It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:48 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 76 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Author Message
Post subject: lessons vs. self taught
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:42 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:39 am
Posts: 2
Feeling doesn't come first. Skill does. Lessons help

i do agree with that but, thats whyi think its better to learn for yourself that way you can also develope an ear for it


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:19 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:35 pm
Posts: 52
yeah, you can have all the skills in the world but if you don't feel it, it doesn't have any meaning, but without at least a little guidance, i think, you have no way of putting your feelings into the instrument. i see it like speaking another language, as long as you know a little bit of it you can just make the rest up


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:59 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:15 pm
Posts: 52
I'm not sold on lessons but I think its vital to play with others,someone can show you a technique in 5 minutes that might take a year to figure out on your own. :)


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:11 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:46 am
Posts: 634
Not just that, but the right way to execute it such that your methods are sound and you'll have the chops to expand your skills easily.

The other critical factor is playing to time. I don't know how many self-taught dudes I've played with can't play in time, or played very sloppily relative to time, because they always played to the metronome in their head, which is always wanky.

Whenever possible practice to absolute time: a metronome or to a drum machine or groove tracks. Always work at dropping your performance into the pocket: getting rhythm chords and riffs and runs to lay perfectly into the beat with feeling and expression. This takes a lifetime by the way, but it's worth it.

Good players never want to play with a guy who can't "play time" (as the jazz guys call it). And if you can't, forget recording. Recording is a very harsh taskmaster about playing in the pocket.

Remember: if it sounds great in your head, it ain't. It only counts when it sounds great in absolute time. That's why I recommend tools like G-DEC or any device that emphasizes jamming and practice to a click outside your head. The one inside there will always lie to you.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:16 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:22 am
Posts: 1132
Location: The Netherlands
John Lee Hooker had his own time.
People do like sloppy players if they have something to say.
Personally i like to play with people who play in time or at least can
count the bars the're playing.

Peter


Last edited by lostindesert on Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:15 pm
Posts: 52
Absolutely-when I bought a metronome I couldn't believe how far out of time I really was.A good way to practice is buy the british mag guitar techniques,it has just the guitar and then the backing track on the CD.It comes out monthly but I sometimes have trouble getting it here in north america. :)


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:01 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:46 am
Posts: 634
If you're a folk music icon like JL Hooker, you can afford to play sloppy and have bad time. In fact, he's a great example of a guy who spent way too much time alone and not having to lock into a band groove. I cringe when I hear some of his sloppy notes and missed changes and tempo confusion.

But if you're one of the originals, you get to do what you want and get away with it. Listen to the poor Yardbirds trying to follow Sonny Boy Williamson around on their jam recordings. Yikes, uglee! If you've even been in a backup band trying to back an old blues star...OMG. Best have a great sense of humor about it, cuz you won't be on the same chord very often. That's why you see the band guys smiling and laughing a lot--they have no idea what chord the dude is on.

The simple truth is: today you can't get away with that whole "roots" sloppiness thing. Half the guys you're sharing the stage with went to Berklee!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:43 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:59 pm
Posts: 207
Location: Bowling Green, KY
I have played bass now for over 30 years. I had lessons initially to get the technique and basic concepts down. Without a foundation, you'll never get to where you need to be.

I have played with an enormous variety of bands and guitar players as well. There is no replacement for having others to share ideas and technique with. No matter how good you are at anything, there is always someone who is better, or at least has a different approach that you haven't explored.

I was watching some Youtube footage of Billy Sheehan last night. I'd love to sit with him for a day and get some technique that he differs from me on.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:59 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:04 pm
Posts: 7056
Location: South Florida
When I was learning, I couldn't afford lessons and there weren't too many other players around. Today, you have online lessons, VCR tapes and DVDs, TrueFire, YouTube, a whole lot of other methods to learn things quickly. Geez, even if I had MTV I could have picked up a few more things earlier on.

I taught myself and my progress was slow and frustrating. I would encourage anyone learning today to take some formal lessons if for no other reason than to get off to a quicker start and maintain your interest.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:05 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:47 pm
Posts: 4294
Location: Somewhere near Seattle
Yeah, I didn't have MTV either. It might have helped some. I had friends who could play and learned a little from each over time. That and listening to the same song over and over again until I could figure it out. I did take some classical lessons though. That was a huge jump in skill there.

I should have continued but I was young and thought I knew "enough". How was I to know that life would keep raising the bar and "enough" is never enough?

All I know is that if you truely want to be a great guitar player, lessons are the best and fastest way.

_________________
"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:21 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:04 pm
Posts: 7056
Location: South Florida
On the other hand, I hear people talk about these "guitar institutes" and I get brochures in the mail myself. I wonder if students don't get caught up in achieving high technical skill at the expense of playing with some feeling and soul.

Or I could be guilty of making a sweeping generalization about these schools. :? Has anyone ever attended one?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:42 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:37 pm
Posts: 23
I take lessons. I learn a lot from them.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:42 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:46 am
Posts: 634
Trust me, if you got soul, it will only be more and more freed to express itself the more you learn. If you ain't, it ain't. Listen to Clapton with the Yardbirds behind Sonny Boy Williamson from around 1963 when he was 18. You hear any "soul" in that godawful toneless junk? Dude had barely learned 3 chords and had no chops to express what was inside him. Your soul is caged by incompetence, not freed by it.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:12 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:47 pm
Posts: 4294
Location: Somewhere near Seattle
Maruuk wrote:
Trust me, if you got soul, it will only be more and more freed to express itself the more you learn. If you ain't, it ain't. Listen to Clapton with the Yardbirds behind Sonny Boy Williamson from around 1963 when he was 18. You hear any "soul" in that godawful toneless junk? Dude had barely learned 3 chords and had no chops to express what was inside him. Your soul is caged by incompetence, not freed by it.


That was eloquent and right on the money.

_________________
"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:14 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:04 pm
Posts: 7056
Location: South Florida
Maruuk wrote:
Trust me, if you got soul, it will only be more and more freed to express itself the more you learn. If you ain't, it ain't. Listen to Clapton with the Yardbirds behind Sonny Boy Williamson from around 1963 when he was 18. You hear any "soul" in that godawful toneless junk? Dude had barely learned 3 chords and had no chops to express what was inside him. Your soul is caged by incompetence, not freed by it.



I agree up to a point, but one doesn't need vast technical skill before one can play expressively. There are people out there who think that great guitar playing is all about speed when (IMHO) it should be just one element of your chops. That's all I'm saying.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 76 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: