesson.
Check out the material first. See which scales are used. Try to learn the boxes (theory) behind them.
Then see if lesson has any special techniques you are having problems with (bending, vibrato). If so, try practicing only those techniques with some of exercise lessons on GMC.
At the same time, you should have already started learning the lesson note for note.
Try to analyze which scale boxes did you use, which intervals/chord tones did you use in the licks you liked (in relation to backing track).
To get even more results - once you master the lesson, you should try to improvise your OWN version of the solo against the same backing track. Feel free to re-use the licks from the original lesson that you liked playing.
The idea of each of these solo lessons on GMC is to teach you how you can improvise your OWN solo in the same style.

The more you start thinking about the scales you used, the more licks you learn - you'll feel much more comfortable improvising in different styles.

Thanks Bogdan and thanks to all of you who replied.
You mentioned about improvisation, and this is my problem. I just play for hobby and what i would like is to play some of my favourite tune but I came to realize, in order to play you need to improvse anyway!

Following your detailed recommendations I would suggest to add all this things in the video lessons. I know most of the time there is an explanation but a bigger one following what you mentioned should be better.

Regards
carmine

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[Ben Higgins]

This is all great advice from everybody I would just like to present the other side of the coin as well..

The thing that inspired me and got me hooked onto guitar was playing it.. and playing parts of songs or solos by my favourite artists. Sometimes I think you've just got to experience the melodies coming through you.. and then make sense of it afterwards.

There's nothing wrong with either approach.. but I would recommend for easier and more basic stuff to just play it, enjoy playing it and then learn why it works. For really difficult stuff, maybe some planning ahead might help but you've still got to physically play it.. I think overloading yourself with theory is too daunting when you start. I would bet money that most of us learnt to play by the sound of what we heard, and then learnt what works and what doesn't by trial and error.. and then later understood the theory behind it.. but not until we'd already experimented and found what we thought worked and didn't.

When you're travelling on the path, sometimes it's useful to look at the map to know where you are.. but remember you can only make physical progress when you take a step.

At least that's the way I did it and it definitely didn't harm my progress ! Or any of you

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This post has been edited by Ben Higgins: May 27 2011, 09:35 AM

[Cosmin Lupu]

This is all great advice from everybody I would just like to present the other side of the coin as well..

The thing that inspired me and got me hooked onto guitar was playing it.. and playing parts of songs or solos by my favourite artists. Sometimes I think you've just got to experience the melodies coming through you.. and then make sense of it afterwards.

There's nothing wrong with either approach.. but I would recommend for easier and more basic stuff to just play it, enjoy playing it and then learn why it works. For really difficult stuff, maybe some planning ahead might help but you've still got to physically play it.. I think overloading yourself with theory is too daunting when you start. I would bet money that most of us learnt to play by the sound of what we heard, and then learnt what works and what doesn't by trial and error.. and then later understood the theory behind it.. but not until we'd already experimented and found what we thought worked and didn't.

When you're travelling on the path, sometimes it's useful to look at the map to know where you are.. but remember you can only make physical progress when you take a step.

At least that's the way I did it and it definitely didn't harm my progress ! Or any of you

I definitely agree
I like to play stuff by ear a lot and experiment, explore, until everything fits into place.

When I was little I always thought that there's a secret exercise or procedure that will instantaneously boost my playing to cosmic levels )) well, guess what... I was very right )) it's called PRACTICE and putting your mind and heart into it

But motivation came from the musical result, not from being able to play fast or complicated. I always seemed to be happier when I managed to come up with a beautiful melody or phrase, regardless of its simplicity.

A good approach in my opinion would be to assimilate the phrase you are learning, by actually singing along with it once it's in your system, you'll know what's next in a natural way and you'll associate positions with sounds. Then comes the theory behind everything, because it's important to know what and why you're playing what you are playing

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

All awesome tips guys!

great discussion is made here!


I came to the conclusion based on all your readings that all the things are equally important when learning a lesson. However, getting in-depth with scales in early stages can quickly confuse and demotivate. This doesn't mean it shouldn't be addressed, in fact, the sooner and more you learn the scales - the better. It's just a matter of finding a correct balance, in order not to get bored with any component of the lesson.

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[Ben Higgins]

It's just a matter of finding a correct balance, in order not to get bored with any component of the lesson.

Definitely ! Balance - the thing we're all looking for and the hardest thing to maintain !

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