Well since I am limited I have really been working on sweep picking which has also let me look at the fretboard in a different way. I used to pretty much see scale patterns and now I see things from a much more arpeggio pattern way, which combined has really opened things up in a way I never realized before. Also been using the harmonic minor a lot and combined with Diminished 7th arpeggios, that you can run the same shape every 3 frets has me wanting to -dare I say it- want to take apart a few Yngwie songs.lol

I've always struggles with using the tremolo arm naturally, so that's what I'd like to improve, especially when playing 60's instrumentals 0 Shadows & Ventures

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I'm trying this way to learn to improvise better in every key, by playing along with a modulating backer I made.

I recorded a basic I-IV-V progression in the key of E and modulate up 1/2 step each time around. The first few times around it's pretty easy, but by the time you're in Ab, you're really thinking about every fret avaiilable.

It's a great way to find some of those frets/notes that you normally wouldn't go to that often.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I'm just trying to get some chops right now. I don't particularly like playing real fast, but I've got to learn to do it so that I can do it when it's called for.

I'm also working on theory and different scales and chords.

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soloing and songwriting/arranging

This is a timely question for me. Just last night I was sitting around going through the motions and it got me wondering exactly what I'm doing. I haven't really learned a song in months as I've been concentrating on the blues and it's improvisational ways. It got me thinking about what it really means to play the guitar. Is it the ability to play a bunch of songs or the ability to just play and make music? I suppose that it's a philosophical question really but it got me thinking.

I've been working on just better techinque when fingering chords and solos. Been slowing it way down and working on fingering exercises until they're perfect. It's amazing how slow you have to go to get the technique perfect. I have been doing 5 min straight of warm ups, then play whatever I want, then do about 10 min of cool down techinque stuff.

Hoeycow, I like where your heads at. It made me think too. For the most part I consider it a bit of both. I started learning guitar to be able to play a bunch of songs so that when we were all hanging out or sitting around on the deck with a few cold ones, I could play. Now that I've been playing for a few years I see myself wanting to move toward the improvising and blues thing.

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Keep rockin'

I've been working on Scales and Chords and other Theory stuff. I'm also learning to read music.

Thanks Goose. There are so many great songs that I would like to learn but I could sit for hours, if I had the time, and play some shuffles and throw in a few of the various licks and variations that I've learned and enjoy it. I guess it's just where I'm at right now. It's given me a lot of confidence. Instead of trying to hammer out the exact bends and nuances of a certain song I'm doing something musical and having a lot of fun in the process.

exactly what txguitarslinger said plus not playing so many commercial jingles.

I have got the bug for the first time in my life, to try and learn something.

I usually just noodle about on the guitar. I never spent much time trying to play along with records or anything. These days youtube and on-line instruction is just too good to pass up.

Last night, I started working on Jace Everett's "Bad Things" on youtube. Some of you may be familiar with the song as the lead in on HBO's True Blood. I worked on the vocal, lead, and rythum. I had a good time.

Here's the vid:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDY42pFw ... re=related

Picking, keys, scales etc. I have no clue what they are, so yeah....

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riley

fingerpicking mainly and building up the strngth in my picking hand fingers so I can incorperate it into playing country and bluegrass where needed. It may also come in handy for some weird rock music . Aswell as this just keeping on top of what I know and learning a bit more theory here and there, especially so I can use sweep picking more effectivley.

Almost got the thumb motion for finger picking.Kind of the micro version of rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time, then switching hands.

John.E