Playing To Our Strengths |
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May 20 2011, 10:07 AM
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No pointing trying to learn it all and just being average. However, I'll like to point out...
As Michael Angelo Batio grew up, he had a rock instructor, he loved rock music, but also liked jazz/blues/classic techniques. He took pieces he enjoyed listening to from each and made it into his own thing - shred metal! He loved playing fast, and that's what he's known for. Focus down on what you enjoy the most, to be great at something it needs to be something you love and are addicted to. However, all music has paths you should explore. Don't limit yourself? Some help build on other areas to make you even better and more open to new things as well. I think the best way of developing, improve and move forward is actually to focus more on your weaknesses! By building on what your not so good at, you learn and improve on your exisiting skills too. Just keep your mini goal(s) focused on targeting your major goal. --------------------  Play Games Arcade Take a break, Play Games! Play the best free online flash games at Aaron's Game Zone like Bloons Tower Defense 4! |
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May 20 2011, 10:17 AM
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It makes perfect sense Ben, nice post
 I always loved to play the blues, that would be my strength. Focusing on the feel, phrasing, shuffled rhythms, bending, vibrato, were things that helped me become better player. However, focusing on technique is equally important, but playing fast doesn't provide me with that much pleasure really. -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE
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May 20 2011, 02:49 PM
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I think this a very good advice for guitarists who already have been playing for some time and "know" the instrument more. For beginners I wouldn't say it's good advice because one thing is to listen to a particular style and another to play it.
For example, I enjoy listening to some classical guitar playing but I'm very bad at it. I know I'm not going to learn the style because it would take years and my motivation is not on it despite I enjoy listening to it sometimes. Also, thanks to today's technology such as sequencers we can record any instrument we want and make them play whatever we want, or hey, maybe even call a friend to play a part for us in the nylon string guitar. So, I think it boils down to what our purpose is with music. Is it to pump our "guitar hero" ego?, or to create a piece of art that will inspire others and maybe even bring consciousness into this world? No wonder Steve Vai explores writing on other instruments a lot too. I guess it's two different kind of musicians. The performer of the instrument, and the creative writer who uses instruments as brushes on a canvas only. This post has been edited by Daniel Realpe: May 20 2011, 02:54 PM -------------------- Visit my:
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here |
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May 21 2011, 01:27 AM
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A KILLER topic and GREAT ADVICE! For players just starting out, sometimes they can get driven by insecurity or the inability to play something rather than the desire to play something the love and might be better at. Not everyone is a "blues guy", or a "shredder", or what not, and it would be boring if they were.
Following a path that focuses on the music you love and your strengths as a player is simply sage wisdom. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't fight to get "better" but that's almost a different topic. As for pushing yourself creatively, I"m a bit believer in "stretching" yourself by jumping in to unfamiliar ground. Much like Kris Dahl, I write a LOT of METAL/ROCK. So I"ve intentionally started writing anything but. Some of which has NO GUITAR. This forced me to learn to play keyboards and learn about melody outside of my instrument. It helped a great deal when I went back to guitar. Here is an example track featuring KEIKO TAKAMURA on Guest Vocals. 
running_Feat_keiko.mp3 ( 4.98MB )
Number of downloads: 144Todd |
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May 21 2011, 01:30 AM
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This is a great topic! Often we focus so much upon how to improve our weak points in playing guitar we totally ignore our strong points. In my opinion there needs to be a balance between the two, in other words looking to make the strong points stronger, as well as developing and improving the weak points. In my playing I have tended to be focused more on the blues, and consequently my strengths as a player tend to be in those areas that the blues emphasizes. Consequently then, my weak points are in areas that the blues does not commonly address. But when I work on the areas where I'm weak, it will make the areas where I'm strong sound all the better. Playing guitar is a lifelong journey, and part of it is learning to deal with both our strengths and our weaknesses
-------------------- My Sound Cloud Profile: http://soundcloud.com/casinostrat
Gear I Use: Guitars: Gibson: Les Paul Custom, ES-339, and Faded Flying V Fender: American Stratocaster Deluxe (I think?) Epiphone: Les Paul 56' Gold Top and Les Paul Standard, Casino Yamaha: FG720S Accoustic Amps: Fender Champ, Peavey Bandit 112, and an ancient Epiphone Amp:) Effects: Digitech RP 500 Effects Pedal Picks: Dunlop Jazz IIIs Practice, Practice, Practice, and remember Every Artist Does Get Better Eventually!  |
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May 21 2011, 08:10 AM
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What if everything is a weakness? note not all people are gifted with talent. probably 20% people know how to play guitar well but not everyone can be like vai.
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