|
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | I've been playing off and on for 35 years and I've never really committed myself to improving on any level. I took maybe 10 lessons when I was in 4th grade and a whole year of guitar as a class in 9th grade. I think one of the things that has held me back is that I've got a pretty good ear for picking out chords and arpeggios in songs I like so I really shunned sight reading back then. Sight reading was required in portions of my 9th grade guitar class and I just didn't want any of it--too much discipline required for an already swollen ego. Everything else I know how to play has come from hours upon hours of sitting in front of a record player/cassette deck/CD player and listening to and playing what I'm hearing. I couldn't improvise if someone threatened to smash my guitar to bits. I'm looking for some suggestions (books to consider, scales to learn, etc.) that will help me improve my knowledge of music and the guitar. For what it's worth, I've got my 11 year old guitar playing son looking at me, too. He is totally resistant to sight reading and is in his middle school jazz band. So it's time for dad to set an example worth following in hopes that it may have a positive impact. And maybe I can help my aging brain stay fit, too. Thanks for any suggestions. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm on my second or third year of lessons and just starting to learn to improvise. I'm sure most people would be quicker. I think my hangup was that I memorize, not improvise. Am pentatonic scale is the one to start with. I'd also recommend a G-dec. The Junior is easiest for me, but once you play the blues or country backing track a few hundred times, it gets old. GC had new G-dec 30s for $99, but I think it was a closeout. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Whats a G-dec? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | g-dec :-P
Edited by dvd 2013-01-23 12:15 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 584
Location: Denmark | The most critical part of improvisation is to know what you play. One way to train that is to learn some melodies or fragments that you already know. Sing what you play. The idea is to build up some melodic repertoire to work with. http://www.guitardownunder.com has many good studies. Once you know a song in C then learn to play in A. Disengage from the fret markers. In parallel with this melodic studies think rythm. A decent blues solo can be made with rythmic variations over 3 (or fewer) notes and some bending.
And in need of some musical slaves to play your backing while you (train) solo you can use a tape recorder, mp3 player with recording capabilities (e.g. most PCs) or a loop station (pedal) - preferably with integrated rythm box and multiple layer recording. http://www.thomann.de/dk/cat.html?gf=looper1&oa=pra
Edited by tpa 2013-01-23 3:41 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | Yep, me too. Someone enlighten us about this so-called G-dec. I have a book that my friend DaveKell gave me, called Total Scales, Techniques, and Applications, by Mark John Sternal, that is amazing when it comes to learning scale, specifically as pertains to improvisation. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 584
Location: Denmark | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bazX7jY3pLE |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | I have no interest in learning the proper way to play guitar. For me it would take all the fun out of it. But I can certainly admire those that really know technique, theory, sight reading, and all that.
It's like when I used to be able to play golf....I'd rather play golf than learn it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | darkbarguitar - 2013-01-23 8:28 AM
I have no interest in learning the proper way to play guitar. For me it would take all the fun out of it. But I can certainly admire those that really know technique, theory, sight reading, and all that.
It's like when I used to be able to play golf....I'd rather play golf than learn it.
People think that's the way I feel.  |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | theory hurts my brain
there are several iPad apps out there. I use Guitar Toolkit almost daily for everything from tuner to looking up scales to figuring out chords on a mandolin or uke.
There are even video games you can plug a real guitar into and play along with in a 'guitar hero' kinda way. I found it pretty difficult, and very much of an exercise in learning your fretboard. 6 strings and 24 frets are much more difficult than 4 buttons for sure. You have to keep your eyes on the screen or else you fall behind. I think the one I have is called Rocksmith or smythe or something. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2012
Posts: 37
Location: Raleigh, NC | www.vanderbilly.com
Free email (no spam) every day of vids posted by registered users the previous day. Plus database of songs, lessons, tutorials, scales etc. to pick from. Zillions......Just sign up for free like OFC. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | Thank you all for the information, certainly plenty to consider. I plan on starting this week. |
|
| |
Wanting to learn something new...scales, sight reading
