OK, this is something I've been wondering about for a while now, and one of Ceri's posts reminded me that it was about time to start this topic. It's quite a broad one, but I was thinking along these lines: How much of what you play would you say is your "style," and how much is comprised of mannerisms you've been meaning to stamp out, or perhaps ones which you've always had a furtive affection for like that E7#9 you can only ever play in that one position... yeah, you know the one I'm talking about...

My own list of habits to break (or at least assess honestly) is long, but to get the ball rolling I'd like to nominate my penchant for bending up to the note I want from the one a semitone below it. Yes, the good old one-fret bend; a thing of beauty in the right hands, maddeningly vague-sounding when sprinkled liberally over everything as I sometimes do. I think it came about when I was trying to break myself of abusing those whole-tone/unison -style bends so commonly found in the pentatonic "boxes". Every so often I produce a little slippery chromatic flurry that would do John Scofield proud, but for the most part I think it's time I took steps to wean myself off the half-step bend.

I think what I have difficulty with sometimes is that when I play, and do a vibrato, my hold on the string is not firm, and it releases itself, cutting off the vibrato, and annoyingly playing the open string. Of course, sometimes, pretending I'm in front of a larger audience, (it usually doesn't get bigger than a cat or my mom passing by) I pretend that it's 'all part of the plan' and do something similar to make it look contrived, and not a silly accident.




-The Screamin' J

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CURRENT RIG:
2008 Squier bullet stratocaster modified with Rumpelstiltskin pickups -> Dunlop GCB-95 Original Crybaby -> Fender Vibro Champ XD

"Could you take the stain from this pair of pants, and put in on this pair of pants?"

I play mostly rhythm but i really need to practice scales more and get better at playing lead. I tend to strum too much when i could be mixing my strumming with my picking. I just need to stop being a lazy player.

My picking. If I could do it over again I would have my pick hand floating instead of ancored. I have tried to change but it has been to many years.

I have quite a few bad habits, that is one of the reasons I decided to go back to the basics and take a beginning guitar class out at my local community college this coming semester.
I'll either get rid of the bad habits or pick up a few more.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

I am not 100% consistent with alternate picking. About 98%, but the 2% sometimes shows. :[

Almost everything about my picking hand. I've kinda developed my own style, but I think a lot of what's keeping me from playing the licks I want to be playing is my right hand technique. Since I'm self taught I kinda made it up as I went. Never even thought about anchoring the pinky, I hold the pick with three fingers, etc. All kinds of madness.

I should genuinely spend more time cultivating, "The Brown Note".

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You dig?

Haha.. didn't Mythbusters prove this busted?

Oh yea, now that you mention it.

Oh well, there's always, "The Yellow Note"!

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You dig?

Or my favourite "The Blue Note"

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It's a mix between Jazz and Funk, it's called "Junk"

Chet, I'm going back to lessons too! I have a habit of not utilizing my little finger when playing lead. I grew up playing chords and rhythm in the bands I was in and never had a problem with the little finger but I can't get into the habit of using it playing lead. Working on it though as it's supposed to increase your speed.

Excellent. I have the same little finger issue.

Private Classes or in a group (school) setting?

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

I'm taking private lessons Chet. One, he is a great teacher and player. Two, it is close to home and cheaper! Also, I'm learning to read music, something I've always wanted to do.

Oh, guilty guilty guilty!

But don't take that stuff away from me - there'd hardly be anything left!



[Laughing hysterically now] Please let me keep my unison bends! I love them so!

OK, seriously. An endless mass of stuff I need to work on more. No space for THAT list. But stuff I need to do less?

Certain chords become mannerisms, don't they? I have a thing (which to be honest I do think I have under control) where when a number ends on a big conclusive major chord, I let it hang for a second, and then do a major seventh version of that same chord. I have a warm feeling for the major seventh and have many fingerings for it up and down the neck. Here's a simple one, in case someone is wondering:



Moving from the major to major seventh version of a chord somehow attaches a question mark to it. Like saying "That's it! ...Or is it?"

Fine to do it once or twice. More is just annoying - for everybody else.

"Clever" quotes from well known tunes is another one - but that's a whole other post...

Cheers - C