If the definition of insanity is…

[duzie]

… doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
Time to set the metronome and work on alternate picking again.

 

[TSJMajesty]

… doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
Time to set the metronome and work on alternate picking again.

Gotta do it. Getting ready to do the same.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I thought you were gonna say something about buying the same gear over and over.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Laughs in legato

 

[duzie]

Laughs in legato

I think there was a tiny legato run here

 

[TSJMajesty]

I throw in a short legato when I can't seem to get my pick lined up the way I need it for what comes next. But I'll still practice it picked!

 

[DrewJD82]

I thought you were gonna say something about buying the same gear over and over.

I just heard 2 members go “Pfffft” from here.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I just heard 2 members go “Pfffft” from here.

That's what that was? I was playing, but I thought I heard something.

 

[FuzzyAce]

 

[Whizzinby]

I thought you were gonna say something about buying the same gear over and over.

 

[norminal]

… doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.

Well, change the results. What are you trying to achieve? Nail a specific lick? Or what are you struggling with?

 

[Holden Afart]

RIP Pops.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Here's a cool one, alt-picked:

This is one of those, what I call "bouncy" licks of Petrucci's that I keep in my practice rotation. One, because it's a good workout for building picking control, due to how the pick reacts to the differences in string resistence, from when you play an open note, vs. one on a higher fret, and two, because it just sounds so cool at tempo!

And even though I can play it fairly consistently from 100-120 BPM (it's at 125), the thing I have trouble with is keeping pace with the beat. Even when I play it at the slower tempo, I tend to fall behind the beat, then rush to catch back up. Not good if you want it to sound like JP's style.

And I know why it's happening: Because I'm focusing on sections of the riff (mainly the fretted notes), as opposed to focusing on the downbeats.

Which to me, isn't natural. Example- playing 0-4-0-5 doesn't feel as easy as say 4-0-5-0. So I tend to miss landing those open notes that fall on the downbeat.

So I'm breaking it up into smaller sections, and really concentrating on landing those downbeats. E.g., I'll just play beats 2 & 3 in measure 93 over and over, until I'm landing that open note on beat 3. Then move onto another section.

I really dig these kinds of riffs, because the syncopated feel thing just sounds so cool. And really sounds cool when played accurately in time.

Here it is in context:



Btw, that quick little pickup riff in the video tab, just before this lick starts (5-6-8, 5-7-8, 5-7) is the exact same lick that kicks off the solo to Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. Haha! (this song- Eb std; so the notes are the same, just an octave higher.)

 

[Holden Afart]

I can't play it so therefore it's crap!

 

[Piing]

The definition of insanity is:
- I am going to learn this song
- Purchase the separate multi-tracks from karaoke-version and load them at the DAW.
- Load the original song at the DAW, and sync it with the multi-tracks.
- Get the MIDI file and load it at the project
- Sync the project tempo with the audio (using the click track provided by karaoke-version)
- Load some cool Drums and VST instruments to make it rock (improving the audio from karaoke-version, and sometimes the original song)
- Spend some time adding FX, editing, mixing, mastering.
- Start playing the first 3 notes.
- My guitar tone doesn't match the original
- Spend days, weeks... playing or reamping the first 3 notes while tweaking the Axe-FX to get the tone
- Got it! After thousands of tweakings I've got a quite similar tone. Let's learn the rest of the solo.
- Oh, now there is that FX. Is it a flanger? a phaser? a chorus? What settings? Back to tweaking zone
- Spend very long time doing A/B comparisons, measure by measure, trying to get every single playing nuance from the guitarist. Micro-bendings, vibrato style, etc.
- Now there is that complicated part... (I can't play it so therefore it's crap!©) and I am starting to get tired of this song.
- Get another song, and back to step 1

© by @Holden Afart

 

[TSJMajesty]

- I am going to learn this song these techniques, and these riffs.

I take this approach. I haven't learned a "song" in probably a decade. But I do pick several of what I feel will be 'useful riffs' that once mastered will make learning solos (cuz the songs aren't the problem for the most part) much easier and faster.

It's like, if I was training a carpenter, I wouldn't show him how to build a cabinet, or frame a wall. I'd show him how to read a tape, and use a saw. Give him tasks to practice that apply to most types of things he's likely to come across later.

I really wish I'd taken this approach 10, or even 20 years earlier, instead of learning lots of songs, and half-assing my way through the solos, without ever truly focusing on learning the common components that are contained in many solos.

Although there are LOTS of things to learn! I may never learn another song as long as I live. But I will be a much better player.

 

[Piing]

I take this approach. I haven't learned a "song" in probably a decade. But I do pick several of what I feel will be 'useful riffs' that once mastered will make learning solos (cuz the songs aren't the problem for the most part) much easier and faster.

It's like, if I was training a carpenter, I wouldn't show him how to build a cabinet, or frame a wall. I'd show him how to read a tape, and use a saw. Give him tasks to practice that apply to most types of things he's likely to come across later.

I really wish I'd taken this approach 10, or even 20 years earlier, instead of learning lots of songs, and half-assing my way through the solos, without ever truly focusing on learning the common components that are contained in many solos.

Although there are LOTS of things to learn! I may never learn another song as long as I live. But I will be a much better player.

I can memorize the whole songs and the solo notes easily. But I go into the rabbit hole of tweaking the tone, and trying to get every single playing nuance from the guitarist on each note. That is my self-crucifixion to kill time, since I am already retired from playing with bands

 

[Holden Afart]

The definition of insanity is:
- I am going to learn this song
- Purchase the separate multi-tracks from karaoke-version and load them at the DAW.
- Load the original song at the DAW, and sync it with the multi-tracks.
- Get the MIDI file and load it at the project
- Sync the project tempo with the audio (using the click track provided by karaoke-version)
- Load some cool Drums and VST instruments to make it rock (improving the audio from karaoke-version, and sometimes the original song)
- Spend some time adding FX, editing, mixing, mastering.
- Start playing the first 3 notes.
- My guitar tone doesn't match the original
- Spend days, weeks... playing or reamping the first 3 notes while tweaking the Axe-FX to get the tone
- Got it! After thousands of tweakings I've got a quite similar tone. Let's learn the rest of the solo.
- Oh, now there is that FX. Is it a flanger? a phaser? a chorus? What settings? Back to tweaking zone
- Spend very long time doing A/B comparisons, measure by measure, trying to get every single playing nuance from the guitarist. Micro-bendings, vibrato style, etc.
- Now there is that complicated part... (I can't play it so therefore it's crap!©) and I am starting to get tired of this song.
- Get another song, and back to step 1

© by @Holden Afart

Wait....DAW....sync? Are you from space? Learn the first 3 notes? There are only 5 so what's the big deal?

 

[Holden Afart]

I can memorize the whole songs and the solo notes easily. But I go into the rabbit hole of tweaking the tone, and trying to get every single playing nuance from the guitarist on each note. That is my self-crucifixion to kill time, since I am already retired from playing with bands

The players nuance really matters IMO.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I can memorize the whole songs and the solo notes easily. But I go into the rabbit hole of tweaking the tone, and trying to get every single playing nuance from the guitarist on each note. That is my self-crucifixion to kill time, since I am already retired from playing with bands

I've always been a "close enuff" guy when it comes to matching the tone. Although I've mostly bought gear that I felt I could match the songs' tones, but I'd just never put in the time to do so. But I really do appreciate guys who can do that, and do it well. I can hear it; just can't do it myself.

Like some guy was playing a bunch of VH songs, and he had them down! But his tone wasn't right. Even though everyone seemed to think it was great.

I've always gotten compliments on my tones. But I'd much prefer to get the solos sounding right, and the overall feel of the song correct, than agonize over the tone being perfectly matched. If I could do both, well that'd be great. But there's only so much time in the day.


I think I realized why I feel like I've hit a plateau lately. I'm pushing myself to get some of the stuff I work on regularly up to tempo. But I really can't play it at that speed just yet. So as I keep practicing at that tempo, I'm just reinforcing my mistakes. So even though we guitar players want to skip the work, I think I realized tonight that I really need to just slow things back down to a speed where I don't make mistakes, and get that muscle memory locked in.

At 59 it just seems to take SO LONG to get challenging stuff nailed down, that it gets frustrating at times. So I feel ya. Just in a different way.