Progressing as a Musician

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 7:03 pm

Alright, this might be a little lengthy so thanks for reading it and any feedback in advance. I feel as though Ive hit a wall in my playing ability. I started playing electric guitar 5 years ago and leaned the basic chords and power chords and spent most my time playing Nirvana and the like. I played for two years and then quit playing for two years and a year ago last November I picked it back up and got an acoustic for christmas and started playing pretty much exclusivly Dave and can now play pretty much every song of his. I can play The Stone, Warehouse and all the other hard ones pretty much.
So not that Im growing bored with playing Dave but I feel like Im not getting any better at guitar, I can play a few Mayer songs some Zepplin, Clapton, Neil Young and other miscellaneous songs but I dont think Ive gotten much better the past few months. I play around 2 hours a day and I wanna know what I can do now to become better at guitar. Ive never had any training Im trying to teach myself to know what chord Im playing and other stuff.
What I would really like to learn is scales, how to fingerpick better, get some pinky strength in my left hand, how to play lead better and to start to know the names of all the chords and whatnot. I dont know if this is something I can find out myself, if there is a book I can get or if I should get lessons.
I think Im a good Dave player and an alright guitarist but I feel like Ive hit a wall and I need to throw some new stuff into my daily playing to get better. So if any of you have ever felt this way and have overcome this obstacle or if any of you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Xoosh · Unread post by **Xoosh** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 7:44 pm

spend some time discovering acoustic masters... i went through almost the EXACT situation you did... started like 5 years ago and learned nirvana on electric guitar... quit for like 3 years and started playing dave, clapton, and stuff to get myself into it again... and here i am now feeling like i've hit a brick wall.. so i turned to writing my own music..

What i've done recently.. is i've discovered some of the acoustic masters... Don Ross, Tim Reynolds, Steve Lynch (sike), Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Al De Miola.. listen to the california trio.. those guys turn the guitar into something above and beyond dave matthews, eric clapton, and led zepplin... i sugest you listen to Godzilla, This Dragon Wont Sleep, and Catherine, by Don Ross. Tim reynolds i'd check out Big Blast of Hot Air, Doom, Stream, chatterbox, etc.. paco de lucia.. just about anything you can find (coming storm is good)... so is Otmar Leibert.. These guys have reinspired me... Don Ross plays a 7 string baratone guitar... and his songs sound like 3 guitars.. but i've seen him play.. and he is doign all of that sound with only one guitar and one track

regards,
x

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 8:02 pm

I have written about 5 songs most of which are all fairly simple but I think (and others agree) are pretty good and catchy along with my friends awesome lyrics (not the best voice but good). We keep saying were going to go to my friends house and record but we never do, maybe if we ever do Ill post em. As for the people you named Ive never heard of them except for Tim Reynolds but I will check them out. When I do listen to them where should I go for tabs of their music though?
But what I really feel like is that I dont know the fundamentals of guitar, things like scales, chords, what notes Im playing I think these should be learned as well as if not before getting into advanced guitar playing techniques. Im wondering where I can go to find out how to learn these kinds of things. Thanks for the post though I will deffinatley look into those people, any advice for the other stuff?

johntherevelator · Unread post by **johntherevelator** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 8:11 pm

the best way to learn that stuff is taking lessons
but if you dont want to shell out all the greenage needed for them, there are lots of sites on the internet and books in bookstores devoted to teaching ppl the fundamentals of guitar

the only problem is most people procrastinate and dont do much practicing and never progress whereas in taking lessons you go once a week and are required to practice if you want to keep going, so you progress better i think with lessons

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 9:54 pm

I am a college student and I dont really have the money for lessons right not so could you or anyone possibly give me the names of websites or books that could teach me these fundamentals? I am especially interested in scales and learning more than the major, barre, power and dave chords, being able to know what note Im playing anywhere on the guitar and is there anything I can do to get my fretboard pinky stronger/more accurate? Thanks again.

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:03 pm

jsgksu wrote:I am a college student and I dont really have the money for lessons right not so could you or anyone possibly give me the names of websites or books that could teach me these fundamentals? I am especially interested in scales and learning more than the major, barre, power and dave chords, being able to know what note Im playing anywhere on the guitar and is there anything I can do to get my fretboard pinky stronger/more accurate? Thanks again.

damn man, your pinky must be strong and accurate if you can play all that Dave stuff as well as you say.

ericwormann · Unread post by **ericwormann** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:09 pm

Brock · Unread post by **Brock** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:17 pm

winglet82 wrote:Learn some theory and every Stevie Ray Vaughan song.

I second that.

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:40 pm

gravedigger wrote:damn man, your pinky must be strong and accurate if you can play all that Dave stuff as well as you say.

It is fairly strong and for songs such as Stone you dont have to move it around a lot really, I want it to be as accurate and quick as my other fingers. I try to do exercises by starting with my index finger and hammering with my middle finger down the strings then start with my middle finger and hammer with my ring finger down the strings then start with my ring finger and hammer with my pinky down the strings and when I do that last one my pinky is not nearly as fast or accurate as the others but its not like I cant use it in a song, it just takes a while of practicing the songs to get it down. Understand?

michaelb14 · Unread post by **michaelb14** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:09 pm

try this site for some theory

http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/

Xoosh · Unread post by **Xoosh** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:19 pm

Theory is great stuff... im self taught for my own theory though.. basicly what i do is listen to it.. i know about keys and stuff from my piano days... and i learned a few box patterns and have expanded them to fit my own stuff... the music i write is for guitar only.. i dont typically write lyrics for my music (i have though), and, as for the other musicians i listed. i doubt you'l find tabs on them... however im debating abotu starting a don ross tab site... if ic an ever get around to ttrying to tab his songs.. he plays in funky keys and i dont own a baratone guitar.. but if we can standard tune dave's baratone stuff im sure don ross can be figured out

he's very intricate though.. basicly i lsited them as people to listen to for inspiratioin and to realize that you still can go up with guitar work

/x

johntherevelator · Unread post by **johntherevelator** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:36 pm

TrippnBill686 wrote:
winglet82 wrote:Learn some theory and every Stevie Ray Vaughan song.
I second that.

i third that
srv is an amazing songwriter and his voice is awesome
whats everybodys favorite song by him if you care to lay it down?

mines a toss up between 'life by the drop' and 'crossfire'

michaelb14 · Unread post by **michaelb14** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:02 am

johntherevelator wrote:
TrippnBill686 wrote:
winglet82 wrote:Learn some theory and every Stevie Ray Vaughan song.
I second that.
i third that
srv is an amazing songwriter and his voice is awesome
whats everybodys favorite song by him if you care to lay it down?

mines a toss up between 'life by the drop' and 'crossfire'

If you mean written by him I'd say Texas Flood, but his best song is Little Wing. Hendrix may have written it but Stevie OWNED it.

johntherevelator · Unread post by **johntherevelator** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:08 am

michaelb14 wrote:
johntherevelator wrote:
TrippnBill686 wrote:
winglet82 wrote:Learn some theory and every Stevie Ray Vaughan song.
I second that.
i third that
srv is an amazing songwriter and his voice is awesome
whats everybodys favorite song by him if you care to lay it down?

mines a toss up between 'life by the drop' and 'crossfire'
If you mean written by him I'd say Texas Flood, but his best song is Little Wing. Hendrix may have written it but Stevie OWNED it.

ya texas flood is a great tune
he did a good cover of little wing but i say no one can play hendrix quite like hendrix :wink:

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:31 am

Thanks to winglet82, and the others I will look into the SRV stuff but lets not turn this into a SRV discussion page, any other suggestions?

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Progressing as a Musician

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