how do you feel about your guitar playing

im pretty good at playing guitar

im decent.

Im decent,wish i could be better

My playing is good i would say, but nothing special, i just want to improve.

just due to my naturally over-inflated sense of accomplishment, I feel that I have become "great" compared to where I was at 3 months ago. I'm still no mega-shredder but I'm not bad either.

Godly? lol. Probably decent like everyone else. I obviously want to get better and make a career of it though.

poor and sucky....

I make a lot of mistakes but that's because I hardly practice. I can play many different styles of music and that's my goal to explore all the styles I like.

I hear "I told you he could play it!" surprisingly often, so I said good. My improvisational skills are definitely my hallmark, though, I don't know many of the songs that people request for me to play. Granted most pop radio songs are 3 or 4 chords, I don't really have the desire to learn them. That's what it's about too, what you want. Someone who is many times better than me might vote that they "suck" because they aren't personally satisfied with where they're at.

i had to say its good, cuase i dont suck nor play poorly. technically theres still a long road for me. not that i sound bad, my speciality isnt speed

I suck for someone who has almost been playing for 3 years.

I think I suck

I've been playing for 3 years. I'll be slightly selfish and say I'm good. But I'm no pro. I have a long ways to go before I can say anything more than just good at guitar >.

after 5 years i feel im stuck and going backwards rather than forward my practice routine is the main hurdle,i think ive got worse over the year even though i practice 4 hours daily.I have a big timing problem even with a metronome i struggle with fluidity.

I think im quite poor. Ive played years with many wrong techniques and Im very lazy for practising. Though Im pleased for the improving Ive made since I joined this forum and started to play in a band.

Hey man, I've gotten stuck in that rut numerous times, most recently in March/April. If you just keep playing and practicing daily, you'll hit the learning curve your due to hit, then it all becomes so much easier.

Compared to all you 'shredders' I'm probably quite mediocre, but I'm of an age now were I no longer feel the need to compete. I play mainly for myself. I class myself as a 'bedroom rocker' and I'm stuck (happily) in my little 50's,60's early 70's time warp enjoying playing the music of my infancy and teens.
I still practice regularly and make little improvements here and there, but the fire and ambition is long gone (thank goodness!). I started playing at 12 years old wanting to be the next Hank Marvin, and now at 55 I'm just really pleased that arthritis hasn't hit my hands too badly to stop my fun. I'm in a great place at the moment, and I want it to last forever. My ambitions always were too big!

i have been playing for only 8 months and i can play slowride,paint it black,and smoke on the water

lol I need some work I think haha! I had a REAL long break and I'm pretty much a beginner again. Ah well. That will teach me not to do that again.

@deefa

great post!

me?

i feel great about it. the muse is still there after 30 some odd years and "it" pays my bills.

my wife of 20 years still puts up with it (sometimes really loving it)

i get to teach folks of all ages and help-hear them grow into a deeper love of sound and more meaningful artistic expression.
(and , again, it pays the bills lol)

still get to run the Mastering and Post-Production studio here.

still get to perform regularly at nice venues
(which is as much a geezer-thang as it is a "he still rocks" thing lol)

my own playing improves daily, ...sure i hit 3month slumps but hell, after 30+ who wouldn't lol!

i still (think Giant Steps by Coltrane, Death Letter Blues - Son House, Gustav Mahler's 2nd symphony, Paul Gilbert - King of Clubs)find insane joy in unwrapping deeply woven gooves and phrases.

i still get in a good two-hours (at least) a day of playing (i don't call it 'practice') ..even when the student-count is high that day/nite.

i still get to marvel at how the hell Steve Howe played 'Close To The Edge' w/out breaking an arm, lol (yes , like deefa i now stick a lot more to the staple diet of musics i began in the ... well... way-back lol)

the (my) band currently can play a rotating 40-tune set of originals (not that our old asses are ever gonna try that wacky trick) that we can play using my voice(theirs = b/u) my olden('53) Martin (named "Baby") Mike's ('66)B-Bender and Scott's upright or 'regular' fretless Basses OR add Bobby (dr) ditch "Baby", Grab the Tele-etc and hit the stage with a loud version of thangs... there is a lot of freedom in flexibility (and then there is the odd 'solo' show)

still aint happy w/ muh tone and hope i never am (gotta keep reaching)

still being challenged (students bringing in Gilbert, Vai, Bucket, etc.. and hand-tabbing the riffs/solo's (this is also a HORROR when the tune is *easy/lame *(see Green Day lol)

yeah, i'm still very much alive, guitar-wise, and ready for more.
thus i opted for
"great"

and @deefa sometimes i get lucky and meet another young-old farte who still plays the "old" stuff (and probubly , like me, still has stacks of beloved Vinyl !)

all in all music is , as Frank said, the best


viva RAWK!

Cs

@deefa and carlsnow

I hope I don't ever lose my passion for guitar and music!
Plus the t shirts say it all, "old guys rule!"

same here

i think im great but im only good at shred/metal... i want to learn jazz and classical but its ripping me apart. im working on jazz right now and im so confused by it

this is/was all .. @guitarmastergod *(GMG) but some of you may find something in this for you as well.

firstly i have to ask (i'm writing about it here soon)
what , in your opinion, GMG, is a 'shredder'?

You stated "i want to learn jazz and classical"

I'll address "Jazz" as, though i love much of it , "Classical Music" has become the **-child of money, unions, and copyists.
(that and i'd rant more than usual)

okay .. off we go then : "Jazz"



then forget the chords and modes and use your biggest guns..your ears.
seriously.

now a few scattered 1st cup o' coffee fast as i can type pre-gym
(i'll doubtlessly finish within another post, at this rate ,lol)

the first being a firm echo :
'then forget the chords and modes and use your biggest guns ...your ears.' - Cs

the following in no real 'order, as like i said its my 1st, now second (i type s l o w ) cup ' coffee.

---to play "jazz" you have to love Jazz and to love Jazz it must call to you for attention. "listen to me!"

---do not force anything. i mean anything. it will show then grow into bad habit(s)at best ...at worst you'll turn into a guitar version of Kenny G!

---you know that old saying/(and song) :
"the Blues had a baby and they called it rock 'n' roll." ?
that dude was about 1/3 right
lets add the other two-thirds, shall we?
1/3 Blues
1/3 "country"(talkin' Hank Sr) and Bluegrass (esp. Appalachian)
1/3 Jazz
1/3 booze and women and hard work all day
(of course this aint anywhere near scientific...still...)

---if you are a "shredder" a great "in" for you would be the insane picking of a few country/bluegrass/Blues gods
Doc(and Merle ) Watson
Chet Atkins G.G.P. (crossed over into Jazz many times)
Tommy Emmanuel
and blues guys
I love the Blues so much it hurts to name only three, and i must make them 'electric' so as not to dishonor the acoustic greats with a 3-man list, lol
Buddy Guy
Albert King
...and yes, that Vaughn fellow(and his younger brother Stevie)

---try to listen, without analyzing, to a few key Jazz Guitarists
(I'll list few more than three)
-the older crowd-(but not old-est)
Grant Green
Kenny Burrell
Wes Montgomery
MORE Wes Montgomery
Joe Pass
Jim Hall
-new kids on the block-
Bill Frisell (my fav) (does a great job of combining Jazz, Country, Blues, Folk and more Jazz
Mike Stern (early stuff)
James Blood Ulmer
Sonny Sharrock (god of noise-jazz)
Jeff Beck (odd choice, i know but 'Blow By Blow', especially with his wonderful cover of Charles Mingus's 'Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat', on it)

---immerse yourself in this huge pool of tonality and , this time, analyze things a bit .. not much , but enought to hear that "mmm, the Sax is moving that way while the melody-line is this way"
and such.
then try and answer that question with your guitar.

---less is more

---less practice and more 'play'
AKA: playing, as such, is very different, and much mre difficult than
'practicing' , when we 'practice, we go over a defined set of 'rules' --when we "play" we throw the rules out in favor of he notes

---on that note(just above) ...
(and i am NOT saying 'don't 'practice'..)
do you think that John Coltrane was thinking :
'"Hmmm; i need a Lydian-Dominant there and a b5 run there into Harmonic-Minor to that series of major triads that ...."
NO WAY
he plays that tune from the heart and from , obviously a huge amount of near-subconscious tonal-knowledge. the fact that he would play 12-16 hours a day didn't hurt either !LOL
STILL
I play along with Giant Steps A LOT using His Melody and Chords with MY own solo's (to copy a solo , especially a Jazz solo is a bit contradictory to the point of and essence of quintessential Jazz)
I will TAB you (i'll put pen to paper and take a picture) a copy as all the online Tabs look & feel wrong ... i'll post it here, cool? dig!
if you cant find a DL or Torrent of the album/Tune i'll make one available.
cause no-one "shredded" like 'Trane! hell, Coltrane actually helped the term we now know as "shredding" into the Musical Lexicon!)

---take it s l o w (better to play 3 great notes than 30 lame notes, right?)
t h e n
---'ramp it up' (don't wanna turn into a turtle)

---listen to anything BUT the guitar when searching-out improvisational-inspiration. i 'rip' a bunch from guys like Monk(P) , Peacock(Bs) , Miles(Tr) and 'Trane etc-etc-etc
this forces you to abandon your safe-zones.

---i know this sounds silly BUT : play in all sharps/flats (Key) for a few months or so, starting on the high-e .. we guitarists seem to gravitate towards "the dots" .. an inherent weakness.

---Triads Triads and More Triads

Okay ... gonna try and Tab Giant Steps fer Ya before we hit the gym.

i hope this helped some ... i'll be back with more.....

RAWK!...er...JAZZ!

Cs

wow that was a mouth full lol. but it helped alot. and when i say shred i mean like rusty cooley, michael angelo batio, chris storey, franesco fareri, ect.

thanks man. but i'm wanting a deeper explanation than "shred"=so and so.
i meant it as a means to an end; shredding being one of those means...

here is a picture of the
Giant Steps (intro/outro melody) Tab,
i promised i'd write-out for you (w/ a few chords thrown in for good measure)...




i can't seem to "preview" how this will work...
if it looks unreadable, due to size or something, I'll post it over at Marc's new site , Six String Revival
(MS Jazzy is over there sometimes as well .. even that old mutt Phip has been seen!)
http://sixstringrevival.com/forum/index.php

and
here is a link to a YouTube of it AS CHORDS flying by (very cool)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kotK9FNEYU

anyways ...
this is my first REAL, in depth "help someone out" post; i hope i do the forum justice and not make myself appear silly lol , i DO hope this helps you. please let me know what i can do to help you and others more; or, at least, more effectively.

RAWK!
Cs

who put godly? lol

???
whaaa
???

Well, everyone is copying someone. That's just how music goes now, there's either nothing new, or no new inspiration. (I'm really into Classical music so I'm attempting to defend it)

Why exactly do you have such an opinion for the genre?

i love 'classical' (Orchestral) musics, lol, you should know that.
(although the statement above is true... unions and copyists
(not copy the music BUT actually Copy THE SCORE for the Orchestra , wasn't meaning copy as in 'steal' lol)
and 'star' performers are money-ing 'classical music to death (or at least 'weeding out' the 'oddballs that wont make us money' lol) and they have been for a great while (its just now, w/ this fast world, becoming an acute and chronic plague on the modern day composer as well as to the size of our musical-menu of older works.

i think you mistook my meaning.

its too long to type too , lol , but fast version off top o' head and on 1st cup of coffee=

i absolutely love the work of guys like guys like Stravinsky,
P Glass, S Reich, Mahler, Grieg, J Adams, R Wagner... etc
(mainly 20th century guys)

why "mainly 20th century guys" ?

because someone living in THIS age (well +9) actually spoke to, say, Mahler (Bruckner?) or Ives or Gershwin and asked them stuff like "exactly HOW slow/med do you want the Allegro?"
"What do you mean, exactly, by ___ "
and so forth
AKA 1st-hand knowledge that was passed on .. (Why Von K Conducts Mahler so well, and Boulez, Ive's)
...and finally, recordings of Conductors turned Composers became available on player piano's and wax cylinders (Mahler comes to mind)
the Orchestra and 'their leader' had a 1st-hand insight ionto what the composer intended to play. later, of course, we had 78's Lp's etc..
(great blurb on this in "The Real Frank Zappa Book"(by FZ)

an in a nutshell MOST (let me emphasis that this does not mean ALL, as i love my Wagner, Bach, etc) EARLIER 1890-down

earlier pieces = made to order ........literally

1 - a king , a duke, a whoever, would pay for a piece to be played "just like that or i'll have your head"
2 - it was, by default, 'Pop Music' so some sucked some didn't , just like now

main thing =
Orchestras and their conductors have little or no "1st-hand knowledge" of the piece to be played and are forced to rely on the , usually fairly interpretive , notations made by the copyist who translated the Composers/Conductors 'main' score into the countless other 'instrument specific' scores, thus an accurate representation is rare.

i could discuss this forever but i type so damn slow lol. and need to chart stuff for my Sat Students...

one more FZ insight ... he once said that of all (barring 'The Yellow Shark' and 1/2 of 'Boulez Conducts') his commissioned and non-commissioned Orchestral works , from 1965 to near his sad death in 1995, were played very very poorly (especially by the L.S.O.) because sufficient rehearsals (back then $25,000 a day at least)where not feasible; complicating this was the fact that he had (in short time) to explain the feel , the timbre, and most of his notation ('fff' and such) because, lol, one mans 'Allegro' may be another mans Largo ! LOL!

this is not such a bad problem with the old 'Piano Lessons' such as what we know call the Goldberg Variations, The Well-Tempered Clavier and other such 'exercise-oriented' works IE: that killer stuff Bach wrote for his students.

i hope you see where i'm coming from now (i hadn't) intended on discussing Orchestral Musics , lol, but i musta said something....

Dig?


RAWK!
Cs

you hit how i feel on the head Carl but I'm almost to the point of out right hatting romanticism so Wagners out for me. Didn't Zappa even point 70% complete on the record sleeve (me=victim of mp3 generation).

but on Steven Reich(huge fan) don't you just love "Nagoya Marimbas" there a video on youtube of two guys playing it on the classical that i thought was really good.

And whats your feeling about John Cage if you don't mind me asking

people tell me im really good but idk, id say im alright. i need lots of improvement

got just a few before next student but :


Nagoya Marimbas!!! my fav Reich piece (next would be NYC Counterpoint & Electric Counterpoint) i got in to Reich back in the early 80's Via fellow Philip Glass fans pointing me towards 'Music for 18 Musicians'
grand stuff!

a video! thanks

i still have SOME love for that era (and the Ring Cycle...) but yeah, i know how ya feel; ya heard ythat new 'romanticist'-sounding guy Richard Nanes? .. brilliant stuff , grab his violin concerto, i'll buy it back if ya dont love it
Eno recently did some orchestral stuff , i guess having an orchestra 'do' 'The Shutov Assembly' it was in the wind

Cage = a god (is Eno the prodigal son? Harold Budd? Jon Hassle?)

good to meet ya man!

RAWK!
Cs

no i haven't I'll check him out.

Yeah I love Cage so much I have been buying his books, "silence" is golden his ideas and how he views the world are just beautiful. you walk into a Anechoic chamber(soundless room) you hear two noise one low and one high. The low is your cardiovascular system and the high is your nervous system(i told them i has hearing myself think ***s) so that means you always hear sound unless your dead so what really is silence. I just love that he truly was a beautiful mind. Unfortunately at this time I'm saving my money for a tome on Rene Descartes so I'm hung up on that one for a while once winter comes again I'll fly through them(i do most of my reading in the winter months)

I haven't really gotten into eno but that is mostly my fault(haven't set the time to listen fully) but his team up with nitin sawhney(if by chance you haven't heard do it now) was awesome.

Yeah that's why I was so confused by your statement!! (my bad)

Although what you say is very true... but then, it's also down to personal taste, and I guess those guys just liked it that way. Although I'm pretty critical myself and don't like anything changed when I love something. (weirdo?)

I also didn't realise anyone else would've heard any of Cage's music! I think his views on music is very, very similar to mine. He's a complete genius!

haha Jazz you're a genius!

I am?? haha What for?

'carlsnow If computer keyboards could speak, they'll beg you for mercy.

LMAO,
the man def has opinions! Keep it up Carl, keyboards are cheap, but wisdom has no price! No one is going to accuse you of being a bore.
Phipster

haha It was a bit of internet sarcasm but it's all in good fun.

Anyways back on topic, Sometimes I feel like I play very well and other times I play horribly and I'm no perfectionist so that doesen't help.