What Are You Working On Right Now?

[TSJMajesty]

When Ernie Ball stops making guitars?

I wouldn't wish that even on Fenders.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Guys, I can't speak for your personal situations, or the pain in your hands, but I hope you don't give up on playing guitar all together.
I don't play everyday anymore, as it gets harder after long days of working with my hands. My expectations are to do what I know I can within the limits of a particular day. Nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but time is important and playing music should be a cathartic experience more than anything. I think we all wish we could do things and play a certain way, but maybe it's not meant to be the right path for us. It doesn't make us any less of a person or musician to admit that. We can spend a ton of time chasing the wrong things, but it's never too late to chase the right things no matter how old you are.

No , I am far from giving up but there is some pain. I have a song I am covering that I can’t quite figure out. It’s not even all that fast. The technique is different.

 

[DrewJD82]

Not guitar, actually.

The last few weeks I’ve felt like singing more and more and while there’s a general ‘in shape’ I keep my voice in, if I were to sing a whole set right now I’d be toast before the last song. I haven’t challenged myself vocally in quite a while and when I went to ‘clear out some cobwebs’ last week I was really happy to find I’ve forgotten some bad habits that are going to make this a quick process of getting gig-ready.

I’ve never once felt confident just playing solo acoustic/vocal and that seems silly to me, so while I have no other musical goals right now that seems to be a good one to fill the void. I haven’t had that “Oh, I want some of that, too” feeling for a very long time, that feeling I get when I get inspired by other musicians, but I definitely got it recently, I’m just not gonna say who, why or what yet, I’m curious to see if it works it’s way out musically.

There’s a direction I’m leaning in and it’s definitely within this playlist I made for practicing-

No metal screaming, I can already do that shit all day long and don’t feel I have anything left to explore there.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Not guitar, actually.

The last few weeks I’ve felt like singing more and more and while there’s a general ‘in shape’ I keep my voice in, if I were to sing a whole set right now I’d be toast before the last song. I haven’t challenged myself vocally in quite a while and when I went to ‘clear out some cobwebs’ last week I was really happy to find I’ve forgotten some bad habits that are going to make this a quick process of getting gig-ready.

I’ve never once felt confident just playing solo acoustic/vocal and that seems silly to me, so while I have no other musical goals right now that seems to be a good one to fill the void. I haven’t had that “Oh, I want some of that, too” feeling for a very long time, that feeling I get when I get inspired by other musicians, but I definitely got it recently, I’m just not gonna say who, why or what yet, I’m curious to see if it works it’s way out musically.

There’s a direction I’m leaning in and it’s definitely within this playlist I made for practicing-

View attachment 60350View attachment 60351

No metal screaming, I can already do that shit all day long and don’t feel I have anything left to explore there.

Zombie Eaters is a great track. I wore that album out. Same goes for Dirt.

 

[la szum]

I agree with you, except for the death grip part. Sure, there can be times when that's called for, but I can't see how playing like that constantly, can be good for your hand's health, long-term.

I took one of Baxty's classes at the Petrucci camp last August, and he encouraged something completely different than Jason Richardson, whom I also sat in one of his classes.

Baxty- Keep your palm at the same point on the bridge, and rotate your hand as you reach to the higher pitch strings, whereas...

Jason- Move your hand downward/upward as you traverse the strings.

This is one of those, "If it works for you, fine. Use it," but, if you keep your palm in the same place, as you rotate your hand, the pick angle changes from string to string. Unless you also adjust the pick grip with your fingers, which just seems to add more complexity.

I've tried it both ways, and to me, having basically the same pick angle when hitting different strings certainly seems better for consistency. And if I was a teacher, I'd let students know about both, while making them aware of the pros and cons, and just let them decide. Tell them to stay with whichever method gives them better results.

Both are beasts when it comes to technical playing (even though I don't dig the music- I just don't hear the musicality like I do with JP), so clearly it works for them, to be using such differing approaches.

I am just going based on what I have seen after a few decades of
paying attention to a lot of different guitarists and methods.

I swear I am not making anything up.




For example, just watching how decidedly different George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen, Marty Friedman, and
Zakk Wylde hold a pick blows my mind. There' can't be a single solitary way to be great.... in spite of YT
guitar-fluencers and their need to drive views to their clickbaity promises.


I guess I don't think there is an objective, universal, Platonic Ideal about how to do
things exact. So many different players have different approaches to the exact same thing--like holding
a pick.

For me, it's better to try and find our own individual approaches that works best for us,
versus trying to walk around in someone else's shoes with our feet and not theirs.

I also believe in following the example of our favourite musicians. Maybe it's like walking a tightrope?

 

[la szum]

Hard is hard.





No shit Danny!

 

[la szum]

Guys, I can't speak for your personal situations, or the pain in your hands, but I hope you don't give up on playing guitar all together.
I don't play everyday anymore, as it gets harder after long days of working with my hands. My expectations are to do what I know I can within the limits of a particular day. Nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but time is important and playing music should be a cathartic experience more than anything. I think we all wish we could do things and play a certain way, but maybe it's not meant to be the right path for us. It doesn't make us any less of a person or musician to admit that. We can spend a ton of time chasing the wrong things, but it's never too late to chase the right things no matter how old you are.

I had to quit playing electric guitar (and literally sold all of my electronic gear!) at 25,
and didn't play electric again for another 10 years, due to complications from nerve
and tendon damage in my left hand/wrist from overuse and abuse.

I don't think it was technique driven either, as much as I was trying to be someone not
named "Dave," and hammering myself with drills to try and improve my proficiency
in the heyday of Shrapnel and Shred.

In hindsight it was the best thing to happen to me. I don't condone getting hurt,
or self-inflicting damage on one's self. But what it did for me was force me to approach
music in a different way apart from the Macho Man approach of look how fast and
facile I am.


I ended up with Gibson J-45 for 10 years and a Djembe drum. Wrote songs. Strummed
chords. Banged on my drum all day!



Learned how to sing (mostly! maybe! ) and taught myself other skills.

Had I stuck to the shred longer I may not have discovered any of that. ... and
may have put myself in a place where I couldn't use my fingers and left hand
as well as I still can. I listened to the Doctors. At the time I felt like I was dying
and losing my greatest dream in life. Didn't comprehend how ego-driven
my approach was, at the time.

 

[la szum]

Not guitar, actually.

The last few weeks I’ve felt like singing more and more and while there’s a general ‘in shape’ I keep my voice in, if I were to sing a whole set right now I’d be toast before the last song. I haven’t challenged myself vocally in quite a while and when I went to ‘clear out some cobwebs’ last week I was really happy to find I’ve forgotten some bad habits that are going to make this a quick process of getting gig-ready.

I’ve never once felt confident just playing solo acoustic/vocal and that seems silly to me, so while I have no other musical goals right now that seems to be a good one to fill the void. I haven’t had that “Oh, I want some of that, too” feeling for a very long time, that feeling I get when I get inspired by other musicians, but I definitely got it recently, I’m just not gonna say who, why or what yet, I’m curious to see if it works it’s way out musically.

There’s a direction I’m leaning in and it’s definitely within this playlist I made for practicing-

View attachment 60350View attachment 60351

No metal screaming, I can already do that shit all day long and don’t feel I have anything left to explore there.

That first Shinedown Album was SO freaking good.

Then they got freaking Nickelback'd in the ass.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I had to quit playing electric guitar (and literally sold all of my electronic gear!) at 25,
and didn't play electric again for another 10 years, due to complications from nerve
and tendon damage in my left hand/wrist from overuse and abuse.

I don't think it was technique driven either, as much as I was trying to be someone not
named "Dave," and hammering myself with drills to try and improve my proficiency
in the heyday of Shrapnel and Shred.

In hindsight it was the best thing to happen to me. I don't condone getting hurt,
or self-inflicting damage on one's self. But what it did for me was force me to approach
music in a different way apart from the Macho Man approach of look how fast and
facile I am.


I ended up with Gibson J-45 for 10 years and a Djembe drum. Wrote songs. Strummed
chords. Banged on my drum all day!



Learned how to sing (mostly! maybe! ) and taught myself other skills.

Had I stuck to the shred longer I may not have discovered any of that. ... and
may have put myself in a place where I couldn't use my fingers and left hand
as well as I still can. I listened to the Doctors. At the time I felt like I was dying
and losing my greatest dream in life. Didn't comprehend how ego-driven
my approach was, at the time.

Yeah, can't imagine giving up electric guitar for 10yrs... especially at age 25. I could see that being devastating news at the time though.
But like you said, another door opened up for you to experience music and life differently. And then you realize it wasn't all bad, in fact, it turned out better than you imagined.

I've been fortunate with my hands, no chronic pain, just general soreness from work. But I do find myself playing less guitar so far this year. Some of that is for letting my hands recoup, some of it's about prioritizing time, and other times it's just not being inspired to play. The older I get the more I need a goal or vision of what I want to do with guitar, or more plainly... music. I love jamming, but it has to be more than that. So majority of my playing time is when I'm recording, which is at the same time I do my writing. I need to feel a sense of accomplishment to keep me going. Maybe it's just one lick or melody that moves something in you. I have to create. I pretty much have that mindset with most things I get into. Music is a love, a passion, but there is more to life than just that. If anything, music and playing just gets richer the more life you experience with other people and learning new things. It gives a better perspective.

Anyways, you brought up acoustic guitar... it does have a way of recentering your focus back to basics. The intimate, nothing to hide timbre forces (or allows) you to play more dynamic with intention. Writing stuff with it comes easier too. I've been sorta ignoring it a looot these last few years. More so than anytime in my playing life. It's time to get back on it.

 

[DrewJD82]

That first Shinedown Album was SO freaking good.

Then they got freaking Nickelback'd in the ass.

Man, I listened to the whole thing last week for the first time since it came out and totally forgot how much I listened to that album back then. Just a great fucking rock record, not trying to be anything too hard one way or the other. I was continuously let down by later releases and once they got into the dance rock thing they do now and dude was clearly lipsynching when I saw them in ‘18 at a festival gig, just a bummer.

This was some good shit-

 

[ABe©eDarian]

I’ve got some basic fundamentals of my Reaper D.A.W. down.
None of the more complicated stuff, just got good levels for all guitars and mic,
recording functions, cuts and renderings to FLAC and WAV files
with fades when I’ve captured something keepable.
Music stand and wireless keyboard with hotkeys at my playing station.
In addition to recording jams and pieces of songs with rhythm and lead guitar,
I’ve started to do some vocals while playing guitar.
I guess I’ve written a lot that hasn’t been played on, in mind and in notebooks.
Can be frustrating to have long periods of time go by without anything coming out right.