At the moment i feel like i really desperatly need to improve on something but i don't know what, which is the problem. I'm feeling like i totally suck at playing but i just can't figure out how to make myself better at the moment. Only recently as i've been playing with backing tracks and recording do i realise how much i suck and i really want to improve rather then just quit. My practice schedules at the moment usually look like this:
Warmup/excersises
Scales/improvisation
Metronome practice
Tapping
Learning/playing a song/solo
Chords
The time that i take for each of these varies depending on how long i'm going to practice for. So does anyone have any advise about how i can improve my playing or anything?
There's only one way...practice.
I think you are killing yourself too much with those schedules.
Just grab your guitar and try to play something you like,put a goal in front of you.
And after you reached that one,put another one...and on and on.
For quick start,try any of beginners lessons here at GMC.
Just play and you'll be fine!
Definatly dont quit dude
It would help to know how long you have been playing ect.Maybe you are overwhelming yourself,also ALL guitarist have these days were they just dont know what to play and they feel like they suck.You need to practice something thats really fun for you that way you will definatly improve in it.Maybe instead of the metronome you could get a drum machine to jam over.I find this much more fun and your still playing in time.I always practice this way as i wouldnt play with a click onstage or in a song i make up i would play with drums.
Also maybe cut back on the chords,warmup ect and just jam and play what sounds good to you more.You can get some drum patterns in the upload section,there are some i used under shredmantrack in the uploads area.Try and jam with that and see what you think.This is just my opinion and do what works best for you.
Hey guys thanks for the replies i greatly appreciate it. Ok so i should have been a bit more specific in my first post so sorry for that here goes. Alright i've been playing about a year now started getting lessons this time last year so i count that as starting to practice seriously. But i heard that for a lot of guitarists it only takes them a year to be really good but it's obviously taking me a lot longer. So do you recomend that i change my practice schedule? When i practice on my own i can plays certain things. Mostly it's my lead stuff that sucks. My chords aren't too bad, could be a bit quicker at chaning but they don't sound bad. Really when i try playing solos and stuff it sucks. Even the simple stuff, and the solos on here at GMC like the neoclassical 3 level beginner solo for example, when i play that on my own with no backing i can play it but as soon as i play it with a backing track it sounds aweful. So you think i should stop trying to play variety and try something different ie concentrating on 2 weak areas for now in my practice schedule until i'm good at that and then move on?There are so many lessons at GMC now that it's becomming overwhelming for me really to think that i have to learn all those, but i guess if i got better i would be able to play them quicker. Not sure which lessons to go to, i did all the beginner lessons ages ago and done a couple of tapping lessons, think that's about it. Oh and some of the solo ones.
Muris - Yeah sometimes i just randomly jam and stuff but i feel like i don't make any progress at all. But that goal idea isn't bad i'll give it a go
Shredman - thanks i deffinatly don't want to quit. I generally try to jam along to backing tracks now, TRY to. I don't have a drum machine but a metronome is fine for me as there are different beats you can get on metronomes and you can mix some. Perhaps i will consider doing something different in practices.
RobM - Yeah i'll see if i can mix up my practices a bit then. And yeah i see what you're saying saying you suck will probably get you down more than someone else saying you suck.
Ressurection - thans for reply i've named some things above ^^
Ohhh,when I had only one year of guitar experience,I was a HUUGEEE sucker,believe me!!
You can't imagine how bad it was,really...
But I didn't give up,I practiced a lot and always looking forward,never back.
So,again,grab your axe and GO!!
Hi Steve,
If someone asked you to play a fingerstyle peice could you?
If you had the progression Emin9-A7-Eb7-Dmaj7#11 could you solo over it coherently?
Do you know different types of inversions? 9th chords, 11th chords, 13th chords?
Arpeggios and Scale/modes in ALL keys?
I dont mean to sound blunt but hopefully that may spark something to work on
Eventually if you want to persue a semi-pro or pro career in music you will need to roll with whats thrown so versatilty is a must, IMHO.
Without it sounding too corny, a good quote is that of Larry Carlton- ' Practice what you must, play what you love'. It has alot of truth to it.
-Ben
Well said Tony.
Still,I believe it's more important for Steve to feel real passion for guitar and music in general.
And pushing him into 13th and add chords is too much for him at this point.
Let him jam,practice and enjoy in music he likes.
And if he feels power to explore deeper,that's more than great!
I hadnt read that Steve had only been practicing for a year, so the topics i had talked about are too advanced (unless he wants to learn that ).
However the orignial sentiment i still stand by, the earlier you get into these things the better if you want any sort of music career at all as Tony says.
Its a hard hard road, but your on the right route with a schedule IMHO, based on my early experiences of not making much progress without one.
-Ben
Thanks guys. Yeah i couldn't do those things you said. I can't even play in the pentatonic minor scale at the moment. I'm learning but it's very slow at the moment and i can't play fluently at all. Yeah as i said i've only been playing a year, so this is what i can do:
Major chords A, B, C, C#, D, E (F is a problem for me at the moment)
Minor chords A, B, C, D, E, F#
Just about any barre chord
Power chords (easiest)
As for lead stuff i can alternate pick quite well now
can easily do the basics of tapping, need to do more of kris' lessons on this to improve
learning the pentatonic scale so i guess as for lead not really much
At the moment i'm trying to practice muting with my round hand as i play leads to keep it clean but that's taking quite a while as well. I guess i'm just not used to it. Hammer ons and pull offs are perfectly fine and so are slides. I need to work on my bends and vibratos though as i haven't quite got the pitch right every time. So i do want to get there and be a great player and everything and want to practice correctly but at the moment not sure how. It seems i have a need to change my practice
Listen to this Steve.
When I was in your stage,I had big problems with barre chords,not to mention solos etc.
I was so angry of it so I made the promise like,"I'll never play these stupid chords,I don't need it!!
Of course,I broke it not so long after.
Just give yourself time,you can't accept huge results in one year trust.
Practice hard as you said you've been doing already.
And keep us updated with some audio or video of your playing,ok?
Chin up!!
Same with me 1 year in and I was bad (as in seriously rubbish rather than 'whose the maaaaan, he's baaad)'. I think yo've got a big advantage on me at that stage, not just that GMC didn't exist back then (nor did easy access to the internet!) but that you have already got a practice regime and are working on things that you've identified. Me, I was bumbling on .
Cheers,
Tony
nowadays I've improved loads - just rubbish rather then seriously rubbish. I'm aiming to be be ok on guitar in the next few years .
Looks like Steve just needs to relax a little
Stop thinking about what's wrong with your practicing for a while...
& make friends with your guitar) Approach it with an inner smile and a grin on your face...Pick it up thinking "Ok, buddy, time to make you sound a little bit better than yesterday"
When I don't know what to improve on I just pick up a song I like, and that I consider challenging to learn at my actual level of playing and, well, once you start...right away you have like tons of stuff to work on to be able to play it eventually...
Mastering the guitar, or even just 1 song, always reminds me of jigsaw puzzle First - it's a mess, then you start connecting the pieces and the more you see the whole picture the more excited you get.
Like Muris said - just give yourself time...
Maybe if you stop worrying about it that much you'll see clearly what you need to improve on
Best of luck Steve!
Ok thanks guys i was going to record some stuff that i did a while ago but didn't think there was any point. I'll just concentrate on things that i think are the worst for now. Thanks for all your help
Record and post it Steve - peeps will give constructive opinion on possible things to work on. Sometimes getting that can be really good as sometimes we worry about things that others think are fine. And sometimes we sort of don't pay enough attention to bits others think we need to concentrate on .
Cheers,
Tony
Oh yeah,post videos of your playing!!
Ok will do, well i can't record videos but i can record sound, though it may not be great quality but i'll give it a go. Thanks for the tips i'll probably put the recordings in a different post though
Well i do have a webcam, but i don't know if it can record or not and if it can i haven't worked out how yet. I'll look into it though. I guess i'd have to record the audio and video seperatly but atthe same time if that makes sense, different programs and sync them together.
Give it a whirl Steve - if you can't get it synced you could still post the audio.
Cheers,
Tony
I am stuck in a box too... have been for a LONG time.. I think this lesson is helpful:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=5023
(learn at least 2 boxes first... I am doing this now)
Then this one...
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/One_on_one_pentatonic_scale1.htm
Looks Like you got lots of good advice already Steve, I'll be brief.
I have been playing for many years, and this is what I have found;
First, decide what you want to do specifically. Is your goal songwriting, playing songs, being a great lead player, an improvisor or something else? No one completely masters all areas and styles of guitar playing in their lifetime. Find what you want to do most and concentrate only on those things that will bring you closer to your goal.
Second, develop the practice of recording yourself doing what it is you want to do. Next listen back to yourself and find the two things that if you improved on, would make the most difference, then focus working on improving those things. This method is how I always know what I should be practicing to get me closer to my goal.
Third, practice consistantly. To get better requires a certain level of commitment and dedication. This varies from person to person. Practice daily, and make your goal, "just for today", to be a little better guitar player at the end of the day than you where when you awoke.
Hope this helps!
I totally agree with Muris,you're playing guitar for fun,it's not like maths where you have to memorize many things...I've been playing for 2months,i would say i don't have much experience to help u out but,evryday i learn a new riff of metal sogns that i listen to,and now i can even play Zakk's solos,many riffs like Symphony of Destruction,Blood of Heroes,I hate you etc...
Just play what u wanna play and you'll improve much more than learnign scales all day...Just learn one scale or two for a start,then you'll figure it out...
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